Astrophysics Research at the University of Leicester
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leicester
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
Our research aims to investigate a range of high-priority science topics in these areas:
i. studying high-energy and high-redshift transients and the relation of transients to gravitational wave events
ii. investigating the growth and evolution of the first stars and black holes in galaxies
iii. determining the properties of powerful active galactic nuclei including the Broad Line Region
iv. measuring the fundamental properties of white dwarf stars
v. investigating the properties of exoplanets, brown dwarfs and low mass stars
vi. investigating accretion processes
vii exploring the formation of planets
We will deliver this programme by carrying out observations using a broad range of ground and space based observing facilities, including XMM-Newton, HST, Swift, GAIA, JWST, ALMA, VLT, WHT, INT, LT, NGTS, GOTO and SAAO, and by conducting numerical simulations using major High Performance Computer facilities such as DiRAC.
i. studying high-energy and high-redshift transients and the relation of transients to gravitational wave events
ii. investigating the growth and evolution of the first stars and black holes in galaxies
iii. determining the properties of powerful active galactic nuclei including the Broad Line Region
iv. measuring the fundamental properties of white dwarf stars
v. investigating the properties of exoplanets, brown dwarfs and low mass stars
vi. investigating accretion processes
vii exploring the formation of planets
We will deliver this programme by carrying out observations using a broad range of ground and space based observing facilities, including XMM-Newton, HST, Swift, GAIA, JWST, ALMA, VLT, WHT, INT, LT, NGTS, GOTO and SAAO, and by conducting numerical simulations using major High Performance Computer facilities such as DiRAC.
Publications
Joyce S
(2023)
X-ray and UV radiation in the planet-forming T-Tauri system PDS 70. Signs of accretion and coronal activity
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Giarratana S
(2022)
VLBI observations of GRB 201015A, a relatively faint GRB with a hint of very high-energy gamma-ray emission
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Eyles-Ferris R
(2024)
Ultradeep Cover: An Exotic and Jetted Tidal Disruption Event Candidate Disguised as a Gamma-Ray Burst
in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Cufari M
(2023)
Tidal capture of stars by supermassive black holes: implications for periodic nuclear transients and quasi-periodic eruptions
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Aharonian F
(2023)
The Vanishing of the Primary Emission Region in PKS 1510-089
in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Debes J
(2023)
The Surprising Evolution of the Shadow on the TW Hya Disk*
in The Astrophysical Journal
Rowther S
(2024)
The role of drag and gravity on dust concentration in a gravitationally unstable disc
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Nowak M
(2024)
The orbit of HD 142527 B is too compact to explain many of the disc features
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Steeghs D
(2022)
The Gravitational-wave Optical Transient Observer (GOTO): prototype performance and prospects for transient science
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Dyer M
(2022)
The Gravitational-wave Optical Transient Observer (GOTO)
Eyles-Ferris R
(2024)
The Gravitational Wave AfterglowPy Analysis (GWAPA) webtool
in Research Notes of the AAS
Alexander R
(2023)
The distribution of accretion rates as a diagnostic of protoplanetary disc evolution
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Gompertz B
(2022)
The case for a minute-long merger-driven gamma-ray burst from fast-cooling synchrotron emission
in Nature Astronomy
Kundu S
(2022)
Stars Crushed by Black Holes. III. Mild Compression of Radiative Stars by Supermassive Black Holes
in The Astrophysical Journal
Le Duigou J
(2022)
Stability and assembly precision of MXT line of sight
Warwick B
(2025)
SN 2023tsz: a helium-interaction-driven supernova in a very low-mass galaxy
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Eyles-Ferris R
(2022)
Simulated optical light curves of super-Eddington tidal disruption events with ZEBRA flows
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Mong Y
(2023)
Self-supervised clustering on image-subtracted data with deep-embedded self-organizing map
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Pritchard M
(2024)
Sandwiched planet formation: restricting the mass of a middle planet
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Pritchard M
(2023)
Sandwiched planet formation: restricting the mass of a middle planet
Casewell S
(2024)
PHL 5038AB: is the brown dwarf causing pollution of its white dwarf host star?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Chen C
(2023)
Orbital stability of two circumbinary planets around misaligned eccentric binaries
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Coughlin E
(2022)
On the Impact of Relativistic Gravity on the Rate of Tidal Disruption Events
in The Astrophysical Journal
Acharyya A
(2023)
Multiwavelength Observations of the Blazar PKS 0735+178 in Spatial and Temporal Coincidence with an Astrophysical Neutrino Candidate IceCube-211208A
in The Astrophysical Journal
Evans P
(2023)
Monthly quasi-periodic eruptions from repeated stellar disruption by a massive black hole
in Nature Astronomy
Sellek A
(2024)
Modeling JWST MIRI-MRS Observations of T Cha: Mid-IR Noble Gas Emission Tracing a Dense Disk Wind
in The Astronomical Journal
Arulanantham N
(2023)
Lya Scattering Models Trace Accretion and Outflow Kinematics in T Tauri Systems*
in The Astrophysical Journal
Bajaj N
(2024)
JWST MIRI MRS Observations of T Cha: Discovery of a Spatially Resolved Disk Wind
in The Astronomical Journal
Scardoni C
(2022)
Inward and outward migration of massive planets: moving towards a stalling radius
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Lamb G
(2022)
Inhomogeneous Jets from Neutron Star Mergers: One Jet to Rule Them All
in Universe
Levan A
(2023)
Heavy-element production in a compact object merger observed by JWST
in Nature
Aharonian F
(2023)
H.E.S.S. Follow-up Observations of GRB 221009A
in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Williams M
(2023)
GRB 221009A: Discovery of an Exceptionally Rare Nearby and Energetic Gamma-Ray Burst
in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
| Description | ENGRAVE |
| Organisation | European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Our Leicester team is part of a large international collaboration to use ESO telescopes and others, for follow-up of the electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational wave events. Tanvir is a member of the governing council of ENGRAVE. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The collaboration has over 250 members, who bring diverse expertise. In particular, real time duties are the responsibility of a core group of about 40 people currently. |
| Impact | One paper submitted so far. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | STARGATE |
| Organisation | European Southern Observatory (ESO) |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Tanvir is PI of a large collaboration whose goal is to obtain optical/nIR follow-up observations of gamma-ray bursts using ESO facilities. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The collaboration consists of a (geographically spread) core group who trigger and analyse the rapid target-of-opportunity observations, plus a wider group who contribute to planning, interpretation and analysis for at least some of the specialised sub-projects. (the number of partner institutions in this sense is large and fluid, and they are not individually listed. Similarly the value of the in-kind contributions is not well defined; except for ESO for which the value recorded here is a rough estimate) |
| Impact | About 15 papers written to date. |
| Start Year | 2016 |