Consolidated Grant Astronomy Observation and Theory 2019-2022
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Institute of Astronomy
Abstract
This proposal is for a single Consolidated Grant to support the majority of research in Theoretical and Observational Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Institute of Astronomy (IoA) in Cambridge.
On the largest scales, the proposal includes work to understand the origin and evolution of the Universe itself through precision observations of the cosmic microwave background with new ground-based telescopes, measurements of the 3D positions of galaxies measured with the DES and DESI galaxy surveys, and the development of new techniques to obtain robust constraints on the history of the expansion of the Universe from observations of distant supernovae.
The Universe today is filled with galaxies, of which our own Milky Way is a not atypical example. A full understanding of galaxy formation and evolution requires multiple lines of attack. Observations of the resolved stellar populations in the Milky Way and its Local Group companions provide a detailed fossil record of the dynamical assemblies of the galaxies, the formation of stars, and the buildup of heavy elements over a wide range of mass scales and initial conditions. Researchers at the IoA lead key parts of the data processing for the ESA Gaia space mission, which is performing a survey of the Milky Way with unprecedented precision and volume. Several projects in this proposal will exploit the forthcoming second data release from Gaia (a thousand-fold increase in data over the first release) to understand the dynamics of the Galaxy and its companions. At the other end of the scale, observations of distant galaxies spanning lookback times of up to 12 billion years provide direct measurements of the evolution of galaxy populations and the buildup of stars and metals with cosmic time. The light from these first galaxies likely led to the reionization of hydrogen in the intergalactic medium, when the age of the Universe was less than one billion years. Modelling this process requires sophisticated hydrodynamical simulations, including radiative transfer effects, and is a further focus of this proposal.
It is now recognised that there is an intimate link between the evolution of galaxies and the origin and properties of super-massive black holes, which reside at the centre of the Milky Way and other galaxies. The regions close to black holes allow the exploration of physics at the extremes. The formation and properties of super-massive black holes and their relation to the galaxies in which they reside is a research theme that involves theoretical high-energy astrophysics and observational programmes in the grant.
On much smaller scales within galaxies, the grant focusses of the formation of planetary systems through theoretical modelling of the evolution of protoplanetary disks (exploiting high-resolution imaging with ALMA) and their associated debris disks, and on the atmospheres and geology of extrasolar planets.
On the largest scales, the proposal includes work to understand the origin and evolution of the Universe itself through precision observations of the cosmic microwave background with new ground-based telescopes, measurements of the 3D positions of galaxies measured with the DES and DESI galaxy surveys, and the development of new techniques to obtain robust constraints on the history of the expansion of the Universe from observations of distant supernovae.
The Universe today is filled with galaxies, of which our own Milky Way is a not atypical example. A full understanding of galaxy formation and evolution requires multiple lines of attack. Observations of the resolved stellar populations in the Milky Way and its Local Group companions provide a detailed fossil record of the dynamical assemblies of the galaxies, the formation of stars, and the buildup of heavy elements over a wide range of mass scales and initial conditions. Researchers at the IoA lead key parts of the data processing for the ESA Gaia space mission, which is performing a survey of the Milky Way with unprecedented precision and volume. Several projects in this proposal will exploit the forthcoming second data release from Gaia (a thousand-fold increase in data over the first release) to understand the dynamics of the Galaxy and its companions. At the other end of the scale, observations of distant galaxies spanning lookback times of up to 12 billion years provide direct measurements of the evolution of galaxy populations and the buildup of stars and metals with cosmic time. The light from these first galaxies likely led to the reionization of hydrogen in the intergalactic medium, when the age of the Universe was less than one billion years. Modelling this process requires sophisticated hydrodynamical simulations, including radiative transfer effects, and is a further focus of this proposal.
It is now recognised that there is an intimate link between the evolution of galaxies and the origin and properties of super-massive black holes, which reside at the centre of the Milky Way and other galaxies. The regions close to black holes allow the exploration of physics at the extremes. The formation and properties of super-massive black holes and their relation to the galaxies in which they reside is a research theme that involves theoretical high-energy astrophysics and observational programmes in the grant.
On much smaller scales within galaxies, the grant focusses of the formation of planetary systems through theoretical modelling of the evolution of protoplanetary disks (exploiting high-resolution imaging with ALMA) and their associated debris disks, and on the atmospheres and geology of extrasolar planets.
Planned Impact
The Institute of Astronomy ensures all students, postdoctoral researchers and staff are actively involved both in delivering high-value science, and also engaging and stimulating a variety of additional knowledge-creation activities. These activities focus on public awareness of astrophysical science, and on applications of research developments in medical, space-industry and commercial spheres.
The University of Cambridge has one of the most successful programmes for nurturing knowledge transfer and the resulting economic and societal impact between University departments and industry both in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. The extraordinarily successful Cambridge Science Park is well known, with expertise and ideas from Cambridge Astrophysics being involved in the establishment of several businesses in the Cambridge area.
The IoA's approach to the search for impact opportunities is embedded in the mechanisms that the University has in place to facilitate this. The University's Research Office provides the primary point of contact for corporate liaison, and is actively involved in pursuing impact and knowledge-exchange activities and opportunities throughout the University. Cambridge Enterprise, the University's technology transfer and entrepreneurship arm, exists to enhance the University of Cambridge's contribution to society through knowledge transfer from the University to the community. Members of the Institute of Astronomy interact with these organisations regularly. Engagement with the wider economic community is supported by a Collaborative Research Facilitator, based in the Cavendish Laboratory, who is able to provide advice on relevant networking and funding opportunities.
