IFS Datacubes
Turning modern integral-field spectroscopy into spatial maps of emission lines, stellar populations, gas diagnostics, and radial structure.
Astrophysics · Galaxy evolution · IFS datacubes
Resolved galaxies, star formation, and the environments that reshape them.
PhD student at ICRAR / The University of Western Australia working on spatially-resolved star formation,
ISM diagnostics, metallicity, and environmental transformation in the Virgo Cluster.
About
I am a PhD student at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), The University of Western Australia (2025–2029). My research focuses on galaxy evolution, spatially-resolved star formation, interstellar medium diagnostics, and environmental effects in clusters.
Current focus: Virgo Cluster galaxies, MAUVE-MUSE integral-field spectroscopy, HST UV-optical imaging, and the mass-metallicity relation's dependence on star formation rate surface density.
Rongjun.Huang@icrar.org
Rongjun.Huang@research.uwa.edu.au
Astro@Rongjun-Huang.com
Education
-
The University of Western Australia — ICRAR, Crawley, WA, Australia
PhD student — Doctor of Philosophy (2025–2029)
Thesis: Environmental effects on spatially-resolved star formation and interstellar medium properties in the Virgo Cluster
Supervisor: Prof. Luca Cortese -
The Australian National University — Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Weston Creek, ACT, Australia
M.Sc — Master of Science (Advanced), Astronomy and Astrophysics (June 2024), GPA 7/7 (Commendation)
Thesis: Negative metallicity gradient in galactic outflows based on QED simulations
Supervisor: Prof. Mark Krumholz -
The Australian National University — Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Weston Creek, ACT, Australia
H.Sc — Bachelor of Science (Honours), Astronomy and Astrophysics (December 2022), First Class Honours (H1, 82/100)
Thesis: Exploring the intrinsic scatter of the star-forming galaxy main sequence at redshift 0.5 to 3.0
Supervisor: Dr. Andrew Battisti -
The Australian National University — Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Acton, ACT, Australia
B.Sc — Bachelor of Science, Astronomy and Astrophysics (June 2021), GPA 5.6/7
Thesis: Using MAGPHYS+photo-z to characterise the properties of star-forming galaxies
Supervisor: Dr. Andrew Battisti
Research
My PhD work asks how dense environments change galaxies internally: where star formation is suppressed or enhanced, how ISM conditions respond, and how metallicity behaves across individual spaxels instead of only in whole-galaxy averages. Supervisor: Prof. Luca Cortese.
Star Formation
Tracing the resolved star-forming main sequence, SFR surface density, HII regions, and where diagnostics such as H alpha can mislead.
Virgo Environment
Studying cluster-driven transformation in late-type Virgo galaxies using MAUVE-MUSE, HST imaging, and multi-wavelength context.
01 datacube
MUSE/IFS spectra sampled across the galaxy, one spaxel at a time.
02 maps
Resolved star formation, gas excitation, metallicity, and ISM structure.
03 physics
Mass-metallicity relation, SFR surface density, feedback, and outflows.
04 environment
How the Virgo Cluster reshapes disks, star clusters, associations, and HII regions.
First-author Publications
MAUVE-MUSE: The Origin of Spatially-resolved Mass-Metallicity Relation's Secondary Dependence on Star Formation Rate Surface Density
Rongjun Huang, Luca Cortese, Barbara Catinella, Luke J. M. Davies, Toby Brown, Andrei Ristea, Alessandro Boselli, Andrew J. Battisti, Vicente Villanueva, Kristine Spekkens, Sara L. Ellison, Daniel A. Dale, Sabine Thater & Amirnezam Amiri. 2026.
Quokka-based understanding of outflows (QED) - IV. Limitations of Hα as an outflow diagnostic
Rongjun Huang, Aditi Vijayan, Mark R. Krumholz. 2026. MNRAS Accepted.
Quokka-based understanding of outflows (QED) - II. X-ray metallicity gradients as a signature of galactic wind metal loading
Rongjun Huang, Aditi Vijayan, Mark R. Krumholz. 2025. MNRAS 539(2), 1723-1737.
