Extragalactic Astronomy at Durham 2011-2016
Lead Research Organisation:
Durham University
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
Durham University hosts one of the world's largest and most active research groups in the field of extragalactic astronomy. We have been at the forefront of many of the most important advances in the fields of galaxy formation and evolution and this is reflected in both our citation record and our leadership of major studies on the world's foremost ground and space observatories (both STFC-supported and other premier international facilities). Our group also benefits from the strong links and deep-rooted synergies between our research programme and the work within the ICC and the CfAI instrumentation groups at Durham. Our programme addresses three of the central questions highlighted in the STFC Roadmap: ``How do galaxies, stars and planets form and evolve?'', ``What are the laws of physics in extreme conditions?'' and ``What is the Universe made of and how does it evolve?''. In this proposal we present the case for support for our coherent and comprehensive programme to address critical elements in all three of these questions. This 5-year programme builds on our research strengths and exploits the new opportunities available through current and future STFC-funded facilities. In particular we will exploit our leadership in multiwavelength studies of galaxy populations at both moderate and high redshift, studies of the Ly-alpha forest, X-ray surveys and studies of AGN and panoramic QSO and galaxy surveys, to answer open questions which lie at the core of these Roadmap questions. Our proposal is constructed around the seven broad themes, each of which comprises a group of goals and associated projects aimed at answering questions in distinct research areas, within the broader scope of the rolling grant programme. The seven themes are: Theme A, Environment and galaxy evolution at z<0.5; Theme B, The physics of high-redshift galaxies; Theme C, The inter-galactic medium and galaxies; Theme D, Dust and gas in obscured galaxies; Theme E, Demographics and properties of AGN; Theme F, Constraining the mechanics of AGN feedback; Theme G, Survey cosmology. Theme A aims to understand the physical processes responsible for the transformation of galaxies in high-density environments, their effect on the morphologies and star formation histories of the galaxies. Theme B investigates galaxy formation at higher redshift, to understand the star formation process in high-z galaxies, the evolution of their metal content and the formation of their galactic structures. Theme C focuses on studies of the relationship between gas and galaxies at low and high z and the cycle of material between galaxies and their gaseous environments. Theme D studies the most extreme, obscured starburst galaxies at high z , to determine their contribution to the star formation density and to test their role in the evolution of other galactic populations. Theme E uses multi-wavelength surveys to investigate the growth of supermassive black holes, the processes which drive this and the effects of obscuration which limit our knowledge of this population. Theme F focuses on the influence of feedback from AGN on their galactic hosts and surroundings. Theme G seeks to constrain cosmological parameters using panoramic photometric and spectroscopic surveys of galaxies, QSOs and clusters.
Organisations
- Durham University (Lead Research Organisation)
- University of Waterloo (Collaboration)
- University College London (Collaboration)
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Collaboration)
- Australian National University (ANU) (Collaboration)
- International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) (Collaboration)
- Australian Astronomical Observatory (Collaboration)
- Royal Observatory Edinburgh (Collaboration)
Publications
Abramowski A
(2013)
Constraints on axionlike particles with H.E.S.S. from the irregularity of the PKS 2155 - 304 energy spectrum
in Physical Review D
Abramowski A
(2012)
SEARCH FOR DARK MATTER ANNIHILATION SIGNALS FROM THE FORNAX GALAXY CLUSTER WITH H.E.S.S.
in The Astrophysical Journal
Adhikari R
(2017)
A White Paper on keV sterile neutrino Dark Matter
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Aharonian F
(2011)
Primary particle acceleration above 100 TeV in the shell-type supernova remnant RX J1713.7 - 3946 with deep H.E.S.S. observations ( Corrigendum )
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Aird J
(2015)
THE NuSTAR EXTRAGALACTIC SURVEY: FIRST DIRECT MEASUREMENTS OF THE ?10 keV X-RAY LUMINOSITY FUNCTION FOR ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI AT z > 0.1
in The Astrophysical Journal
Ajello M
(2012)
THE 60 MONTH ALL-SKY BURST ALERT TELESCOPE SURVEY OF ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS AND THE ANISOTROPY OF NEARBY AGNs
in The Astrophysical Journal
Alaghband-Zadeh S
(2013)
Using [C i] to probe the interstellar medium in z ~ 2.5 sub-millimeter galaxies?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Alaghband-Zadeh S
(2012)
Integral field spectroscopy of 2.0< z <2.7 submillimetre galaxies: gas morphologies and kinematics IFU spectroscopy of SMGs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Alexander D
(2011)
X-RAY SPECTRAL CONSTRAINTS FOR z ˜ 2 MASSIVE GALAXIES: THE IDENTIFICATION OF REFLECTION-DOMINATED ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI
in The Astrophysical Journal
Alexander D
(2012)
What drives the growth of black holes?
