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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Lamagna L (2020) Progress Report on the Large-Scale Polarization Explorer in Journal of Low Temperature Physics

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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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Lee Adrian (2019) The Simons Observatory in Bulletin of the American 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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Leroy Adam (2019) Physical Conditions in the Cold Gas of Local Galaxies in Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society

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Lestrade J (2020) Debris disks around stars in the NIKA2 era in EPJ Web of Conferences

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Li X (2020) The MALATANG survey: dense gas and star formation from high-transition HCN and HCO+ maps of NGC 253 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Li Z (2020) The cross correlation of the ABS and ACT maps in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics

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Li Z (2020) The HASHTAG project I. A survey of CO(3-2) emission from the star forming disc of M31 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Lomax O (2020) Characterizing lognormal fractional-Brownian-motion density fields with a convolutional neural network in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Lu Anan (2022) Star Formation Efficiency in the Bulge of the AGN-host Galaxy NGC 3169 with SITELLE and ALMA in American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts

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Ma J (2019) Spitzer Catalog of Herschel -selected Ultrared Dusty Star-forming Galaxies in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series

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Macías-Pérez J (2020) NIKA: a mm camera for Sunyaev-Zel'dovich science in clusters of galaxies in EPJ Web of Conferences

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Mallaby-Kay M (2021) The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: Summary of DR4 and DR5 Data Products and Data Access in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series

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

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Marnieros S (2020) TES Bolometer Arrays for the QUBIC B-Mode CMB Experiment in Journal of Low Temperature Physics

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Marnieros S. (2020) TES Bolometer Arrays for the QUBIC B-Mode CMB Experiment in Journal of Low Temperature Physics

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Marsh K (2019) RCW 120: a possible case of hit and run, elucidated by multitemperature dust mapping in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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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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Matrà L (2020) Dust Populations in the Iconic Vega Planetary System Resolved by ALMA in The Astrophysical Journal