UCL Astrophysics Consolidated Grant 2012-2015
Lead Research Organisation:
University College London
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
In the last twenty-five years, the world of astronomy has been turned upside down. We now know that not only is our universe expanding, but that it is expanding at an ever-increasing rate. Fuelled by a mysterious driver called Dark Energy - galaxies, such as our Milky Way, are rushing away from each other at such enormous acceleration that not even the powerful force of gravity can hold the universe together.
The researchers of UCL's Astrophysics Group are putting to the test these discoveries with their ambitious programme of research for the coming years. A map of 300 million galaxies that astronomers will put together using the Dark Energy Survey over the next decade will be combined with a new chart of the Cosmic Microwave Background from the Planck satellite to understand the conditions in the early universe, to detect the tiny mass of the Neutrino particle and to test Einstein's theory of general Relativity on the largest scales.
At the other end of the astronomical scale, 25 years ago we knew only of the planets in our own Solar System - eight by today's count, with minor planets like Pluto, Charon and Ceres, along with asteroids and comets. Today the score is over 2000 and counting, thanks to the discovery of extra-solar planets, i.e. planets orbiting stars other than our own Sun. So are these "exo-planets" like the ones we already know? Are these exoplanet systems like our planetary system? So far, the answer is "no", and UCL's programme also contains projects to find out just what exo-planets are like, what their atmospheres are made of, and how they behave in conditions very different from those affecting our Earth and its nearest neighbours.
And in between these two extremes, our projects will probe the giant magnetic fields that surround planets like Jupiter and Saturn, and how these interact with the planet's atmosphere. Exo-planets may also have such magnetic fields; knowing how they work in our Solar System will help us understand and even detect exo-planetary systems.
We will probe just how stars and the planets around them form from vast gas and dust clouds, and how the chemistry that goes on between the stars affects and controls those crucial processes. UCL's astrophysics team will also look at the death of stars in giant explosions called supernovas and how, in dying, huge stars pour their hearts back out into the galaxy, enriching them with the gas, dust and chemical soups required to make new stars, new planets and even new life.
None of this can be done unless astronomers continually improve the equipment - the telescopes and their detectors - with which they carry out their studies of the heavens. So UCL's instrument makers will create ever-more sensitive detectors and spectrometers, with better and better optical surfaces, with which to equip the next generation of telescopes and space missions. And astronomers need to model the universe they study with ever more complex mathematical techniques. So UCL's computer experts will generate the sophisticated models, running on the university's supercomputers, to generate the basic molecular data needed, and simulate the conditions in the early universe, the evolving galaxies and the stars and planetary systems that inhabit them.
But all of this will be wasted unless our fellow citizens get to share in the wonder and excitement of our group's work. So Astrophysics@UCL will ensure that its members continue to explain their work through talks and lectures, through public events, and through the media, inspiring the next generation of scientists, helping and challenging industry to develop new technologies, and ensuring that our understanding of the universe becomes ever deeper and wider.
The researchers of UCL's Astrophysics Group are putting to the test these discoveries with their ambitious programme of research for the coming years. A map of 300 million galaxies that astronomers will put together using the Dark Energy Survey over the next decade will be combined with a new chart of the Cosmic Microwave Background from the Planck satellite to understand the conditions in the early universe, to detect the tiny mass of the Neutrino particle and to test Einstein's theory of general Relativity on the largest scales.
At the other end of the astronomical scale, 25 years ago we knew only of the planets in our own Solar System - eight by today's count, with minor planets like Pluto, Charon and Ceres, along with asteroids and comets. Today the score is over 2000 and counting, thanks to the discovery of extra-solar planets, i.e. planets orbiting stars other than our own Sun. So are these "exo-planets" like the ones we already know? Are these exoplanet systems like our planetary system? So far, the answer is "no", and UCL's programme also contains projects to find out just what exo-planets are like, what their atmospheres are made of, and how they behave in conditions very different from those affecting our Earth and its nearest neighbours.
And in between these two extremes, our projects will probe the giant magnetic fields that surround planets like Jupiter and Saturn, and how these interact with the planet's atmosphere. Exo-planets may also have such magnetic fields; knowing how they work in our Solar System will help us understand and even detect exo-planetary systems.
We will probe just how stars and the planets around them form from vast gas and dust clouds, and how the chemistry that goes on between the stars affects and controls those crucial processes. UCL's astrophysics team will also look at the death of stars in giant explosions called supernovas and how, in dying, huge stars pour their hearts back out into the galaxy, enriching them with the gas, dust and chemical soups required to make new stars, new planets and even new life.