in New Astronomy Reviews
| Description | The VST ATLAS survey was begun and continues to provide high-quality ultraviolet to infrared imaging data that form the basis for future cosmology surveys. It has already been used to discover a new Milky Way satellite and a stream of stars around the Milky Way. A summary of on-going science projects exploiting VST ATLAS is given here: https://www.eso.org/sci/publications/messenger/archive/no.154-dec13/messenger-no154-38-40.pdf We completed the VLT LBG Redshift Survey of ~2000 galaxies, the biggest spectroscopic redshift survey of galaxies at z~3 so far attempted. Using this sample we analysed the relative velocities of galaxies in the distant Universe to make the highest redshift estimate so far of the rate of galaxy infall into clusters and to discover unexpectedly low rates of gas falling into galaxies at z~3 (compared to theoretical models). STFC-funded work underpinned the most productive project on the new Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) during its first year of operations: the ALESS survey. This used ALMA to identify the first large sample of high-redshift starburst galaxies (a population originally discovered in the late-90's by UK teams using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope [JCMT] in Hawaii). Two key results from ALESS were that the estimated numbers of the very brightest examples of this population are biased high by blending of sources in the low-resolution JCMT maps and that 20% of these galaxies have no detectable counterpart in any other waveband (even using the deepest imaging from Hubble Space Telescope). These galaxies have been missed by all previous studies of the distant Universe and their true nature and properties are still unknown - and the study of these populations is now a key driver of international studies with ALMA. See: http://www.astro.dur.ac.uk/LESS/ One key result from our work on the star formation processes within galaxies in the early Universe exploited the Durham-led Hi-Z Emission Line Survey (HiZELS). We showed that "typical" high-redshift galaxies were rotating galaxies, and not dominated by major mergers. We showed that even though the star-formation rate of the Universe at high redshift is almost a factor of 10 higher than locally, star-forming galaxies are still recognisable as counterparts to rotating local galaxies like the Milky Way. See: http://www.astro.dur.ac.uk/~irs/HiZELS/ Since 2013, the work on this project has provided the foundation for a UK-led survey of galaxy dynamics with the new KMOS integral field spectrograph on the ESO Very Large Telescope, a programme which will continue until ~2018. This ongoing survey aims to map for the first time the dynamics, star formation, metallicity gradients and angular momentum distribution within the interstellar medium of ~1500 high-redshift galaxies to determine how inflows of cold gas and outflows from supernovae regulate the growth of these galaxies. See: http://www.astro.dur.ac.uk/KROSS/ We also constrained the formation of galaxies in the distant Universe through the properties of their descendants at the present day. Our analysis of the ages, masses and environments of passive galaxies in the Coma cluster found a clear dichotomy in the observed trends: the ages of the giant galaxies are primarily determined by their mass whereas the ages of the dwarfs are governed by their environment in the cluster. This suggests that these different populations have taken different routes to becoming passive galaxies, even though the two groups closely resemble each other at the present day. A more detailed study of the formation of one particular class of passive cluster galaxies: spheroidal (S0) galaxies, showed that their present-day properties are consistent with their star formation being suppressed by an environmental process in the relatively recent past. In our studies of super-massive black holes, we helped solve one of the oldest mysteries in high-energy astrophysics: the origin of the cosmic X-ray background, first discovered in 1962. This was achieved using the NuSTAR observatory, launched in 2012, which provided the first high sensitivity observations at the energies where the cosmic X-ray background peaks. We identified the first NuSTAR-detected sources contributing to this background and found that they are Active Galactic Nuclei, the sites of growing black holes, some of which are heavily obscured by gas and dust. A link to the press release: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-270 |
| Exploitation Route | New observational facilities will allow our results to be tested, confirmed and improved upon - by ourselves and other international teams. |
| Sectors | Education,Other |
| Description | The research in our group is focused on studying the origin and evolution of the contents of the Universe. As such our primary societal impact is through developing the general public's appreciation of the complexity and variety of the Universe around them. Our programme of science engagement is undertaken jointly with the Institute for Computational Cosmology (with which we have strong links, including a number of joint staff appointments). The impact of our programme is also enhanced considerably by our development of a permanent Public Engagement activity within the Physics department (led by Dr. Pete Edwards). This activity was built up between 2001-2007 using STFC funding we brought in and has subsequently been supported by University and philanthropic donations. Results from our science programme feed into the activities undertaken by our staff and the PE team with both the general public (e.g. the annual Durham Science Festival and our public lecturer series) and through engagement with schools (including using the Ogden Trust Teaching Fellows). We are also developing links with the Kielder Observatory (based in the Dark Skies reserve in the National Forest) to further widen the reach of our outreach activities. The high-level analysis techniques we develop and use have wider uses. In particular we have expertise in the analysis and visualisation of low signal-to-noise signals in 3-dimensional data and high-volume image analysis (in optical and near-infrared wavebands). We collaborate closely (with several staff holding joint staff appointments) with the Centre for Advanced Instrumentation in Durham in supporting the science cases for the development of cutting-edge instrumentation, in particular novel optical fibre applications to spectroscopy and advanced image stabilisation methods for reducing the impact of atmospheric turbulence. Many of these techniques and capabilities have potential use in Earth observations and other areas and we have an on-going programme to investigate and develop these. Our programme also supports the skills development of a cohort of postgraduate students and postdoctoral staff in Durham. For the students this includes training in specific and transferable skills. Undergraduate students at Durham also benefit from our research work as part of the 4th year MSci projects, which provide them with an opportunity to experience a research environment typical of that found in industry or academia. We believe that our technical training of undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers provides a pool of talented and highly trained candidates for jobs in the wider UK economy. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2011 |
| Sector | Education,Other |
| Impact Types | Cultural |
| Description | ERC Advanced Grant |
| Amount | € 2,050,275 (EUR) |
| Organisation | European Research Council (ERC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Belgium |
| Start | 01/2013 |
| End | 12/2018 |
| Description | STFC Consolidated Grant |
| Amount | £7,409,294 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2014 |
| End | 03/2017 |
| Description | Wolfson Merit Award |
| Amount | £75,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | The Royal Society |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2013 |
| End | 12/2018 |
| Description | 6dF Peculiar Velocity Survey |
| Organisation | Australian Astronomical Observatory |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Construction of final dataset and various analysis. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Construction of final dataset and various analysis. |
| Impact | First extensive peculiar velocity map of the southern hemisphere |
| Description | 6dF Peculiar Velocity Survey |
| Organisation | International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Construction of final dataset and various analysis. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Construction of final dataset and various analysis. |
| Impact | First extensive peculiar velocity map of the southern hemisphere |
| Description | 6dF Peculiar Velocity Survey |
| Organisation | Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Construction of final dataset and various analysis. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Construction of final dataset and various analysis. |
| Impact | First extensive peculiar velocity map of the southern hemisphere |
| Description | 6dF Peculiar Velocity Survey |
| Organisation | Royal Observatory Edinburgh |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Construction of final dataset and various analysis. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Construction of final dataset and various analysis. |
| Impact | First extensive peculiar velocity map of the southern hemisphere |
| Description | 6dF Peculiar Velocity Survey |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Construction of final dataset and various analysis. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Construction of final dataset and various analysis. |
| Impact | First extensive peculiar velocity map of the southern hemisphere |
| Description | 6dFGS survey |
| Organisation | Australian Astronomical Observatory |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Data analysis and construction of the FP catalogue, i.e. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014MNRAS.443.1231C |
| Collaborator Contribution | Many other science contributions, e.g. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014MNRAS.444.3926J http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014MNRAS.445.2677S http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2016MNRAS.455..386S |
| Impact | now focused on mostly exclusively on 6dF++, i.e. TAIPAN http://www.taipan-survey.org/ Map the southern cosmography with ~110 k redshifts. First detailed map of the southern hemisphere peculiar velocities. |
| Description | 6dFGS survey |
| Organisation | Australian National University (ANU) |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Data analysis and construction of the FP catalogue, i.e. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014MNRAS.443.1231C |
| Collaborator Contribution | Many other science contributions, e.g. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014MNRAS.444.3926J http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014MNRAS.445.2677S http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2016MNRAS.455..386S |
| Impact | now focused on mostly exclusively on 6dF++, i.e. TAIPAN http://www.taipan-survey.org/ Map the southern cosmography with ~110 k redshifts. First detailed map of the southern hemisphere peculiar velocities. |
| Description | Details structural analysis of Coma cluster galaxies |
| Organisation | University of Waterloo |
| Country | Canada |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Actively worked on all aspects. |
| Collaborator Contribution | First paper: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014MNRAS.440.1690H Second paper submitted November 3rd. "Beyond Sersic + exponential disc morphologies ..." Third paper currently being put together. |
