Astrophysics and Planetary Science at Oxford 2013-16
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: Oxford Physics
Abstract
The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is a cornerstone of cosmology and its precise measurement is of the highest importance but it is heavily polluted by emission from our Galaxy. We propose a new measurement of that foreground radiation at low frequencies which will lead to a more precise interpretation of the data from the Planck satellite. Combining insights from this work with results from other CMB telescopes will lead to a better understanding of the inflationary epoch and dark Universe. To probe the distribution of dark matter we have developed state of the art techniques for the measurement and interpretation of the minute distortions of the images of distant galaxies that arise from matter along the line of sight. This work exploits current surveys but is looking towards future involvement in ESAs EUCLID satellite. We are actively pursuing complementary approaches to measuring the structure of the Universe and the parameters that describe it. From time-domain surveys we will discover distant supernovae and strive for a better understanding supernova physics. The imprint of the large scale structure is revealed through the distribution of galaxies, and we are measuring this over a range of epochs to track how the structure evolves.
Supernovae and active galactic nuclei regulate star formation and deposit huge amounts of energy into interstellar gas. We will observe directly galaxies less than one billion years after the Big Bang to see when they formed their first stars and the effect they have on their surroundings. We can even probe the CO gas in and around galaxies at these early epochs. We will model these complex processes in a cosmological setting using advanced techniques of high performance computing. We will use the same techniques to study the origin of magnetic fields and the acceleration of cosmic rays in supernova remnants. We are proposing to utilise our citizen science infrastructure to characterise galaxies from the HST CANDELS survey and search for the causes of activity in galaxies.
New instruments will enable us to apply the diagnostics we developed for local galaxies to galaxies seen when the Universe was half its present age. By studying galaxies in both the densest clusters and in the most rapidly star-forming dusty galaxies we will explore the dependence of galaxy evolution on mass and the local neighbourhood. Our Galaxy should place some of the strongest constraints on cosmology, but all observations of it are strongly biased by our position within it. We will map the three-dimensional distribution of extinction in the Galaxy and develop new dynamical models of our Galaxy. Presently our models are constrained by data from ground-based surveys but our work will be used to interpret data from ESA's Gaia satellite.
Astronomers have discovered several hundred planetary systems. One technique searches for extremely small but regular dips in brightness that indicate the presence of a planet occulting light from a star. By developing advanced analysis techniques we propose to use these `transits' not only to discover new planets - including ones resembling the Earth - but also to study the structure and composition of their atmospheres. By undertaking careful modelling of the passage of radiation through planetary atmospheres we will rigorously test the validity of such conclusions and assist in the design of future experiments. The atmospheres of the giant planets in the Solar System exhibit surface features, banding and cyclonic spots of unknown origin, furthermore the difference between the gas giants and the ice giants remains to be understood. We intend to apply modelling using high performance computing to the results from planetary missions to investigate the physical mechanisms that underpin these phenomena. Finally we seek to understand the surface composition of the closest astronomical object, the Moon, through comparative spectroscopy and modelling.
Supernovae and active galactic nuclei regulate star formation and deposit huge amounts of energy into interstellar gas. We will observe directly galaxies less than one billion years after the Big Bang to see when they formed their first stars and the effect they have on their surroundings. We can even probe the CO gas in and around galaxies at these early epochs. We will model these complex processes in a cosmological setting using advanced techniques of high performance computing. We will use the same techniques to study the origin of magnetic fields and the acceleration of cosmic rays in supernova remnants. We are proposing to utilise our citizen science infrastructure to characterise galaxies from the HST CANDELS survey and search for the causes of activity in galaxies.
New instruments will enable us to apply the diagnostics we developed for local galaxies to galaxies seen when the Universe was half its present age. By studying galaxies in both the densest clusters and in the most rapidly star-forming dusty galaxies we will explore the dependence of galaxy evolution on mass and the local neighbourhood. Our Galaxy should place some of the strongest constraints on cosmology, but all observations of it are strongly biased by our position within it. We will map the three-dimensional distribution of extinction in the Galaxy and develop new dynamical models of our Galaxy. Presently our models are constrained by data from ground-based surveys but our work will be used to interpret data from ESA's Gaia satellite.
Astronomers have discovered several hundred planetary systems. One technique searches for extremely small but regular dips in brightness that indicate the presence of a planet occulting light from a star. By developing advanced analysis techniques we propose to use these `transits' not only to discover new planets - including ones resembling the Earth - but also to study the structure and composition of their atmospheres. By undertaking careful modelling of the passage of radiation through planetary atmospheres we will rigorously test the validity of such conclusions and assist in the design of future experiments. The atmospheres of the giant planets in the Solar System exhibit surface features, banding and cyclonic spots of unknown origin, furthermore the difference between the gas giants and the ice giants remains to be understood. We intend to apply modelling using high performance computing to the results from planetary missions to investigate the physical mechanisms that underpin these phenomena. Finally we seek to understand the surface composition of the closest astronomical object, the Moon, through comparative spectroscopy and modelling.