None of this can be done unless astronomers continually improve the equipment - the telescopes and their detectors - with which they carry out their studies of the heavens. So UCL's instrument makers will create ever-more sensitive detectors and spectrometers, with better and better optical surfaces, with which to equip the next generation of telescopes and space missions. And astronomers need to model the universe they study with ever more complex mathematical techniques. So UCL's computer experts will generate the sophisticated models, running on the university's supercomputers, to generate the basic molecular data needed, and simulate the conditions in the early universe, the evolving galaxies and the stars and planetary systems that inhabit them.
But all of this will be wasted unless our fellow citizens get to share in the wonder and excitement of our group's work. So Astrophysics@UCL will ensure that its members continue to explain their work through talks and lectures, through public events, and through the media, inspiring the next generation of scientists, helping and challenging industry to develop new technologies, and ensuring that our understanding of the universe becomes ever deeper and wider.
Planned Impact
The Group will continue and broaden its current Knowledge Exchange and
Outreach programmes. Knowledge Exchange and transfer of the results of our
innovation will be achieved as follows:
(i) Working through its 3 main spin-out (technology transfer) firms,
Zeeko, OPTICS Glyndyr and Quantemol, through which research level optical
design and manufacturing processes and molecular quantum calculations are
transferred to Industry. Zeeko and OPTICS Glyndyr work closely with
Industry to establishing the link between detailed surface topography and
functional performance to improve performance or reduce cost, or both.
Examples include the semiconductor sector for the polishing of large-area
display components and the possible future transition to photolithography
in the EUV. Quantemol specialises in the area of electron-molecule
collisions and plasma modelling, particularly the etching of semiconductor
materials, which utilises molecules that do not react with silicon
surfaces unless they are subjected to electronic collisions;
(ii) Providing accurate and complete molecular data to Industry and
climate research programmes - this has proved particularly successful with
our water linelists which are used by industry - there is much outside
interest in our ongoing calculations for methane;
(iii) Working with commerce, research design labs and other academic areas
to produce new detector technology and IT (hardware and software)
solutions, which will produce new research results but will be
transferrable to Industry and academic areas such as BioMedicine;
(iv) work with leading IT vendors to test and design new hardware and
software solutions which will eventually end up in the marketplace.
The Group's Outreach programme will build on its current programme: (i)
writing and appearing in documentary series that are aired on national
television, writing popular astronomy text books aimed at particular key
stages of the national curriculum and organising and contributing to
regular astronomy festivals (Your Universe and Stars R Us); (ii) speaking
at schools, local and national Astronomy associations and local and
national media, such as local radio and BBC news - in particular we will
build on our excellent talks on Spectroscopy, using the topic of
Exoplanets, which is successfully imparting challenging concepts in
quantum mechanics to our young people; (iii) offering work experience
places to 16-18 year olds from inner London Boroughs to encourage them to
think seriously about careers in STEM subjects; (iv) providing online
content and on-line modelling applications to the media and public in the
area of Exoplanets via the EuroPlanet Project to foster increased public
interest in Astronomy; (v) providing hands-on activities and tours for the
public using the UCL Mill Hill Observatory; (vi) speaking regularly to
opinion formers in the RAS, IOP, Parliament, the European Parliament, the
Civil Service and in Industry and Commerce about both the value of
academic research and possible spin outs into other sectors of the
knowledge economy; (vii) communicating and interacting regularly with
academic colleagues from computer science and BioMedicine, with whom we
share many technical interests, particularly in the area of the processing
and analysis of large wide-field images.
A Consolidated Grant will allow us to monitor and manage these impact
activities more effectively and improve our already active internal and
external collaborative culture by reducing barriers such as
compartmentalisation between research areas and improving communication
between applied researchers and theoretical researchers.
Outreach programmes. Knowledge Exchange and transfer of the results of our
innovation will be achieved as follows:
(i) Working through its 3 main spin-out (technology transfer) firms,
Zeeko, OPTICS Glyndyr and Quantemol, through which research level optical
design and manufacturing processes and molecular quantum calculations are
transferred to Industry. Zeeko and OPTICS Glyndyr work closely with
Industry to establishing the link between detailed surface topography and
functional performance to improve performance or reduce cost, or both.