| Impact | First paper: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014MNRAS.440.1690H Second paper submitted November 3rd. "Beyond Sersic + exponential disc morphologies ..." Discovery of a wide variety of outer structures including truncated discs and the importance of bars in Coma cluster galaxies. |
| Start Year | 2008 |
| Description | 10 Planetarium shows |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Enrichment event including quizzes and interaction for schools and colleges and the general public to learn about our planet system |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014,2015,2016,2017 |
| Description | 16 School Visits to Primary and Secondary schools |
| 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 | 2330 students from primary and secondary schools attended career talks and planetarium shows n/a |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013,2014 |
| Description | 16 public lectures/talks at primary and secondary schools and astronomical societies |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Demonstrated weak lensing, plus talk and EAGLE fly through to six classes of L9 pupils at Ferryhill BEC or STEM activities- rockets and projectile or talks about stellar evolution plus experimental session for secondary school students (and some rather younger) are just a few examples. All of these activities have been received well and sparked interest in Astronomy. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2017 |
| Description | 8 talks in Universities and Observatories |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 650 members of the public attended talks about Astronomy n/a |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013,2014 |
| Description | A Edge interviewed by New Scientist on a piece about "Jellyfish galaxies" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | A Edge was interviewed by freelance journalist working for New Scientist on a piece about "Jellyfish galaxies" related to the paper by Ebeling, Stephenson & Edge (2014). International publication shared on Facebook. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Astrolab Telescope Tours 2011-2013 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Workshop Facilitator |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Observing with DU telescope __ |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011,2012,2013 |
| Description | BBC newsnight, Nigel Metcalfe, report PANSTARRS comet |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Tue 12 Mar 2013 22:30 BBC Two -- |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | BBC radio Newcastle - Prof Tom Theuns |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Prof Tom Theuns was interviewed about research, and about the SciBar (Science in a Bar) event in Newcastle the next day |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Big Bang North West - Festival, Aintree Racecourse, L9 5AS |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Stall run by the organisation 'ScienceGrrl'. Event attended by school students of all ages. Informally chatted with the students about astronomy and they asked lots of questions. Demonstrated spectroscopes. Invited back next year. Asked by the STFC to help run their stalls at similar events/attend astro events at dark sky sites in the North West. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Bishop Aukland Astronomical Society Talk about intergalactic medium by Stephanie Bartle |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Stephanie Bartle gave a public talk to Bishop Aukland Astronomical Society on 10th March 2016. Talk and discussion about intergalactic medium reported an increase in understanding |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://baastro.nstars.org |
| Description | Bishop Barrington Science Show |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | 900 students attended the science show n/a |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | British Science Festival Newcastle 8-12 Sept 13 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Workshop Facilitator |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Around 800 members of the public visited Planetarium and Cosmology in Crisis stand n/a |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Cafe Scientific - the destructive power of black holes by Chris Harrison |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Cafe Scientific - the destructive power of black holes Empty Shop - Durham DH1 4SJ 12th March 2016 General public Talk and discussion about black hole research Audience reported increase in understanding |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://community.dur.ac.uk/nat.sci.soc/cafesci/ |
| Description | Celebrate Science Palace Green, Durham Exhibition |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Celebrate Science Palace Green, Durham DH1 2016-10-25 Exhibition - We took the Galaxy Makers exhibit from the Royal Society and the Planetarium. Event aimed at the public during half term, so lots of younger children attending several tweets by visitors with pictures of our stand. Comments left on comment boards according to Pete Edwards 30 staff from across physics, inc Mech workshop |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://www.galaxymakers.org |
| Description | Celebrate Science Durham |
