The transient sky: an integrated programme of study 2011 - 2016
Lead Research Organisation:
Queen's University Belfast
Department Name: Sch of Mathematics and Physics
Abstract
To the naked eye, the night sky appears constant, apart from the motion of the Moon and brighter planets, and the passing of the occasional comet or meteor. However, detailed observations reveal that this is far from the truth. Many stars vary in brightness, either due to intrinsic variability or because an orbiting planet (called a transiting exoplanet) passes in front of it, blocking out a portion of the starlight. Faint, small Solar System bodies, orbiting the Sun and hence changing their position in the night sky, are revealed on exposures taken with large telescopes. Such exposures also reveal stars exploding as supernova in distant galaxies. Even the Sun - the brightest object in the sky - is continually changing. Giant explosions on its surface, known as flares, take place over timescales of minutes to hours. Recently, observations of the Sun with high-speed cameras reveal that changes in the solar atmosphere can occur over timescales of much less than a second. All these phenomena lead to what is termed the transient sky, i.e. a sky whose appearance varies with time. We plan a coordinated programme of observational and theoretical astrophysics to study such phenomena. This will make use of instruments and facilities developed specifically for the investigation of the transient sky, on timescales ranging from less than a second to months. Major themes which will be covered by our Rolling Grant programmes include: the study of activity and variability in the solar atmosphere at high time resolution with the ROSA imager; the discovery and characterisation of transiting exoplanets by the SuperWASP and RISE facilities; the detection of Solar System bodies and supernovae using data obtained from the Pan-STARRS sky survey. Our Rolling Grant programmes will also make extensive use of other major STFC facilities for followup and complementary observations of the Sun, exoplanets, Solar System bodies and supernovae, as well as the stars which explode as supernovae. These facilities include satellites, such as the Hinode solar mission and the Hubble Space Telescope, and large ground-based telescopes including the 8-metre diameter Very Large Telescope at the European Southern Observatory in Chile, and the 4-metre diameter William Herschel Telescope at the Isaac Newton Observatory on La Palma in the Canary Islands.
Organisations
Publications
Samanta T
(2016)
THE EFFECTS OF TRANSIENTS ON PHOTOSPHERIC AND CHROMOSPHERIC POWER DISTRIBUTIONS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Sanders N
(2013)
PS1-12sk IS A PECULIAR SUPERNOVA FROM A He-RICH PROGENITOR SYSTEM IN A BRIGHTEST CLUSTER GALAXY ENVIRONMENT
in The Astrophysical Journal
Sanders N
(2012)
SN 2010ay IS A LUMINOUS AND BROAD-LINED TYPE Ic SUPERNOVA WITHIN A LOW-METALLICITY HOST GALAXY
in The Astrophysical Journal
Shelyag S
(2011)
Photospheric magnetic vortex structures
in Annales Geophysicae
Shelyag S
(2012)
MECHANISMS FOR MHD POYNTING FLUX GENERATION IN SIMULATIONS OF SOLAR PHOTOSPHERIC MAGNETOCONVECTION
in The Astrophysical Journal
Shetye J
(2016)
High-cadence observations of spicular-type events on the Sun
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Simpson E
(2011)
The spin-orbit angles of the transiting exoplanets WASP-1b, WASP-24b, WASP-38b and HAT-P-8b from Rossiter-McLaughlin observations? The spin-orbit alignment of 4 exoplanets
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Simpson E
(2011)
WASP-37b: A 1.8 M J EXOPLANET TRANSITING A METAL-POOR STAR
in The Astronomical Journal
Simpson E
(2011)
INDEPENDENT DISCOVERY OF THE TRANSITING EXOPLANET HAT-P-14b
in The Astronomical Journal
Smartt C
(2011)
Constructing a general framework for systems engineering strategy
in Systems Engineering
Title | The science in science-fiction films and television programmes |
Description | This is a collection of presentations which use clips of science-fiction films and television shows (e.g. Star Wars, Star Trek) to show how science is portrayed in these media, and discusses how accurate (or otherwise) these portrayals are. Presentation includes discussion of our research on exoplanets. |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2008 |
Impact | The presentations were first produced back in 2007 - supported by an STFC Public Understanding of Science (PUS) Small Award - and since then have been regularly updated. They have been delivered to audiences totalling many thousands - probably over 3000 over the last 3 years alone, These include the general public, schools, higher educational institutes, research establishments. |
Description | Advances in our knowledge of how energy is transported through the solar atmosphere from the photosphere out to the corona; discovery and characterisation of exoplanets; discovery and characterisation of solar system bodies including comets and asteroids; discovery of supernovae and identification and study of their progenitor stars. |
Exploitation Route | Astrophysics is a constantly evolving research area, with each publication providing further information on a particular research topic, which is then followed up by subsequent work by individuals and teams (both the authors of the original publication and others in the research field). |
Sectors | Education |
Description | Used by the astrophysics academic community as a basis for further study - e.g. discovery of an exoplanet will then subsequently be followed by studies of the exoplanet to determine e.g. its density. |
First Year Of Impact | 2011 |
Sector | Education |
Impact Types | Cultural |
Description | Leverhulme Research Project Grant |
Amount | £169,201 (GBP) |
Funding ID | RPG-249 |
Organisation | The Leverhulme Trust |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2012 |
End | 05/2016 |
Description | Research Fellowship |
Amount | £82,660 (GBP) |
Funding ID | VP1-2012-025 |
Organisation | The Leverhulme Trust |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2014 |
End | 03/2015 |
Description | STFC Astronomy Grants |
Amount | £1,674,429 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/L000709/1 |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2014 |
End | 03/2017 |
Description | STFC Astronomy Grants |
Amount | £98,989 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/M003515/1 |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2014 |
End | 03/2015 |
Description | STFC Astronomy Grants |
Amount | £37,969 (GBP) |
Funding ID | ST/M003493/1 |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 07/2014 |
End | 03/2015 |
Description | UK-India Education and Research Initiative |
Amount | £48,900 (GBP) |
Funding ID | UGC -UKIERI -2017/18-014 |
Organisation | British Council |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2018 |
End | 03/2020 |
Description | Annual in-house activities |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Astronomy lectures and presentations are given at the following annual events: (i) QUB Horizons in Physics} (which attracts around 400 4th- and 5th-form students per year), (ii) Physics Open Days (around 200 6th-form students), (iii) Physics Teachers Conference (about 50 Physics teachers from schools in Ireland). Increased take-up of Physics and Astronomy degree programme over last 3 years. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | Pre-2006,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017 |
Description | Jupiter Watch |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Attended by over 500 annually. Increased awareness and appreciation of astronomy. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012,2013,2014,2016 |
Description | Links with W5 Discovery Centre |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | An ongoing partnership with the W5 Discovery Centre in Belfast (Ireland's award-winning science and discovery centre). We developed the Planet Quest exhibition, based on explaining the multi-wavelength nature of modern astronomy. This includes spectacular infrared images from telescopes and satellites, information stands on the nature of infrared radiation, and hands on activities for children. It showcases high-profile Queen's astrophysics research to illustrate to the public that world-leading, technology-driven research is happening in Belfast. The exhibition initially ran March - September 2012, attracting 10,000 visitors, and we hope to run it again during the period 2014 - 2017. Astrophysics staff also host talks, Q&A sessions and hands-on building games in W5 (aimed at Key Stage 3 pupils), and further support W5 through the creation of astronomy CPD materials and a centralised web resource for secondary school physics teachers. Increased interest in astronomy and science from schoolchildren. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012,2013 |
Description | Michael West lectures |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | We have initiated a series of high-profile public lectures, The Michael West Lecture Series in Astronomy, following a philanthropic donation from Dr West which funds a Fellowship with a major outreach and education component. These lectures, which are scheduled typically twice per year, each attract 200 people, and are now the most widely attended public lecture series at Queen's University and indeed in Ireland as a whole. Increased requests for e.g. school talks. Media interviews. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018 |
URL | https://star.pst.qub.ac.uk/wiki/public/outreach/start |
Description | School visits |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | All members of the Astrophysics Research Centre (ARC) at Queen's University are involved in schools talks, covering their research topics as well as more general interests in astronomy. Most are at secondary level but also at primary (we actively take part in STEPS), either in the classroom or at Queen's. ARC staff deliver a total of about 40 talks/year to pupils, with typical class sizes of 25. Hard to assess, but in Northern Ireland uptake of Physics at university level has increased steadily in recent years, in contrast to the UK trend. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | Pre-2006,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018 |