Examples include the semiconductor sector for the polishing of large-area
display components and the possible future transition to photolithography
in the EUV. Quantemol specialises in the area of electron-molecule
collisions and plasma modelling, particularly the etching of semiconductor
materials, which utilises molecules that do not react with silicon
surfaces unless they are subjected to electronic collisions;
(ii) Providing accurate and complete molecular data to Industry and
climate research programmes - this has proved particularly successful with
our water linelists which are used by industry - there is much outside
interest in our ongoing calculations for methane;
(iii) Working with commerce, research design labs and other academic areas
to produce new detector technology and IT (hardware and software)
solutions, which will produce new research results but will be
transferrable to Industry and academic areas such as BioMedicine;
(iv) work with leading IT vendors to test and design new hardware and
software solutions which will eventually end up in the marketplace.
The Group's Outreach programme will build on its current programme: (i)
writing and appearing in documentary series that are aired on national
television, writing popular astronomy text books aimed at particular key
stages of the national curriculum and organising and contributing to
regular astronomy festivals (Your Universe and Stars R Us); (ii) speaking
at schools, local and national Astronomy associations and local and
national media, such as local radio and BBC news - in particular we will
build on our excellent talks on Spectroscopy, using the topic of
Exoplanets, which is successfully imparting challenging concepts in
quantum mechanics to our young people; (iii) offering work experience
places to 16-18 year olds from inner London Boroughs to encourage them to
think seriously about careers in STEM subjects; (iv) providing online
content and on-line modelling applications to the media and public in the
area of Exoplanets via the EuroPlanet Project to foster increased public
interest in Astronomy; (v) providing hands-on activities and tours for the
public using the UCL Mill Hill Observatory; (vi) speaking regularly to
opinion formers in the RAS, IOP, Parliament, the European Parliament, the
Civil Service and in Industry and Commerce about both the value of
academic research and possible spin outs into other sectors of the
knowledge economy; (vii) communicating and interacting regularly with
academic colleagues from computer science and BioMedicine, with whom we
share many technical interests, particularly in the area of the processing
and analysis of large wide-field images.
A Consolidated Grant will allow us to monitor and manage these impact
activities more effectively and improve our already active internal and
external collaborative culture by reducing barriers such as
compartmentalisation between research areas and improving communication
between applied researchers and theoretical researchers.
Organisations
Publications
Matsuura M.
(2015)
ALMA Observations of Supernova 1987A
in Revolution in Astronomy with ALMA: The Third Year
McDonald I
(2015)
ALMA reveals sunburn: CO dissociation around AGB stars in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
McEwen J
(2012)
Optimal filters for detecting cosmic bubble collisions
in Physical Review D
McEwen J
(2013)
Bayesian analysis of anisotropic cosmologies: Bianchi VIIh and WMAP
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Medezinski E
(2013)
CLASH: COMPLETE LENSING ANALYSIS OF THE LARGEST COSMIC LENS MACS J0717.5+3745 AND SURROUNDING STRUCTURES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Meixner M
(2013)
THE HERschel INVENTORY OF THE AGENTS OF GALAXY EVOLUTION IN THE MAGELLANIC CLOUDS, A HERSCHEL OPEN TIME KEY PROGRAM
in The Astronomical Journal
Melchior P
(2015)
Mass and galaxy distributions of four massive galaxy clusters from Dark Energy Survey Science Verification data
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Mellema G
(2013)
Reionization and the Cosmic Dawn with the Square Kilometre Array
in Experimental Astronomy
Meneghetti M
(2014)
THE MUSIC OF CLASH: PREDICTIONS ON THE CONCENTRATION-MASS RELATION
in The Astrophysical Journal
Merson A
(2016)
Halo detection via large-scale Bayesian inference
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Merten J
(2015)
CLASH: THE CONCENTRATION-MASS RELATION OF GALAXY CLUSTERS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Miller S
(2013)
Cooling by H3(+) emission.
in The journal of physical chemistry. A
Monna A
(2014)
CLASH: z ~ 6 young galaxy candidate quintuply lensed by the frontier field cluster RXC J2248.7-4431
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Morello G
(2014)
A NEW LOOK AT SPITZER PRIMARY TRANSIT OBSERVATIONS OF THE EXOPLANET HD 189733b
in The Astrophysical Journal
Morello G.
(2014)
A new look at Spitzer primary transit observations of the exoplanet HD189733b
in European Planetary Science Congress
Morello G.