Planned Impact
Our work addresses some of the biggest questions in modern science, bringing benefits in understanding, curiosity, and an introduction to science to a very wide section of the public. The research proposed here has particularly strong lines of impact in the public understanding of science and uptake of science and engineering education:
1. The search for and study of exoplanets has the potential to change quite radically the way we think of our place in the Universe, and it may do so in the next very few years.
2. Our Citizen Science projects, GalaxyZoo, MoonZoo and Planet Hunters, allow members of the public to participate in scientific research, learn how interpretations of data lead to real scientific discoveries and increase their interest and engagement with astronomy. The projects already have more than 480,000 registered users.
3. Research into planetary surfaces and atmospheres has clear parallels with the understanding and measurement of Earth's atmosphere, from instruments for remote sensing to atmospheric modelling and planetary science. This in turn has societal impact through wider understanding, monitoring and knowledge of our own climate. Outreach opportunities in this field will soon be enhanced by our IR remote sensing instrument for TechDemoSat.
4. High-tech instrumentation in both planetary missions and experimental cosmology has a fascination of its own, and through our own telescope in Oxford we can help make links from simple observations to the science and technology of research techniques.
5. Increased synergies between groups within this consolidated proposal that will benefit education and outreach, such as the opportunity to link thermal rock abundance data from the Diviner instrument to the rock and boulder counts from MoonZoo, while maintaining routes for engaging schools and the general public.
There are also a number of areas where our research will have impact in industry, including
6. benefits from our involvement in space missions to companies building hardware for use in space and in other demanding environments, including satellites and space exploration, ranging from conceptual advances to flight testing and heritage.
7. instrumentation developed through our research that may have great benefit in other sectors (e.g. microwave antennae, optics, cryogenics, interferometry), often through its high sensitivity, constraints of cost, size or weight and techniques for advanced manufacture and testing.
8. challenges in fusion energy, particularly electron energy transport in inertial confinement fusion, that share underlying physics with that of cosmic rays and plasmas and so benefit from the advances in hybrid codes developed to gain insight into the high energy universe.
9. advances in data processing capabilities,from citizen science to GPUs and supercomputing, that are driven by the requirements of our science but can be applied to industrial and societal problems.
10. synergies between radio astronomy and commercial satellite communications, typified by our involvement with the redevelopment of the former BT ground station at Goonhilly.
11. Insights from the application of climate modelling codes to planetary atmospheres that can be exchanged with the Met Office.
Our expertise and facilities enable companies with little or no space experience to expand into the space sector, from tenders for ESA contracts to commercial satellite hardware. The general instrument design, test and qualification work of the AOPP sub-department provides a route to space flight component qualification and operational flight heritage. Our instrument for TechDemoSat1, hoped to be the first of several such programmes, illustrates a new path for developments from research to be adopted rapidly by industry. Companies engaging with the future Satellite Applications Catapult Centre, for example, are expected to be able to draw on this insight and expertise and to benefit from our future advances.
1. The search for and study of exoplanets has the potential to change quite radically the way we think of our place in the Universe, and it may do so in the next very few years.
2. Our Citizen Science projects, GalaxyZoo, MoonZoo and Planet Hunters, allow members of the public to participate in scientific research, learn how interpretations of data lead to real scientific discoveries and increase their interest and engagement with astronomy. The projects already have more than 480,000 registered users.
3. Research into planetary surfaces and atmospheres has clear parallels with the understanding and measurement of Earth's atmosphere, from instruments for remote sensing to atmospheric modelling and planetary science. This in turn has societal impact through wider understanding, monitoring and knowledge of our own climate. Outreach opportunities in this field will soon be enhanced by our IR remote sensing instrument for TechDemoSat.
4. High-tech instrumentation in both planetary missions and experimental cosmology has a fascination of its own, and through our own telescope in Oxford we can help make links from simple observations to the science and technology of research techniques.
5. Increased synergies between groups within this consolidated proposal that will benefit education and outreach, such as the opportunity to link thermal rock abundance data from the Diviner instrument to the rock and boulder counts from MoonZoo, while maintaining routes for engaging schools and the general public.
There are also a number of areas where our research will have impact in industry, including
6. benefits from our involvement in space missions to companies building hardware for use in space and in other demanding environments, including satellites and space exploration, ranging from conceptual advances to flight testing and heritage.
7. instrumentation developed through our research that may have great benefit in other sectors (e.g. microwave antennae, optics, cryogenics, interferometry), often through its high sensitivity, constraints of cost, size or weight and techniques for advanced manufacture and testing.
