Rolling Grant Programme in Astrophysics, Planetary Science and Space Instrumentation - 2010-2015
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leicester
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
We propose a world-class programme of research encompassing astrophysics, planetary science and space instrumentation. In high energy astrophysics, we will investigate a range of extreme phenomena including gamma-ray bursts and accreting black holes, primarily through the use of space observatories such as XMM-Newton and Swift combined with multiwaveband follow-up. Our programme also focuses on the astrophysics of dwarf stars, from hot white dwarfs through to brown dwarfs, utilising observational data in the infrared through to the ultraviolet. We will also continue to search for planets in orbit around nearby stars, exploiting the novel sky survey being conducted by WASP. In planetary science we intend to progress our comparative study of auroral processes on Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury using a combination of remote imaging, in situ spacecraft measurements and modelling. A new strand of research aims at characterising the composition of asteroids and comets and also grains entering the solar system from interstellar space. In space instrumentation, we are engaged in ground-breaking research into X-ray interferometry with the eventual goal of providing, for the first time, an ultra-high resolution imaging capability in high energy astrophysics. We will also investigate the potential of a very low-mass X-ray optic for a diverse range of applications including monitoring the whole sky on a daily basis with an unprecedented sensitivity for transient X-ray events and the imaging of Solar Wind Charge Exchange in the Earth's magnetosphere. Finally we also propose to maintain a very strong commitment to knowledge transfer and to public outreach.
Organisations
Publications
Van Leeuwen F.
(2016)
Gaia data release 1, the photometric data
in ArXiv e-prints
Evans D
(2018)
Gaia Data Release 2 Photometric content and validation
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Collaboration G
(2022)
Gaia Data Release 3: A Golden Sample of Astrophysical Parameters
in arXiv e-prints
Collaboration G
(2022)
Gaia Data Release 3: Chemical cartography of the Milky Way
in arXiv e-prints
Montegriffo P.
(2022)
Gaia Data Release 3: External calibration of BP/RP low-resolution spectroscopic data
in arXiv e-prints
Collaboration G
(2022)
Gaia Data Release 3: Mapping the asymmetric disc of the Milky Way
in arXiv e-prints
De Angeli F.
(2022)
Gaia Data Release 3: Processing and validation of BP/RP low-resolution spectral data
in arXiv e-prints
Collaboration G
(2022)
Gaia Data Release 3: Pulsations in main sequence OBAF-type stars
in arXiv e-prints
Collaboration G
(2022)
Gaia Data Release 3: Reflectance spectra of Solar System small bodies
in arXiv e-prints
Collaboration G
(2022)
Gaia Data Release 3: Stellar multiplicity, a teaser for the hidden treasure
in arXiv e-prints
Collaboration G
(2022)
Gaia Data Release 3: Summary of the content and survey properties
in arXiv e-prints
Collaboration G
(2022)
Gaia Data Release 3: The extragalactic content
in arXiv e-prints
Collaboration G
(2022)
Gaia Data Release 3: The Galaxy in your preferred colours. Synthetic photometry from Gaia low-resolution spectra
in arXiv e-prints
Riello M
(2021)
Gaia Early Data Release 3 Photometric content and validation
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Schulze S
(2012)
Galaxy counterparts of intervening high- z sub-DLAs/DLAs and Mg ii absorbers towards gamma-ray bursts
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Troja E
(2010)
Going out with a bang: compact object collisions resulting from supernovae in binary systems
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Nandra K
(2011)
GRAVITAS: general relativistic astrophysics via timing and spectroscopy
in Experimental Astronomy
Castro-Tirado A
(2010)
GRB 021004: Tomography of a gamma-ray burst progenitor and its host galaxy
in Astronomy and Astrophysics
Mineo T.
(2007)
GRB 050410 and GRB 050412: are they really dark gamma-ray bursts?
in ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
De Cia A
(2011)
GRB 070125 and the environments of spectral-line poor afterglow absorbers? GRB 070125 and the spectral-line poor absorbers
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Del Monte E.
(2008)
GRB 070724B: the first gamma ray burst localized by SuperAGILE and its Swift X-ray afterglow
in ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
Stanway E
(2014)
GRB 080517: a local, low-luminosity gamma-ray burst in a dusty galaxy at z = 0.09
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Yuan F
(2010)
GRB 081008: FROM BURST TO AFTERGLOW AND THE TRANSITION PHASE IN BETWEEN
in The Astrophysical Journal
Pandey S
(2010)
GRB 090902B: AFTERGLOW OBSERVATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Vergani S
(2011)
GRB 091127/SN 2009nz and the VLT/X-shooter spectroscopy of its host galaxy: probing the faint end of the mass-metallicity relation
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Schulze S
(2014)
GRB 120422A/SN 2012bz: Bridging the gap between low- and high-luminosity gamma-ray bursts
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Maselli A
(2014)
GRB 130427A: a nearby ordinary monster.
in Science (New York, N.Y.)
