A Programme of Technology, Astrophysics and Cosmology in Cardiff 2019-22

Lead Research Organisation: CARDIFF UNIVERSITY
Department Name: School of Physics and Astronomy

Abstract

We propose a programme of Astrophysics, Cosmology and Technology development for Astrophysics and Cosmology, to investigate star and planet formation in our own and other galaxies, how galaxies form and evolve and the signals from the very early Universe embedded in the polarisation properties of the Cosmic Microwave background. This programme will combine observational data from world-class ground and space-based observatories, as well as theoretical modelling and simulations of the processes that result in the Universe we observe around us. We will also continue to develop the world's most sensitive detectors for very long infrared wavelengths, along with associated optical components utilising 'metamaterials' the class of materials designed and manufactured by human beings to have the properties best suited to their task, rather than relying on naturally occurring minerals and plastics. Both of these areas of technology development potentially have wide applications outside of Astronomy, in areas such as security scanners and bio-medical imaging for example.

Planned Impact

The technology programme proposed here will have extensive impact outside of astronomy. Firstly in other academic subject areas such as Earth-observing where the technology is used to look downwards or sideways through the atmosphere rather than upwards, but also in bio-medical imaging, where the Far-infrared wavelength range has many spectral features, and is currently being used in collaboration with the School of Optometry in Cardiff to assess corneal damage, for example. Secondly we also plan to exploit the technology commercially, through the spinout company QMCI (www.terahertz.co.uk) which operates from within the School, with broad applications from fast plasma diagnostic systems in use in Fusion experiments, through laboratory spectroscopy across a wide range of chemistry and materials applications, and the new spinout Sequestym, for security cameras. We also plan a very strong Outreach programme across both the technology developments and the observational and theoretical astrophysics and cosmology programme, following on from the skills developed during the very successful Herschel/Planck outreach programme, with web-based and standard media information releases, but also tied in with Open days, school visits, and going out into schools and colleges to give presentations and host workshops

Publications

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Drabek-Maunder E (2017) Ground-based detection of a cloud of methanol from Enceladus: when is a biomarker not a biomarker? in International Journal of Astrobiology

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Switzer ER (2019) Sub-Kelvin cooling for two kilopixel bolometer arrays in the PIPER receiver. in The Review of scientific instruments

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De Zotti Gianfranco (2019) Radio sources in next-generation CMB surveys in Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society

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Davis T (2019) Gas accretion as fuel for residual star formation in Galaxy Zoo elliptical galaxies in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters

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Matsuura Mikako (2019) Dust in supernovae: - Do supernovae produce the first dust in the Universe? Are supernovae the key dust producers of galaxies? in Astro2020: Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics

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Ruffa I (2019) The AGN fuelling/feedback cycle in nearby radio galaxies I. ALMA observations and early results in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Gupta N (2019) Fractional polarization of extragalactic sources in the 500 deg2 SPTpol survey in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Cheng T (2019) SCUBA-2 observations of candidate starbursting protoclusters selected by Planck and Herschel-SPIRE in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Chase S (2019) Pre-cooling a 3 He/ 4 He dilutor module with a sealed closed-cycle continuous cooler in IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering

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Anderson A (2019) Performance of Al-Mn Transition-Edge Sensor Bolometers in SPT-3G in Journal of Low Temperature Physics

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Sarzi M (2019) WISDOM project - IV. A molecular gas dynamical measurement of the supermassive black hole mass in NGC 524 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Paiella A (2019) Erratum: Kinetic inductance detectors for the OLIMPO experiment: design and pre-flight characterization in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics

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Carlstrom John (2019) CMB-S4 in Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society

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Kirchschlager F (2019) Dust survival rates in clumps passing through the Cas A reverse shock - I. Results for a range of clump densities in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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De Zotti G (2019) Extragalactic Astrophysics With Next-Generation CMB Experiments in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences

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Masi S (2019) Kinetic Inductance Detectors for the OLIMPO experiment: in-flight operation and performance in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics

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André P (2019) Probing the cold magnetised Universe with SPICA-POL (B-BOP) in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia

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Howard A (2019) L1495 revisited: a ppmap view of a star-forming filament in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Ruffa I (2019) The AGN fuelling/feedback cycle in nearby radio galaxies - II. Kinematics of the molecular gas in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Clark Christopher (2019) Unleashing the Potential of Dust Emission as a Window onto Galaxy Evolution in Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society

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Bonato M (2019) ALMA photometry of extragalactic radio sources in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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De Beck Elvire (2019) The fundamentals of outflows from evolved stars in Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society

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Anderson A. J. (2019) Performance of Al-Mn Transition-Edge Sensor Bolometers in SPT-3G in Journal of Low Temperature Physics

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Wesson R (2019) The dust content of the Crab Nebula in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Abazajian Kevork (2019) CMB-S4 Science Case, Reference Design, and Project Plan in arXiv e-prints

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Zabel N (2019) The ALMA Fornax Cluster Survey I: stirring and stripping of the molecular gas in cluster galaxies in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Mangilli A (2019) Inflight performance of the PILOT balloon-borne experiment in Experimental Astronomy

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Fasano A. (2019) The KISS Experiment in Journal of Low Temperature Physics

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Dawson J (2019) Using machine learning to study the kinematics of cold gas in galaxies in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Leroy Adam (2019) Physical Conditions in the Cold Gas of Local Galaxies in Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society

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Clark P (2019) Tracing the formation of molecular clouds via [C ii], [C i], and CO emission in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Phillipps S (2019) Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): Timescales for galaxies crossing the green valley in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society