Warwick Astronomy and Astrophysics Rolling Grant 2008-2013
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Warwick
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
In this research programme we will map the complex pathways that culminate in the most violent events in the Universe, supernovae and gamma-ray bursts, and study the effects that stars have on their planetary systems. Although the stars we see in the sky never seem to change, in reality the Universe is constantly evolving. In some cases we can see this happening before our very eyes, most dramatically in the huge explosions astronomers know as supernovae and gamma-ray bursts during which entire stars are torn apart within seconds. Many of these events can only originate within tight pairs of stars known as binary stars. One of the most remarkable recent discoveries of physics, the 'dark energy' which is thought to be driving the expansion rate of the Universe to accelerate, is based upon the observation of precisely such objects. A full understanding of the numbers and properties of such stars can only come if we understand the processes which drive binary evolution. We will carry out a programme of observation and analysis of objects found through large area surveys of the sky. Many of the systems that we look at are predicted to be good emitters of 'gravitational radiation', tiny ripples in the fabric of space that travel at the speed of light and may be detected directly at Earth within the next 15 years, giving us a direct insight into the nature of gravity. The work we plan will help to establish the numbers and properties of the potential binary emitters of gravitational waves. The most extreme systems of all, the gamma-ray bursts, are probes of the young Universe as they are so bright that they can be seen anywhere in the Universe. However they are also rare, and so cannot be seen close at hand, leaving their origins mysterious. We will carry out a dual study to determine the nature of the progenitor stars of gamma-ray bursts and to probe the conditions that lead to the formation of the first stars in the young Universe. Over the past decade some 200 planetary systems have been discovered outside our solar system. A big surprise of this work was the discovery of Jupiter-like planets orbiting very close to their host stars. Some are so close that they may even evaporate. In this programme we will study the effect of the host stars upon their planets, where conditions are in many ways similar to those of close binary stars. We will also study the nature and origin of disks of planetary material that have recently been detected around the old dense stars known as white dwarfs. White dwarfs are the final state of most stars, and our aim is to understand how, and in what form, planetary systems can survive the life-cycle of their host stars.
Publications
Gómez-Morán A
(2009)
SDSS121258.25-012310.1: A new eclipsing post common envelope binary
in Journal of Physics: Conference Series
Gögüs E
(2010)
DISCOVERY OF A NEW SOFT GAMMA REPEATER, SGR J1833-0832
in The Astrophysical Journal
Hebb L
(2009)
WASP-12b: THE HOTTEST TRANSITING EXTRASOLAR PLANET YET DISCOVERED
in The Astrophysical Journal
Hebb L
(2010)
WASP-19b: THE SHORTEST PERIOD TRANSITING EXOPLANET YET DISCOVERED
in The Astrophysical Journal
Hellier C
(2009)
WASP-7: A BRIGHT TRANSITING-EXOPLANET SYSTEM IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Hellier C
(2009)
An orbital period of 0.94 days for the hot-Jupiter planet WASP-18b.
