Astronomy Research at Queen Mary 2015-2018
Lead Research Organisation:
Queen Mary University of London
Department Name: Astronomy Unit
Abstract
We propose to undertake the following research projects.
i) We will use supercomputer simulations to model the gas discs that orbit young stars,
which are believed to be the sites of planet formation.
The aim is to examine the behaviour of the gas as it orbits around the star, and to
examine how planets that form in these discs interact with them. This interaction
may explain the fact that many of the extrasolar planets that have been discovered
outside of our solar system orbit close to their host stars.
ii) We will use supercomputer simulations to model the atmospheres of giant planets
in our solar system and in extrasolar systems. These atmospheres display interesting
patterns of gas flow, and extrasolar planets often orbit close to their stars and so are
strongly heated on one side, causing strong winds to arise. The simulations will help
us better understand these atmospheres.
iii) Using mathematical representations of the laws of physics, we will produce new models
for the early evolution of the Universe, shortly after the big-bang, during which time it
underwent very rapid expansion known as "inflation". The models will be compared with
observations of the Universe to see which ones are compatible with the data. We will also
use mathematical models to examine the late evolution of the Universe to see if there are
natural explanations for the observed fact that the Universe's rate of expansion is increasing.
In particular, these models will examine whether or not the concept of "dark energy" is
required to explain this accelerated expansion.
iv) We will use computer simulations and mathematical theory to examine the formation of
black holes in the early Universe and also supermassive binary black holes that are observed
at the centres of galaxies.
v) We will use an observational survey of the Universe being undertaken by the VISTA
telescope to search for very distant quasars - galaxies that have supermassive black holes
at their centres, and which were born when the Universe was less than 10% of its
current age. We have already discovered the 2nd, 3rd and 4th most distant quasars that
are known, and the aim is to increase this number to about 14. We will then be able
to estimate of how many quasars there were when the Universe was very young,
and we will be able to examine the black holes and the structures of their galaxies.
vi) We will use supercomputer simulations to examine the evolution of the solar wind - the
stream of charged particles that is constantly flowing from the Sun into our solar system.
In particular, we will examine why this wind develops turbulence as it flows through interplanetary
space, and how this turbulence heats the solar wind.
vii) We will use supercomputer simulations to examine the low density but very high temperature
gas that lies above the Sun's surface - the solar corona. In particular, we want to understand whether
or not magnetic fields that pop up out of the Sun in regions called Active Regions can contribute
to the heating of the solar corona in a significant way.
viii) We will analyse images from the Cassini spacecraft that is currently orbiting Saturn, to
examine how Saturn's moons interact with and disturb Saturn's system of rings. We are
particularly interested in the F ring which lies near the outer edge of the ring system, and is
regularly disturbed by two satellites, Prometheus and Pandora. We will use computer simulations
to explain the dynamics of this system.
ix) We will attempt to understand more about the formation of the planet Mars. It is believed
that the four inner planets of our solar system formed from collisions between smaller bodies
that built the planets, and we will use computer simulations to examine this process. We will
examine whether a collision can explain why Mars has a crust that is thicker in the southern
hemisphere than in the north, and we will examine the formation of Mars' m
i) We will use supercomputer simulations to model the gas discs that orbit young stars,
which are believed to be the sites of planet formation.
The aim is to examine the behaviour of the gas as it orbits around the star, and to
examine how planets that form in these discs interact with them. This interaction
may explain the fact that many of the extrasolar planets that have been discovered
outside of our solar system orbit close to their host stars.
ii) We will use supercomputer simulations to model the atmospheres of giant planets
in our solar system and in extrasolar systems. These atmospheres display interesting
patterns of gas flow, and extrasolar planets often orbit close to their stars and so are
strongly heated on one side, causing strong winds to arise. The simulations will help
us better understand these atmospheres.
iii) Using mathematical representations of the laws of physics, we will produce new models
for the early evolution of the Universe, shortly after the big-bang, during which time it
underwent very rapid expansion known as "inflation". The models will be compared with
observations of the Universe to see which ones are compatible with the data. We will also
use mathematical models to examine the late evolution of the Universe to see if there are
natural explanations for the observed fact that the Universe's rate of expansion is increasing.
