Astrophysics Research at the University of Leicester
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leicester
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
Our research aims to investigate a range of high-priority science topics in these areas:
i. studying high-energy and high-redshift transients and the relation of transients to gravitational wave events
ii. investigating the growth and evolution of the first stars and black holes in galaxies
iii. determining the properties of powerful active galactic nuclei including the Broad Line Region
iv. measuring the fundamental properties of white dwarf stars
v. investigating the properties of exoplanets, brown dwarfs and low mass stars
vi. investigating accretion processes
vii exploring the formation of planets
We will deliver this programme by carrying out observations using a broad range of ground and space based observing facilities, including XMM-Newton, HST, Swift, GAIA, JWST, ALMA, VLT, WHT, INT, LT, NGTS, GOTO and SAAO, and by conducting numerical simulations using major High Performance Computer facilities such as DiRAC.
i. studying high-energy and high-redshift transients and the relation of transients to gravitational wave events
ii. investigating the growth and evolution of the first stars and black holes in galaxies
iii. determining the properties of powerful active galactic nuclei including the Broad Line Region
iv. measuring the fundamental properties of white dwarf stars
v. investigating the properties of exoplanets, brown dwarfs and low mass stars
vi. investigating accretion processes
vii exploring the formation of planets
We will deliver this programme by carrying out observations using a broad range of ground and space based observing facilities, including XMM-Newton, HST, Swift, GAIA, JWST, ALMA, VLT, WHT, INT, LT, NGTS, GOTO and SAAO, and by conducting numerical simulations using major High Performance Computer facilities such as DiRAC.
Organisations
Publications
Nayakshin S
(2022)
ALMA constraints on assembly of core accretion planets
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Salyk C
(2022)
An Unusual Reservoir of Water Emission in the VV CrA A Protoplanetary Disk
in The Astronomical Journal
Giarratana S
(2022)
VLBI observations of GRB 201015A, a relatively faint GRB with a hint of very high-energy gamma-ray emission
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Le Duigou J
(2022)
Stability and assembly precision of MXT line of sight
Kundu S
(2022)
Stars Crushed by Black Holes. III. Mild Compression of Radiative Stars by Supermassive Black Holes
in The Astrophysical Journal
Feldman C
(2022)
Calibration of the flight model lobster eye optic for SVOM
Gompertz B
(2022)
The case for a minute-long merger-driven gamma-ray burst from fast-cooling synchrotron emission
in Nature Astronomy
Eyles-Ferris R
(2022)
Simulated optical light curves of super-Eddington tidal disruption events with ZEBRA flows
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Mandhai S
(2022)
Exploring compact binary merger host galaxies and environments with zELDA
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Zhang C
(2022)
First Wide Field-of-view X-Ray Observations by a Lobster-eye Focusing Telescope in Orbit
in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Lamb G
(2022)
Inhomogeneous Jets from Neutron Star Mergers: One Jet to Rule Them All
in Universe
Steeghs D
(2022)
The Gravitational-wave Optical Transient Observer (GOTO): prototype performance and prospects for transient science
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Scardoni C
(2022)
Inward and outward migration of massive planets: moving towards a stalling radius
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Abe H
(2022)
Gamma-ray observations of MAXI J1820+070 during the 2018 outburst
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Chibueze J
(2022)
A MeerKAT, e-MERLIN, H.E.S.S., and Swift search for persistent and transient emission associated with three localized FRBs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Eyles-Ferris R
(2022)
Extragalactic transient candidates in the second Swift -XRT point source catalogue
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Coughlin E
(2022)
A simple and accurate prescription for the tidal disruption radius of a star and the peak accretion rate in tidal disruption events
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Piro L
(2022)
Athena synergies in the multi-messenger and transient universe
in Experimental Astronomy
Elbakyan V
(2022)
Gap opening by planets in discs with magnetized winds
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Dyer M
(2022)
The Gravitational-wave Optical Transient Observer (GOTO)
Coughlin E
(2022)
On the Impact of Relativistic Gravity on the Rate of Tidal Disruption Events
in The Astrophysical Journal
Williams M
(2023)
GRB 221009A: Discovery of an Exceptionally Rare Nearby and Energetic Gamma-Ray Burst
in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Acharyya A
(2023)
Multiwavelength Observations of the Blazar PKS 0735+178 in Spatial and Temporal Coincidence with an Astrophysical Neutrino Candidate IceCube-211208A
in The Astrophysical Journal
Cufari M
(2023)
Tidal capture of stars by supermassive black holes: implications for periodic nuclear transients and quasi-periodic eruptions
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Debes J
(2023)
The Surprising Evolution of the Shadow on the TW Hya Disk*
in The Astrophysical Journal
Mong Y
(2023)
Self-supervised clustering on image-subtracted data with deep-embedded self-organizing map
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Aharonian F
(2023)
The Vanishing of the Primary Emission Region in PKS 1510-089
in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Zagaria F
(2023)
Dust dynamics in planet-forming discs in binary systems
in The European Physical Journal Plus
Alexander R
(2023)
The distribution of accretion rates as a diagnostic of protoplanetary disc evolution
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Saccardi A
(2023)
Dissecting the interstellar medium of a z = 6.3 galaxy X-shooter spectroscopy and HST imaging of the afterglow and environment of the Swift GRB 210905A
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Joyce S
(2023)
X-ray and UV radiation in the planet-forming T-Tauri system PDS 70. Signs of accretion and coronal activity
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Aharonian F
(2023)
H.E.S.S. Follow-up Observations of GRB 221009A
in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Chen C
(2023)
Orbital stability of two circumbinary planets around misaligned eccentric binaries
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Arulanantham N
(2023)
Lya Scattering Models Trace Accretion and Outflow Kinematics in T Tauri Systems*
in The Astrophysical Journal
Patel M
(2023)
GRB 201015A and the nature of low-luminosity soft gamma-ray bursts
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Evans P
(2023)
Monthly quasi-periodic eruptions from repeated stellar disruption by a massive black hole
in Nature Astronomy
Wu Y
(2023)
Distinguishing magnetized disc winds from turbulent viscosity through substructure morphology in planet-forming discs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Rowther S
(2023)
Continuing to hide signatures of gravitational instability in protoplanetary discs with planets
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Rowther S
(2024)
The role of drag and gravity on dust concentration in a gravitationally unstable disc
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Eyles-Ferris R
(2024)
The Gravitational Wave AfterglowPy Analysis (GWAPA) webtool
in Research Notes of the AAS
Pritchard M
(2024)
Sandwiched planet formation: restricting the mass of a middle planet
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society