Astrophysics and Cosmology Research within the JBCA 2017-2020
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
This grant supports the research of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Manchester. Our research is a divided into 3 groups. There are too many specific proposals to describe in detail, do below we have given a brief layman's explanation of the work being carried out by the three groups.
Cosmology: This is the study of the Universe as a whole. The main aim is to understand the processes by which the large scale feature of the Universe formed and to constrain the various different kinds of matter that existed within it. These include dark matter and dark energy which are thought to constitute more than 95% of the total. We do this by comparison to observations of weak and strong gravitational lensing which is the distortion of light predicted to be caused by massive objects in Einstein' Theory of General Relativity, the cosmic microwave background which is the faint emission of radiation created at the time when protons and electrons come together to form hydrogen and the emission given off by neutral hydrogen atoms in galaxies. The research we propose here involves both theory and observation as well as the development of the technology necessary to make the observations possible.
Sun, Stars and Galaxies: The researchers in this group study a wide range of astrophysical processes that are reasonable for the formation and evolution of the objects in the name of the group. Specific key areas that the group is interested in are the formation of stars much larger than the Sun and the subsequent evolution, the properties of the so-called interstellar medium (ISM) which comprises molecules not bound to stars and the magnetic fields that permeate space.
Pulsars and Time Domain Astrophysics: The focus of this group is astrophysical signatures that are change with time: things which come on and off, often with some kind of regularity. These include Pulsars which are non-standard star time, known as a neutron star, which is a dead star supported by the quantum pressure of neutrons. The radio emission from these objects pulses on an off with extraordinary regularity allowing them to acts cosmic clocks. The constantly measuring these clocks as the neutron stars spin and move through space, often impacted on by a companion star, allows the most precise constraints on the nature of gravity outside the solar system. Other phenomena studied by this group include Nova explosions, other variable stars, and variability induced by the lensing effects of one star passing in front of another, called microlensing.
Cosmology: This is the study of the Universe as a whole. The main aim is to understand the processes by which the large scale feature of the Universe formed and to constrain the various different kinds of matter that existed within it. These include dark matter and dark energy which are thought to constitute more than 95% of the total. We do this by comparison to observations of weak and strong gravitational lensing which is the distortion of light predicted to be caused by massive objects in Einstein' Theory of General Relativity, the cosmic microwave background which is the faint emission of radiation created at the time when protons and electrons come together to form hydrogen and the emission given off by neutral hydrogen atoms in galaxies. The research we propose here involves both theory and observation as well as the development of the technology necessary to make the observations possible.
Sun, Stars and Galaxies: The researchers in this group study a wide range of astrophysical processes that are reasonable for the formation and evolution of the objects in the name of the group. Specific key areas that the group is interested in are the formation of stars much larger than the Sun and the subsequent evolution, the properties of the so-called interstellar medium (ISM) which comprises molecules not bound to stars and the magnetic fields that permeate space.
Pulsars and Time Domain Astrophysics: The focus of this group is astrophysical signatures that are change with time: things which come on and off, often with some kind of regularity. These include Pulsars which are non-standard star time, known as a neutron star, which is a dead star supported by the quantum pressure of neutrons. The radio emission from these objects pulses on an off with extraordinary regularity allowing them to acts cosmic clocks. The constantly measuring these clocks as the neutron stars spin and move through space, often impacted on by a companion star, allows the most precise constraints on the nature of gravity outside the solar system. Other phenomena studied by this group include Nova explosions, other variable stars, and variability induced by the lensing effects of one star passing in front of another, called microlensing.
Planned Impact
The range of research we undertake and the world-class facilities within and in close association with JBCA (the Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, e-MERLIN, the Lovell Telescope, the ALMA ARC and the SKA HQ) will provide key pathways to increasing our already strong impact on UK and global industry, the next generation of scientists and engineers, and the general public. The University's investment in the Jodrell Bank site combined with significant external funding (e.g. from Heritage Lottery Fund) will enable us to expand its use as an iconic venue for public and industrial engagement. The programme described here formed a key part of the School's submission for REF2014, helping it to be ranked highest in the REF for physics impact with 83% at 4* and 17% at 3*. Our outreach \& public engagement programme is extremely strong and continues to grow, particularly through its work with the University's award-winning Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre and the BBC. With the recent decision on SKA HQ location and our strong research work in this area, there is also growing impact in both outreach and industrial engagement in this area.