8. challenges in fusion energy, particularly electron energy transport in inertial confinement fusion, that share underlying physics with that of cosmic rays and plasmas and so benefit from the advances in hybrid codes developed to gain insight into the high energy universe.
9. advances in data processing capabilities,from citizen science to GPUs and supercomputing, that are driven by the requirements of our science but can be applied to industrial and societal problems.
10. synergies between radio astronomy and commercial satellite communications, typified by our involvement with the redevelopment of the former BT ground station at Goonhilly.
11. Insights from the application of climate modelling codes to planetary atmospheres that can be exchanged with the Met Office.
Our expertise and facilities enable companies with little or no space experience to expand into the space sector, from tenders for ESA contracts to commercial satellite hardware. The general instrument design, test and qualification work of the AOPP sub-department provides a route to space flight component qualification and operational flight heritage. Our instrument for TechDemoSat1, hoped to be the first of several such programmes, illustrates a new path for developments from research to be adopted rapidly by industry. Companies engaging with the future Satellite Applications Catapult Centre, for example, are expected to be able to draw on this insight and expertise and to benefit from our future advances.
Organisations
- University of Oxford (Lead Research Organisation)
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (Collaboration)
- University College London (Collaboration)
- Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (Collaboration)
- University of Warwick (Collaboration)
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) (Collaboration)
- ESA - ESTEC (Collaboration)
- International Space Science Institute (ISSI) (Collaboration)
- Max Planck Society (Collaboration)
- University of South Florida (Collaboration)
- The Open University (Collaboration)
- Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (Collaboration)
- CEPSAR Research Centre for Physical and Environmental Sciences (Collaboration)
- University of Hawaii (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF KENT (Collaboration)
- Observatory of Paris (Collaboration)
- Pierre and Marie Curie University - Paris 6 (Collaboration)
Publications
Toledo D
(2019)
Constraints on Uranus's haze structure, formation and transport
in Icarus
Tinetti G
(2018)
A chemical survey of exoplanets with ARIEL
in Experimental Astronomy
Tinetti G
(2015)
The EChO science case
in Experimental Astronomy
Tiley Alfred L.
(2018)
The Shapes of the Rotation Curves of Star-forming Galaxies Over the Last $\approx$10 Gyr
in arXiv e-prints
Tiley Alfred
(2016)
The Evolution of the Tully-Fisher Relation Since z~1 with KROSS and SAMI
in American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #227
Tiley A
(2019)
KROSS-SAMI: a direct IFS comparison of the Tully-Fisher relation across 8 Gyr since z ˜ 1
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Tiley A
(2016)
The Tully-Fisher relation of COLD GASS Galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Tiley A
(2016)
The KMOS Redshift One Spectroscopic Survey (KROSS): the Tully-Fisher relation at z ~ 1
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Tice D
(2013)
Uranus' cloud particle properties and latitudinal methane variation from IRTF SpeX observations
in Icarus
Thomas I.
(2013)
Measuring the Emissivity of Samples in an Airless-Body Environment: Improvements, Results and Error Analysis
in AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
Thelen Alexander E.
(2016)
Spatial Variations of Chemical Abundances in Titan's Atmosphere as Revealed by ALMA
in AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts #48
Thelen A
(2019)
Measurement of CH 3 D on Titan at Submillimeter Wavelengths
in The Astronomical Journal
Thater S
(2022)
Cross-checking SMBH mass estimates in NGC 6958 - I. Stellar dynamics from adaptive optics-assisted MUSE observations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Teplitz Harry I.
(2016)
Emission line galaxy pairs up to z=1.5 from the WISP survey
in American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #227
Teanby Nicholas A.
(2016)
Titan's south polar stratospheric vortex evolution
in AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts #48
Teanby Nicholas
(2016)
Post-equinox evolution of Titan's south-polar atmosphere
in Titan Aeronomy and Climate
Teanby NA
(2019)
Seasonal evolution of Titan's stratosphere during the Cassini mission.
in Geophysical research letters
Teanby N
(2013)
AN EXTERNAL ORIGIN FOR CARBON MONOXIDE ON URANUS FROM HERSCHEL /SPIRE?
in The Astrophysical Journal
Teanby N
(2014)
Constraints on Jupiter?s stratospheric HCl abundance and chlorine cycle from Herschel/HIFI
in Planetary and Space Science
Teanby N
(2018)
The Origin of Titan's External Oxygen: Further Constraints from ALMA Upper Limits on CS and CH 2 NH
in The Astronomical Journal
Teanby N
(2013)
Constraints on Titan's middle atmosphere ammonia abundance from Herschel/SPIRE sub-millimetre spectra
in Planetary and Space Science
Taylor Angela C.