In particular, these models will examine whether or not the concept of "dark energy" is
required to explain this accelerated expansion.
iv) We will use computer simulations and mathematical theory to examine the formation of
black holes in the early Universe and also supermassive binary black holes that are observed
at the centres of galaxies.
v) We will use an observational survey of the Universe being undertaken by the VISTA
telescope to search for very distant quasars - galaxies that have supermassive black holes
at their centres, and which were born when the Universe was less than 10% of its
current age. We have already discovered the 2nd, 3rd and 4th most distant quasars that
are known, and the aim is to increase this number to about 14. We will then be able
to estimate of how many quasars there were when the Universe was very young,
and we will be able to examine the black holes and the structures of their galaxies.
vi) We will use supercomputer simulations to examine the evolution of the solar wind - the
stream of charged particles that is constantly flowing from the Sun into our solar system.
In particular, we will examine why this wind develops turbulence as it flows through interplanetary
space, and how this turbulence heats the solar wind.
vii) We will use supercomputer simulations to examine the low density but very high temperature
gas that lies above the Sun's surface - the solar corona. In particular, we want to understand whether
or not magnetic fields that pop up out of the Sun in regions called Active Regions can contribute
to the heating of the solar corona in a significant way.
viii) We will analyse images from the Cassini spacecraft that is currently orbiting Saturn, to
examine how Saturn's moons interact with and disturb Saturn's system of rings. We are
particularly interested in the F ring which lies near the outer edge of the ring system, and is
regularly disturbed by two satellites, Prometheus and Pandora. We will use computer simulations
to explain the dynamics of this system.
ix) We will attempt to understand more about the formation of the planet Mars. It is believed
that the four inner planets of our solar system formed from collisions between smaller bodies
that built the planets, and we will use computer simulations to examine this process. We will
examine whether a collision can explain why Mars has a crust that is thicker in the southern
hemisphere than in the north, and we will examine the formation of Mars' m
Planned Impact
The research proposed in this application is largely concerned with basic
scientific inquiry, and so in general it will not have high potential for
immediate economic or real world impact. The primary impact of the research
will be in the cultural sphere, as the research will increase the sum total of
human knowledge about the Universe and its constituents, and will therefore
enhance the sense of wonder about the world that we live in for the general public.
Our research in areas such as cosmology, extrasolar planets, quasars, black holes,
the Saturn system, space weather, and the origin of the Solar System all have
strong public appeal and interest.
The Astronomy Unit has an active programme of public engagement and
schools outreach, both to inform and engage the general public about our
research, and to also inspire school pupils to become interested in science
and to take STEM subjects post-GCSE. These engagement programmes
include giving public talks, having open days and evenings at the university
(e.g. Stargazing Live! events etc), and a range of media work that includes
TV and radio interviews. Our schools outreach programmes include summer schools,
essay writing competitions (i.e. Cassini Scientist for a Day), going into schools
to give talks and provide hands-on activities. We also run a week long Astrophysics
Summer School for secondary school teachers to inspire and assist them in teaching
their pupils about our astronomy research. In doing this we are explicitly supporting
the STEM agenda through our research, which is a key government policy for building
long term economic growth.
Our proposed programme of research includes work on the solar wind and the energetics
of the solar corona, and this research relates directly to Space Weather. As such, there
may be real world applications of this research in predicting coronal mass ejections and
their impacts on human activities such as satellite protection, human spaceflight etc. This
is a motivating factor in pursuing this research, and the Astronomy Unit will be alert to any
opportunities for finding real world applications of this research.
Other areas of our research that may have applications outside of the academic sphere
include high performance computing and the development of advanced computer codes
and algorithms, and in advanced techniques in data analysis. Again, we will be alert to any
opportunities that may arise in finding real world or commercial applications of this work.
Finally, the posdoctoral staff that we will employ on the grant will receive training and
experience in a variety of skills that will be of great benefit to the wider economy if
they at some stage leave academia and work in industry or the commercial sector.
These skills include advanced computing and data analysis, independent problem
solving, project management, report writing through authorship of scientific
publications, and presentation skills obtained from conference attendance etc.
scientific inquiry, and so in general it will not have high potential for
immediate economic or real world impact. The primary impact of the research
will be in the cultural sphere, as the research will increase the sum total of
human knowledge about the Universe and its constituents, and will therefore
enhance the sense of wonder about the world that we live in for the general public.