| 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 | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | As part of the family science festival Celebrate Science we took three exhibitions. (1) We ran planetarium shows to talk about the planets and stars; (2) We demonstrated for STFC's Big Telescopes exhibit and (3) We had an interactive exhibit on dark matter. Several requests made for more information. Requests by school teachers to take activities into their schools. Trainee teachers given information to pass on to their pupils. Several visitors to the telescope exhibition were inspired by the amount of engineering and wide number of skills/expertise that is required to build telescopes, hence changed peoples opinions on the applicability of general STEM subjects in astronomy. Dates: |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Celebrate Science Durham 29-31 Oct |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Poster Presentation |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 6500 members of the public attended celebrate science and had a look at Durham University's Astronomy stand n/a |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Coxhoe Cub Scouts |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | 25 Scouts attended an Astronomy talk in Coxhoe Village hall n/a |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Durham University Schools' Science Festival |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | 'Beyond the Rainbow' spectroscopy demonstration. We gave a short (5 min) presentation about the nature of light, how we can split it up into its spectrum, how this is used in astronomy. We then guided the students in making DIY spectroscopes, using templates from the outreach website. Invited to take part in schools science festival next year! |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Explore your Universe - Meet the expert Edinburgh |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Around 500 members of the public attended the Science Show at Our dynamic earth in Edinburgh n/a |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Festivals - Culture, Science and future |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | More than 8000 attendants altogether at festivals, i.e. BBC Stargazing live in Gibside Jan 2013, Brainwave festival NTPark in July 2011 and Celebrate Science in Durham 2011 and 2012 Follow up interviews for Look North and Northern Echo, BBC Newcastle, BBC Teesside, |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011,2012,2013 |
| Description | KMOS First Light Press release |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Paper Presentation |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Press realease to raise public profile of KMOS Highlights presented at ESO Council meeting and BBC on-line media |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Kielder Talks at Kielder Observatory 2011-2013 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 11 Kielder Talks at Kielder Observatory to Families -- |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011,2012,2013 |
| Description | More talks to adults and families 2011-2013 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | About 600 adults attended talks about the Universe, Mars and telescopes in county Durham -- |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011,2012,2013 |
| Description | New Eyes on the Universe National Maritime Museum (London) public lecture by Ray Sharples |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | New Eyes on the Universe lecture by Ray Sharpled at National Maritime Museum (London) SE10 9NF 2016-12-12 Public Lecture Public astronomy lecture organised by Flamsteed Astronomical Society http://flamsteed.info/event/new-eyes-on-the-universe-astronomical-technology-for-the-21st-century-by-professor-ray-sharples/ Very positive feedback and 30 mins questions |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | http://flamsteed.info/event/new-eyes-on-the-universe-astronomical-technology-for-the-21st-century-by... |
| Description | Ogden Trust Physics Symposium 2012 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Workshop Facilitator |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | http://www.ogdentrust.com/about-us/news/post/976-2012-physics-symposium Participants enjoyed lectures and lab work, with topics including classical mechanics, night sky astronomy and hunting the Higgs. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Physicist of the Year awards ceremony |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 150 families visited Durham University's Physics department to attend the award ceremony n/a |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 1-7 July 2013 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Workshop Facilitator |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Around 10000 members of the public visited the well know exhibition. DU had it's own stand 'Cosmology in Crisis' with a 3D movie n/a |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Royal Society Summer Science exhibition 2016 - Astronomy exhibit |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Over 14,000 members of the public, including 2000 school students, visit the Summer Science Exhibition. Many more are reached through coverage on TV, in the media and online. The exhibition provides a unique opportunity to raise the profile of our research and institution with key influencers, including potential funders, government and the public. We estimate that we had direct contact with over 3000 visitors looking at our exhibits. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/summer-science-exhibition/exhibits/galaxy-maker... |
| Description | School Science Festival Multiwavelength demonstration by Stephanie Bartle, Helen Johnson |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | School Science Festival Biomed Dept. Durham University DH1 3LE 12-14th April 2016 Demo Year 9/10 Multiwavelength demonstration Great Feedback |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.dur.ac.uk/science.outreach/sciencefestival/ |
| Description | School visits Primary and Secondary schools 2011-2013 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | More than 50 School visits to Primary and Secondary schools, audience between 15 and 500, including Planetarium, stargazing, career talks, talk question and answer sessions, Book Buddies, Science Sparks, Space Days, Cosmology talks etc Articles in regional newspapers |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011,2012,2013 |
