Astrophysics Research at the University of Leicester
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leicester
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
We will deliver world-class research programmes in astrophysics through the exploitation of data from space missions and ground based telescopes, as well as the development of new theories and the numerical simulation of processes in these areas. We will also develop new instrumental techniques and detectors for future missions and telescopes. The research programme is based mainly around two research groups, with some participation by three others. These groups conduct their own research projects but also have a strong ethos of collaboration on topics of mutual interest.
Our research seeks to understand basic processes in our own and other galaxies, addressing questions of great interest to the wider public. We will search for new planets orbiting nearby stars which may mimic the planets that are present in our own solar system or possibly be very different, such as hot Neptunes, or Super Earths.
We will investigate some of the most extreme environments in our Universe by high energy astrophysics research focusing on extreme phenomena ranging from Galactic black hole binaries, through to active galactic nuclei and gamma-ray bursts. These studies will include the feedback processes that link black holes to the evolution of their host galaxies.
We will maintain and enhance a programme in stellar astronomy with emphasis on the astrophysics of white dwarf stars. We will be using high performance computers to simulate these systems theoretically. This in turn will help our observations and vice versa. Through these simulations we will build theories and models of how these extreme systems behave. We will use these simulations to try to understand the `dark' matter which constitutes much of the material
content of the Universe. We will use laboratory experimentation to develop new ways to observe these phenomena, building new instruments for the next generation of space missions.
This work also offers spin-off activities which often drive progress in areas far removed from astrophysics. Our department has an active programme of engagement with the wider community, particularly school age children, who are thrilled to hear about research in the Department. We will maintain a strong commitment to knowledge transfer for academic beneficiaries.
Our research seeks to understand basic processes in our own and other galaxies, addressing questions of great interest to the wider public. We will search for new planets orbiting nearby stars which may mimic the planets that are present in our own solar system or possibly be very different, such as hot Neptunes, or Super Earths.
We will investigate some of the most extreme environments in our Universe by high energy astrophysics research focusing on extreme phenomena ranging from Galactic black hole binaries, through to active galactic nuclei and gamma-ray bursts. These studies will include the feedback processes that link black holes to the evolution of their host galaxies.
We will maintain and enhance a programme in stellar astronomy with emphasis on the astrophysics of white dwarf stars. We will be using high performance computers to simulate these systems theoretically. This in turn will help our observations and vice versa. Through these simulations we will build theories and models of how these extreme systems behave. We will use these simulations to try to understand the `dark' matter which constitutes much of the material
content of the Universe. We will use laboratory experimentation to develop new ways to observe these phenomena, building new instruments for the next generation of space missions.
This work also offers spin-off activities which often drive progress in areas far removed from astrophysics. Our department has an active programme of engagement with the wider community, particularly school age children, who are thrilled to hear about research in the Department. We will maintain a strong commitment to knowledge transfer for academic beneficiaries.
Planned Impact
The applicants offer a diverse skill set that constitute a valuable resource to the private and public sectors. We have extensive experience and expertise in e.g. data analysis and handling, spacecraft and mission management, algorithm design, software engineering and high performance computing. Exploitation of this expertise is supported at all levels within the University. The Department of Physics and Astronomy is committed to
promoting and maximising the impact of our research. The College of Science and Engineering plays a leading role in the Enterprise Agenda for the University and offers dedicated enterprise officers and impact enhancing resources. Further support is provided by the University's Enterprise and Business Development Office, which works with academics and external stakeholders to create maximum impact in the local, provide national, and international community. This structure (i) delivers enterprising impact through the alignment of our research with major global and industrial challenges, (ii) identifies and addresses the opportunities to play a positive role in the economic development of our region and the UK, (iii) utilises research and related activities to develop skills and capability within a broad spectrum of the public and private sectors, (iv) provides expert advice and
guidance to industry and policy makers, (v) ensures that its intellectual property is effectively transferred and disseminated, and (vi) contributes to the wider cultural benefit of society through an enterprising and engaging outreach programme.