Exploring the Intrinsic Scatter of the Star-Forming Galaxy Main Sequence at Redshift 0.5 to 3.0
Rongjun Huang, Andrew J. Battisti, Kathryn Grasha, Elisabete da Cunha, Claudia del P Lagos, Sarah K. Leslie & Emily Wisnioski. 2023. MNRAS 520(1), 446-460.
Granted Observation
Anatomy of a fall: Dissecting the environment-driven transformation of late-type Virgo cluster galaxies with HST UV-optical imaging of star clusters, associations, and HII regions
Co-PI — Hubble Space Telescope (HST) — 145 orbits (~108.8 hr)
Observing Experience
- Extremely Metal Poor Stars in Milky Way — ANU 2.3m Telescope, Siding Spring Observatory (SSO), NSW, Australia (September 2019; 3 nights)
- GALAH survey (2024A) — Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT), SSO, NSW, Australia (July 2024; remote via Mount Stromlo Observatory observation room)
HPC Experience
NCI / Gadi
Star Formation and Feedback in a Turbulent Interstellar Medium (Project jh2; PI: Mark Krumholz).
Pawsey / Setonix
Multiphase Astrophysics to Unveil the Virgo Environment (Pawsey1308; PI: Luca Cortese), plus star formation and feedback in a turbulent ISM (Pawsey0807; PI: Mark Krumholz).
Swinburne / OzSTAR
IFS Data Analysis (oz084; PI: Luca Cortese) and Anita Summer School (oz978; PI: Mark Krumholz).
CADC / CANFAR
Multiphase Astrophysics to Unveil the Virgo Environment (MAUVE; PI: Toby Brown).
Software Development
The nGIST Pipeline
A galaxy IFS analysis pipeline for modern IFS data.
Quokka / yt frontend post-processing
Post-processing pipeline for Quokka simulation code as part of the yt frontend.
Internship
The Stability of the WiFeS Instrument on the ANU 2.3-Metre Robotic Telescope
Supervisor: A/Prof. Chris Lidman
ANU 2.3m Telescope, Siding Spring Observatory (SSO), NSW, Australia (01/29/2024–02/16/2024)
Professional Affiliations
Member (Student) — ARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3 Dimensions (ASTRO 3D), Australia (2020–2024)
Conference Talks
When metallicity follows or fights star formation: a resolved inversion in Virgo spirals from MAUVE-MUSE
R. Huang — Astronomical Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2026, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
When metallicity follows or fights star formation: a resolved inversion in Virgo spirals from MAUVE-MUSE
R. Huang — European Astronomical Society Annual Meeting 2026, SS7, Lausanne, Switzerland.
MAUVE-MUSE: When Metallicity Follows or Fights Star Formation - A Mass Dependent Inversion in Virgo Spirals
R. Huang — Australian-Chinese Astronomical Research Workshop 11, Geraldton, WA, Australia.
Intrinsic Scatter of the Star-Forming Galaxy Main Sequence
R. Huang — ASTRO 3D Science Meetings in Burnley, VIC and Fremantle, WA.
Grants & Awards
UWA Data Institute Awards 2025 Travel Grants
2000 AUD (December 2025)
ASTRO 3D travel funds
1500 AUD (June 2023)
ASTRO 3D travel funds
100 AUD (June 2022)
Scholarship
The Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship
The University of Western Australia (2025-2028)
Language
Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic
Overall 81: Listening 83, Reading 74, Speaking 90, Writing 80 (Australia, 03 Jul 2024)
Professional Skills
- Advanced experience with large astrophysical datasets (integral-field spectroscopy, simulations) and statistical modelling.
- Daily user of Python (NumPy, SciPy, Astropy, Matplotlib, Jupyter), with HPC workflows and automated analysis pipelines.
- Comfortable with Mathematica, MATLAB, IDL, Emacs, DS9, ImageJ, LaTeX/BibTeX, Markdown, and office suites.
Download
Download my resume: Resume.pdf
Photo Gallery
With Supervisor Dr. Andrew Battisti (2024)
With Prof. Brian Schmidt (Honours graduation, 2022)
Me (2020)