Our "Pathways to Impact" statement in the case for support outlines things that we have done in recent times under the headings of "Outreach and Public Engagement" and "Industrial and economic impact". We list some highlights below.
- Jodcast: Podcast run by students with 7000 regular listeners.
- 230000 Twitter followers
- Stargazing live
- JB Discovery centre with 150000 visitors per year
- Award winning "Live from Jodrell Bank" rock concerts
- Industry contracts for SKA work including CISCO, AASL, NPL, GEANT
- Newton programme for Radio Astronomy in Africa.
Our "Pathways to Impact" statement in the case for support outlines things that we have done in recent times under the headings of "Outreach and Public Engagement" and "Industrial and economic impact". We list some highlights below.
- Jodcast: Podcast run by students with 7000 regular listeners.
- 230000 Twitter followers
- Stargazing live
- JB Discovery centre with 150000 visitors per year
- Award winning "Live from Jodrell Bank" rock concerts
- Industry contracts for SKA work including CISCO, AASL, NPL, GEANT
- Newton programme for Radio Astronomy in Africa.
Organisations
Publications
Chen T
(2018)
Impact of SZ cluster residuals in CMB maps and CMB-LSS cross-correlations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Delabrouille J
(2018)
Exploring cosmic origins with CORE: Survey requirements and mission design
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Guzman-Ramirez L
(2018)
Opening PANDORA's box: APEX observations of CO in PNe
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Barker H
(2018)
The binary fraction of planetary nebula central stars - III. the promise of VPHAS+
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Wu J
(2018)
The Einstein@Home Gamma-ray Pulsar Survey. II. Source Selection, Spectral Analysis, and Multiwavelength Follow-up
in The Astrophysical Journal
Remazeilles M
(2018)
Exploring cosmic origins with CORE: B -mode component separation
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Liu T
(2018)
The TOP-SCOPE Survey of Planck Galactic Cold Clumps: Survey Overview and Results of an Exemplar Source, PGCC G26.53+0.17
in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Stacey H
(2018)
Gravitational lensing reveals extreme dust-obscured star formation in quasar host galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Arias M
(2018)
Low-frequency radio absorption in Cassiopeia A
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Desvignes G
(2018)
Large Magneto-ionic Variations toward the Galactic Center Magnetar, PSR J1745-2900
in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Irabor T
(2018)
The coordinated radio and infrared survey for high-mass star formation - IV. A new radio-selected sample of compact galactic planetary nebulae
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
König S
(2018)
Major impact from a minor merger The extraordinary hot molecular gas flow in the Eye of the NGC 4194 Medusa galaxy
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Cendes Y
(2018)
RFI flagging implications for short-duration transients
in Astronomy and Computing
Ng C
(2018)
PSR J1755-2550: a young radio pulsar with a massive, compact companion
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Hickish J
(2018)
A digital correlator upgrade for the Arcminute MicroKelvin Imager
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Johnson M
(2018)
The Scattering and Intrinsic Structure of Sagittarius A* at Radio Wavelengths
in The Astrophysical Journal
Dai S
(2018)
Peculiar spin frequency and radio profile evolution of PSR J1119-6127 following magnetar-like X-ray bursts
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Lykou F
(2018)
The curious case of II Lup: a complex morphology revealed with SAM/NACO and ALMA
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Barnes D
(2018)
SPMHD simulations of structure formation
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Hart L
(2018)
New constraints on time-dependent variations of fundamental constants using Planck data
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Petroff E
(2018)
A fast radio burst with a low dispersion measure
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Hoyle B
(2018)
Dark Energy Survey Year 1 Results: redshift distributions of the weak-lensing source galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Keane E
(2018)
The SUrvey for Pulsars and Extragalactic Radio Bursts - I. Survey description and overview
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Goldman S
(2018)
A dearth of OH/IR stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Armitage T
(2018)
The Cluster-EAGLE project: velocity bias and the velocity dispersion-mass relation of cluster galaxies
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
Tan C
(2018)
Ensemble candidate classification for the LOTAAS pulsar survey