in Nature
Hjorth J
(2012)
THE OPTICALLY UNBIASED GAMMA-RAY BURST HOST (TOUGH) SURVEY. I. SURVEY DESIGN AND CATALOGS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Hodgkin S
(2021)
Gaia Early Data Release 3 Gaia photometric science alerts
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Hurley K
(2010)
A new analysis of the short-duration, hard-spectrum GRB 051103, a possible extragalactic soft gamma repeater giant flare
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Jaunsen A
(2008)
GRB 070306: A Highly Extinguished Afterglow
in The Astrophysical Journal
Jenkins L
(2011)
INVESTIGATING THE NUCLEAR ACTIVITY OF BARRED SPIRAL GALAXIES: THE CASE OF NGC 1672
in The Astrophysical Journal
Jonker P
(2008)
Optical and X-Ray Observations of IGR J00291+5934 in Quiescence
in The Astrophysical Journal
Jonker P
(2010)
Following the 2008 outburst decay of the black hole candidate H 1743-322â??in X-ray and radio
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Joshi Y
(2009)
WASP-14b: 7.3 M J transiting planet in an eccentric orbit
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Kann D
(2010)
THE AFTERGLOWS OF SWIFT -ERA GAMMA-RAY BURSTS. I. COMPARING PRE- SWIFT AND SWIFT -ERA LONG/SOFT (TYPE II) GRB OPTICAL AFTERGLOWS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Kaplan D
(2013)
PROPERTIES OF AN ECLIPSING DOUBLE WHITE DWARF BINARY NLTT 11748
in The Astrophysical Journal
Kocevski D
(2010)
Limits on radioactive powered emission associated with a short-hard GRB 070724A in a star-forming galaxy Short-hard GRB 070724A
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Krühler T
(2012)
The metal-enriched host of an energetic ? -ray burst at z ˜ 1.6
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Krühler T
(2012)
THE OPTICALLY UNBIASED GRB HOST (TOUGH) SURVEY. V. VLT/X-SHOOTER EMISSION-LINE REDSHIFTS FOR SWIFT GRBs AT z ~ 2
in The Astrophysical Journal
Kurtz D
(2013)
Hot DAVs: a probable new class of pulsating white dwarf stars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Kurtz D
(2008)
A search for a new class of pulsating DA white dwarf stars in the DB gap A new class of pulsating white dwarf stars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Külebi B
(2009)
Analysis of hydrogen-rich magnetic white dwarfs detected in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Leloudas G
(2010)
Do Wolf-Rayet stars have similar locations in hosts as type Ib/c supernovae and long gamma-ray bursts?
in Astronomy and Astrophysics
Levan A
(2013)
SUPERLUMINOUS X-RAYS FROM A SUPERLUMINOUS SUPERNOVA
in The Astrophysical Journal
Levan A
(2012)
Constraining gamma-ray burst progenitors
in Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union
Levan AJ
(2011)
An extremely luminous panchromatic outburst from the nucleus of a distant galaxy.
in Science (New York, N.Y.)
Lewis F
(2010)
The double-peaked 2008 outburst of the accreting milli-second X-ray pulsar, IGR J00291+5934
in Astronomy and Astrophysics
Lister T
(2009)
WASP-16b: A NEW JUPITER-LIKE PLANET TRANSITING A SOUTHERN SOLAR ANALOG
in The Astrophysical Journal
Littlefair S
(2008)
On the evolutionary status of short-period cataclysmic variables
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Littlefair S
(2008)
Optical variability of the ultracool dwarf TVLM 513-46546: evidence for inhomogeneous dust clouds ?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Long K
(2009)
THE EFFECT OF A SUPEROUTBURST ON THE WHITE DWARF AND DISK OF VW HYDRI AS OBSERVED WITH FUSE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Luna G
(2010)
PHOTOIONIZED FEATURES IN THE X-RAY SPECTRUM OF EX HYDRAE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Madhusudhan N
(2011)
A high C/O ratio and weak thermal inversion in the atmosphere of exoplanet WASP-12b.
in Nature
Malesani D
(2009)
EARLY SPECTROSCOPIC IDENTIFICATION OF SN 2008D
in The Astrophysical Journal
Marsh T
(2013)
The planets around NN Ser: still there
Marsh T
(2014)
The planets around NN Serpentis: still there?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Massey P
(2021)
Testing Evolutionary Models with Red Supergiant and Wolf-Rayet Populations
in The Astrophysical Journal
Maxted P
(2009)
A survey for post-common-envelope binary stars using GALEX and SDSS photometryâ? A survey for PCEBs using GALEX and SDSS
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Maxted P
(2010)
WASP-22 b: A TRANSITING "HOT JUPITER" PLANET IN A HIERARCHICAL TRIPLE SYSTEM
in The Astronomical Journal
McClintock J
(2009)
THE 2003 OUTBURST OF THE X-RAY TRANSIENT H1743-322: COMPARISONS WITH THE BLACK HOLE MICROQUASAR XTE J1550-564
in The Astrophysical Journal
Michalowski M
(2012)
THE OPTICALLY UNBIASED GRB HOST (TOUGH) SURVEY. VI. RADIO OBSERVATIONS AT z ? 1 AND CONSISTENCY WITH TYPICAL STAR-FORMING GALAXIES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Miller J
(2008)
Initial Measurements of Black Hole Spin in GX 339-4 from Suzaku Spectroscopy
in The Astrophysical Journal
Mukadam A
(2009)
Singing and dancing white dwarfs
in Journal of Physics: Conference Series
Mukadam A
(2010)
MULTI-SITE OBSERVATIONS OF PULSATION IN THE ACCRETING WHITE DWARF SDSS J161033.64-010223.3 (V386 Ser)