(2018)
The C-Band All-Sky Survey
in arXiv e-prints
Taylor A
(2019)
The C-Band All-Sky Survey (C-BASS): constraining diffuse Galactic radio emission in the North Celestial Pole region
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Taranu D
(2017)
Self-consistent Bulge/Disk/Halo Galaxy Dynamical Modeling Using Integral Field Kinematics
in The Astrophysical Journal
Tabataba-Vakili F
(2015)
A Lorenz/Boer energy budget for the atmosphere of Mars from a "reanalysis" of spacecraft observations ENERGY BUDGET OF MARS FROM REANALYSIS
in Geophysical Research Letters
Sánchez-Lavega A
(2013)
Colors of Jupiter's large anticyclones and the interaction of a Tropical Red Oval with the Great Red Spot in 2008
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets
Symeonidis M
(2013)
The Herschel census of infrared SEDs through cosmic time?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Sylvestre Melody
(2016)
Seasonal variations of C4H2, C2N2 and C3H4 in Titan's lower stratosphere
in Titan Aeronomy and Climate
Sylvestre Melody
(2016)
Seasonal evolution of C
2N
2, C
3H
4, and C
4H
2 in Titan's lower stratosphere, inferred from Cassini/CIRS far-IR observations
in AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts #48
Sylvestre M
(2020)
Seasonal evolution of temperatures in Titan's lower stratosphere
in Icarus
Stott J
(2016)
The KMOS Redshift One Spectroscopic Survey (KROSS): dynamical properties, gas and dark matter fractions of typical z ~ 1 star-forming galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Stevenson M
(2019)
The C-Band All-Sky Survey (C-BASS): digital backend for the northern survey
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Stauffer John R.
(2016)
An Initial Census of Eclipsing Binaries in the Pleiades and Hyades in Field 4 of the K2 Mission
in American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #227
Stauffer J
(2014)
CSI 2264: CHARACTERIZING ACCRETION-BURST DOMINATED LIGHT CURVES FOR YOUNG STARS IN NGC 2264
in The Astronomical Journal
Spoon H
(2013)
DIAGNOSTICS OF AGN-DRIVEN MOLECULAR OUTFLOWS IN ULIRGs FROM HERSCHEL -PACS OBSERVATIONS OF OH AT 119 µm
in The Astrophysical Journal
Sormani M
(2018)
A theoretical explanation for the Central Molecular Zone asymmetry
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Sormani M
(2015)
Gas flow in barred potentials
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Sormani M
(2015)
Recognizing the fingerprints of the Galactic bar: a quantitative approach to comparing model (l, v) distributions to observations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Sormani M
(2015)
Gas flow in barred potentials - III. Effects of varying the quadrupole
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Sormani M
(2018)
Models of rotating coronae
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Sormani M
(2015)
Gas flow in barred potentials - II. Bar-driven spiral arms
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Snodgrass C.
(2017)
The Castalia Mission to Main Belt Comet 133P/Elst-Pizarro
in ArXiv e-prints
Smith M
(2021)
WISDOM project - VII. Molecular gas measurement of the supermassive black hole mass in the elliptical galaxy NGC 7052
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Smith M
(2021)
WISDOM project - VI. Exploring the relation between supermassive black hole mass and galaxy rotation with molecular gas
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Smiljanic R
(2014)
The Gaia -ESO Survey: The analysis of high-resolution UVES spectra of FGK-type stars
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Sing DK
(2016)
A continuum from clear to cloudy hot-Jupiter exoplanets without primordial water depletion.
in Nature
Sing David K.
(2016)
HST hot-Jupiter transmission spectral survey: from clear to cloudy exoplanets
in American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #227
| Description | The results have been used in Outreach. |
| Sector | Education |
| Impact Types | Cultural |
| Description | Planetary Science at Oxford Physics 2019 |
| Amount | £1,261,196 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ST/S000461/1 |
| Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2019 |
| End | 03/2022 |
| Title | Mesoscale reanalysis downscaling |
| Description | A suite of numerical atmospheric models and data assimilation tools that enables a high resolution (5 km) limited-area mesoscale numerical model to be embedded within a global assimilated analysis of the Martian atmospheric circulation. The assimilation combines spacecraft observations of the Martian atmosphere with a global numerical simulation to produce a global analysis of the atmospheric state at moderate resolution (60 km). This time-varying state is then used to provide dynamic boundary conditions to the region being simulated at high resolution by the mesoscale model. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | This method is currently being trialed within the current PhD project to obtain analyses of the meteorology in the vicinity of Gale Crater for comparison with observations that have been obtained from NASA's Curiosity Rover. Preliminary results compare well with the Curiosity observations and provide unprecedented detail of the meteorological context of Curiosity measurements. |
| Title | NEMESIS |
| Description | Development of NEMESIS radiative transfer and retrieval model. Currently used by several groups internationally and continually developing. |
| Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
| Year Produced | 2008 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | NEMESIS has been at the heart of over 100 internationally referred papers and has enabled the research of collaborators at Oxford, Bristol, Leicester, Goddard, JPL, Paris, Bilbao and elsewhere. |
| Title | NEMESIS |
| Description | NEMESIS (Non-linear optimal Estimator for MultivariatE Spectral analysIS) is a general purpose radiative transfer and retrieval tool that has been developed to model the infrared spectra of planets in our solar system and around other stars, and also invert such measured spectra to determine the properties of these atmospheres. The FORTRAN code has been distributed to a number of collaborators in the USA and continental Europe and is widely seen as a benchmark against which other models are tested. The code is updated continually as new approaches are developed and by being completely general in its setup, improvements made to model, say, the spectrum of Neptune can then be used to model the spectra of any other planet. |
| Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
| Year Produced | 2008 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | NEMESIS has been at the root of the bulk of my group's research output over the last decade. It also gives us unique access to data from several other groups in the world, who need to collaborate with us to interpret their data. |
| URL | http://users.ox.ac.uk/~atmp0035/nemesis.html |
| Title | Simulating Jupiter's weather layer: Accompanying data for Parts I and II [data-set]. |
| Description | This dataset contains instantaneous model states from two simulations of Jupiter's atmosphere, over 100 Earth days. The data were generated by a version of the MIT General Circulation Model (MITgcm) modified to simulate Jupiter's upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. The model simulates Jupiter's weather layer down to 18 bar at 0.7 degree horizontal resolution, with parametrizations of radiative forcing, vertical diffusion, dry convection, and ammonia and water cycles. Run B has 5.7 W/m2 heating into the bottom of the domain, while Run A does not; both are heated by the Sun from above. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2018 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | None as yet. |
| URL | https://doi.org/10.5287/bodleian:PyYbbxpk2 |
| Description | Cassini CIRS team |
| Organisation | National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) |
| Department | Goddard Space Flight Center |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Analysis and interpretation of observations and measurements of the atmospheres of Saturn and jupiter from the Cassini Orbiter. Also model simulations of atmospheric dynamics for comparison with measurements. Previously we provided contributions to the hardware of the instrument (cooler and focal plane assembly). Also, contributions to mission logistics and planning. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provision of the instrument (mainly by GSFC), engineering logistics and calibration, and data analysis and interpretation (by both French and US teams). |
| Impact | Many publications in the open literature. Also outreach and publicity events. |
| Description | Cassini CIRS team |
| Organisation | Observatory of Paris |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Analysis and interpretation of observations and measurements of the atmospheres of Saturn and jupiter from the Cassini Orbiter. Also model simulations of atmospheric dynamics for comparison with measurements. Previously we provided contributions to the hardware of the instrument (cooler and focal plane assembly). Also, contributions to mission logistics and planning. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provision of the instrument (mainly by GSFC), engineering logistics and calibration, and data analysis and interpretation (by both French and US teams). |
| Impact | Many publications in the open literature. Also outreach and publicity events. |
| Description | Exoplanet Atmospheric Retrievals |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Supply of NEMESIS radiative transfer and retrieval tool. Act as consultant to retrieval analyses. Co-authorship on analysis of observations. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partners have access to high quality data and deal with their reduction and calibration. |
| Impact | Several papers have already been published (as listed in the publications) and more are in the pipeline. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Exoplanet Atmospheric Retrievals |
| Organisation | University of Warwick |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Supply of NEMESIS radiative transfer and retrieval tool. Act as consultant to retrieval analyses. Co-authorship on analysis of observations. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partners have access to high quality data and deal with their reduction and calibration. |
| Impact | Several papers have already been published (as listed in the publications) and more are in the pipeline. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | ISSI Exoplanet team |
| Organisation | International Space Science Institute (ISSI) |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This is a study team to investigate the use of modelling tools to evaluate the habitability conditions on extra-solar planets. My team is contributing simplified global circulation model simulations for comparison with other team members' models. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The MPI team is contributing 1D energy balance model results for comparison with other models. The team also includes around 12 other scientists from across Europe who are all providing model input or expertise for their interpretation. |
