Research in planetary formation, astrophysics, and cosmology at Bristol
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bristol
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
This proposal is for a grant to investigate several important questions in planetary science, astrophysics, and cosmology in the Schools of Physics and Earth Sciences in the University of Bristol.
The first project is an investigation of how the Moon formed. The best current idea is that the Moon was created by a giant impact between a massive protoplanet and the young Earth. The problem is that this leads to predictions for the chemical makeup of the Moon that differ from what we measure. Alternative impact scenarios exist, and the key to choosing between them is good measurements of the mix of elements (and different isotopes of those elements) on the Moon. This project will make a far more precise set of measurements of moon rocks than has been possible in the past, with the expectation of being able to choose one model over another.
The second project involves using new data from the Cassini spacecraft to investigate the atmosphere of Saturn's giant moon, Titan. The project will determine how Titan's climate system operates
and how the atmosphere redistributes solar energy over two of Titan's 7.5 Earth-year long seasons. Titan is one of only four terrestrial planets with atmospheres in our Solar System and provides unique
insight into how planetary atmospheres operate under extreme conditions.
The final planetary science project is an investigation of how planets form from the small particles in the gas/dust disks around young stars. We now know that planets are very common around stars, but we are still unsure of how planets form, and even of the best way to search for forming planets within these disks. The purpose of the high-performance computer calculations to be done in this project is to predict where planets can be located in the types of disk that we know exist.
Much cosmology over the past few years has been based on investigations of clusters of galaxies, and the fourth project is to investigate the sample of clusters of galaxies returned by the largest single survey conducted by the XMM-Newton X-ray astronomy satellite. This survey has found thousands of X-ray sources, about 1000 of which are clusters of galaxies which emit X-rays from the hot gas that they contain. This hot-gas emission can be used to estimate the masses of the clusters, and the distribution of cluster masses, which changes over cosmic time, is an excellent test for the type of Universe that we inhabit.
The fifth project investigates one of the issues with understanding the atmospheres of clusters of galaxies - the question of why the radiation from their atmospheres doesn't cause them to cool down, and stop being X-ray sources. The answer seems to be that the gas in clusters is reheated by the ejection of very hot, fast, gas from the regions near black holes at the centres of some of the galaxies in the clusters. This project is aimed at understanding the processes involved in that heating, the physics of the fast gas ejections, and whether the gas coming out from near black holes can make cluster gas magnetic.
While the clusters change with time, because of gas cooling and heating, and the changing size of the Universe, the galaxies within them also change. The sixth project is looking at how the galaxies within clusters change as the clusters change, and how clusters affect galaxies, and galaxies affect clusters. It is now possible to see very young clusters of galaxies, back when the Universe was only about 20% of its current age, and by tracking the changes in the galaxies and clusters from then until the present it may be possible to understand what is going on.
The final project involves the maintenance and improvement of codes used to work with catalogues of astronomical objects. These codes are essential when dealing with modern astronomical data, and are used world-wide, so are of great importance to many astronomers. Some have even found their way into public products like the Microsoft World-Wide Telescope.
The first project is an investigation of how the Moon formed. The best current idea is that the Moon was created by a giant impact between a massive protoplanet and the young Earth. The problem is that this leads to predictions for the chemical makeup of the Moon that differ from what we measure. Alternative impact scenarios exist, and the key to choosing between them is good measurements of the mix of elements (and different isotopes of those elements) on the Moon. This project will make a far more precise set of measurements of moon rocks than has been possible in the past, with the expectation of being able to choose one model over another.
The second project involves using new data from the Cassini spacecraft to investigate the atmosphere of Saturn's giant moon, Titan. The project will determine how Titan's climate system operates
and how the atmosphere redistributes solar energy over two of Titan's 7.5 Earth-year long seasons. Titan is one of only four terrestrial planets with atmospheres in our Solar System and provides unique
insight into how planetary atmospheres operate under extreme conditions.
The final planetary science project is an investigation of how planets form from the small particles in the gas/dust disks around young stars. We now know that planets are very common around stars, but we are still unsure of how planets form, and even of the best way to search for forming planets within these disks. The purpose of the high-performance computer calculations to be done in this project is to predict where planets can be located in the types of disk that we know exist.
Much cosmology over the past few years has been based on investigations of clusters of galaxies, and the fourth project is to investigate the sample of clusters of galaxies returned by the largest single survey conducted by the XMM-Newton X-ray astronomy satellite. This survey has found thousands of X-ray sources, about 1000 of which are clusters of galaxies which emit X-rays from the hot gas that they contain. This hot-gas emission can be used to estimate the masses of the clusters, and the distribution of cluster masses, which changes over cosmic time, is an excellent test for the type of Universe that we inhabit.