in The Astrophysical Journal
Mukadam A
(2011)
FIRST UNAMBIGUOUS DETECTION OF THE RETURN OF PULSATIONS IN THE ACCRETING WHITE DWARF SDSS J074531.92+453829.6 AFTER AN OUTBURST
in The Astrophysical Journal
Muñoz-Darias T
(2009)
Dynamical constraints on the neutron star mass in EXO 0748-676
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Nebot Gómez-Morán A
(2009)
Post common envelope binaries from SDSS IV. SDSS J121258.25-012310.1, a new eclipsing system
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Ness J
(2009)
SWIFT X-RAY AND ULTRAVIOLET MONITORING OF THE CLASSICAL NOVA V458 VUL (NOVA VUL 2007)
in The Astronomical Journal
Orosz J
(2009)
A NEW DYNAMICAL MODEL FOR THE BLACK HOLE BINARY LMC X-1
in The Astrophysical Journal
Description | This grant delivered progress on a numbers of fronts. Highlights include: (1) a study of the shortest period eclipsing system (at the time), which eclipses every 28 minutes. This system is composed of two white dwarfs and is of interest as a potential future supernova; (2) the discovery of oxygen-rich white dwarfs that might have been remnants of the most massive stars able to become white dwarfs, marking an important boundary in stellar evolution; (3) a breakthrough precision mass / radius measurement of a white dwarf using combined UK and European telescopes; (4) the final proof that a 5.4-minute variation in a star called HM Cancri is in fact an orbital period, the shortest known. This makes the system a strong gravitational wave source. |
Exploitation Route | The research from this grant has been cited more than 12,000 times by others and is still being followed up and pursued today. |
Sectors | Other |
Description | The work for this grant on the exoplanet area is what led ultimately to the NGTS transit survey project. This project uses CCDs supplied by Andor Technology. |
First Year Of Impact | 2013 |
Sector | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
Impact Types | Economic |
Description | ERC Advanced Grant |
Amount | € 2,285,977 (EUR) |
Funding ID | WDTRACER 320964 |
Organisation | European Commission |
Sector | Public |
Country | European Union (EU) |
Start | 04/2013 |
End | 03/2018 |
Description | WASP Consortium |
Organisation | Keele University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The WASP project searches for exoplanets around bright stars using the transit technique. Warwick hosts the WASP Data Centre, where data from telescopes in South Africa and La Palma are analysed. We play a leading role in the discovery and characterisation of planets discovered with WASP. |
Collaborator Contribution | Keele leads the operations and data reduction for the facility in South Africa. St Andews led development of the WASP data reduction pipeline. Leicester originally hosted the WASP Data Centre and purchased much of the computing equipment. Queen's Belfast led the development of the instrument design (although the Belfast PI Pollacco has since moved to Warwick). Geneva have contributed telescope time for confirmation of exoplanets. The Open University contributed CCD cameras and has led some WASP follow up observations. |
Impact | WASP is the world-leading project for the discovery of giant transiting exoplanets. It has resulted in the publication hundreds of refereed journal articles, listed separately. |
Description | WASP Consortium |
Organisation | Open University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The WASP project searches for exoplanets around bright stars using the transit technique. Warwick hosts the WASP Data Centre, where data from telescopes in South Africa and La Palma are analysed. We play a leading role in the discovery and characterisation of planets discovered with WASP. |
Collaborator Contribution | Keele leads the operations and data reduction for the facility in South Africa. St Andews led development of the WASP data reduction pipeline. Leicester originally hosted the WASP Data Centre and purchased much of the computing equipment. Queen's Belfast led the development of the instrument design (although the Belfast PI Pollacco has since moved to Warwick). Geneva have contributed telescope time for confirmation of exoplanets. The Open University contributed CCD cameras and has led some WASP follow up observations. |
Impact | WASP is the world-leading project for the discovery of giant transiting exoplanets. It has resulted in the publication hundreds of refereed journal articles, listed separately. |
Description | WASP Consortium |
Organisation | Queen's University Belfast |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The WASP project searches for exoplanets around bright stars using the transit technique. Warwick hosts the WASP Data Centre, where data from telescopes in South Africa and La Palma are analysed. We play a leading role in the discovery and characterisation of planets discovered with WASP. |