| Impact | None yet, though research publications will be prepared in due course. |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | ISSI Exoplanet team |
| Organisation | Max Planck Society |
| Department | Max Planck Institute for Astronomy |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This is a study team to investigate the use of modelling tools to evaluate the habitability conditions on extra-solar planets. My team is contributing simplified global circulation model simulations for comparison with other team members' models. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The MPI team is contributing 1D energy balance model results for comparison with other models. The team also includes around 12 other scientists from across Europe who are all providing model input or expertise for their interpretation. |
| Impact | None yet, though research publications will be prepared in due course. |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | ISSI team on Zonal jets |
| Organisation | International Space Science Institute (ISSI) |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I am co-chair of a study team at ISSI, Bern, on the dynamics of zonal jets in planetary atmospheres and magnetized plasmas. This team is tasked to review the subject area and ongoing research, and to prepare a monograph for publication. I am co-editor of this monograph and will also co-author two of the chapters. |
| Collaborator Contribution | ISSI is hosting the team and providing financial support to participants for their accommodation. They also provide logistical support for the production of publications. My co-editor is from USF and is also contributing a chapter to the book. There are then around 20 other scientists from around the world who form the study team and will co-author various parts of the book. |
| Impact | None yet, but the book is in preparation. |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | ISSI team on Zonal jets |
| Organisation | University of South Florida |
| Department | College of Marine Science |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I am co-chair of a study team at ISSI, Bern, on the dynamics of zonal jets in planetary atmospheres and magnetized plasmas. This team is tasked to review the subject area and ongoing research, and to prepare a monograph for publication. I am co-editor of this monograph and will also co-author two of the chapters. |
| Collaborator Contribution | ISSI is hosting the team and providing financial support to participants for their accommodation. They also provide logistical support for the production of publications. My co-editor is from USF and is also contributing a chapter to the book. There are then around 20 other scientists from around the world who form the study team and will co-author various parts of the book. |
| Impact | None yet, but the book is in preparation. |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | James Webb Space Telescope - European Space Agency Instrument Science Team for Near Infrared Spectrograph |
| Organisation | ESA - ESTEC |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | I am one of 7 members of the European Space Agency Instrument Science Team for Near Infrared Spectrograph on the James Webb Space Telescope. We have overseen the design and construction, and have been allocated 900 hours of Guaranteed Time Observations after launch in 2018. We plan a survey to chart galaxy evolution over much of cosmic time. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The other appointed members of the Instrument Science Team are Hans-Walter Rix (MPIA Heidelberg), Roberto Maiolino (Cambridge), Santiago Arribas (Madrid), Stephane Charlot (IAP Paris), Marijn Franx (Leiden) and Pierre Ferruit (ESA-ESTAC and instrument scientist). We are all collaborating on a large survey on high redshift galaxies for the guaranteed time observations. |
| Impact | The guaranteed time observations will commence after launch in 2018. |
| Description | Lunar Trailblazer |
| Organisation | National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | We are providing the Lunar Thermal Mapping instrument to NASA's Lunar Trailblazer SIMPLEX mission. |
| Collaborator Contribution | NASA are funding the Lunar Trailblazer missions. The mission PI is based at CalTech. |
| Impact | Technical documentation to NASA and UKSA as part of the design and review process for the Trailblazer mission. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | MRO/MCS team |
| Organisation | National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) |
| Department | Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Assimilation of Mars Climate Sounder measurements of the Martian atmosphere. Corresponding model simulations of Martian atmospheric circulation and studies of Martian dust transport. Analysis and interpretation of data. Earlier, the Oxford team provided some hardware input to the instrument and design. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provision of main instrument. Basic analysis of raw data and initial retrievals of geophysical parameters. Data analysis and interpretation. Also, some parallel efforts on data assimilation. |
| Impact | Mostly papers in the open literature on new science results for Mars. Also, some outreach and publicity based on Mars measurements and modelling. |
| Description | Mars Climate Database |
| Organisation | Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia |
| Country | Spain |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Studies of Martian dust storms and transport, and their representation in the European Mars Global Circulation Model that is used within the collaborative partnership. E.g. see Mulholland DP, Read PL, Lewis SR (2013), Simulating the interannual variability of major dust storms on Mars using variable lifting thresholds, Icarus, 223(1):344-358 |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our French colleagues lead the collaboration, which is jointly funded by ESA and the French Space Agency. They develop and maintain the main web interface for the database and model codes. They develop much of the model codes, though with contributions from the other partners, run the main model simulations and compile the climate database, using codes developed sometime ago by the UK teams in Oxford and Open University. The Spanish team provide expertise and codes representing the upper atmosphere of Mars (above 100km altitude). |
| Impact | Production of a web-based database of Martian climate statistics, including data access and visualisation tools, for use by scientists and mission design engineers. The database is also provided on request as a standalone facility (on DVD) for serious professional users. Records indicate that there have been 94 requests for professional copies of the current database since 2008, or whom 46 were from national space agencies or industrial contractors for use in engineering design studies, the remainder being for scientific research. |
| Description | Mars Climate Database |
| Organisation | Open University |