(2013)
A new look at the Spitzer primary transit observations of the exoplanet HD189733b
in European Planetary Science Congress
Munoz-Tunon Casiana
(2014)
Star Formation in Tadpole Galaxies
in arXiv e-prints
Naidoo K
(2016)
Could multiple voids explain the cosmic microwave background Cold Spot anomaly?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Newman J
(2015)
Spectroscopic needs for imaging dark energy experiments
in Astroparticle Physics
Nichols J
(2015)
A model of force balance in Jupiter's magnetodisc including hot plasma pressure anisotropy
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Nichols J. D.
(2013)
Pressure anisotropy in Jupiter's magnetodisc
in European Planetary Science Congress
Noreña J
(2012)
Bayesian analysis of inflation. III. Slow roll reconstruction using model selection
in Physical Review D
Occhiogrosso A
(2013)
An improved chemical scheme for the reactions of atomic oxygen and simple unsaturated hydrocarbons - implications for star-forming regions
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Occhiogrosso A
(2012)
Modelling of c-C 2 H 4 O formation on grain surfaces Modelling of c-C 2 H 4 O formation on grain surfaces
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Occhiogrosso A
(2014)
Ethylene oxide and acetaldehyde in hot cores
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Offner S
(2014)
An alternative accurate tracer of molecular clouds: the 'XCi-factor'
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Offner S
(2013)
MODELING THE ATOMIC-TO-MOLECULAR TRANSITION AND CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTIONS OF TURBULENT STAR-FORMING CLOUDS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Offner Stella
(2013)
Modeling the Chemical Distribution of Turbulent Star-Forming Clouds
in Protostars and Planets VI Posters
Ogunmekan Babatunde
(2014)
Healing efficiency of shape memory polyurethane fiber reinforced syntactic foam under applied load
in Ph.D. Thesis
Ohsawa R
(2012)
UNUSUAL CARBONACEOUS DUST DISTRIBUTION IN PN G095.2+00.7
in The Astrophysical Journal
Oikonomou F
(2013)
A search for correlation of ultra-high energy cosmic rays with IRAS-PSCz and 2MASS-6dF galaxies
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Otsuka M
(2012)
LATE-TIME LIGHT CURVES OF TYPE II SUPERNOVAE: PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SUPERNOVAE AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT
in The Astrophysical Journal
Owen P
(2015)
THE DUST AND GAS CONTENT OF THE CRAB NEBULA
in The Astrophysical Journal
P W Lucas
(2012)
A Very Cool, Very Nearby Brown Dwarf Hiding in the Galactic Plane
in 16TH CAMBRIDGE WORKSHOP ON COOL STARS, STELLAR SYSTEMS AND THE SUN
Pace F
(2015)
The importance of the cosmic web and halo substructure for power spectra
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Padmanabhan T
(2012)
COMMISSION 47: COSMOLOGY
in Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union
Palmese A
(2016)
Comparing Dark Energy Survey and HST -CLASH observations of the galaxy cluster RXC J2248.7-4431: implications for stellar mass versus dark matter
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Papadopoulos A
(2015)
DES13S2cmm: the first superluminous supernova from the Dark Energy Survey
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Paranicas C
(2016)
Effects of radial motion on interchange injections at Saturn
in Icarus
Paranicas C.
(2014)
Morphology of Interchange-Driven Injections in Saturn's Magnetosphere
in AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
Park Y.
(2015)
Joint Analysis of Galaxy-Galaxy Lensing and Galaxy Clustering: Methodology and Forecasts for DES
in ArXiv e-prints
Partridge C
(2013)
Weighing the Local Group in the presence of dark energy
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Patel B
(2014)
THREE GRAVITATIONALLY LENSED SUPERNOVAE BEHIND CLASH GALAXY CLUSTERS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Patel P
(2014)
Weak lensing measurements in simulations of radio images
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Pattle K
(2015)
The JCMT Gould Belt Survey: first results from the SCUBA-2 observations of the Ophiuchus molecular cloud and a virial analysis of its prestellar core population
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Peck L
(2013)
SERPent: Automated reduction and RFI-mitigation software for e-MERLIN
in Astronomy and Computing
Peiris H
(2013)
Constraining monodromy inflation
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Title | Hosting artists in residence |
Description | We have hosted artists in residence who were inspired by Dark Energy studies |
Type Of Art | Artwork |
Year Produced | 2014 |
Impact | - Artist Katie Paterson (on Leverhulme grant; PI: Lahav) presented her work in museums around the world - Artist Marie Kaus produced art work on dark energy, on display at UCL Observatory at Mill Hill |
Description | This is a consolidated grant covering a wide range of research within the UCL Astrophysics group, including: - Cosmology from Surveys: The Dark Energy Survey has already completed (as of early 2017) 4 out of the 5 observing seasons. Over 90 research papers have appeared, several of them led by the UCL team. Other studies are well underway, both for characterising Dark Energy and for other non-cosmological studies. - Results from the CMB Planck space mission have been published - Herschel Studies of SNe and evolved stars: Among many papers based on the Herschel space telescope results, noble gas molecules have been detected in space for the first time in the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant (paper led by Co-I Barlow) The CG resulted in over 400 papers (since 2012). |
Exploitation Route | Published in ArXiv (Green open access) and refereed journals The CG (2012-2015) was followed by the CG (2015-2019). |
Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education |
URL | http://www.ucl.ac.uk/star |
Description | - Used to influence the future research carried out by ourselves and other astrophysicists. - The Group also conducts activities intending to reach out to the public, private and third sectors and we have collaborations that are leading to technological, scientific or commercial developments, e.g. 1. Tennyson's Exomol programme has established links with Technical University of Denmark and Servomex plc, who use linelist data to model spectra of gas emissions at the top of smokestacks for environmental monitoring. Exomol data also contributes to atmospheric and climate models; Viti has a collaboration with academic chemists to produce experimental and theoretical surface chemistry reaction rates; DES, Planck and Euclid projects are linked to multiple industrial contracts, some of which have UK industrial firms developing processes to meet instrument specifications; Yates consolidated High Performance Computing activities within the PPAN remit to create one of the largest HPC Facilities in Europe. - Inspiring art through science and vice versa, via Artist in Residence schemes (e.g. Lahav working with artists Katie Paterson and Marie Kaus). Paterson's work has been exhibited all over the world (Selfridges, London; Art Institute of Chicago; Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney) and viewed by over one million people. - Various high-profile press releases by Group members (e.g. Barlow's Dec 2013 Science paper in NY Times, Independent, Wired etc; Peiris' work with Planck on BBC Online, NY Times, FT, Guardian, Economist, TEDxCERN) |
First Year Of Impact | 2012 |
Sector | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education |
Impact Types | Cultural |
Description | Advance ERC grant |
Amount | € 2,400,000 (EUR) |
Funding ID | FP7/291329 |
Organisation | European Research Council (ERC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | Belgium |
Start | 05/2012 |
End | 04/2018 |
Title | Optics and statistical methods |
Description | - designing optical corrector for wide field multi object spectroscopy - developing statistics of cross correlations of imaging and spectroscopic surveys (Kirk et al.) - developing methods for selecting candidates of emission lines galaxies from imaging surveys |
Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
Year Produced | 2014 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | See above |
Title | Databases of molecular line lists |
Description | Our molecular line lists have been collected as data. These are distributed directly from our own website and via other data centres (Strasbourg, BADC) and via other databases: HITRAN, GEISA, KIDA, BASECOL, HITEMP etc |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | HITRAN has 200,000 users. Our data is now central to this. Other data is having an important influence in other key areas eg Exoplanet research. |
Title | TROVE |
Description | A new version of the code TROVE was developed which explicitly included the symmetry of methane. |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2013 |
Impact | The production of linelists for methane and silane |
URL | https://github.com/Trovemaster/TROVE |
Company Name | Blue Skies Space Ltd |
Description | At Blue Skies Space Ltd, we aim to break the current bespoke, publicly-funded model for astronomy and astrophysics missions and employ a commercial approach to create new opportunities for cutting-edge science. Our vision is to enable cost-effective, quickly-delivered scientific instruments for users worldwide through a service-based model. |
Year Established | 2014 |
Impact | Our first project, the Twinkle Space Mission, will carry unique instrumentation designed to analyse the atmospheres of exoplanets and give radical insights into worlds orbiting distant stars. The Twinkle satellite will be based on a tried-and-tested structure, built by the world-leading space company, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. |
Website | http://www.blueskiesspace.co.uk/ |
Description | press release and interview |
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 | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | a press release on DESI (which succeeded DESpec) Interviewed in at article on DESI in Physics Today (Oct 2016) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |