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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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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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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Ruffa I (2024) A fundamental plane of black hole accretion at millimetre wavelengths in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters

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Sadavoy Sarah (2019) The Life Cycle of Dust in Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society

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Sansom A (2019) ALMA observations of massive molecular gas reservoirs in dusty early-type galaxies in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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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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Schillaci A (2020) Design and Performance of the First BICEP Array Receiver in Journal of Low Temperature Physics

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Schillaci A. (2020) Design and performance of the first BICEP Array receiver in arXiv e-prints

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Schisano E (2020) The Hi-GAL catalogue of dusty filamentary structures in the Galactic plane in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Schombert J (2020) Using the Baryonic Tully-Fisher Relation to Measure H o in The Astronomical Journal

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Schuller F (2021) The SEDIGISM survey: First Data Release and overview of the Galactic structure in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Seth Anil C. (2021) Revealing Low Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei (ReveaLLAGN) in JWST Proposal. Cycle 1

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Shariff J (2019) Submillimeter Polarization Spectrum of the Carina Nebula in The Astrophysical Journal

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Shimajiri Y (2020) The accretion history of high-mass stars: an ArTéMiS pilot study of infrared dark clouds in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Shirley R (2021) HELP: the Herschel Extragalactic Legacy Project in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Simpson J (2020) An ALMA survey of the brightest sub-millimetre sources in the SCUBA-2-COSMOS field in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Smith C (2019) Revealing dust-obscured star formation in CLJ1449+0856, a cluster at z = 2 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society