AGN Echo Mapping and Mineral Clouds in Alien Atmospheres
Lead Research Organisation:
University of St Andrews
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
We request funding primarily for computing infrastructure to advance our research on Echo Mapping of Active Galactic Nuclei, and on modelling of Mineral Clouds in Alien Atmospheres.
Echo Mapping of Active Galactic Nuclei - by analysis and modelling of multi-wavelength time-series datasets, including long time series of lucky imaging datasets from our robotic telescopes, we will map time delay distributions and investigate the microarcsecond structure of accretion flows into black holes in galactic centres. We aim to measure black hole masses, accretion rates, accretion disk temperature-radius profiles and luminosity distances, kinematics and ionisation structure of broad emission line regions, size and radial structure of dusty tori.
Mineral Clouds in Alien Atmospheres - we will model dust formation in cool atmospheres including processes driven by dust-dust collisions such as coagulation and charging, resolving the grain size distribution and gas-phase chemistry throughout the atmosphere, to understand the observable spectral signatures along the evolutionary sequences of extrasolar planets and brown dwarfs.
Echo Mapping of Active Galactic Nuclei - by analysis and modelling of multi-wavelength time-series datasets, including long time series of lucky imaging datasets from our robotic telescopes, we will map time delay distributions and investigate the microarcsecond structure of accretion flows into black holes in galactic centres. We aim to measure black hole masses, accretion rates, accretion disk temperature-radius profiles and luminosity distances, kinematics and ionisation structure of broad emission line regions, size and radial structure of dusty tori.
Mineral Clouds in Alien Atmospheres - we will model dust formation in cool atmospheres including processes driven by dust-dust collisions such as coagulation and charging, resolving the grain size distribution and gas-phase chemistry throughout the atmosphere, to understand the observable spectral signatures along the evolutionary sequences of extrasolar planets and brown dwarfs.
Planned Impact
The main impact envisioned will arise from public and media interest in new research results on black holes, cosmology, and extrasolar planets. These topics attract press attention and can benefit society by setting human affairs on our small habitable planet in the context of a broader universe. A very practical impact arises from the raising of aspirations of young people to become motivated to work hard and pursue science and technology careers as a result of encountering and being inspired by our efforts to explore and understand the larger universe. Some of the new algorithms we develop for the analysis of our astronomical data, and development of astrophysical models and computer simulations that we need to interpret them, may have broader applications in other fields.
Organisations
Publications
Kains N
(2015)
A census of variability in globular cluster M 68 (NGC 4590)
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Galianni P
(2013)
A test of the failed disc wind scenario for the origin of the broad-line region in active galactic nuclei
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Helling C
(2014)
Atmospheres of brown dwarfs
in The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review
Bonnefoy M
(2014)
Characterization of the gaseous companion ? Andromedae b New Keck and LBTI high-contrast observations??
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Xiang Y
(2015)
Doppler images of the eclipsing binary ER Vulpeculae
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Helling C
(2013)
Dust cloud lightning in extraterrestrial atmospheres
in Planetary and Space Science
Füllekrug M
(2013)
Electron acceleration above thunderclouds
in Environmental Research Letters
Park H
(2013)
GRAVITATIONAL BINARY-LENS EVENTS WITH PROMINENT EFFECTS OF LENS ORBITAL MOTION
in The Astrophysical Journal
Hwang K
(2013)
INTERPRETATION OF A SHORT-TERM ANOMALY IN THE GRAVITATIONAL MICROLENSING EVENT MOA-2012-BLG-486
in The Astrophysical Journal
Bailey R
(2014)
IONIZATION IN ATMOSPHERES OF BROWN DWARFS AND EXTRASOLAR PLANETS VI: PROPERTIES OF LARGE-SCALE DISCHARGE EVENTS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Description | We studied formation of mineral clouds in the cool atmospheres of extrasolar planets and brown dwarf stars. We used robotic telescopes to study spectral variations of accreting black holes in the centres of galaxies. |
Exploitation Route | Our results are published in open access refereed journals from which they are available for use by any and all interested parties. |
Sectors | Education |
Description | Our astrophysics research is published in open access refereed journals from which it is available for use by any and all interested parties. |
First Year Of Impact | 2011 |
Sector | Education |
Impact Types | Cultural |