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Kervella P
(2018)
The close circumstellar environment of Betelgeuse V. Rotation velocity and molecular envelope properties from ALMA
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Wardlow J
(2018)
An ALMA survey of CO in submillimetre galaxies: companions, triggering, and the environment in blended sources
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bhattacharyya B
(2018)
A long-term study of three rotating radio transients
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Moscadelli L
(2018)
The feedback of an HC HII region on its parental molecular core The case of core A1 in the star-forming region G24.78+0.08
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Remazeilles M
(2018)
Extracting foreground-obscured µ-distortion anisotropies to constrain primordial non-Gaussianity
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Dickinson C
(2018)
The State-of-Play of Anomalous Microwave Emission (AME) Research
Liu T
(2018)
A Holistic Perspective on the Dynamics of G035.39-00.33: The Interplay between Gas and Magnetic Fields
in The Astrophysical Journal
Abitbol M
(2018)
Constraining the Anomalous Microwave Emission Mechanism in the S140 Star-forming Region with Spectroscopic Observations between 4 and 8 GHz at the Green Bank Telescope
in The Astrophysical Journal
Bray J
(2018)
An Upper Limit on the Strength of the Extragalactic Magnetic Field from Ultra-high-energy Cosmic-Ray Anisotropy
in The Astrophysical Journal
Decin L
(2018)
Constraints on Metal Oxide and Metal Hydroxide Abundances in the Winds of AGB Stars: Potential Detection of FeO in R Dor
in The Astrophysical Journal
Greene J
(2018)
SDSS-IV MaNGA: Uncovering the Angular Momentum Content of Central and Satellite Early-type Galaxies
in The Astrophysical Journal
MacCrann N
(2018)
DES Y1 Results: validating cosmological parameter estimation using simulated Dark Energy Surveys
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Gordovskyy M
(2018)
Analysis of unresolved photospheric magnetic field structure using Fe I 6301 and 6302 lines
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Burigana C
(2018)
Exploring cosmic origins with CORE: Effects of observer peculiar motion
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Sormani M
(2018)
A theoretical explanation for the Central Molecular Zone asymmetry
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Evans D
(2018)
High-resolution Imaging of Transiting Extrasolar Planetary systems (HITEP) II. Lucky Imaging results from 2015 and 2016
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Prandoni I
(2018)
The Lockman Hole Project: new constraints on the sub-mJy source counts from a wide-area 1.4 GHz mosaic
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Henze M
(2018)
Breaking the Habit: The Peculiar 2016 Eruption of the Unique Recurrent Nova M31N 2008-12a
in The Astrophysical Journal
Saikia P
(2018)
15-GHz radio emission from nearby low-luminosity active galactic nuclei
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Breen S
(2018)
The 6-GHz Multibeam Maser Survey - III. Comparison between the MMB and HOPS
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Hermsen W
(2018)
Discovery of synchronous X-ray and radio moding of PSR B0823+26
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Riseley C
(2018)
AMI-LA observations of the SuperCLASS supercluster
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
| Description | The consolidated grant supported a wide range of activities in astrophysics and cosmology at the JBCA. This was based around three areas: cosmology - the study of the Universe as a single entity, pulsars - spinning neutron stars which emit pulse of radio waves at regular intervals, astrophysical processes - the study of galaxy and star formation in the universe. Progress was made in all these areas. |
| Exploitation Route | The wide range of work produce by the grant has been published in journals. These papers have received significant citations indicating that all the areas have had an impact within the academic research community. |
| Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) Education Other |
| Description | The research has been used extensively in the outreach program of the Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, which attracts 160,000 visitors per annum and focusses on hard-to-reach audiences. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2020 |
| Sector | Education |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal |
| Title | MKT J170456.2-482100: the first transient discovered byMeerKAT |
| Description | These are the data files required to make Figures 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, and 12 of the manuscript: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz3027 or Open-Access on ArXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1911.07713 The code that uses these files to make the plots can be found here (DOI). Please make sure to cite these data correctly! The required citations for these data are: ASAS_data.tsv is ASAS data from their catalogue and therefore are not covered by our licence. If you make use of these data please cite ASAS appropriately according to their guidelines. KELT_S36_lc_027056_V01_west_tfa.dat and KELT_S36_lc_027057_V01_east_tfa.dat are data sets from KELT and therefore are not covered by our licence. If you make use of these data please cite KELT by citing Pepper et al. 2007. ASASSN.csv is ASAS-SN data from their catalogue and therefore are not covered by our licence. If you make use of these data please cite ASAS-SN appropriately according to their guidelines (when using ASAS-SN light curves in publications cite: Shappee et al. (2014) and Kochanek et al. (2017)). TYC_optical_semesters.npy, TYC_optical_binned.npy, and TYC_optical_binned_noOutliers.npy also make use of the above ASAS, KELT, and ASAS-SN. If you use these data please cite ASAS, KELT, and ASAS-SN as above, as well as our work. TYC_MeerKAT_fluxes.npy and TYC_local_RMS.npy are the data as presented in Table A1 in our manuscript. Therefore, please cite our work if you make use of these data. TYC_SED_datapoints.txt and TYC_SED_model.txt are the data and model used to make the SED of TYC 8332-2529-1. Please cite our work and the references therein for the datapoints, and our work and McDonald et al. 2012 and McDonald et al. 2017 if you make use of the model. TYC_MeerKAT_ScaledFlux.npy is presented in Figures 2 and 10 of our manuscript, please cite our work if you make use of these data SALT_radial_velocities.npy and LCO_radial_velocities.npy are presented in Table 2 of our manuscript, please cite our work if you make use of these data TYC_LS_periods.npy and TYC_LS_periodErrors.npy are the results of the Lomb-Scargle analysis of the optical observations and are presented in Figure 4 of our manuscript, please cite our work if you make use of these data More information about the format of these data and how to use them can be found in the GitHub repo (DOI). |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://zenodo.org/record/3548868 |
| Title | MKT J170456.2-482100: the first transient discovered byMeerKAT |
| Description | These are the data files required to make Figures 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, and 12 of the manuscript: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz3027 or Open-Access on ArXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1911.07713 The code that uses these files to make the plots can be found here (DOI). Please make sure to cite these data correctly! The required citations for these data are: ASAS_data.tsv is ASAS data from their catalogue and therefore are not covered by our licence. If you make use of these data please cite ASAS appropriately according to their guidelines. KELT_S36_lc_027056_V01_west_tfa.dat and KELT_S36_lc_027057_V01_east_tfa.dat are data sets from KELT and therefore are not covered by our licence. If you make use of these data please cite KELT by citing Pepper et al. 2007. ASASSN.csv is ASAS-SN data from their catalogue and therefore are not covered by our licence. If you make use of these data please cite ASAS-SN appropriately according to their guidelines (when using ASAS-SN light curves in publications cite: Shappee et al. (2014) and Kochanek et al. (2017)). TYC_optical_semesters.npy, TYC_optical_binned.npy, and TYC_optical_binned_noOutliers.npy also make use of the above ASAS, KELT, and ASAS-SN. If you use these data please cite ASAS, KELT, and ASAS-SN as above, as well as our work. TYC_MeerKAT_fluxes.npy and TYC_local_RMS.npy are the data as presented in Table A1 in our manuscript. Therefore, please cite our work if you make use of these data. TYC_SED_datapoints.txt and TYC_SED_model.txt are the data and model used to make the SED of TYC 8332-2529-1. Please cite our work and the references therein for the datapoints, and our work and McDonald et al. 2012 and McDonald et al. 2017 if you make use of the model. TYC_MeerKAT_ScaledFlux.npy is presented in Figures 2 and 10 of our manuscript, please cite our work if you make use of these data SALT_radial_velocities.npy and LCO_radial_velocities.npy are presented in Table 2 of our manuscript, please cite our work if you make use of these data TYC_LS_periods.npy and TYC_LS_periodErrors.npy are the results of the Lomb-Scargle analysis of the optical observations and are presented in Figure 4 of our manuscript, please cite our work if you make use of these data More information about the format of these data and how to use them can be found in the GitHub repo (DOI). |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://zenodo.org/record/3548867 |