| Department | School of Physical Sciences |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Studies of Martian dust storms and transport, and their representation in the European Mars Global Circulation Model that is used within the collaborative partnership. E.g. see Mulholland DP, Read PL, Lewis SR (2013), Simulating the interannual variability of major dust storms on Mars using variable lifting thresholds, Icarus, 223(1):344-358 |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our French colleagues lead the collaboration, which is jointly funded by ESA and the French Space Agency. They develop and maintain the main web interface for the database and model codes. They develop much of the model codes, though with contributions from the other partners, run the main model simulations and compile the climate database, using codes developed sometime ago by the UK teams in Oxford and Open University. The Spanish team provide expertise and codes representing the upper atmosphere of Mars (above 100km altitude). |
| Impact | Production of a web-based database of Martian climate statistics, including data access and visualisation tools, for use by scientists and mission design engineers. The database is also provided on request as a standalone facility (on DVD) for serious professional users. Records indicate that there have been 94 requests for professional copies of the current database since 2008, or whom 46 were from national space agencies or industrial contractors for use in engineering design studies, the remainder being for scientific research. |
| Description | Mars Climate Database |
| Organisation | Pierre and Marie Curie University - Paris 6 |
| Department | Laboratory of Dynamic Meteorology |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Studies of Martian dust storms and transport, and their representation in the European Mars Global Circulation Model that is used within the collaborative partnership. E.g. see Mulholland DP, Read PL, Lewis SR (2013), Simulating the interannual variability of major dust storms on Mars using variable lifting thresholds, Icarus, 223(1):344-358 |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our French colleagues lead the collaboration, which is jointly funded by ESA and the French Space Agency. They develop and maintain the main web interface for the database and model codes. They develop much of the model codes, though with contributions from the other partners, run the main model simulations and compile the climate database, using codes developed sometime ago by the UK teams in Oxford and Open University. The Spanish team provide expertise and codes representing the upper atmosphere of Mars (above 100km altitude). |
| Impact | Production of a web-based database of Martian climate statistics, including data access and visualisation tools, for use by scientists and mission design engineers. The database is also provided on request as a standalone facility (on DVD) for serious professional users. Records indicate that there have been 94 requests for professional copies of the current database since 2008, or whom 46 were from national space agencies or industrial contractors for use in engineering design studies, the remainder being for scientific research. |
| Description | NASA Goddard Radiative Transfer |
| Organisation | National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) |
| Department | Goddard Space Flight Center |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | We have provided the NEMESIS radiative transfer and retrieval tool to several collaborators at NASA Goddard and have co-authored numerous papers on Gas Giant and Titan atmospheric studies using Cassini/CIRS and ground-based observations. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our collaborators have provide continued data reduction and calibration services and also telescope data. |
| Impact | Numerous papers. Also building contacts with GSFC to work on future spacecraft missions. |
| 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 | Thermal Mapper for Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment, ESA |
| Organisation | CEPSAR Research Centre for Physical and Environmental Sciences |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Submission in response to ESA call for experiment ideas for the AIDA asteroid deflection test experiment. Oxford provided the instrument concept and elements of the science case. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Submission in response to ESA call for experiment ideas for the AIDA asteroid deflection test experiment. Partners provided elements of the science case. |
| Impact | Proposal in response to ESA call for experiment ideas. |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Thermal Mapper for Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment, ESA |
| Organisation | Rutherford Appleton Laboratory |
| Department | Space Science and Technology Department |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Submission in response to ESA call for experiment ideas for the AIDA asteroid deflection test experiment. Oxford provided the instrument concept and elements of the science case. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Submission in response to ESA call for experiment ideas for the AIDA asteroid deflection test experiment. Partners provided elements of the science case. |
| Impact | Proposal in response to ESA call for experiment ideas. |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Thermal Mapper for Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment, ESA |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Department | Department of Physics & Astronomy |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Submission in response to ESA call for experiment ideas for the AIDA asteroid deflection test experiment. Oxford provided the instrument concept and elements of the science case. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Submission in response to ESA call for experiment ideas for the AIDA asteroid deflection test experiment. Partners provided elements of the science case. |
| Impact | Proposal in response to ESA call for experiment ideas. |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Thermal Mapper for Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment, ESA |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Department | Department of Space and Climate Physics (MSSL) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Submission in response to ESA call for experiment ideas for the AIDA asteroid deflection test experiment. Oxford provided the instrument concept and elements of the science case. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Submission in response to ESA call for experiment ideas for the AIDA asteroid deflection test experiment. Partners provided elements of the science case. |
| Impact | Proposal in response to ESA call for experiment ideas. |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Thermal Mapper for Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment, ESA |
| Organisation | University of Hawaii |
| Department | Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Submission in response to ESA call for experiment ideas for the AIDA asteroid deflection test experiment. Oxford provided the instrument concept and elements of the science case. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Submission in response to ESA call for experiment ideas for the AIDA asteroid deflection test experiment. Partners provided elements of the science case. |
| Impact | Proposal in response to ESA call for experiment ideas. |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Thermal Mapper for Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment, ESA |
| Organisation | University of Kent |
| Department | School of Physical Sciences |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Submission in response to ESA call for experiment ideas for the AIDA asteroid deflection test experiment. Oxford provided the instrument concept and elements of the science case. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Submission in response to ESA call for experiment ideas for the AIDA asteroid deflection test experiment. Partners provided elements of the science case. |
