Astronomy and Astrophysics at Edinburgh
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Sch of Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
An astonishing feature of modern astrophysical research is that we have in principle a chain of explanation that stretches from processes on cosmological scales of billions of light years, down to the creation of stars, planets around the stars and life on the planets. In a sense, this process is almost a closed loop: the early Universe was once of sub-nuclear scale, so that quantum mechanical uncertainty is bound to seed fluctuations in density, which eventually collapse under gravity to make astronomical structures. This is the same physics of the very small that governs the formation of the atoms out of which we are all made.
But unanswered questions abound at all stages of this process. Our theories of the early Universe and explanations of its current expansion rest on the concept that empty space can have weight: the so-called "dark energy". We need to study its properties and understand its origin. In so doing, we often assume that Einstein's relativity describes gravity correctly on all scales, but can we test this? If the standard theory is correct, dark matter is required, and we are driven to follow the processes by which it clumps, and by which the gas within these clumps evolves and eventually collapses to form stars and massive black holes. New large telescopes on the ground, together with observing platforms in space such as the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes (and soon the James Webb Space Telescope), allow us to see this process in action and compare the observations with detailed computer simulations. Nearer to home, we can dissect galaxies such as our own Milky Way into individual stars, for the most detailed view of how they were assembled. And finally we can study how planets arise around these stars, both from new instruments that can detect the presence of "exo-planets" and by computer simulations of how they may be created within the discs of gas and dust left over from star formation. Ultimately, one can refine the search to planets potentially capable of supporting life, and ask how life might arise within these early planetary systems.
Research in astronomy at Edinburgh attacks all of these connected questions. Progress is rapid, driven by technological breakthroughs in observational facilities and computing power, and our understanding is evolving rapidly. Major progress, even if not final answers, can be expected within a few years. This is an exciting time for our understanding of the full history and structure of our Universe and our place within it.
But unanswered questions abound at all stages of this process. Our theories of the early Universe and explanations of its current expansion rest on the concept that empty space can have weight: the so-called "dark energy". We need to study its properties and understand its origin. In so doing, we often assume that Einstein's relativity describes gravity correctly on all scales, but can we test this? If the standard theory is correct, dark matter is required, and we are driven to follow the processes by which it clumps, and by which the gas within these clumps evolves and eventually collapses to form stars and massive black holes. New large telescopes on the ground, together with observing platforms in space such as the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes (and soon the James Webb Space Telescope), allow us to see this process in action and compare the observations with detailed computer simulations. Nearer to home, we can dissect galaxies such as our own Milky Way into individual stars, for the most detailed view of how they were assembled. And finally we can study how planets arise around these stars, both from new instruments that can detect the presence of "exo-planets" and by computer simulations of how they may be created within the discs of gas and dust left over from star formation. Ultimately, one can refine the search to planets potentially capable of supporting life, and ask how life might arise within these early planetary systems.
Research in astronomy at Edinburgh attacks all of these connected questions. Progress is rapid, driven by technological breakthroughs in observational facilities and computing power, and our understanding is evolving rapidly. Major progress, even if not final answers, can be expected within a few years. This is an exciting time for our understanding of the full history and structure of our Universe and our place within it.
Planned Impact
Details of our Pathways to Impact are provided in the separate 2-page attachment.
Organisations
Publications
Zavala J
(2017)
A dusty star-forming galaxy at z = 6 revealed by strong gravitational lensing
in Nature Astronomy
Abbott T
(2018)
Dark Energy Survey Year 1 Results: A Precise H0 Estimate from DES Y1, BAO, and D/H Data
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Zhang Z
(2018)
Far-infrared Herschel SPIRE spectroscopy of lensed starbursts reveals physical conditions of ionized gas
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Narayanan D
(2018)
The IRX-ß dust attenuation relation in cosmological galaxy formation simulations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Saxena A
(2018)
Discovery of a radio galaxy at z = 5.72
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Li Q
(2018)
Dark Molecular Gas in Simulations of z ~ 0 Disk Galaxies
in The Astrophysical Journal
Hall C
(2018)
Is the spiral morphology of the Elias 2-27 circumstellar disc due to gravitational instability?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Lazzoni C
(2018)
Dynamical models to explain observations with SPHERE in planetary systems with double debris belts
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Cullen F
(2018)
The VANDELS survey: dust attenuation in star-forming galaxies at z = 3-4
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Finlator K
(2018)
Reionization in Technicolor
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Chang C
(2018)
The Splashback Feature around DES Galaxy Clusters: Galaxy Density and Weak Lensing Profiles
in The Astrophysical Journal
Eastwood D
(2018)
How black holes stop their host galaxy from growing without AGN feedback
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Hill R
(2018)
High-resolution SMA imaging of bright submillimetre sources from the SCUBA-2 Cosmology Legacy Survey
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Krajnovic D
(2018)
A quartet of black holes and a missing duo: probing the low end of the MBH-s relation with the adaptive optics assisted integral-field spectroscopy
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Fontanive C
(2018)
Constraining the multiplicity statistics of the coolest brown dwarfs: binary fraction continues to decrease with spectral type
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Catinella B
(2018)
xGASS: total cold gas scaling relations and molecular-to-atomic gas ratios of galaxies in the local Universe
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Mizuki T
(2018)
Orbital Characterization of GJ1108A System, and Comparison of Dynamical Mass with Model-derived Mass for Resolved Binaries
in The Astrophysical Journal
McLure R
(2018)
Dust attenuation in 2 < z < 3 star-forming galaxies from deep ALMA observations of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Drlica-Wagner A
(2018)
Dark Energy Survey Year 1 Results: The Photometric Data Set for Cosmology
in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Samuroff S
(2018)
Dark Energy Survey Year 1 results: the impact of galaxy neighbours on weak lensing cosmology with im3shape
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Prat J
(2018)
Dark Energy Survey year 1 results: Galaxy-galaxy lensing
in Physical Review D
Haywood R
(2018)
An Accurate Mass Determination for Kepler-1655b, a Moderately Irradiated World with a Significant Volatile Envelope
in The Astronomical Journal
Damasso M
(2018)
Eyes on K2-3: A system of three likely sub-Neptunes characterized with HARPS-N and HARPS
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Rafieferantsoa M
(2018)
Predicting the neutral hydrogen content of galaxies from optical data using machine learning
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Galicher R
(2018)
Astrometric and photometric accuracies in high contrast imaging: The SPHERE speckle calibration tool (SpeCal)
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Copeland D
(2018)
The impact of baryons on the sensitivity of dark energy measurements
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Forgan D
(2018)
Towards a population synthesis model of self-gravitating disc fragmentation and tidal downsizing II: the effect of fragment-fragment interactions
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bowler B
(2018)
Orbit and Dynamical Mass of the Late-T Dwarf GL 758 B*
in The Astronomical Journal
Merlin E
(2018)
Chasing passive galaxies in the early Universe: a critical analysis in CANDELS GOODS-South
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Abbott T
(2018)
Dark Energy Survey year 1 results: Cosmological constraints from galaxy clustering and weak lensing
in Physical Review D
Umehata H
(2018)
ALMA deep field in SSA22: Survey design and source catalog of a 20 arcmin2 survey at 1.1 mm
in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan
Sissa E
(2018)
High-contrast study of the candidate planets and protoplanetary disk around HD 100546
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Doughty C
(2018)
Aligned metal absorbers and the ultraviolet background at the end of reionization
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Gullberg B
(2018)
The Dust and [C ii] Morphologies of Redshift ~4.5 Sub-millimeter Galaxies at ~200 pc Resolution: The Absence of Large Clumps in the Interstellar Medium at High-redshift
in The Astrophysical Journal
Zhang ZY
(2018)
Stellar populations dominated by massive stars in dusty starburst galaxies across cosmic time.
in Nature
Duncan K
(2018)
Photometric redshifts for the next generation of deep radio continuum surveys - I. Template fitting
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Cui W
(2018)
The Three Hundred project: a large catalogue of theoretically modelled galaxy clusters for cosmological and astrophysical applications
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Collinson J
(2018)
The broad-band SEDs of four 'hypervariable' AGN
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
MacCrann N
(2018)
DES Y1 Results: validating cosmological parameter estimation using simulated Dark Energy Surveys
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Narayanan D
(2018)
A Theory for the Variation of Dust Attenuation Laws in Galaxies
in The Astrophysical Journal
Christensen C
(2018)
Tracing Outflowing Metals in Simulations of Dwarf and Spiral Galaxies
in The Astrophysical Journal
Lopez E
(2018)
How formation time-scales affect the period dependence of the transition between rocky super-Earths and gaseous sub-Neptunesand implications for ??
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Quénard D
(2018)
The Fate of Formamide in a Fragmenting Protoplanetary Disk
in The Astrophysical Journal
Bonnefoy M
(2018)
The GJ 504 system revisited Combining interferometric, radial velocity, and high contrast imaging data
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Pentericci L
(2018)
The VANDELS ESO public spectroscopic survey: Observations and first data release
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Hassan S
(2018)
Constraining the contribution of active galactic nuclei to reionization
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Mann G
(2018)
Tracking of an electron beam through the solar corona with LOFAR
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Agarwal S
(2018)
Painting galaxies into dark matter haloes using machine learning
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Cheetham A
(2018)
Discovery of a brown dwarf companion to the star HIP 64892
in Astronomy & Astrophysics