The transient sky: an integrated programme of study 2011 - 2016
Lead Research Organisation:
Queen's University Belfast
Department Name: Sch of Mathematics and Physics
Abstract
To the naked eye, the night sky appears constant, apart from the motion of the Moon and brighter planets, and the passing of the occasional comet or meteor. However, detailed observations reveal that this is far from the truth. Many stars vary in brightness, either due to intrinsic variability or because an orbiting planet (called a transiting exoplanet) passes in front of it, blocking out a portion of the starlight. Faint, small Solar System bodies, orbiting the Sun and hence changing their position in the night sky, are revealed on exposures taken with large telescopes. Such exposures also reveal stars exploding as supernova in distant galaxies. Even the Sun - the brightest object in the sky - is continually changing. Giant explosions on its surface, known as flares, take place over timescales of minutes to hours. Recently, observations of the Sun with high-speed cameras reveal that changes in the solar atmosphere can occur over timescales of much less than a second. All these phenomena lead to what is termed the transient sky, i.e. a sky whose appearance varies with time. We plan a coordinated programme of observational and theoretical astrophysics to study such phenomena. This will make use of instruments and facilities developed specifically for the investigation of the transient sky, on timescales ranging from less than a second to months. Major themes which will be covered by our Rolling Grant programmes include: the study of activity and variability in the solar atmosphere at high time resolution with the ROSA imager; the discovery and characterisation of transiting exoplanets by the SuperWASP and RISE facilities; the detection of Solar System bodies and supernovae using data obtained from the Pan-STARRS sky survey. Our Rolling Grant programmes will also make extensive use of other major STFC facilities for followup and complementary observations of the Sun, exoplanets, Solar System bodies and supernovae, as well as the stars which explode as supernovae. These facilities include satellites, such as the Hinode solar mission and the Hubble Space Telescope, and large ground-based telescopes including the 8-metre diameter Very Large Telescope at the European Southern Observatory in Chile, and the 4-metre diameter William Herschel Telescope at the Isaac Newton Observatory on La Palma in the Canary Islands.
Organisations
Publications
Simpson E
(2011)
WASP-37b: A 1.8 M J EXOPLANET TRANSITING A METAL-POOR STAR
in The Astronomical Journal
Hsieh H
(2014)
SEARCH FOR THE RETURN OF ACTIVITY IN ACTIVE ASTEROID 176P/LINEAR
in The Astronomical Journal
Lunnan R
(2018)
Hydrogen-poor Superluminous Supernovae from the Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey
in The Astrophysical Journal
Inserra C
(2016)
SPECTROPOLARIMETRY OF SUPERLUMINOUS SUPERNOVAE: INSIGHT INTO THEIR GEOMETRY
in The Astrophysical Journal
Burton J
(2014)
TIDALLY DISTORTED EXOPLANETS: DENSITY CORRECTIONS FOR SHORT-PERIOD HOT-JUPITERS BASED SOLELY ON OBSERVABLE PARAMETERS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Samanta T
(2016)
THE EFFECTS OF TRANSIENTS ON PHOTOSPHERIC AND CHROMOSPHERIC POWER DISTRIBUTIONS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Reid A
(2016)
MAGNETIC FLUX CANCELLATION IN ELLERMAN BOMBS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Cegla H
(2013)
ESTIMATING STELLAR RADIAL VELOCITY VARIABILITY FROM KEPLER AND GALEX : IMPLICATIONS FOR THE RADIAL VELOCITY CONFIRMATION OF EXOPLANETS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Kuridze D
(2013)
CHARACTERISTICS OF TRANSVERSE WAVES IN CHROMOSPHERIC MOTTLES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Cegla H
(2013)
STELLAR SURFACE MAGNETO-CONVECTION AS A SOURCE OF ASTROPHYSICAL NOISE. I. MULTI-COMPONENT PARAMETERIZATION OF ABSORPTION LINE PROFILES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Sanders N
(2013)
PS1-12sk IS A PECULIAR SUPERNOVA FROM A He-RICH PROGENITOR SYSTEM IN A BRIGHTEST CLUSTER GALAXY ENVIRONMENT
in The Astrophysical Journal
Henriques V
(2016)
QUIET-SUN Ha TRANSIENTS AND CORRESPONDING SMALL-SCALE TRANSITION REGION AND CORONAL HEATING
in The Astrophysical Journal
Nicholl M
(2016)
SN 2015bn: A DETAILED MULTI-WAVELENGTH VIEW OF A NEARBY SUPERLUMINOUS SUPERNOVA
in The Astrophysical Journal
Inserra C
(2013)
SUPER-LUMINOUS TYPE Ic SUPERNOVAE: CATCHING A MAGNETAR BY THE TAIL
in The Astrophysical Journal
Narayan G
(2011)
DISPLAYING THE HETEROGENEITY OF THE SN 2002cx-LIKE SUBCLASS OF TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE WITH OBSERVATIONS OF THE Pan-STARRS-1 DISCOVERED SN 2009ku
in The Astrophysical Journal
Jess D
(2012)
THE ORIGIN OF TYPE I SPICULE OSCILLATIONS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Jerkstrand A
(2017)
LONG-DURATION SUPERLUMINOUS SUPERNOVAE AT LATE TIMES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Chen T
(2013)
THE HOST GALAXY OF THE SUPER-LUMINOUS SN 2010gx AND LIMITS ON EXPLOSIVE 56 Ni PRODUCTION
in The Astrophysical Journal
Milligan R
(2012)
OBSERVATIONS OF ENHANCED EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET CONTINUA DURING AN X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE USING SDO /EVE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Sanders N
(2012)
SN 2010ay IS A LUMINOUS AND BROAD-LINED TYPE Ic SUPERNOVA WITHIN A LOW-METALLICITY HOST GALAXY
in The Astrophysical Journal
Keys P
(2018)
Photospheric Observations of Surface and Body Modes in Solar Magnetic Pores
in The Astrophysical Journal
Cegla H
(2019)
Stellar Surface Magnetoconvection as a Source of Astrophysical Noise. III. Sun-as-a-Star Simulations and Optimal Noise Diagnostics
in The Astrophysical Journal
Shelyag S
(2012)
MECHANISMS FOR MHD POYNTING FLUX GENERATION IN SIMULATIONS OF SOLAR PHOTOSPHERIC MAGNETOCONVECTION
in The Astrophysical Journal
Keenan F
(2014)
INTENSITY ENHANCEMENT OF O VI ULTRAVIOLET EMISSION LINES IN SOLAR SPECTRA DUE TO OPACITY
in The Astrophysical Journal
Reid A
(2015)
ELLERMAN BOMBS WITH JETS: CAUSE AND EFFECT
in The Astrophysical Journal
Valenti S
(2012)
A SPECTROSCOPICALLY NORMAL TYPE Ic SUPERNOVA FROM A VERY MASSIVE PROGENITOR
in The Astrophysical Journal
Berger E
(2012)
ULTRALUMINOUS SUPERNOVAE AS A NEW PROBE OF THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM IN DISTANT GALAXIES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Jess D
(2012)
PROPAGATING WAVE PHENOMENA DETECTED IN OBSERVATIONS AND SIMULATIONS OF THE LOWER SOLAR ATMOSPHERE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Young P
(2018)
A Si iv/O iv Electron Density Diagnostic for the Analysis of IRIS Solar Spectra
in The Astrophysical Journal
Grieve M
(2013)
ELECTRON-IMPACT EXCITATION COLLISION STRENGTHS AND THEORETICAL LINE INTENSITIES FOR TRANSITIONS IN S III
in The Astrophysical Journal
Kowalski A
(2016)
M DWARF FLARE CONTINUUM VARIATIONS ON ONE-SECOND TIMESCALES: CALIBRATING AND MODELING OF ULTRACAM FLARE COLOR INDICES*
in The Astrophysical Journal
Cegla H
(2018)
Stellar Surface Magneto-convection as a Source of Astrophysical Noise. II. Center-to-limb Parameterization of Absorption Line Profiles and Comparison to Observations
in The Astrophysical Journal
Kuridze D
(2012)
TRANSVERSE OSCILLATIONS IN CHROMOSPHERIC MOTTLES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Meech K
(2013)
OUTGASSING BEHAVIOR OF C/2012 S1 (ISON) FROM 2011 SEPTEMBER TO 2013 JUNE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Czekala I
(2013)
THE UNUSUALLY LUMINOUS EXTRAGALACTIC NOVA SN 2010U
in The Astrophysical Journal
Ferland G
(2013)
EXPANDED IRON UTA SPECTRA-PROBING THE THERMAL STABILITY LIMITS IN AGN CLOUDS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Keys P
(2011)
THE VELOCITY DISTRIBUTION OF SOLAR PHOTOSPHERIC MAGNETIC BRIGHT POINTS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Pastorello A
(2013)
INTERACTING SUPERNOVAE AND SUPERNOVA IMPOSTORS: SN 2009ip, IS THIS THE END?
in The Astrophysical Journal
Chomiuk L
(2011)
Pan-STARRS1 DISCOVERY OF TWO ULTRALUMINOUS SUPERNOVAE AT z ˜ 0.9
in The Astrophysical Journal
Milligan R
(2012)
TIME-DEPENDENT DENSITY DIAGNOSTICS OF SOLAR FLARE PLASMAS USING SDO /EVE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Chornock R
(2013)
PS1-10afx AT z = 1.388: PAN-STARRS1 DISCOVERY OF A NEW TYPE OF SUPERLUMINOUS SUPERNOVA
in The Astrophysical Journal
Jess D
(2012)
THE SOURCE OF 3 MINUTE MAGNETOACOUSTIC OSCILLATIONS IN CORONAL FANS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Kennedy M
(2013)
SOLAR FLARE IMPULSIVE PHASE EMISSION OBSERVED WITH SDO /EVE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Lunnan R
(2013)
PS1-10bzj: A FAST, HYDROGEN-POOR SUPERLUMINOUS SUPERNOVA IN A METAL-POOR HOST GALAXY
in The Astrophysical Journal
Childress M
(2013)
SPECTROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS OF SN 2012fr: A LUMINOUS, NORMAL TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA WITH EARLY HIGH-VELOCITY FEATURES AND A LATE VELOCITY PLATEAU
in The Astrophysical Journal
Jerkstrand A
(2015)
CONSTRAINTS ON EXPLOSIVE SILICON BURNING IN CORE-COLLAPSE SUPERNOVAE FROM MEASURED Ni/Fe RATIOS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Fraser M
(2013)
DETECTION OF AN OUTBURST ONE YEAR PRIOR TO THE EXPLOSION OF SN 2011ht
in The Astrophysical Journal
Maund J
(2011)
THE YELLOW SUPERGIANT PROGENITOR OF THE TYPE II SUPERNOVA 2011dh IN M51
in The Astrophysical Journal
Fraser M
(2012)
RED AND DEAD: THE PROGENITOR OF SN 2012aw IN M95
in The Astrophysical Journal
Nicholl M
(2016)
SUPERLUMINOUS SUPERNOVA SN 2015bn IN THE NEBULAR PHASE: EVIDENCE FOR THE ENGINE-POWERED EXPLOSION OF A STRIPPED MASSIVE STAR
in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
| Title | The science in science-fiction films and television programmes |
| Description | This is a collection of presentations which use clips of science-fiction films and television shows (e.g. Star Wars, Star Trek) to show how science is portrayed in these media, and discusses how accurate (or otherwise) these portrayals are. Presentation includes discussion of our research on exoplanets. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2008 |
| Impact | The presentations were first produced back in 2007 - supported by an STFC Public Understanding of Science (PUS) Small Award - and since then have been regularly updated. They have been delivered to audiences totalling many thousands - probably over 3000 over the last 3 years alone, These include the general public, schools, higher educational institutes, research establishments. |
| Description | Advances in our knowledge of how energy is transported through the solar atmosphere from the photosphere out to the corona; discovery and characterisation of exoplanets; discovery and characterisation of solar system bodies including comets and asteroids; discovery of supernovae and identification and study of their progenitor stars. |
| Exploitation Route | Astrophysics is a constantly evolving research area, with each publication providing further information on a particular research topic, which is then followed up by subsequent work by individuals and teams (both the authors of the original publication and others in the research field). |
| Sectors | Education |
| Description | Used by the astrophysics academic community as a basis for further study - e.g. discovery of an exoplanet will then subsequently be followed by studies of the exoplanet to determine e.g. its density. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2011 |
| Sector | Education |
| Impact Types | Cultural |
| Description | Leverhulme Research Project Grant |
| Amount | £169,201 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | RPG-249 |
| Organisation | The Leverhulme Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2012 |
| End | 05/2016 |
| Description | Research Fellowship |
| Amount | £82,660 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | VP1-2012-025 |
| Organisation | The Leverhulme Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2014 |
| End | 03/2015 |
| Description | STFC Astronomy Grants |
| Amount | £37,969 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ST/M003493/1 |
| Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2014 |
| End | 03/2015 |
| Description | STFC Astronomy Grants |
| Amount | £1,674,429 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ST/L000709/1 |
| Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2014 |
| End | 03/2017 |
| Description | STFC Astronomy Grants |
| Amount | £98,989 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ST/M003515/1 |
| Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2014 |
| End | 03/2015 |
| Description | UK-India Education and Research Initiative |
| Amount | £48,900 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | UGC -UKIERI -2017/18-014 |
| Organisation | British Council |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2018 |
| End | 03/2020 |
| Description | Annual in-house activities |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Astronomy lectures and presentations are given at the following annual events: (i) QUB Horizons in Physics} (which attracts around 400 4th- and 5th-form students per year), (ii) Physics Open Days (around 200 6th-form students), (iii) Physics Teachers Conference (about 50 Physics teachers from schools in Ireland). Increased take-up of Physics and Astronomy degree programme over last 3 years. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | Pre-2006,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017 |
| Description | Jupiter Watch |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Attended by over 500 annually. Increased awareness and appreciation of astronomy. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012,2013,2014,2016 |
| Description | Links with W5 Discovery Centre |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | An ongoing partnership with the W5 Discovery Centre in Belfast (Ireland's award-winning science and discovery centre). We developed the Planet Quest exhibition, based on explaining the multi-wavelength nature of modern astronomy. This includes spectacular infrared images from telescopes and satellites, information stands on the nature of infrared radiation, and hands on activities for children. It showcases high-profile Queen's astrophysics research to illustrate to the public that world-leading, technology-driven research is happening in Belfast. The exhibition initially ran March - September 2012, attracting 10,000 visitors, and we hope to run it again during the period 2014 - 2017. Astrophysics staff also host talks, Q&A sessions and hands-on building games in W5 (aimed at Key Stage 3 pupils), and further support W5 through the creation of astronomy CPD materials and a centralised web resource for secondary school physics teachers. Increased interest in astronomy and science from schoolchildren. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012,2013 |
| Description | Michael West lectures |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | We have initiated a series of high-profile public lectures, The Michael West Lecture Series in Astronomy, following a philanthropic donation from Dr West which funds a Fellowship with a major outreach and education component. These lectures, which are scheduled typically twice per year, each attract 200 people, and are now the most widely attended public lecture series at Queen's University and indeed in Ireland as a whole. Increased requests for e.g. school talks. Media interviews. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018 |
| URL | https://star.pst.qub.ac.uk/wiki/public/outreach/start |
| Description | School visits |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | All members of the Astrophysics Research Centre (ARC) at Queen's University are involved in schools talks, covering their research topics as well as more general interests in astronomy. Most are at secondary level but also at primary (we actively take part in STEPS), either in the classroom or at Queen's. ARC staff deliver a total of about 40 talks/year to pupils, with typical class sizes of 25. Hard to assess, but in Northern Ireland uptake of Physics at university level has increased steadily in recent years, in contrast to the UK trend. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | Pre-2006,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018 |