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
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
Abbott T
(2018)
Dark Energy Survey year 1 results: Cosmological constraints from galaxy clustering and weak lensing
in Physical Review D
Abbott T
(2020)
Dark Energy Survey Year 1 Results: Cosmological constraints from cluster abundances and weak lensing
in Physical Review D
Abbott T
(2022)
Dark Energy Survey Year 3 results: Cosmological constraints from galaxy clustering and weak lensing
in Physical Review D
Abe M
(2021)
Formation of the first galaxies in the aftermath of the first supernovae
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Agarwal S
(2018)
Painting galaxies into dark matter haloes using machine learning
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Akins H
(2022)
Quenching and the UVJ Diagram in the SIMBA Cosmological Simulation
in The Astrophysical Journal
Alam S
(2021)
Quasars at intermediate redshift are not special; but they are often satellites
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Alam S
(2021)
Using GAMA to probe the impact of small-scale galaxy physics on nonlinear redshift-space distortions
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Alam S
(2020)
Multitracer extension of the halo model: probing quenching and conformity in eBOSS
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Alam S
(2021)
The completed SDSS-IV extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey: N-body mock challenge for the eBOSS emission line galaxy sample
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Alegre L
(2022)
A machine-learning classifier for LOFAR radio galaxy cross-matching techniques
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Alegre L
(2022)
A machine-learning classifier for LOFAR radio galaxy cross-matching techniques
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Allers KN
(2020)
A measurement of the wind speed on a brown dwarf.
in Science (New York, N.Y.)
Ammazzalorso S
(2020)
Detection of Cross-Correlation between Gravitational Lensing and ? Rays.
in Physical review letters
Amon A
(2022)
Dark Energy Survey Year 3 results: Cosmology from cosmic shear and robustness to data calibration
in Physical Review D
An F
(2018)
A Machine-learning Method for Identifying Multiwavelength Counterparts of Submillimeter Galaxies: Training and Testing Using AS2UDS and ALESS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Andrianomena S
(2020)
Classifying galaxies according to their Hi content
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Appleby S
(2021)
The low-redshift circumgalactic medium in simba
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Appleby S
(2020)
The impact of quenching on galaxy profiles in the simba simulation
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Arata S
(2020)
Starbursting [O iii] emitters and quiescent [C ii] emitters in the reionization era
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Arias M
(2018)
Low-frequency radio absorption in Cassiopeia A
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Asgari M
(2020)
KiDS+VIKING-450 and DES-Y1 combined: Mitigating baryon feedback uncertainty with COSEBIs
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Asgari M
(2021)
Minimizing the impact of scale-dependent galaxy bias on the joint cosmological analysis of large-scale structures
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Asgari M
(2018)
Flat-Sky Pseudo-Cls Analysis for Weak Gravitational Lensing
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Ashby M
(2018)
Spitzer Matching Survey of the UltraVISTA Ultra-deep Stripes (SMUVS): Full-mission IRAC Mosaics and Catalogs
in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Barkus B
(2022)
The application of ridgelines in extended radio source cross-identification
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Baxter E
(2018)
A measurement of CMB cluster lensing with SPT and DES year 1 data
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bermejo-Climent J
(2018)
On the early evolution of Local Group dwarf galaxy types: star formation and supernova feedback
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Best P
(2023)
The LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey: Deep Fields data release 1. V. Survey description, source classifications, and host galaxy properties
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Biller B
(2022)
Dynamical masses for two M1 + mid-M dwarf binaries monitored during the SPHERE-SHINE survey
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Biller B
(2022)
Dynamical masses for two M1 + mid-M dwarf binaries monitored during the SPHERE-SHINE survey
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Biller B
(2018)
Simultaneous Multiwavelength Variability Characterization of the Free-floating Planetary-mass Object PSO J318.5-22
in The Astronomical Journal
Biller B
(2021)
A high-contrast search for variability in HR 8799bc with VLT-SPHERE
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Biller B
(2021)
A high-contrast search for variability in HR 8799bc with VLT-SPHERE
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bisigello L
(2020)
Euclid : the selection of quiescent and star-forming galaxies using observed colours
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Boccaletti A
(2021)
Investigating point sources in MWC 758 with SPHERE
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Boccaletti A
(2018)
Observations of fast-moving features in the debris disk of AU Mic on a three-year timescale: Confirmation and new discoveries
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Bonato M
(2021)
The LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey Deep Fields A new analysis of low-frequency radio luminosity as a star-formation tracer in the Lockman Hole region
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Bonavita M
(2022)
Results from The COPAINS Pilot Survey: Four new brown dwarfs and a high companion detection rate for accelerating stars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bonavita M
(2022)
New binaries from the SHINE survey
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Bonavita M
(2020)
A new white dwarf companion around the ?ยต star GJ 3346
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bonnefoy M
(2018)
The GJ 504 system revisited Combining interferometric, radial velocity, and high contrast imaging data
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Borrow J
(2020)
Cosmological baryon transfer in the simba simulations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Borsato L
(2019)
HARPS-N radial velocities confirm the low densities of the Kepler-9 planets
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bourne N
(2019)
The relationship between dust and [C i ] at z = 1 and beyond
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society