Evans P
(2014)
GRB 130925A: an ultralong gamma ray burst with a dust-echo afterglow, and implications for the origin of the ultralong GRBs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Cano Z
(2015)
GRB 140606B/iPTF14bfu: detection of shock-breakout emission from a cosmological ?-ray burst?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Lamb G
(2020)
GRB 170817A as a Refreshed Shock Afterglow Viewed Off-axis
in The Astrophysical Journal
Krühler T
(2015)
GRB hosts through cosmic time VLT/X-Shooter emission-line spectroscopy of 96 ? -ray-burst-selected galaxies at 0.1 < z < 3.6??????
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Lamb G
(2021)
GRB jet structure and the jet break
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Thöne C
(2013)
GRB 100219A with X-shooter - abundances in a galaxy at z =4.7
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Godet O.
(2007)
GRB050822:: detailed analysis of an XRF observed by
Swift
in ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
Greiner J
(2011)
GRIPS - Gamma-Ray Imaging, Polarimetry and Spectroscopy
in Experimental Astronomy
Abdalla H
(2016)
H.E.S.S. Limits on Linelike Dark Matter Signatures in the 100 GeV to 2 TeV Energy Range Close to the Galactic Center.
in Physical review letters
Lallement R
(2011)
High ions towards white dwarfs: circumstellar line shifts and stellar temperature
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Dobbie P
(2012)
High-field magnetic white dwarfs as the progeny of early-type stars?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Kowalski M
(2011)
HIGH-RESOLUTION SPECTROSCOPY OF FEIGE 24 IN THE EXTREME-ULTRAVIOLET
in The Astrophysical Journal
Preval S
(2017)
Hot DA white dwarf model atmosphere calculations: including improved Ni PI cross-sections
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Holberg J
(2014)
Hubble Space Telescope imaging and spectroscopy of the sirius-like triple star system HD 217411
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Levan A
(2014)
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS OF THE AFTERGLOW, SUPERNOVA, AND HOST GALAXY ASSOCIATED WITH THE EXTREMELY BRIGHT GRB 130427A
in The Astrophysical Journal
Kasliwal MM
(2017)
Illuminating gravitational waves: A concordant picture of photons from a neutron star merger.
in Science (New York, N.Y.)
Belenkaya E
(2010)
IMF dependence of Saturn's auroras: modelling study of HST and Cassini data from 12-15 February 2008
in Annales Geophysicae
Church R
(2011)
Implications for the origin of short gamma-ray bursts from their observed positions around their host galaxies Spatial offsets of short-duration GRBs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Lamb G
(2021)
Inclination Estimates from Off-Axis GRB Afterglow Modelling
in Universe
Welsh B
(2013)
Ionization within the Local Cavity by Hot White Dwarfs
in Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Tanvir N
(2010)
LATE-TIME OBSERVATIONS OF GRB 080319B: JET BREAK, HOST GALAXY, AND ACCOMPANYING SUPERNOVA
in The Astrophysical Journal
Brown G
(2017)
Late-time observations of the relativistic tidal disruption flare candidate Swift J1112.2-8238
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Fernández J
(2022)
Lateral spreading effects on VLBI radio images of neutron star merger jets
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Description | We have undertaken an ambitious set of resewaerch projects in astrophysics and space technology. These have led to innovative X-ray optics, including interferometry, and a numnber of astrophysics and planetary science outcomes. These include studies of the most distant objects in the Universe, the characterisation of asteroid samples, the discovery of exoplanets, the characterisation of compact objects (neutron stars, black holes and white dwarfs) and the statistical properties of active galactic nuclei. |
Exploitation Route | The astrophsyical results will inform future studies. The hardware/technology findings can be used in future space missions. |
Sectors | Education |
Description | We have used our research to advance knowledge of astrophysics and space science which has been communicated to the public via outreach activties, including presentations at the National Space Centre, at various schools and through public outreach events including Stargazing live. Technology work has been carried out on X-ray optics which has led to designs for international space missions utlising low-cost and light-weight optical modules. |
First Year Of Impact | 2013 |
Sector | Education,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
Impact Types | Societal |
Title | qsoft - ray tracing and simulation software for X-ray optics and X-ray telescopes |
Description | qsoft is a comprehensive suite of routines for the simulation of X-ray optics and X-ray telescopes. The routines can be accessed using the scripting languages R and/or Python. The routines are written in Fortran 77 and C and the source is self contained and requires no external packages or libraries. The source is available from GitHub. A fortran compiler (gfortran preferred) and R and/or Python with module f2py are required to build the libraries. |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2017 |
Open Source License? | Yes |
Impact | This software has been used for the design and analysis of a number of existing X-ray telescopes: Rosat WFC, XMM-Newton, Swift, SVOM MXT. It is currently in use for the design of up coming instruments: ESA Theseus, NASA TAO, Chinese Einstein Probe. |
URL | https://github.com/dickwillingale |
Description | Numerous public talks and schools visits |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Too numerous to list Inspiration of young and old audiences |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010,2011,2012,2013 |
Description | UCAS recruitment day University of Leicester |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
Results and Impact | The aim is to give prospective undergraduate students a selection of the types of subjects they will study in the University of Leicester College of Science. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017 |
Description | Various school visits, astronomical society lectures |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Many presentations, 100s of students, excellent questions and discussion. Audience figures are totals for activities during each year. Improvements in interest in applying for science degrees |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018 |