Our research in areas such as cosmology, extrasolar planets, quasars, black holes,
the Saturn system, space weather, and the origin of the Solar System all have
strong public appeal and interest.
The Astronomy Unit has an active programme of public engagement and
schools outreach, both to inform and engage the general public about our
research, and to also inspire school pupils to become interested in science
and to take STEM subjects post-GCSE. These engagement programmes
include giving public talks, having open days and evenings at the university
(e.g. Stargazing Live! events etc), and a range of media work that includes
TV and radio interviews. Our schools outreach programmes include summer schools,
essay writing competitions (i.e. Cassini Scientist for a Day), going into schools
to give talks and provide hands-on activities. We also run a week long Astrophysics
Summer School for secondary school teachers to inspire and assist them in teaching
their pupils about our astronomy research. In doing this we are explicitly supporting
the STEM agenda through our research, which is a key government policy for building
long term economic growth.
Our proposed programme of research includes work on the solar wind and the energetics
of the solar corona, and this research relates directly to Space Weather. As such, there
may be real world applications of this research in predicting coronal mass ejections and
their impacts on human activities such as satellite protection, human spaceflight etc. This
is a motivating factor in pursuing this research, and the Astronomy Unit will be alert to any
opportunities for finding real world applications of this research.
Other areas of our research that may have applications outside of the academic sphere
include high performance computing and the development of advanced computer codes
and algorithms, and in advanced techniques in data analysis. Again, we will be alert to any
opportunities that may arise in finding real world or commercial applications of this work.
Finally, the posdoctoral staff that we will employ on the grant will receive training and
experience in a variety of skills that will be of great benefit to the wider economy if
they at some stage leave academia and work in industry or the commercial sector.
These skills include advanced computing and data analysis, independent problem
solving, project management, report writing through authorship of scientific
publications, and presentation skills obtained from conference attendance etc.
Publications
Agnor Craig B.
(2019)
Scanning Secular Resonance Theory and the Epoch of Giant Planet Migration
in AAS/Division of Dynamical Astronomy Meeting
Agnor Craig B.
(2016)
On the Nature and Timing of Giant Planet Migration in the Solar System
in AAS/Division of Dynamical Astronomy Meeting #47
Anglada-Escudé G
(2016)
A terrestrial planet candidate in a temperate orbit around Proxima Centauri.
in Nature
Araujo N
(2019)
The dynamics of the outer edge of Saturn's A ring perturbed by the satellites Janus and Epimetheus
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Attree Nicholas Oliver
(2016)
Collisional Features in Saturn's F Ring
in AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts #48
Bae J
(2016)
SELF-DESTRUCTING SPIRAL WAVES: GLOBAL SIMULATIONS OF A SPIRAL-WAVE INSTABILITY IN ACCRETION DISKS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Bae J
(2016)
THE SPIRAL WAVE INSTABILITY INDUCED BY A GIANT PLANET. I. PARTICLE STIRRING IN THE INNER REGIONS OF PROTOPLANETARY DISKS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Bentivegna E
(2018)
Black-hole lattices as cosmological models
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Bibi R
(2017)
Cosmological solutions with charged black holes
in General Relativity and Gravitation
Blanco-Cano X.
(2018)
Multi-spacecraft observations of interplanetary shocks
in AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
Brinch C
(2016)
MISALIGNED DISKS IN THE BINARY PROTOSTAR IRS 43
in The Astrophysical Journal
Burgess D
(2016)
Microstructure in two- and three-dimensional hybrid simulations of perpendicular collisionless shocks
in Journal of Plasma Physics
Burgess D
(2016)
MULTIPLE CURRENT SHEET SYSTEMS IN THE OUTER HELIOSPHERE: ENERGY RELEASE AND TURBULENCE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Camporeale E
(2017)
Comparison of linear modes in kinetic plasma models
in Journal of Plasma Physics
Camporeale Enrico
(2016)
Comparison of linear modes in kinetic plasma models
in ArXiv e-prints
Carrilho P
(2018)
Isocurvature initial conditions for second order Boltzmann solvers
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Carrilho P
(2016)
Vector and tensor contributions to the curvature perturbation at second order
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Carrilho P
(2018)
Attractor behaviour in multifield inflation
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Carrilho Pedro
(2019)
Magnetogenesis from isocurvature initial conditions
in arXiv e-prints
Chen C
(2015)
Magnetic field rotations in the solar wind at kinetic scales
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Chen C
(2015)
Erratum: Magnetic field rotations in the solar wind at kinetic scales: Figure 1.
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Chen C. H. K.
(2018)
Numerical Simulations of Kinetic Turbulence in the Low Beta Regime: Predictions for Observations by Parker Solar Probe
in AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
Christopherson A
(2015)
A short note on the curvature perturbation at second order
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Christopherson A
(2016)
Second-order cosmological perturbation theory and initial conditions for N -body simulations
in Physical Review D
Clemens A
(2016)
Pickup ion processes associated with spacecraft thrusters: Implications for solar probe plus
in Physics of Plasmas
Clifton T
(2015)
Applications of black hole lattices in relativistic cosmology
Clifton T
(2015)
On the emergence of accelerating cosmic expansion in f ( R ) theories of gravity
in Physical Review D
Clifton T
(2019)
Cosmological backreaction in spherical and plane symmetric dust-filled space-times
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Clifton T
(2019)
Parametrizing Theories of Gravity on Large and Small Scales in Cosmology.
in Physical review letters
Clifton T
(2017)
The magnetic part of the Weyl tensor, and the expansion of discrete universes
in General Relativity and Gravitation
Clifton T
(2017)
Persistent black holes in bouncing cosmologies
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Clifton Timothy
(2017)
Persistent Black Holes in Bouncing Cosmologies
in ArXiv e-prints
Coleman G
(2017)
In situ accretion of gaseous envelopes on to planetary cores embedded in evolving protoplanetary discs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Coleman G
(2016)
On the formation of compact planetary systems via concurrent core accretion and migration
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Coleman G
(2016)
Giant planet formation in radially structured protoplanetary discs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Coleman G. A. L.
(2017)
Exploring plausible formation scenarios for the planet candidate orbiting Proxima Centauri
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Cooper N
(2018)
The Caviar software package for the astrometric reduction of Cassini ISS images: description and examples
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Dermott S
(2021)
Dynamical evolution of the inner asteroid belt
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Dias M
(2016)
Numerical evaluation of the bispectrum in multiple field inflation-the transport approach with code
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Durk J
(2017)
A quasi-static approach to structure formation in black hole universes
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Durk J
(2017)
Exact initial data for black hole universes with a cosmological constant
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Durk Jessie
(2016)
Exact Initial Data for Black Hole Universes with a Cosmological Constant
in ArXiv e-prints
El Moutamid M
(2016)
How Janus' orbital swap affects the edge of Saturn's A ring?
in Icarus
Enqvist K
(2015)
Resolving primordial physics through correlated signatures
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Fasiello M
(2015)
Mild bounds on bigravity from primordial gravitational waves
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Faure J
(2016)
Planet filtering at the inner edges of dead zones in protoplanetary disks
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Flock M
(2017)
Radiation Hydrodynamical Turbulence in Protoplanetary Disks: Numerical Models and Observational Constraints
in The Astrophysical Journal
Franci Luca
(2018)
Hybrid simulations of plasma turbulence in support of space missions: a direct quantitative comparison with MMS observations
in EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts
Fuentes Jorge L.
(2018)
Linear cosmological perturbations in almost scale-invariant fourth-order gravity
in arXiv e-prints
| Description | New models of planet formation and migration have been developed. A greater understanding of cosmological models has been obtained. New insights into the dynamics and evolution of the Solar wind have been obtained. New observations of the ring and satellite system of Saturn have been analysed, and implications for the tidal evolution of the system have been obtained. |
| Exploitation Route | All of the projects are part of an on-going effort to understand a broad variety of astronomical phenomena. As such, the findings make a contribution to current astronomical research by stimulating further research and understanding. |
| Sectors | Education |
| Description | The discovery and characterisation of a planet around Proxima Centauri has provided many opportunities for public engagement. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
| Sector | Education,Other |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal |
| Description | Astronomy Research at Queen Mary |
| Amount | £1,246,943 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ST/P000592/1 |
| Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2017 |
| End | 03/2020 |