Astrophysics at Oxford: 2010-2015
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: Oxford Physics
Abstract
Astrophysicists at Oxford are trying to determine six basic things about the Universe. (1) What is it made of? The Universe appears to be at the beginning of a period of accelerated expansion driven by some mysterious stuff known as 'dark energy'. Einstein had a theory for what this stuff is: he called it the Cosmological Constant. We will be testing his theory by measuring the apparent brightnesses of distant exploding stars (supernovae), by measuring the distortions of distant galaxies as light is bent by the gravity of more nearby galaxies, and by measuring the precise positions of about one million galaxies. (2) What is the history of Hydrogen in the Universe? Hydrogen - the most abundant element in the Universe - is the most important building material for making stars. Atoms of Hydrogen combine into molecules within dense clouds, and these clouds provide the nursery for the birth of new stars. We will be using giant new telescopes operating at millimetre and radio wavelengths to observe, and hence understand, this process throughout most of the history of the Universe. (3) What can we learn about how galaxies formed from galaxies observed at current times? We are involved in large observational programmes that can be viewed as 'archaeology' of nearby galaxies looking for clues of important events in their history, for example by finding fast-moving gas orbiting a dormant supermassive black hole. We also study the relation between stellar populations and dark matter by studying the orbits of stars within and beyond the optical light in a galaxy. (4) What can we learn about how galaxies formed from distant galaxies observed at earlier times? Because of the finite speed of light, distant galaxies are seen when the Universe, and the galaxies within it, were young, and often these galaxies are so dusty that they are only effectively studied using infrared and radio observations. We map out the large-scale distribution of galaxies in the distant Universe using a combination of wide-field imaging (taking pictures) and spectroscopy (spreading light out into its constituent colours). We study these systems as they form and evolve, sometimes in dramatic bursts of star formation associated with supermassive black holes. (5) When did the first galaxies form? The Hydrogen in the Universe formed atoms about 300,000 years after the Big Bang, but was largely re-ionized (converted back to protons and electrons) during the so-called Epoch of Reionization. We use giant ground-based telescopes and satellites (e.g. the Hubble Space Telescope) to study these first galaxies and determine whether it was radiation associated with the birth of these galaxies, or stars within them, that was responsible for the re-ionization. (6) How do black holes influence star and galaxy formation? Black holes grow by 'gobbling up' gas and stars in a process called accretion. This process seems commonly to yield outflows in the form of winds and jets, the latter capable of reaching speeds very close to the speed of light. We study these systems in our own galaxy and in distant galaxies to determine the physics of such 'feedback mechanisms' (growth of the black hole is halted, albeit temporarily, by outflows driven by processes associated with the black hole). Our aim is to understand the influence of (compact) black holes on the formation of stars, galaxies and clusters of galaxies on much large physical scales.
Organisations
- University of Oxford (Lead Research Organisation)
- UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH (Collaboration)
- Leiden University (Collaboration)
- California Institute of Technology (Collaboration)
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Collaboration)
- Paris Institute of Astrophysics (Collaboration)
Publications
North E
(2021)
WISDOM project - VIII. Multiscale feedback cycles in the brightest cluster galaxy NGC 0708
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
North E
(2019)
WISDOM project - V. Resolving molecular gas in Keplerian rotation around the supermassive black hole in NGC 0383
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Nugent PE
(2011)
Supernova SN 2011fe from an exploding carbon-oxygen white dwarf star.
in Nature
Nugent, PE And Sullivan, M And Cenko, SB And Thomas, RC And Kasen, D And Howell, DA And Bersier, D And Bloom, JS And Kulkarni, SR And Kandrashoff, MT And Filippenko, AV And Silverman, JM And Marcy, GW And Howard, AW And Isaacson, HT And Maguire, K And Suzuki, N And Tarlton, JE And Pan, YC And Bildsten, L And Fulton, BJ And Parrent, JT And Sand, D And Podsiadlowski, P And Bianco, FB And Dilday, B And Graham, ML And Lyman, J And James, P And Kasliwal, MM And Law, NM And Quimby, RM And Hook, IM An
(2011)
Supernova 2011fe from an Exploding Carbon-Oxygen White Dwarf Star
Nyland K
(2016)
The atlas 3D Project - XXXI. Nuclear radio emission in nearby early-type galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Nyland Kristina
(2016)
The ATLAS
3D Project -XXXI. Nuclear Radio Emission in Nearby Early-Type Galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Okada H
(2016)
The Subaru FMOS galaxy redshift survey (FastSound). II. The emission line catalog and properties of emission line galaxies
in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan
Okumura T
(2016)
The Subaru FMOS galaxy redshift survey (FastSound). IV. New constraint on gravity theory from redshift space distortions at z ~ 1.4
in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan
Olive K
(2012)
Higher D or Li: probes of physics beyond the standard model Higher D or Li
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Oliver S
(2010)
HerMES: SPIRE galaxy number counts at 250, 350, and 500 µ m
in Astronomy and Astrophysics
Onishi K
(2017)
WISDOM project - I. Black hole mass measurement using molecular gas kinematics in NGC 3665
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Onodera M
(2012)
DEEP NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY OF PASSIVELY EVOLVING GALAXIES AT z ? 1.4
in The Astrophysical Journal
Onodera M
(2010)
A z = 1.82 ANALOG OF LOCAL ULTRA-MASSIVE ELLIPTICAL GALAXIES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Oosterloo T
(2010)
Early-type galaxies in different environments: an H i view Early-type galaxies in different environments
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Osborne OG
(2016)
Maintenance of Species Boundaries Despite Ongoing Gene Flow in Ragworts.
in Genome biology and evolution
Page MJ
(2012)
The suppression of star formation by powerful active galactic nuclei.
in Nature
Palanque-Delabrouille N
(2010)
Photometric redshifts for type Ia supernovae in the supernova legacy survey
in Astronomy and Astrophysics
Pareschi G.
(2013)
The Dual-mirror Small Size Telescope for the Cherenkov Telescope Array
in International Cosmic Ray Conference
Parroni C
(2017)
Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey. XXI. The Weak Lensing Masses of the CFHTLS and NGVS RedGOLD Galaxy Clusters and Calibration of the Optical Richness
in The Astrophysical Journal
Pastorello N
(2013)
The planetary nebulae population in the nuclear regions of M31: the SAURON view
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Patat F
(2011)
Connecting RS Ophiuchi to [some] type Ia supernovae
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Peirani S
(2012)
Evolution of the baryon fraction in the Local Group: accretion versus feedback at low and high z The baryons in a simulated Local Group
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Peirani S
(2010)
Composite star formation histories of early-type galaxies from minor mergers: prospects for WFC3 Composite star formation histories of ETGs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Peletier R
(2012)
The SAURON project - XX. The Spitzer [3.6] - [4.5] colour in early-type galaxies: colours, colour gradients and inverted scaling relations The SAURON project - XX
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Perez M. S
(2010)
SS 433's circumbinary ring and accretion disc viewed through its attenuating disc wind Balmer decrements in SS 433
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Perez-Garcia MA
(2010)
Dark matter, neutron stars, and strange quark matter.
in Physical review letters
Perrett K
(2012)
EVOLUTION IN THE VOLUMETRIC TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA RATE FROM THE SUPERNOVA LEGACY SURVEY
in The Astronomical Journal
Perrett K
(2010)
REAL-TIME ANALYSIS AND SELECTION BIASES IN THE SUPERNOVA LEGACY SURVEY
in The Astronomical Journal
Pimbblet K
(2014)
How typical is the Coma cluster?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Podsiadlowski P
(2013)
Planets, Stars and Stellar Systems
Podsiadlowski P
(2014)
Binary Effects on Supernovae
in Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union
Podsiadlowski P
(2010)
Explosive common-envelope ejection: implications for gamma-ray bursts and low-mass black-hole binaries Explosive common-envelope ejection
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Podsiadlowski P
(2010)
Massive binary evolution
in New Astronomy Reviews
Podsiadlowski P
(2010)
Supersoft X-ray sources and the progenitors of Type Ia supernovae
in Astronomische Nachrichten
Podsiadlowski P.
(2012)
Binary Progenitors for Long-Duration Gamma-Ray Bursts
in Gamma-Ray Bursts 2012 Conference (GRB 2012)
Podsiadlowski Philipp
(2014)
The evolution of massive binaries
in Binary Systems, their Evolution and Environments
Podsiadlowski Philipp
(2010)
Binary Models for the Progenitors of "Peculiar" Supernovae
in Progenitors and Environments of Stellar Explosions
Podsiadlowski Philipp
(2010)
On the Possibility of Tidal Formation of Binary Planets Around Ordinary Stars
in arXiv e-prints
Podsiadlowski Philipp
(2013)
Evolved Binaries: Stellar Mergers, B[e] supergiants and LBVs
in Massive Stars: From alpha to Omega
Podsiadlowski, P And Rappaport, S And Fregeau, JM And Mardling, RA
(2010)
On the Possibility of Tidal Formation of Binary Planets Around Ordinary Stars
Posacki S
(2015)
The stellar initial mass function of early-type galaxies from low to high stellar velocity dispersion: homogeneous analysis of atlas3D and Sloan Lens ACS galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Potter W
(2012)
Synchrotron and inverse-Compton emission from blazar jets - I. A uniform conical jet model A uniform conical jet model
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Potter W
(2013)
Synchrotron and inverse-Compton emission from blazar jets - III. Compton-dominant blazars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Potter W
(2013)
Synchrotron and inverse-Compton emission from blazar jets - IV. BL Lac type blazars and the physical basis for the blazar sequence
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Potter W
(2013)
Uncovering the physics behind the blazar sequence using a realistic model for jet emission
in EPJ Web of Conferences
Potter W
(2015)
New constraints on the structure and dynamics of black hole jets
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
| Description | Canada France Hawaii Telescope Lensing Survey (CFHTLenS) |
| Organisation | Leiden University |
| Department | Leiden Institute of Physics |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Miller was responsible for the shear measurements for this international collaboration, and took part in the cosmology analysis. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Other aspects of the lensing analysis. |
| Impact | Research publications |
| Start Year | 2008 |
| Description | Canada France Hawaii Telescope Lensing Survey (CFHTLenS) |
| Organisation | University of British Columbia |
| Country | Canada |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Miller was responsible for the shear measurements for this international collaboration, and took part in the cosmology analysis. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Other aspects of the lensing analysis. |
| Impact | Research publications |
| Start Year | 2008 |
| Description | Canada France Hawaii Telescope Lensing Survey (CFHTLenS) |
| Organisation | University of Edinburgh |
| Department | School of Physics and Astronomy |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Miller was responsible for the shear measurements for this international collaboration, and took part in the cosmology analysis. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Other aspects of the lensing analysis. |
| Impact | Research publications |
| Start Year | 2008 |
| Description | EarLy unIverse Exploration with nIRspec (ELIXIR) |
| Organisation | Paris Institute of Astrophysics |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The Oxford network node has been analysing data from Hubble Space Telescope deep imaging fields (including those from the new WFC3 infrared camera) to determine observing strategies for JWST, and also to provide an initial target list for spectroscopy with NIRSpec on JWST. |
| Collaborator Contribution | This is an EU FP7 network associated with the NIRSpec instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope. The Instrument Science Team comprises: Stephane Charlot (IAP, Paris - lead network); Andrew Bunker (Oxford); Marijn Franx (Leiden); Santiago Arribas (Madrid); Roberto Maiolino (Rome); Hans-Walter Rix (MPIA Heidelberg) and Peter Jakobsen (ESA), with out industrial partner (Astrium, Germany). We are responsible for the NIRSpec near-infrared spectrograph, which is being built and tested, and we will execute a 900-hour GTO programme to investigate galaxies at high redshift. The EU FP7 ELIXIR Network is intended to plan the science for this large programme. |
| Impact | The Network funds several PhD students and Early Stage Researchers at the nodes across Europe, including two graduate students at Oxford (Joseph Caruana and Silvio Lorenzoni). These researchers have participated in many of the papers from our group, and Lorenzoni has a first-author paper accepted. |
| Start Year | 2008 |
| Description | Galaxies in the Reionization Epoch |
| Organisation | California Institute of Technology |
| Department | Caltech Astronomy |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Oxford has been responsible for reducing the Hubble Space Telescope images and identifying potential high-redshift candidates through colour selection. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Oxford has lead this project, in collaboration with Prof Richard Ellis at Caltech, using archival Hubble Space Telescope images with WFC3 to identify Lyman-break galaxies at z=7 and beyond. Caltech has mainly been involved in the spectroscopic follow-up. |
| Impact | Five refereed accepted papers so far (Bunker et al. 2010; Wilkins et al. 2010; Lorenzoni et al. 2011; Wilkins et al. 2011, Wilkins et al. 2012). A press release in December 2009, resulting in extensive coverage. Several invited talks at conferences. |
| Start Year | 2009 |
| Description | Kilo Degree Survey weak lensing collaboration |
| Organisation | Leiden University |
| Department | Leiden Institute of Physics |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Responsible for the Point Spread Function modelling and weak lensing shear measurement, employed by the survey. Jointly responsible for cosmology analysis and paper writing. |
| Collaborator Contribution | All other aspects of data collection, survey analysis and paper writing |
| Impact | Research papers |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Kilo Degree Survey weak lensing collaboration |
| Organisation | University of Edinburgh |
| Department | School of Physics and Astronomy |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Responsible for the Point Spread Function modelling and weak lensing shear measurement, employed by the survey. Jointly responsible for cosmology analysis and paper writing. |
| Collaborator Contribution | All other aspects of data collection, survey analysis and paper writing |
| Impact | Research papers |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | The WFC3 Spectroscopic Parallel (WISP) Survey |
| Organisation | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) |
| Department | Physics and Astronomy |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Oxford is responsible for studying the star formation rates of these galaxies from their H-alpha line luminosities, and for constructing the line luminosity function at redshifts around one. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The WISP collaboration, based at UCLA and also the Spitzer Science Center (in Caltech) and with collaborators elsewhere in the USA and Germany, is responsible for reducing the Hubble Space Telescope slitless grism spectroscopy to search for emission line objects at high redshift. Most of this reduction and cataloging occurs in Los Angeles. |
| Impact | One refereed paper on the initial work - Atek et al. (2010) - and several more in preparation. Various presentations by the team at American Astronomical Society meetings. |
| Start Year | 2008 |
| Description | Press release on the first Hubble WFC3 Deep Infrared Images |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | We issued a press release on our work on 8 December 2009 entitled "Reinvigorated Hubble Space Telescope Reveals Most Distant Galaxies Yet". Our press release results in extensive coverage in the scientific media and the international press including: Nature Blog http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2009/12/ hubble_revisits_distant_haunt.html BBC News (online) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8401374.stm We also appeared in The Times (print version) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009 |