Massive early type galaxies are known to harbour extended atmospheres of hot X-ray emitting gas. A systematic study of the thermodynamic properties of the hot X-ray emitting haloes has hitherto only been performed for samples of non-rotating giant ellipticals. However, in the presence of significant angular momentum, heating from the central active galactic nuclei (AGN) and radiative cooling are likely to proceed differently. The student will analyse X-ray data for a sample of massive, rotating, S0 galaxies, obtained with the XMM-Newton satellite (and possibly with the Chandra X-ray observatory) and determine the morphology and thermodynamic properties of the hot X-ray emitting atmospheres surrounding these system. The student will compare the properties with those obtained for slow rotating giant elliptical galaxies. The study will inform our understanding of the role of rotation in the formation of cooling instabilities in the process of galaxy formation and evolution.