Hertfordshire Astronomy 2021-24

The Centre for Astrophysics Research carries out observational programmes spanning the wavelength range from X-ray to radio -- supporting this by computer modelling and simulation. Our research ranges from observations of the most distant and extreme galaxies in the universe through to novel statistical analyses of observations seeking to detect planets outside our Solar System. In between these extremes, we seek to understand the properties of brown dwarfs and young stars, we carry out radio surveys of the Milky Way and of nearby galaxies, and we are pioneering wide-area surveys both of the northern radio sky and of the redshifts of the vast number of galaxies that the radio surveys will discover. Our research makes use of observations from all of the main European and international astronomical observatories, including ground-based observatories at optical, radio and submillimetre wavelengths, and space observatories at wavelengths ranging from the far infrared to X-rays. Computer simulations gives us a better understanding of the physical processes detected in our observations, and we need to apply advanced data-mining techniques to work with the very large datasets we are generating.

We identify three classes of beneficiaries from this research:

1) academic beneficiaries

2) the general public and particularly teachers and pupils in schools locally, nationally and internationally through our outreach and public engagement programme.

3) industry, directly through collaborations / technology transfer, indirectly through our training of undergraduate and graduate students.

For academic beneficiaries see the relevant section of the proposal.

Our outreach and public engagement programme is very strongly driven by the cutting-edge research funded by the STFC grant. Elements of this include (i) public open evenings at the Bayfordbury observatory, which generally have a research-based theme; this reaches local people, particularly families, which is important as parents, along with teachers, are most influential in the career choice of young people. (ii) Observatory group visits from a very wide range of groups, again often including young people. (iii) International outreach through international development programmes in locations such as Thailand and sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, we access the wider public through national and international print media, websites, popular books, TV and radio appearances and so on.

We have close links with various commercial organizations, such as Airbus Defence and Space a few miles away in Stevenage, with whom we have in the past collaborated on project proposals, and GES Ltd, the commercial organization developing the Goonhilly Earth Station for various purposes including public engagement and radio astronomy use. These contacts necessarily rely on the cutting-edge science and technical skills supported by STFC.