The long term impact strategy has four elements:
(1) to support and develop the skills and experience of the applicants;
(2) to ensure that links with public and private sector industries are developed, cultivated and maximised;
(3) to disseminate knowledge, skills and expterise to the benefit of the local, national and international business and civic communities;
(4) to sustain and develop our successful outreach programme with particular emphasis on enhancing our efforts to develop valid outcome measures.
promoting and maximising the impact of our research. The College of Science and Engineering plays a leading role in the Enterprise Agenda for the University and offers dedicated enterprise officers and impact enhancing resources. Further support is provided by the University's Enterprise and Business Development Office, which works with academics and external stakeholders to create maximum impact in the local, provide national, and international community. This structure (i) delivers enterprising impact through the alignment of our research with major global and industrial challenges, (ii) identifies and addresses the opportunities to play a positive role in the economic development of our region and the UK, (iii) utilises research and related activities to develop skills and capability within a broad spectrum of the public and private sectors, (iv) provides expert advice and
guidance to industry and policy makers, (v) ensures that its intellectual property is effectively transferred and disseminated, and (vi) contributes to the wider cultural benefit of society through an enterprising and engaging outreach programme.
The long term impact strategy has four elements:
(1) to support and develop the skills and experience of the applicants;
(2) to ensure that links with public and private sector industries are developed, cultivated and maximised;
(3) to disseminate knowledge, skills and expterise to the benefit of the local, national and international business and civic communities;
(4) to sustain and develop our successful outreach programme with particular emphasis on enhancing our efforts to develop valid outcome measures.
Organisations
Publications
Collaboration G
(2018)
VizieR Online Data Catalog: 46 open clusters GaiaDR2 HR diagrams (Gaia Collaboration, 2018)
in VizieR Online Data Catalog
Collaboration G
(2022)
Gaia Data Release 3: A Golden Sample of Astrophysical Parameters
in arXiv e-prints
Collaboration G
(2022)
Gaia Data Release 3: Stellar multiplicity, a teaser for the hidden treasure
in arXiv e-prints
Collaboration G
(2020)
VizieR Online Data Catalog: MC structure and properties (Gaia Collaboration+, 2021)
in VizieR Online Data Catalog
Collaboration G
(2022)
Gaia Data Release 3: Mapping the asymmetric disc of the Milky Way
in arXiv e-prints
Collaboration G
(2022)
Gaia Data Release 3: Summary of the content and survey properties
in arXiv e-prints
Collaboration G
(2022)
Gaia Data Release 3: Chemical cartography of the Milky Way
in arXiv e-prints
Collaboration G
(2022)
Gaia Data Release 3: The extragalactic content
in arXiv e-prints
Copperwheat C
(2016)
Liverpool Telescope follow-up of candidate electromagnetic counterparts during the first run of Advanced LIGO
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Costes J
(2019)
NGTS-8b and NGTS-9b: two non-inflated hot-Jupiters
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Covino S
(2017)
The unpolarized macronova associated with the gravitational wave event GW 170817
in Nature Astronomy
Cropper M
(2018)
Gaia Data Release 2 Gaia Radial Velocity Spectrometer
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Cropper M.
(2018)
Gaia Radial Velocity Spectrometer
in arXiv e-prints
CTA Consortium The
(2017)
Prospects for CTA observations of the young SNR RX J1713.7-3946
in ArXiv e-prints
CTA Consortium The
(2016)
Contributions of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) to the 6th International Symposium on High-Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy (Gamma 2016)
in arXiv e-prints
Cucchiara A
(2016)
GRBs as Probes of the IGM
in Space Science Reviews
D'Elia V
(2018)
GRB 171205A/SN 2017iuk: A local low-luminosity gamma-ray burst
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Dainotti M
(2021)
On the Existence of the Plateau Emission in High-energy Gamma-Ray Burst Light Curves Observed by Fermi-LAT
in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Dainotti Maria
(2016)
A Study of the Gamma-Ray Burst Fundamental Plane
in arXiv e-prints
De Angeli F.
(2022)
Gaia Data Release 3: Processing and validation of BP/RP low-resolution spectral data
in arXiv e-prints
De Ugarte Postigo A
(2018)
The luminous host galaxy, faint supernova and rapid afterglow rebrightening of GRB 100418A
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Dehghanian M
(2019)
Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping Project. X. Understanding the Absorption-line Holiday in NGC 5548
in The Astrophysical Journal
Dehghanian M
(2019)
A Wind-based Unification Model for NGC 5548: Spectral Holidays, Nondisk Emission, and Implications for Changing-look Quasars
in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Dehnen W
(2017)
Towards time symmetric N-body integration
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Dehnen W
(2017)
Towards time symmetric N-body integration
Dehnen W
(2017)
Symplectic fourth-order maps for the collisional N -body problem
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
De Rijcke S
(2019)
How gravitational softening affects galaxy stability - I. Linear mode analysis of disc galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Diakogiannis F
(2017)
A novel JEAnS analysis of the Fornax dwarf using evolutionary algorithms: mass follows light with signs of an off-centre merger
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Dogan S
(2018)
Instability of warped discs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Drake J
(2021)
NExtUP: the Normal-incidence Extreme Ultraviolet Photometer
Drake J.
(2021)
The Normal-incidence Extreme Ultraviolet Photometer (NExtUP)
in Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society
Duffy C
(2021)
Evidence that short-period AM CVn systems are diverse in outburst behaviour
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Eckersall A
(2017)
Modelling the effect of absorption from the interstellar medium on transient black hole X-ray binaries
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Edelson R
(2019)
The First Swift Intensive AGN Accretion Disk Reverberation Mapping Survey
in The Astrophysical Journal
Edelson R
(2017)
Swift Monitoring of NGC 4151: Evidence for a Second X-Ray/UV Reprocessing
in The Astrophysical Journal
Edelson R.
(2017)
VizieR Online Data Catalog: X-ray/UV Swift monitoring of NGC 4151 (Edelson+, 2017)
in VizieR Online Data Catalog
Eigmüller P
(2019)
NGTS-5b: a highly inflated planet offering insights into the sub-Jovian desert
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Emmanoulopoulos D
(2016)
Extensive X-ray variability studies of NGC 7314 using long XMM-Newton observations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Evans D
(2018)
Gaia Data Release 2 Photometric content and validation
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Evans N
(2016)
The alignment of the second velocity moment tensor in galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Evans P
(2016)
Optimization of the Swift X-ray follow-up of Advanced LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave triggers in 2015-16
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Evans P
(2016)
Swift follow-up of the Gravitational Wave source GW150914
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Evans P
(2016)
Swift follow-up of gravitational wave triggers: results from the first aLIGO run and optimization for the future
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Evans PA
(2017)
Swift and NuSTAR observations of GW170817: Detection of a blue kilonova.
in Science (New York, N.Y.)
Faedi F.
(2016)
WASP-86b and WASP-102b: super-dense versus bloated planets
in arXiv e-prints
Fausnaugh M
(2016)
SPACE TELESCOPE AND OPTICAL REVERBERATION MAPPING PROJECT. III. OPTICAL CONTINUUM EMISSION AND BROADBAND TIME DELAYS IN NGC 5548
in The Astrophysical Journal
Fernández J
(2022)
Lateral spreading effects on VLBI radio images of neutron star merger jets
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Finch N
(2020)
What can ISM and non-photospheric highly ionised lines in white dwarf spectra reveal about the ß CMa tunnel?
in Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union
Finch N
(2018)
Spectral analysis of the binary nucleus of the planetary nebula Hen 2-428 - first results
in Open Astronomy
Description | Further progress in a variety of fields of astrophysics. |
Exploitation Route | Further research in various areas of astrophysics. |
Sectors | Education |
Description | Royal Society Research Grant |
Amount | £13,055 (GBP) |
Funding ID | RG170230 |
Organisation | The Royal Society |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2017 |
End | 10/2018 |
Description | Creativity and Curiosity - Art meets astronomy |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | The project started as a discussion between artists and astronomers to stimulate new art and engage with new audiences. Events have included exhibitions of the artworks and associated discussion events across the county and abroad. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://www.creativityandcuriosity.com |
Description | US NSF announcement of discovery of first gravitational wave source with electromagnetic counterpart - Oct 2017 |
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 | US National Science Foundation press release. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/page/press-release-gw170817 |
Description | Various school visits, astronomical society lectures |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Many presentations, 100s of students, excellent questions and discussion. Audience figures are totals for activities during each year. Improvements in interest in applying for science degrees |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020,2021 |