The fifth project investigates one of the issues with understanding the atmospheres of clusters of galaxies - the question of why the radiation from their atmospheres doesn't cause them to cool down, and stop being X-ray sources. The answer seems to be that the gas in clusters is reheated by the ejection of very hot, fast, gas from the regions near black holes at the centres of some of the galaxies in the clusters. This project is aimed at understanding the processes involved in that heating, the physics of the fast gas ejections, and whether the gas coming out from near black holes can make cluster gas magnetic.
While the clusters change with time, because of gas cooling and heating, and the changing size of the Universe, the galaxies within them also change. The sixth project is looking at how the galaxies within clusters change as the clusters change, and how clusters affect galaxies, and galaxies affect clusters. It is now possible to see very young clusters of galaxies, back when the Universe was only about 20% of its current age, and by tracking the changes in the galaxies and clusters from then until the present it may be possible to understand what is going on.
The final project involves the maintenance and improvement of codes used to work with catalogues of astronomical objects. These codes are essential when dealing with modern astronomical data, and are used world-wide, so are of great importance to many astronomers. Some have even found their way into public products like the Microsoft World-Wide Telescope.
Planned Impact
Direct beneficiaries from the research will be our academic colleagues and interested members of the public, who will be exposed to the research results through our lectures, talks in schools, podcasts, press releases, WWW pages, appearances on radio and TV, and exhibits in and around Bristol. More indirectly, the public may be affected by advice given to local MPs (Stephen Williams, Liam Fox) or City Councillors (such as Mark Wright, who did a PhD in the Astrophysics Group a few years ago).
Commercial benefits have already been had from the Isotope Group's research (via projects with Shell) and the TOPCAT work (projects with Microsoft Research). Spin-offs from the instrumentation development in the isotope work have benefitted Thermo-Fisher Finnigan, and from the Fourier Transform spectrometer constructed for the radio telescope have benefitted BEAM and AlphaData.
More generically, the sophisticated image and time-series analysis techniques used in our research can be applied to many problems. We will continue to work with the Atomic Force Microscopy group in the University to improve their imaging (as in recent imaging of moving DNA molecules), and are actively exploring the application of our techniques to medical imaging through the Clinical Research and Imaging Centre of the University.
Finally, the major economic output of this work will continue to be trained PhDs and PDRAs who mostly go into non-academic areas for their later careers. These careers have included local Government, the defense and security sector, plasma fusion research, meteorology, teaching, and finance.
Commercial benefits have already been had from the Isotope Group's research (via projects with Shell) and the TOPCAT work (projects with Microsoft Research). Spin-offs from the instrumentation development in the isotope work have benefitted Thermo-Fisher Finnigan, and from the Fourier Transform spectrometer constructed for the radio telescope have benefitted BEAM and AlphaData.
More generically, the sophisticated image and time-series analysis techniques used in our research can be applied to many problems. We will continue to work with the Atomic Force Microscopy group in the University to improve their imaging (as in recent imaging of moving DNA molecules), and are actively exploring the application of our techniques to medical imaging through the Clinical Research and Imaging Centre of the University.
Finally, the major economic output of this work will continue to be trained PhDs and PDRAs who mostly go into non-academic areas for their later careers. These careers have included local Government, the defense and security sector, plasma fusion research, meteorology, teaching, and finance.
Organisations
Publications
Adami C
(2016)
The XXL Survey VIII. MUSE characterisation of intracluster light in a z ~ 0.53 cluster of galaxies???
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Adami C.
(2016)
First Results from the XXL Survey and Associated Multi-wavelength Programmes
in The Messenger
Ali S
(2018)
The rise and fall of the UV upturn: z = 0.3, 0.55, and 0.7
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Ali S
(2018)
Evolution of the UV upturn in cluster galaxies: Abell 1689
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Ali S
(2018)
UV SEDs of early-type cluster galaxies: a new look at the UV upturn
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Ali SS
(2018)
UV SEDs of early-type cluster galaxies: A new look at the UV upturn
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Ali SS
(2018)
UV SEDs of early-type cluster galaxies: A new look at the UV upturn
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Allen A.
(2017)
Improving Software Citation and Credit
in Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems XXV
Allen A.
(2017)
Astrophysics Source Code Library, version 3.1
in Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems XXV
Allen Alice
(2016)
Astrophysics Source Code Library: Here we grow again!
in arXiv e-prints
Allen Alice
(2016)
Making your code citable with the Astrophysics Source Code Library
in American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #227
Allen Alice
(2015)
Improving Software Citation and Credit
in arXiv e-prints
Allen Alice
(2017)
The Astrophysics Source Code Library: What's new, what's coming
in arXiv e-prints
Alston W
(2019)
The remarkable X-ray variability of IRAS 13224-3809 - I. The variability process
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Andrews S
(2017)
Galaxy And Mass Assembly: the evolution of the cosmic spectral energy distribution from z = 1 to z = 0
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Baczko A. -K.
(2016)
VizieR Online Data Catalog: Pinpointing the SMBH in NGC1052 (Baczko+, 2016)
in VizieR Online Data Catalog
Baldry I
(2018)
Galaxy And Mass Assembly: the G02 field, Herschel-ATLAS target selection and data release 3
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Beeston R. A.
(2017)
GAMA/H-ATLAS: The Local Dust Mass Function and Cosmic Density as a Function of Galaxy Type - A Benchmark for Models of Galaxy Evolution
in ArXiv e-prints
Beeston R. A.
(2017)
GAMA/H-ATLAS: The Local Dust Mass Function and Cosmic Density as a Function of Galaxy Type - A Benchmark for Models of Galaxy Evolution
in ArXiv e-prints
Bellstedt S
(2020)
Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): a forensic SED reconstruction of the cosmic star formation history and metallicity evolution by galaxy type
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bellstedt Sabine
(2021)
Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): The inferred mass--metallicity relation from z=0 to 3.5 via forensic SED fitting
in arXiv e-prints
Birkinshaw Mark
(2016)
Extreme rotation measures and high-redshift clusters
in Chandra Proposal
Birkinshaw Mark
(2016)
Jets and the infra-red cores of low-redshift radio galaxies
in 41st COSPAR Scientific Assembly
Birkinshaw Mark
(2015)
Magnetic filaments associated radio-source feedback
in IAU General Assembly
Bonomo A
(2019)
A giant impact as the likely origin of different twins in the Kepler-107 exoplanet system
in Nature Astronomy
Bowler R. A. A.
(2015)
VizieR Online Data Catalog: Galaxy luminosity function at z =~ 7 (Bowler+, 2014)
in VizieR Online Data Catalog
Bremer M
(2018)
Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): Morphological transformation of galaxies across the green valley
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Buitrago F
(2018)
Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): Accurate number densities and environments of massive ultra-compact galaxies at 0.02 < z < 0.3
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Carter P
(2018)
Collisional stripping of planetary crusts
in Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Carter P. J.
(2016)
The Effects of Collisions and Dynamical Excitation on the Composition of Growing Terrestrial Planet Embryos
in 47th Annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference
Casey Caitlin M.
(2019)
Rest-frame UV/optical Morphologies of Obscured Radio Starbursts: Comparing Obscured and Unobscured Star-Formation on kpc Scales
in HST Proposal
Chainakun P
(2016)
Relativistic X-ray reverberation modelling of the combined time-averaged and lag-energy spectra in AGN
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Chainakun P
(2015)
Simultaneous spectral and reverberation modelling of relativistic reflection in Mrk 335
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Chainakun P
(2017)
Investigating the X-ray time lags in PG 1244+026 using an extended corona model
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Chainakun P.
(2015)
Spectral-timing modeling of the X-ray reverberation in Mrk 335
in The Extremes of Black Hole Accretion
Chandra D
(2015)
Modelling and analytic studies of sheared flow effects on tearing modes
in Nuclear Fusion
Chiappetti L.
(2018)
VizieR Online Data Catalog: XXL Survey. DR2 (Chiappetti+, 2018)
in VizieR Online Data Catalog
Chiboucas K
(2017)
The UCD Population of the Coma Cluster
in Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union
Chiboucas Kristin
(2018)
The Nature and Origin of UCDs in the Coma Cluster
in American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #231
Clautice Devon
(2019)
Unraveling the Physics of Quasar Jets Using HST Polarimetry
in American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #233
Clautice Devon
(2017)
HST Polarimetry of the 3C 273 Jet
in American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #229
Clautice Devon
(2018)
Unraveling the Physics of FR II Jets Using HST Polarimetry
in American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #231
Clements D
(2016)
H-ATLAS: a candidate high redshift cluster/protocluster of star-forming galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Danehkar A
(2018)
The Ultra-fast Outflow of the Quasar PG 1211+143 as Viewed by Time-averaged Chandra Grating Spectroscopy
in The Astrophysical Journal
Davies L
(2018)
Deep Extragalactic VIsible Legacy Survey (DEVILS): motivation,design, and target catalogue
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Davies L
(2018)
Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): The sSFR-M* relation part I - ssSFR-M* as a function of sample, SFR indicator and environment
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Davies L
(2016)
GAMA/H-ATLAS: a meta-analysis of SFR indicators - comprehensive measures of the SFR- M * relation and cosmic star formation history at z < 0.4
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Davies L
(2019)
Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): Environmental Quenching of Centrals and Satellites in Groups
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Davies L
(2015)
Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): growing up in a bad neighbourhood - how do low-mass galaxies become passive?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Davies L
(2017)
Galaxy And Mass Assembly: the 1.4 GHz SFR indicator, SFR-M * relation and predictions for ASKAP-GAMA
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Description | The properties of quasar jets have been shown to be incompatible with the standard model for their origin. The evolution of galaxies through the "green valley" has been exposed. Survey work on X-ray clusters of galaxies is yielding cosmological and astrophysical results through a long series of publications. Work on the sub-mm and IR properties of early galaxies has been advanced, again through surveys, but also through gravitational lensing investigations. Software developments are commercially useful and are being applied by partners. |
Exploitation Route | The astrophysical results will lead to further investigations in a number of areas. |
Sectors | Education Culture Heritage Museums and Collections Transport |
Description | The TOPCAT software has formed a key component of data archive access for ESA and other international projects. Other software, developed as a result of Bristol's participation in the LSST project, is the subject of a confidential commercial agreement, but has been used to leverage two major contracts for the commercial company with which we are working. The group has also been assisting "We the Curious" in Bristol to develop proposals for outreach. |
First Year Of Impact | 2016 |
Sector | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Financial Services, and Management Consultancy,Transport |
Impact Types | Cultural |
Description | STFC Impact Accelerator Account |
Amount | £20,302 (GBP) |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 07/2014 |
End | 06/2015 |
Description | STFC Impact Accelerator Account |
Amount | £15,793 (GBP) |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2015 |
End | 12/2015 |
Title | TOPCAT |
Description | TOPCAT is the most-used astronomical catalogue handling tool. It is extensively used to handle Gaia data and to create exploration plots of stellar populations, as well as in many other astronomical applications. It is also used for education in astronomical methods in the UK, Africa, and elsewhere. The underlying libraries are also used extensively for software developments. |
Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Extensively used world-wide. |
URL | http://www.star.bris.ac.uk/~mbt/topcat/ |
Title | STILTS |
Description | Starlink Tables Infrastructure Library Tool Set: software for handling tabular data in many formats, including methods compliant with Virtual Observatory protocols. |
Type Of Material | Data handling & control |
Year Produced | 2010 |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | Used in many astronomical databases; potential uses for other complicated databases. |
Title | TOPCAT |
Description | Tool for operations on catalogues and tables: general catalogue comparison/selection tool, much used by astronomers world-wide. |
Type Of Material | Data handling & control |
Year Produced | 2011 |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | Extensible to many table-based datasets where matching of entries is required. Has been used on experimental basis for medical work, for example. |
Title | STILTS |
Description | Set of command-line tools that can be used for powerful astronomical catalogue interrogation, manipulation, and plotting. 2010 releases v2.1-2, v2.2, v2.2-1 2011 releases v2.3, v2.3-1, v2.4 2013 releases v2.5, v2.5-1, v2.5-2 2014 releases v2.5-3, v3.0 |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2010 |
Open Source License? | Yes |
Impact | Heavily used in catalogue manipulation, world-wide. |
URL | http://www.starlink.ac.uk/stilts/ |
Title | TOPCAT |
Description | Astronomical data-handling software |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2010 |
Open Source License? | Yes |
Impact | Used internationally for interaction with large distributed databases. 2010 releases v3.5-2, v3.6, v3.7 2011 releases v3.8, v3.9 2013 releases v4.0b, v4.0-1 2014 releases v4.1, v4.2 |
URL | http://www.starlink.ac.uk/topcat/ |
Description | Development of grant with "We the Curious", Bristol |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Development of proposal for engagement with individuals with visual impairment - so they can participate in astronomy. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017,2018 |
Description | Public lectures and science cafes |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Multiple public talks to astronomy societies and other organisations, also Science Cafes and other groups (e.g., Anglo-Polish society). Activities tended to go on to time limit because of question-and-answer sessions, and have generated eMail questions after the fact from attendees. Continued requests for talks and other contacts based on experiences. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014 |
Description | Radio interview (BBC Radio Bristol; BBC Radio 4; BBC Radio Scotland) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Contacts from regional amateur astronomers, and astronomical societies. Talks to local societies. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012,2013,2014 |
Description | School student placements |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | 1/2 students per year visited the Group and worked with staff Students became more focussed in aims for science sstudies at University level. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012,2013,2014 |