Collaborator Contribution | Keele leads the operations and data reduction for the facility in South Africa. St Andews led development of the WASP data reduction pipeline. Leicester originally hosted the WASP Data Centre and purchased much of the computing equipment. Queen's Belfast led the development of the instrument design (although the Belfast PI Pollacco has since moved to Warwick). Geneva have contributed telescope time for confirmation of exoplanets. The Open University contributed CCD cameras and has led some WASP follow up observations. |
Impact | WASP is the world-leading project for the discovery of giant transiting exoplanets. It has resulted in the publication hundreds of refereed journal articles, listed separately. |
Description | WASP Consortium |
Organisation | University of Geneva |
Country | Switzerland |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The WASP project searches for exoplanets around bright stars using the transit technique. Warwick hosts the WASP Data Centre, where data from telescopes in South Africa and La Palma are analysed. We play a leading role in the discovery and characterisation of planets discovered with WASP. |
Collaborator Contribution | Keele leads the operations and data reduction for the facility in South Africa. St Andews led development of the WASP data reduction pipeline. Leicester originally hosted the WASP Data Centre and purchased much of the computing equipment. Queen's Belfast led the development of the instrument design (although the Belfast PI Pollacco has since moved to Warwick). Geneva have contributed telescope time for confirmation of exoplanets. The Open University contributed CCD cameras and has led some WASP follow up observations. |
Impact | WASP is the world-leading project for the discovery of giant transiting exoplanets. It has resulted in the publication hundreds of refereed journal articles, listed separately. |
Description | WASP Consortium |
Organisation | University of Leicester |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The WASP project searches for exoplanets around bright stars using the transit technique. Warwick hosts the WASP Data Centre, where data from telescopes in South Africa and La Palma are analysed. We play a leading role in the discovery and characterisation of planets discovered with WASP. |
Collaborator Contribution | Keele leads the operations and data reduction for the facility in South Africa. St Andews led development of the WASP data reduction pipeline. Leicester originally hosted the WASP Data Centre and purchased much of the computing equipment. Queen's Belfast led the development of the instrument design (although the Belfast PI Pollacco has since moved to Warwick). Geneva have contributed telescope time for confirmation of exoplanets. The Open University contributed CCD cameras and has led some WASP follow up observations. |
Impact | WASP is the world-leading project for the discovery of giant transiting exoplanets. It has resulted in the publication hundreds of refereed journal articles, listed separately. |
Description | WASP Consortium |
Organisation | University of St Andrews |
Department | School of Physics and Astronomy |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The WASP project searches for exoplanets around bright stars using the transit technique. Warwick hosts the WASP Data Centre, where data from telescopes in South Africa and La Palma are analysed. We play a leading role in the discovery and characterisation of planets discovered with WASP. |
Collaborator Contribution | Keele leads the operations and data reduction for the facility in South Africa. St Andews led development of the WASP data reduction pipeline. Leicester originally hosted the WASP Data Centre and purchased much of the computing equipment. Queen's Belfast led the development of the instrument design (although the Belfast PI Pollacco has since moved to Warwick). Geneva have contributed telescope time for confirmation of exoplanets. The Open University contributed CCD cameras and has led some WASP follow up observations. |
Impact | WASP is the world-leading project for the discovery of giant transiting exoplanets. It has resulted in the publication hundreds of refereed journal articles, listed separately. |
Description | AshLawn School 2010 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Talk on how to observe the night sky. Children and parents brought their telescopes. I gave a talk and then we went outside to use them. Quote from an emial received afterwards: "Good Afternoon Tom, Many thanks again for coming to do our stargazing evening, the feedback from the students and their parents was great and they we asking if it was on next week! I've sent an article and photo to the Rugby Advertiser and an entry in our school newsletter, if you'd like a copy please let me know an address to sent it to. I hope you thought it went well too, and would consider coming to Ashlawn again. Kind regards and much appreciation" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |
Description | Astronomical society talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Stimulated questions on white dwarf and gravitational waves Follow up requests for talks from the group |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
Description | British Astronomical Association Variable Star Section, 2010 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Talk and discussion. Further requests for talks / info. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |
Description | Bruker Warwick Christmas Lecture |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | The Bruker Warwick Christmas Lecture was based on "The Biggest Bangs" and described gamma-ray bursts and supernovae, and how they make the elements. It took place in the Warwick Arts Centre theatre and was attended by 411 people. It included numerous (sometimes explosive) demonstrations. Feedback was extremely positive in changing perceptions of science, and numerous invitations for further involvement with schools have been had. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
URL | http://www.astro.warwick.ac.uk/biggestbangs |
Description | Federation of Astronomical Societies Annual Convention, 2010 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Talk and questions. Further requests for talks / information |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |
Description | Heart of England Astronomical Society, 2008 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Talk and discussion. Further requests for talks / information. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2008 |
Description | Institute of Physics Lecture, 2010 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Talk and questions Further requests for more info. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |
Description | Oxford Space and Astronomical Society, 2008 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Talk and discussion. Invitations for additional talks. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2008 |
Description | Primary Space Camps - Schools in Leamington Spa |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Space camps include question and answer sessions with professional astronomers, as well as some formal talks. Andrew Levan has given several of these talks to schools in Leamington in the past three years, in addition to trips from our planetarium. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014,2015,2016 |
Description | Stargazing live, 2011 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Talk, followed by telescope sessions for children and parents associated with BBC Stargazing live event, Jan 2011 Here is an e-mail associated with this event: To everyone involved with Saturday night a big thank you for helping put on such a great show. The school estimated around 350 people attended. Yes, threee hundred and fifty. Special thanks to Tom Marsh, Johanna Jarvis and Mike Frost for their talks. The comments below which I have received sum it up far better. (Incidentally the school have found one red head lamp and a couple of 'Astronomy Now' binders if anyone has lost these items.) Julian. Wow, what a fabulous night. Congratulations to you all on a brilliantly set up evening of ridiculously interesting information.!! Thank you for a realy entertaining evening at ashlaw school,it was very informative and i realy enjoyed myself. I just wanted to send you a quick follow up email to say a huge thank you to you and everyone else that was involved at last nights Star Gazing event. My six year old daughter had a great time (even given the cold weather!) and I'm sure this will be the start of something newI managed to get some photographs of some of the night sky, but it has given us the inspiration to try even more. I've now bookmarked your website and may well pop along to some of your future events/meetings. Please pass on our thanks to all involved in the excellent Stargazing evening, inspiring speakers, generous and patient telescope owners and the tireless hosts of Ashlawn School. We hope to come to the first meeting of the society later this month. I just wanted to say thank you for the event on Saturday. We really enjoyed it and thought it was extremely well organised and interesting. I wasn't sure what we were going to do for 3 hours, but the talks were great and it was amazing to look through all the telescopes. And the hot drinks really helped fend off the cold... Thanks! Many thanks for the ashlawn eve, the boys and I really enjoyed it. The telescopes were great and we spoke to some very knowledgeable, enthusiastic people. We heard the first 2 speakers and especially enjoyed the lady. She was easy to listen to and I kept pace with most of the distances she mentioned! The boys (10 yrs) especially enjoyed the pics she had and the light ropes. They loved seeing the intl space station. Thanks to tea coffee ladies too. Thanks again Just a thank you to you and everyone involved in making the stargazing night last night, such a great evening for all that attended. We were so lucky to have a clear night and for me to see the bands and moons of Jupiter, the Pleiades and most of all the Orion Nebula was just amazing. I have even been out tonight looking through my binoculars. Please pass on our thanks to everyone, especially to the guys who brought their telescopes for us to look through and who braved the cold weather for so long. Many thanks |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |