Durham Astronomy Consolidated Grant 2017-2020
Lead Research Organisation:
Durham University
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
Astronomy attracts the imagination of the public to an extent that only very few other branches of science can match - this is due, in large part, to the fundamental nature of the questions it addresses: the origin of the Universe and our place within it. Astronomy is immediately accessible to every human by simply gazing up into the night sky to look the Moon, the planets and stars. Since the dawn of civilisation this has provoked questions about the origins of the Earth, stars and our Solar System, as well as the origins of the Universe. Over the past thirty years we have seen the emergence of a standard model in cosmology describing the constituents of our Universe, as well as a plausible explanation for the origin and evolution of all structure within it. According to this model, we live in a universe where at least two thirds of all mass-energy is now in the form of a dark energy field which is causing the Universe to expand at an ever increasing rate. About a quarter of the mass-energy is in the form of dark matter, most probably a new weakly interacting elementary particle yet to be detected on Earth (and hence of great interest to particle physicists). Only the remaining five percent of the mass-energy is in the form of ordinary, or baryonic, matter of which, at the present-day, only about a tenth is in stars and planets such as the Earth, and the rest resides mostly as gas in between galaxies. The structures formed by dark and baryonic matter are thought to have been seeded by quantum fluctuations imprinted in the density field of the Universe at the earliest instants of the Big Bang. These produced weak sound waves in the near-uniform primordial plasma that left observable imprints on the heat left over from the Big Bang, emitted when the Universe was only 400,000 years old (now visible as the Cosmic Microwave Background). These tiny ripples grew into the full richness of structures we see around us in the Universe today: galaxies, groups, clusters and larger-scale structures. It is this transformation from a near-uniform primordial soup to a cosmic web of structure that is the focus of our proposal. Our programme knits together cutting-edge theoretical research into the earliest phases of the Universe with theoretical and observational projects to determine the formation and evolution of structure in the Universe and to confront the predictions of our models with our latest observational results, while exploiting instrumentation developments pursued in Durham. We will explore astrophysical clues to the identity of the dark matter and the nature of the dark energy, focus on the evolution of galaxies back to the earliest times in the Universe and the influence which their environment has had on their properties. We will investigate the formation and evolution of black holes and their role in determining the structure and properties of galaxies and larger scale structures, using the latest instruments on ground-based observatories and Earth-orbiting satellites.
Planned Impact
We are proud of our track record at Durham of public engagement. The outreach initiative we started more than a decade ago has developed into a University-wide activity, which has, in turn, spawned the annual Celebrate Science festival in Durham (the most recent attended by almost 7,000 visitors). In our current programme we use a range of events, activities and techniques to engage with three key groups: a) the general public; b) school children; c) national and international audiences.
These activities include science festivals, Royal Society summer exhibition, public lectures, summer schools, master classes and school visits, which together reach 10-15,000 people a year across the region and nationally. To enhance the impact of our outreach we are developing demonstrations based on the science funded in our programme. These include an interactive illustration of gravitational lensing which makes innovative use of an Xbox kinect camera, laptop and large display screen to produce real time images of how people would lens their surroundings if their gravitational mass were greatly enhanced. We are continuing to develop our "Cosmic Universe" application for iPad and iPhone. This free app, which has been downloaded over 20,000 times from iTunes, allows the public to interact with the simulations of the Universe undertaken at Durham, providing a striking and effective way to visualise the size and structure of our Universe. We have plans for a more immersive experience using the Oculus rift. We produce high resolution movies of our cosmological structure formation simulations for public audiences and this year they formed the heart of the spectacular "World Machine" projection onto Durham Cathedral that was viewed by 150,000 people during the 4 day 2015 Durham Lumiere light festival (see front cover).
Our astronomical instrumentation projects include technology developments relevant to Earth Observation science (remote sensing) and we are continuing to explore the applications of compact integral field spectrometers to hyperspectral imaging. Our expertise in using adaptive optics for aberration correction has enabled the development of new techniques to image more deeply within human tissue samples whilst maintaining sub-micron resolution, whilst our experience in real-time data handling systems underpins our participation in an EPSRC CDT in Fusion Science & Technology. Finally we are investigating the commercialisation of muon tomography for carbon storage using techniques that we have developed using STFC, DECC and oil industry funding
As well as technology transfer, some of the methodology used in our theoretical and observational work has KE potential. For example, we are developing new statistical approaches to quantifying parameter uncertainties in complex computer models. This computationally efficient technique is appropriate for mapping the behaviour of models of climate change or oil extraction as well as galaxy formation models. Our work in this field has had significant impact in the statistical community, as well as attracting interest from the Bank of England as it may have application to the modelling of financial markets by regulators.
Finally, our broader research programme underpins the research development of a cohort of postgraduate students at Durham, providing them with training in specific and transferable skills. Our students are given top level training in high performance computing, including parallel programming, "Big Data" methods applied to our huge datasets and developing advanced visualization tools. Using these skills our former students have taken jobs in a range of industries from computer gaming to finance and genetics. Similarly, Physics students at Durham benefit through their participation in our research work via their 4th year MSci projects. Our technical training of these post/undergraduate students provides a pool of talented, skilled candidates to the UK economy.
These activities include science festivals, Royal Society summer exhibition, public lectures, summer schools, master classes and school visits, which together reach 10-15,000 people a year across the region and nationally. To enhance the impact of our outreach we are developing demonstrations based on the science funded in our programme. These include an interactive illustration of gravitational lensing which makes innovative use of an Xbox kinect camera, laptop and large display screen to produce real time images of how people would lens their surroundings if their gravitational mass were greatly enhanced. We are continuing to develop our "Cosmic Universe" application for iPad and iPhone. This free app, which has been downloaded over 20,000 times from iTunes, allows the public to interact with the simulations of the Universe undertaken at Durham, providing a striking and effective way to visualise the size and structure of our Universe. We have plans for a more immersive experience using the Oculus rift. We produce high resolution movies of our cosmological structure formation simulations for public audiences and this year they formed the heart of the spectacular "World Machine" projection onto Durham Cathedral that was viewed by 150,000 people during the 4 day 2015 Durham Lumiere light festival (see front cover).
Our astronomical instrumentation projects include technology developments relevant to Earth Observation science (remote sensing) and we are continuing to explore the applications of compact integral field spectrometers to hyperspectral imaging. Our expertise in using adaptive optics for aberration correction has enabled the development of new techniques to image more deeply within human tissue samples whilst maintaining sub-micron resolution, whilst our experience in real-time data handling systems underpins our participation in an EPSRC CDT in Fusion Science & Technology. Finally we are investigating the commercialisation of muon tomography for carbon storage using techniques that we have developed using STFC, DECC and oil industry funding
As well as technology transfer, some of the methodology used in our theoretical and observational work has KE potential. For example, we are developing new statistical approaches to quantifying parameter uncertainties in complex computer models. This computationally efficient technique is appropriate for mapping the behaviour of models of climate change or oil extraction as well as galaxy formation models. Our work in this field has had significant impact in the statistical community, as well as attracting interest from the Bank of England as it may have application to the modelling of financial markets by regulators.
Finally, our broader research programme underpins the research development of a cohort of postgraduate students at Durham, providing them with training in specific and transferable skills. Our students are given top level training in high performance computing, including parallel programming, "Big Data" methods applied to our huge datasets and developing advanced visualization tools. Using these skills our former students have taken jobs in a range of industries from computer gaming to finance and genetics. Similarly, Physics students at Durham benefit through their participation in our research work via their 4th year MSci projects. Our technical training of these post/undergraduate students provides a pool of talented, skilled candidates to the UK economy.
Publications

Acharyya A
(2021)
Locating the gamma-ray emission region in the brightest Fermi -LAT flat-spectrum radio quasars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Adamo A
(2017)
Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey with The Hubble Space Telescope : Stellar Cluster Catalogs and First Insights Into Cluster Formation and Evolution in NGC 628
in The Astrophysical Journal

Adhikari S
(2018)
Splashback in galaxy clusters as a probe of cosmic expansion and gravity
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics

Agnello A
(2018)
Quasar lenses and pairs in the VST-ATLAS and Gaia
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Aharonian H
(2018)
Hitomi observation of radio galaxy NGC 1275: The first X-ray microcalorimeter spectroscopy of Fe-Ka line emission from an active galactic nucleus*
in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan

Aharonian H
(2018)
Search for thermal X-ray features from the Crab nebula with the Hitomi soft X-ray spectrometer*
in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan

Aharonian H
(2018)
Hitomi observations of the LMC SNR N 132 D: Highly redshifted X-ray emission from iron ejecta*
in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan

Aharonian H
(2018)
Atomic data and spectral modeling constraints from high-resolution X-ray observations of the Perseus cluster with Hitomi*
in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan

Alexander D
(2017)
Cosmic X-ray surveys of active galactic nuclei: The synergy between X-ray and infrared observations
in Astronomische Nachrichten

Algorry D
(2017)
Barred galaxies in the EAGLE cosmological hydrodynamical simulation
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Description | Data Intensive Science Translation Fellow |
Amount | £276,889 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/R005516/1 |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 06/2018 |
End | 06/2021 |
Description | DiRAC Bridging Grant 2019 |
Amount | £311,755 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/T001372/1 |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2019 |
End | 09/2019 |
Description | DiRAC-2 Datacentric support grant |
Amount | £365,964 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/M007006/1 |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2014 |
End | 03/2018 |
Description | DiRAC-2.5 DC - Operations 2017-2020 |
Amount | £512,169 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/R000832/1 |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 07/2017 |
End | 03/2020 |
Description | DiRAC: Memory Intensive 2.5x |
Amount | £2,120,279 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/R002371/1 |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 07/2017 |
End | 03/2018 |
Description | Dirac-3 Operations 2019-2022- Durham |
Amount | £1,748,945 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/V002376/1 |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2019 |
End | 03/2022 |
Description | Dirac-3 Operations 2019-2022- Durham |
Amount | £2,232,863 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/S003908/1 |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2019 |
End | 03/2022 |
Description | ERC Advanced Grant |
Amount | € 2,050,275 (EUR) |
Organisation | European Research Council (ERC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | Belgium |
Start | 01/2013 |
End | 12/2018 |
Description | PATT Linked Grant for the Durham Astrophysics Group 2016-18 |
Amount | £41,301 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/P001157/1 |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2017 |
End | 12/2018 |
Description | PATT Linked Grant for the Durham Astrophysics Group 2019-20 |
Amount | £30,347 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/S001557/1 |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2019 |
End | 09/2020 |
Description | STFC Durham Physics 2017 DTP |
Amount | £735,070 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/R504725/1 |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2017 |
End | 09/2021 |
Description | UK Programme for the European Extremely Large Telescope |
Amount | £1,467,773 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/N002660/1 |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2015 |
End | 03/2019 |
Description | UK Programme for the European Extremely Large Telescope - Additional Support 17/18 |
Amount | £182,957 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/P003095/1 |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2017 |
End | 03/2018 |
Description | Using Cosmic Beasts to Uncover the Nature of Dark Matter |
Amount | £743,842 (GBP) |
Funding ID | MR/S017216/1 |
Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2019 |
End | 04/2023 |
Description | Your Place in the Universe |
Amount | £14,484 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/T00567X/1 |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 07/2020 |
End | 03/2022 |
Description | Zooming in on feedback in active galaxies: the first high-resolution radio survey |
Amount | £992,150 (GBP) |
Funding ID | MR/T042842/1 |
Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2020 |
End | 09/2024 |
Description | LOFAR radio telescope |
Organisation | LOFAR |
Country | Netherlands |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Development of the processing and reduction of international long-baseline array data |
Collaborator Contribution | Priority access to the LOFAR radio data |
Impact | Publications on the long-baseline LOFAR results will be coming out very soon |
Start Year | 2019 |
Description | SKA radio telescope |
Organisation | SKA Square Kilometre Array |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Scientific and technical development through membership of the SKA science committee and member of very long baseline interferometry and extragalactic continuum working groups. |
Collaborator Contribution | Scientific planning and development. |
Impact | none |
Start Year | 2019 |
Description | Great Debate: Science, Rationality, and Religion |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Including debates lead by a speaker representing each side of the argument. The speakers included the Bishop of Durham and academics. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.dur.ac.uk/ias/events/events_listings/?eventno=33785 |
Description | Locomotion dark skies event with Tim Peakes Spacecraft |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | A guided tour of the Universe |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.locomotion.org.uk/dark-sky-sessions/ |
Description | Planetarium visits (~20/year) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Planetarium shows to schoolchildren, social clubs (e.g., Brownies), and astronomical societies in the North East region. Shows include an understanding of objects in the night sky, the constellations, and basic physics. An excellent introduction to the excitement of astronomy and physics. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017,2018 |
URL | https://www.dur.ac.uk/celebrate.science/ |
Description | Talking Science at STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Lecture on black holes: fact, fiction, or fantasy |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | http://www.stfc.ac.uk/public-engagement/activities-for-the-public/visit-the-rutherford-appleton-labo... |
Description | Twitter account |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Twitter account with currently over 1400 followers |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://twitter.com/DarkerMatters |