| Description | Schools visit to Durham University Astronomy Lab - February 2014 - A Edge |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Workshop Facilitator |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Visit of GCSE/A-Level students from King James School, Bishop Auckland to Astronomy Lab and Mobile Planetarium in Durham Physics Department February 2014. A Edge gave presentation and was planetarium demonstrator. A dozen 16-18year olds attended. na |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Science Exhibition British Council in Bangkok, August 2013 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Workshop Facilitator |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 100tsd visitors had a look at Durham University's astronomy stand at the Bankgkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre. Thai TV and media reported about the exhibition |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Science Festival Stockholm |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Workshop Facilitator |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 200 adults per day visited the Astronomy stand at the Science Festival in Stockholm from 5-9 December 2013 to discuss Astronomy and watch the 3D movie 'Cosmology in Crisis' n/a |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Science of our Lives - several school visits |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | General public came to watch the film 'Gravity' and before the film I demonstrated some space themed activities to engage people with the science of the film. These activities included Space Nappies, an angular momentum stall and tasting astronaut food. This event was part of National Science and Engineering Week, Planetarium shows etc Invited back to give talk next year etc |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Scouts and Guides visit to Department Feb 2013 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Astronomy Questions and Answer session for 25 Scouts -- |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Stargazing Night at the Hermitage Academy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 120 families attended the Stargazing night n/a |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Summer Schools 2011 and 2012 support |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Sutton Trust Summer School support -- |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011,2012 |
| Description | Talk Active Galaxies and Supermassive Black Holes |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A talk given as outreach to the Astronomy in Teesdale group based in Barnard Castle by Dr David Rosario |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Talk at Bishop Auckland Astronomical Society by Alastair Edge |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Talk at Bishop Auckland Astronomical Society Bishop Auckland Community Fire Station, Bishop Auckland DL14 6RS 2016-10-06 General Publiclecture: I gave a version of my Inaugural Lecture "Astronomical Surveys: the Progress in Three Lifetimes". "I talked for 50 minutes and then had 35 minutes of questions so I definitely provoked some interest! I got this email the day after which was very positive: Hi Alastair, On behalf of Bishop Auckland Astronomical Society i would like to say a huge Thank You for your presentation last night. I had some great feedback,and everyone thoroughly enjoyed what was a fantastic night. Stay by the phone Professor we'll definately have you back at a later date. Again Alastair Thank You again. Kind Regards Duane. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Talk to Brandon Cub Scouts |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | 20 kids attended the talk of 6 DU students -- |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Talks to Astro Societies 2011-2013 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
| Results and Impact | Numerous talks for Astro Societies in Durham, York, Kendal, South Shields etc -- |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011,2012,2013 |
| Description | Talks to Astronomical Societies 2x 2013 and 2014 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | 50 people attended talks about Astronomy n/a |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Twitter account ICC https://twitter.com/DarkerMatters?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Twitter account with currently over 1400 followers |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2017,2018 |
| URL | https://twitter.com/DarkerMatters?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor |
| Description | Visit of 4th Durham Explorer Scouts to Astronomy Lab and Mobile Planetarium February 2014 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Workshop Facilitator |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Explorer Scouts visit to Astronomy Lab Visit of 4th Durham Explorer Scouts to Astronomy Lab and Mobile Planetarium in Durham Physics Department February 2014. A Edge gave presentation and was planetarium demonstrator. Fiveteen 16-18year olds attended. na |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Visit to Dept of Dyke House School, Hartlepool |
| 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 | 15 Year 7-8 pupils attended the demonstration Accompanying Teacher was impressed with demos and motivating these kids for Physics and Astronomy |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Workshops and Astrolab Telescope Tours at Durham University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Workshop Facilitator |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Durham University hosted groups of primary and secondary school students n/a |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013,2014 |