A consolidated grant for Sheffield Astrophysics 2015-2018
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Sheffield
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
The aim of this proposal is to support a programme of internationally excellent research in astrophysics at Sheffield, building
on our recent research achievements, and tied to the exploitation of leading international facilities supported by STFC and UKSA.
on our recent research achievements, and tied to the exploitation of leading international facilities supported by STFC and UKSA.
Planned Impact
The main ways in which our research makes and impact outside the academic community is via our knowledge exchange
and outreach activities. To summarise:
1. Knowledge exchange. This is primarily based on the building of the ULTRACAM instrument, which has now led to the
development of a new data acquisition system that is now used on a host of other instruments.
2. Outreach. Over the last five years members of the Sheffield astrophysics group have delivered more than 80 talks to
schools and astronomical societies, 36 in-house masterclasses for school students, and several press releases, based
on their research activities.
Details are given in our Pathways to Impact statement that is included as an attachment.
and outreach activities. To summarise:
1. Knowledge exchange. This is primarily based on the building of the ULTRACAM instrument, which has now led to the
development of a new data acquisition system that is now used on a host of other instruments.
2. Outreach. Over the last five years members of the Sheffield astrophysics group have delivered more than 80 talks to
schools and astronomical societies, 36 in-house masterclasses for school students, and several press releases, based
on their research activities.
Details are given in our Pathways to Impact statement that is included as an attachment.
Organisations
Publications
Awiphan S
(2016)
Transit timing variation and transmission spectroscopy analyses of the hot Neptune GJ3470b
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bessiere P
(2017)
Young stellar populations in type II quasars: timing the onset of star formation and nuclear activity
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bhandari S
(2018)
The SUrvey for Pulsars and Extragalactic Radio Bursts - II. New FRB discoveries and their follow-up
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bours M
(2015)
A double white dwarf with a paradoxical origin?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bours M
(2016)
Long-term eclipse timing of white dwarf binaries: an observational hint of a magnetic mechanism at work
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Burningham B
(2016)
A LOFAR mini-survey for low-frequency radio emission from the nearest brown dwarfs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Cafolla C
(2017)
SS Cancri: the shortest modulation-period Blazhko RR Lyrae
in Information Bulletin on Variable Stars
Campbell H
(2015)
Total eclipse of the heart: the AM CVn Gaia14aae/ASSASN-14cn
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Casewell S
(2018)
The direct detection of the irradiated brown dwarf in the white dwarf-brown dwarf binary SDSS J141126.20+200911.1
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
| Description | - First accurate quantifiaction of the mass and power of warm outlows in ultraluminous infrared galaxies, demonstrating that the outflows are generally less powerful than required by some galaxy evolution models - First detection of a tidal distruption event (TDE) in an ultra-luminous infrared galaxy, providing evidence that the rate of tidal disruption of stars by sumpermassive black holes is higher at the peaks of galaxy mergers than in non-merging galaxies - Discovery of aurorae in a brown dwarf, with important implications for the interpretation of the variability of such objects in terms of weather in the stellar atmospheres - Discovery of the first radio-pulsating white dwarf star - |
| Exploitation Route | The research outcomes strongly inform our outreach activities such as the numerous public talks we give on our research. |
| Sectors | Education |
| Description | The findings have been used to inform a variety of outreach activities, including talks to schools and amateur astronomy societies socities, as well as public lectures. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2015 |
| Sector | Other |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal |