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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Jaffa Sarah E. (2020) J plots: Tool for characterizing 2D and 3D structures in the interstellar medium in Astrophysics Source Code Library

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Husemann B (2019) Jet-driven Galaxy-scale Gas Outflows in the Hyperluminous Quasar 3C 273 in The Astrophysical Journal

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Lamperti I (2019) JINGLE V: Dust properties of nearby galaxies derived from hierarchical Bayesian SED fitting in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Hogarth L (2023) Kinematics of molecular gas in star-forming galaxies with large-scale ionized outflows in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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

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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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Fasano A (2020) KISS: a spectrometric imager for millimetre cosmology in EPJ Web of Conferences

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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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Tapia M. (2020) Large-area millimeter-wavelength surveys with MUSCAT (Mexico UK Submillimeter Camerafor Astronomy) in American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #236

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Priestley F (2023) Line emission from filaments in molecular clouds in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Lee Adrian (2019) LiteBIRD: an all-sky cosmic microwave background probe of inflation in Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society

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Peretto N. (2022) Meeting contribution: The earliest stages of star cluster formation in Journal of the British Astronomical Association

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Thompson J (2020) Mesh low-pass filters for millimeter-wave applications: is the square capacitive shape optimal? in Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems

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Eales Stephen (2023) Metal Factories in the Early Universe in arXiv e-prints

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Cukierman A. (2019) Microwave Multiplexing on the Keck Array in Journal of Low Temperature Physics

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Cukierman A (2019) Microwave Multiplexing on the Keck Array in Journal of Low Temperature Physics

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Delabrouille J (2021) Microwave spectro-polarimetry of matter and radiation across space and time in Experimental Astronomy

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Matsuura M (2022) Mid-infrared imaging of Supernova 1987A in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Faustino Vieira H (2024) Molecular clouds in M51 from high-resolution extinction mapping in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Priestley F (2021) Molecular line signatures of cloud-cloud collisions in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Traficante A (2020) Multiscale dynamics in star-forming regions: the interplay between gravity and turbulence in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Guise E (2022) Multiwavelength optical and NIR variability analysis of the Blazar PKS 0027-426 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Priestley F (2023) NEATH - II. N2H+ as a tracer of imminent star formation in quiescent high-density gas in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society