| Impact | Proposal in response to ESA call for experiment ideas. |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Uranus and Neptune Line by line modelling |
| Organisation | Observatory of Paris |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Collaboration with partners at the Paris Observatory to use new line data to model near-infrared spectra of Uranus and Neptune. Our role was to use our Nemesis tool to model Gemini/NIFS and VLT/CRIRES spectra using new line data supplied by our partners. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Supply of line data, supply of high resolution VLT/CRIRES data and contributory knowledge of ice giants. |
| Impact | One paper on Uranus published in 2012. New paper on Neptune published in 2014. |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | Atmospheres exhibition MHS |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Type Of Presentation | Workshop Facilitator |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Public exhibition opened in November 2012 and continues until April 2013. This is the main topical exhibition hosted by the Museum of the History of Science at present. VIsited by members of the public - increasing awareness of research in atmospheric and planetary science. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | BBC World News 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 | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Interview on BBC World News on 'Water on Mars' (salt deposits on Recurrent Slope Linae, detected by MRO/CRISM). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Chasing Comets |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Gave a talk, organised by "Science Oxford" on the ESA Rosetta Mission. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Herschel Society (Bath) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Gave a talk on Uranus and Neptune to members of the Herschel Society. Talk was well received and I had lots of questions after. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Northamptionshire Natural History Society |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | About 30 people from Northamptonshire attend a talk I gave on "The dynamic atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune", which sparked lively questions and discussion afterwards. The organisers thanked me for a stimulating talk and we talked about future presentations I might make to the society. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://www.nnhs.info/ |
| Description | Oxford Alumni Weekend |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Supporters |
| Results and Impact | Gave a talk at Oxford University's Alumni weekend on "Several papers have already been published (as listed in the publications) and more are in the pipeline", talking about planetary and exoplanetary research at Oxford University. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Participation in Rosetta exhibit for Royal Society Summer Exhibition 2016 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Part of consortium that displayed the exhibit "A Comet Revealed", which described the ESA Rosetta mission and the UK's contribution to it. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Pythagorus' Trousers |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | An interview was recorded on the purpose and results from NASA's MAVEN mission to Mars to study its atmosphere. The edited interview was broadcast and then released online as a podcast on the Cardiff University Pythagorus Trousers website. Too early to tell as this has only just gone public. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/physicsoutreach/2014/11/05/pythagorean-astronomy-maven-to-mars/ |
| Description | School visit (Cheltenham College) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | At least 50 pupils in year groups from 4th form to lower 6th attended a talk on "Ice ages on Mars". The talk generated a lot of interest and lively questions from the audience, a number of which expressed an interest in pursuing courses in Physics and Mathematics at undergraduate level. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | School visit (Stowe) |
| 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 | Around 20 6th form students attended a talk on climate change on Mars and the Earth. Lively questions and discussion following the talk. Questionnaire left with teacher to provide feedback from the event. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Sky at Night appearance (2014) |
| 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 | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Interview and lab demonstration of fluid dynamical processes relevant to Jupiter's weather and atmosphere, with presenter Dr Helen Czerski. Broadcast on BBC4's The Sky at Night in February 2014. Clip is now a permanent link on the BBC Sky at Night website. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Stratford upon Avon Astronomical Society |
| 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 on the climate and circulation of Solar System and extra-solar planets. Talk sparked a lot of questions and animated discussion. An increase in general interest in how the climate system works - including on Earth. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Talk to Astronomical Society (Farnham) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Talk given to Farnham Astronomical Society, attended by at least 50 people with very diverse backgrounds and interests, on the climate of extra-solar planets. Much lively discussion and questions ensued and several people reported how this had changed their views and understanding of planetary climate. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Talk to astronomical society (Swindon) |
| 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 on the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn, to inform and engage members of the public about recent research. Around 40 people attended a meeting of the Swindon Stargazers, which sparked many questions and discussion afterwards. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Talk to day centre (Oxford) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Talk given to an elderly persons' day centre in Oxford on an introduction to the Solar System, attended by approximately 15 people plus carers, which sparked some lively discussion and many questions. 2 members of the audience requested further information at the end. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Took part in the 'Space Zone' of I'm an Engineer get me out of here! Online schools interaction project |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Talked to at least 4 different schools and classes, answered numerous online questions via online forum. Event lasted two weeks. Only just completed activity. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://imanengineer.org.uk |
| Description | Weymouth Astronomical Society |
| 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 on modeling the climate and circulation of Solar System and extra-solar planets. Talk stimulated a lot of interest and discussion among a number of the participants. A number of people were clearly engaged and seemed interested to learn more about atmospheric science and climate - including the Earth's climate system. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |