MSSL PPARC Rolling Grant Proposal

Lead Research Organisation: University College London
Department Name: Mullard Space Science Laboratory

Abstract

MSSL's PPARC rolling grant supports world-class research in astrophysics and solar system science. Investigators at MSSL are leading programmes to investigate the Earth's magnetosphere, explore the planets, understand the Sun and probe the furthest reaches of the universe. Our academic staffs are involved with the development, design, build, operations and data analysis aspects of space missions. We have hands-on involvement during the lifetime of missions that spans conception to operations. These include an impressive array of missions that are currently operational: Cassini, Cluster, Double Star, Mars Express, Coronas-F, SOHO, Swift, Venus Express and XMM-Newton. In the next grant period Solar-B and Herschel will be launched. We have had hardware involvement in all these missions, and are PI on 5. The drive for this involvement is the cutting edge science that can be achieved from these missions. We are also immersed in the development of future missions including ExoMars, Gaia, KuaFu, Xeus, LISA, and Solar Orbiter. New technologies such as cryogenic coolers for future X-ray missions, instrument miniaturisation for solar system exploration and micropenetrators to explore planets such as Mars and Venus are being developed.

Publications

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Ebrero J (2008) The XMM-Newton serendipitous survey VI. The X-ray luminosity function in Astronomy & Astrophysics

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Elbaz D (2010) Herschel unveils a puzzling uniformity of distant dusty galaxies in Astronomy and Astrophysics

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Esposito P (2009) Spin-down rate and inferred dipole magnetic field of the soft gamma-ray repeater SGR 1627-41 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters

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Esposito P (2010) Early X-ray and optical observations of the soft gamma-ray repeater SGR 0418+5729 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Esposito P (2008) The 2008 May burst activation of SGR 1627-41 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters

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Falder J (2010) The environments of active galactic nuclei at 3.6 µm in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Fear R (2008) The azimuthal extent of three flux transfer events in Annales Geophysicae

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Fedorov A (2008) Comparative analysis of Venus and Mars magnetotails in Planetary and Space Science

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Fender R (2009) An anticorrelation between X-ray luminosity and Ha equivalent width in X-ray binaries in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Forsyth C (2010) Autumn MIST 2009 in Astronomy & Geophysics

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Forsyth C (2009) Solar wind and substorm excitation of the wavy current sheet in Annales Geophysicae

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Foullon C (2008) Evolution of Kelvin-Helmholtz activity on the dusk flank magnetopause in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics

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Foullon C (2010) On the multispacecraft determination of periodic surface wave phase speeds and wavelengths in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics