PATT Linked Grant Support for the Bristol Astrophysics Group
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bristol
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
The Bristol Astrophysics Group works on a number of programmes that require careful observations to be made with the world's largest telescopes. This proposal requests two years of funding for travel to those telescopes and subsistence while working at them. In studies on the microwave background radiation, the left-over radiation from the Big Bang, it is important to remove contamination from foreground sources of emission that confuse our measurements of the background itself. This is done using a series of observations at radio-telescopes in the USA and elsewhere. Many of the measurements relate to the 'shadows' cast on the microwave background by clusters of galaxies. Extensive radio and optical studies of those clusters, to understand their masses and to gain insights into how they formed, are also a significant part of our work. Our work on active galaxies, which host very massive black holes in their nuclei, is principally done using orbiting X-ray telescopes, but to understand the physics of the emission it is essential to see also the emission in the radio, infra-red, and optical bands. Here again Group members make extensive use of telescopes world-wide, from the radio interferometers in Australia to optical telescopes in Chile. Small-scale models of these active galaxies can be found in our own Galaxy, in black hole systems with masses a few times the mass of the Sun. Work on these systems is done in the same way as for the active galaxies, with the extra requirement to follow rapid changes in the brightness of emission from matter near the black holes that tell us about the physics of the infall of matter and the associated ejection of high-speed flows. A unifying thread of our extragalactic work is on how structure in the Universe forms and changes over time. A large fraction of our observing is therefore dedicated to finding and characterizing the earliest galaxies and clusters, and then seeing how the most distant galaxies and clusters differ from those closer to us, which are therefore seen later in the life of the Universe, and so are older. A wide range of ground-based telescopes has to be used in this work, from the radio to the optical, with much of the work using the telescopes of the European Southern Observatory in Chile. Nearby galaxies can be studied in more detail than the more distant ones, and we also look at the populations of galaxies nearby - especially those of the lowest mass, which dominate the galaxy population by number, and have properties that can be quite different from their more massive cousins. Finally, we also work on our own Galaxy, looking at the gas between the stars, which has been heated by supernovae or young stars, and at the dense lumps of gas that emit coherent (maser) radiation.
Organisations
- University of Bristol (Lead Research Organisation)
- Swinburne University of Technology (Collaboration)
- University of Sydney (Collaboration)
- University of Portsmouth (Collaboration)
- DURHAM UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
- QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON (Collaboration)
- Max Planck Society (Collaboration)
- Cardiff University (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM (Collaboration)
- LIVERPOOL JOHN MOORES UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
- University of Barcelona (Collaboration)
- Leiden University (Collaboration)
- European Southern Observatory (ESO) (Collaboration)
- Universidade de São Paulo (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM (Collaboration)
- University of St Andrews (Collaboration)
- Australian National University (ANU) (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE (Collaboration)
- International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) (Collaboration)
- Australian Astronomical Observatory (Collaboration)
- University of Canterbury (Collaboration)
- IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD (Collaboration)
- University of Sussex (Collaboration)
- University of Waterloo (Collaboration)
- University of Central Lancashire (Collaboration)
- Carnegie Institution for Science (CIS) (Collaboration)
- Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Collaboration)
- Monash University (Collaboration)
Publications
Bliss A
(2009)
UNMASKING THE ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS IN PKS J2310-437
in The Astrophysical Journal
Bremer M
(2010)
A redshift survey towards the cosmic microwave background cold spot
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Bremer, M
(2010)
Studying the properties of early galaxies with the ESO remote galaxy survey
in The Messenger
Davies L
(2010)
Limits on the molecular gas content of z~ 5 LBGs The molecular gas content of z ~5 LBGs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Rodr
(2009)
Erratum to ATel #2166
in The Astronomer's Telegram
Rodr
(2009)
Confirmation of nova M31 2009-08d
in The Astronomer's Telegram
Sabin L
(2014)
First release of the IPHAS catalogue of new extended planetary nebulae
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Stanway E
(2010)
Constraining the thermal dust content of Lyman break galaxies in an overdense field at z˜ 5 Thermal dust in z~ 5 LBGs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Stanway E
(2010)
Constraining the molecular gas in the environs of a z~ 8 gamma-ray burst host galaxy Gas in the z ~ 8 GRB host galaxy
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Stanway E
(2010)
Low radio-derived star formation rates in z < 0.5 gamma-ray burst host galaxies Radio SFRs in GRB host galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
| Description | This grant provided for travel to undertake a variety of observations on the world's most important telescopes. Results from those observations include new information on how relativistic flows can be deflected by gas clouds, on the nature of compact and dwarf galaxies, and on the gas contents of the first galaxies in the Universe. |
| Exploitation Route | Data gained through this grant have been used in a number of publications, most immediately those referenced later. Students and PDRAs trained through observing on trips with their supervisors are now working in industry, or in University posts (in the UK, Australia, or elsewhere). |
| Sectors | Education |
| Description | This grant provided travel funding for staff members and PDRAs to visit major observatories. Data returned from those observations were used in a number of papers, and also helped in the training of several STFC-supported research students and PDRAs. Expertise gained through this travel has also made staff members at Bristol far better at gaining time on those observatories, through deepening their understanding of the instruments and data. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2010 |
| Sector | Education,Other |
| Impact Types | Cultural |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | Australian Astronomical Observatory |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | Australian National University (ANU) |
| Department | Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | Cardiff University |
| Department | School of Physics and Astronomy |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | Carnegie Institution for Science (CIS) |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) |
| Country | Chile |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | Durham University |
| Department | Institute for Computational Cosmology |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | Imperial College London |
| Department | Astrophysics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | Leiden University |
| Department | Leiden Observatory |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | Liverpool John Moores University |
| Department | Astrophysics Research Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | Max Planck Society |
| Department | Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | Max Planck Society |
| Department | Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | Monash University |
| Department | School of Physics and Astronomy |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | Queen Mary University of London |
| Department | School of Physics and Astronomy |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | Swinburne University of Technology |
| Department | Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | Universidade de São Paulo |
| Department | Institute Of Astronomy |
| Country | Brazil |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | University of Barcelona |
| Department | Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC) |
| Country | Spain |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | University of Birmingham |
| Department | School of Physics and Astronomy |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | University of British Columbia |
| Country | Canada |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | University of Canterbury |
| Department | Department of Physics and Astronomy |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | University of Central Lancashire |
| Department | Jeremiah Horrocks Institute for Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | University of Edinburgh |
| Department | Institute for Astronomy |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | University of Nottingham |
| Department | School of Physics and Astronomy |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | University of Oxford |
| Department | Department of Physics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | University of Portsmouth |
| Department | Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | University of St Andrews |
| Department | School of Physics and Astronomy |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | University of Sussex |
| Department | Astronomy Centre |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | University of Sydney |
| Department | Sydney Institute for Astronomy |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | University of Waterloo |
| Department | Department of Physics & Astronomy |
| Country | Canada |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | GAMA |
| Organisation | University of the Western Cape |
| Department | Department of Physics |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Observations, optical image analysis, spectroscopic analysis, clustering properties |
| Collaborator Contribution | Observation, image and spectroscopic analysis, luminosity and correlation functions, |
| Impact | Many publications. |
| Description | Public lectures and science cafes |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Multiple public talks to astronomy societies and other organisations, also Science Cafes and other groups (e.g., Anglo-Polish society). Activities tended to go on to time limit because of question-and-answer sessions, and have generated eMail questions after the fact from attendees. Continued requests for talks and other contacts based on experiences. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014 |