In summary, the research carried out at the IoA supported through this will lead to a wide range of impacts across a broad range of areas from direct and specific impact in the application of analysis techniques to problems in the medical field to inspirational outreach programmes engaging with those teaching the next generation of scientists.
The University of Cambridge has one of the most successful programmes for nurturing knowledge transfer and the resulting economic and societal impact between University departments and industry both in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. The extraordinarily successful Cambridge Science Park is well known, with expertise and ideas from Cambridge Astrophysics being involved in the establishment of several businesses in the Cambridge area.
The IoA's approach to the search for impact opportunities is embedded in the mechanisms that the University has in place to facilitate this. The University's Research Office provides the primary point of contact for corporate liaison, and is actively involved in pursuing impact and knowledge-exchange activities and opportunities throughout the University. Cambridge Enterprise, the University's technology transfer and entrepreneurship arm, exists to enhance the University of Cambridge's contribution to society through knowledge transfer from the University to the community. Members of the Institute of Astronomy interact with these organisations regularly. Engagement with the wider economic community is supported by a Collaborative Research Facilitator, based in the Cavendish Laboratory, who is able to provide advice on relevant networking and funding opportunities.
In summary, the research carried out at the IoA supported through this will lead to a wide range of impacts across a broad range of areas from direct and specific impact in the application of analysis techniques to problems in the medical field to inspirational outreach programmes engaging with those teaching the next generation of scientists.
Organisations
Publications
Saito R
(2019)
VVV-WIT-04: an extragalactic variable source caught by the VVV Survey
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Lucas P
(2019)
Transverse kinematics of the Galactic bar-bulge from VVV and Gaia
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Zubeldia Í
(2019)
Cosmological constraints from Planck galaxy clusters with CMB lensing mass bias calibration
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Haworth T
(2019)
The first multidimensional view of mass loss from externally FUV irradiated protoplanetary discs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Kulkarni G
(2019)
Large Ly a opacity fluctuations and low CMB t in models of late reionization with large islands of neutral hydrogen extending to z < 5.5
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
West R
(2019)
NGTS-4b: A sub-Neptune transiting in the desert
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Yelverton B
(2019)
A statistically significant lack of debris discs in medium separation binary systems
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Sanders J
(2019)
The pattern speed of the Milky Way bar from transverse velocities
Green M
(2019)
Phase-resolved spectroscopy of Gaia14aae: line emission from near the white dwarf surface
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Gallo L
(2019)
Nuclear spallation in active galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Dumitru S
(2019)
Predictions and sensitivity forecasts for reionization-era [C ii ] line intensity mapping
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Deason A
(2019)
The local high-velocity tail and the Galactic escape speed
Marton G
(2019)
Identification of Young Stellar Object candidates in the Gaia DR2 x AllWISE catalogue with machine learning methods
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bambic C
(2019)
Efficient Production of Sound Waves by AGN Jets in the Intracluster Medium
in The Astrophysical Journal
Gallo L
(2019)
Nuclear spallation in active galaxies
West R
(2019)
NGTS-4b: A sub-Neptune transiting in the desert
Lancaster L
(2019)
Quantifying the smoothness of the stellar halo: a link to accretion history
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Everall A
(2019)
The tilt of the local velocity ellipsoid as seen by Gaia
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Shu Y
(2019)
Catalogues of active galactic nuclei from Gaia and unWISE data
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Pinilla P
(2019)
An Inner Disk in the Large Gap of the Transition Disk SR 24S
Manara C
(2019)
Observational constraints on dust disk sizes in tidally truncated protoplanetary disks in multiple systems in the Taurus region
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Olofsson J
(2019)
Dust production in the debris disk around HR 4796 A
Coulton W
(2019)
Constraining neutrino mass with the tomographic weak lensing bispectrum
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Comerford T
(2019)
Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton accretion by binary stars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Smith M
(2019)
Cosmological simulations of dwarfs: the need for ISM physics beyond SN feedback alone
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Long F
(2019)
Compact Disks in a High-resolution ALMA Survey of Dust Structures in the Taurus Molecular Cloud
in The Astrophysical Journal
Deason A
(2019)
The local high-velocity tail and the Galactic escape speed
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Gaikwad P
(2019)
Effect of non-equilibrium ionization on derived physical conditions of the high-z intergalactic medium
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Abbott TMC
(2019)
Cosmological Constraints from Multiple Probes in the Dark Energy Survey.
in Physical review letters
Boubert D
(2019)
Lessons from the curious case of the 'fastest' star in Gaia DR2
Wevers T
(2019)
Evidence for rapid disc formation and reprocessing in the X-ray bright tidal disruption event candidate AT 2018fyk
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Daley C
(2019)
The Mass of Stirring Bodies in the AU Mic Debris Disk Inferred from Resolved Vertical Structure
in The Astrophysical Journal
Winter A
(2019)
A solution to the proplyd lifetime problem
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Rosotti G
(2019)
On the millimetre continuum flux-radius correlation of proto-planetary discs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Vasiliev E
(2019)
Probing primordial 3He from hyperfine line afterglows around supercritical black holes
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Sanders J
(2019)
Transverse kinematics of the Galactic bar-bulge from VVV and Gaia
Pinilla P
(2019)
An Inner Disk in the Large Gap of the Transition Disk SR 24S
in The Astrophysical Journal
An J
(2019)
Self-consistent potential-density pairs of thick discs and flattened galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Evans N
(2019)
Lessons from the curious case of the 'fastest' star in Gaia DR2
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society