Constraining cosmology and galaxy formation from local observations of the universe.
Lead Research Organisation:
Durham University
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
The aim is to place constraints on the nature of dark matter and galaxy formation by modelling satellite galaxies and streams and comparing these to the local universe.
Organisations
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST/N50404X/1 | 01/10/2015 | 31/03/2021 | |||
| 1630341 | Studentship | ST/N50404X/1 | 01/10/2015 | 31/03/2019 | Oliver Newton |
| Title | Bayesian estimation of MW satellite galaxy luminosity function |
| Description | This algorithm computes the most likely luminosity function for the Milky Way's complement of satellite galaxies. It takes as input observations of satellite galaxies from two disconnected survey volumes, and a tracer population taken from cosmological simulations which is assumed to model the satellite distribution well. |
| Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | This informs about the development and evolution of the Milky Way galaxy within the standard cosmological paradigm, and has spurred the development of better techniques to identify satellite galaxies from extant surveys, to help constrain viable Dark Matter candidates. |
| Description | Celebrate Science |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Celebrate Science is an annual, multi-day festival that aims to engage children/families, and the general public more widely, with science. This year we once again made use of the exhibits designed and built for the Royal Society Exhibition to help participants to understand our Universe, what it is and how it evolves. The 2017 event attracted over 8,500 people, which also included dedicated school visits to the Festival. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017,2018,2019 |
| URL | https://www.dur.ac.uk/celebrate.science/ |
| Description | Royal Society Exhibition 2016 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The Institute was invited to provide activities for the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition in 2016. This consisted of several exhibits; one involved projecting a "3-dimensional" simulated cosmological volume which was evolved through cosmic time to the present day. Various levers, buttons and dials allowed different parameters of the simulation to be altered, and participants (the general public) were able to view various pieces of information and statistics about "their" universe as it evolved, and compare their universe with our best reference model. This enhanced their understanding of cosmology and the work that goes into understanding the evolution of the Universe and encouraged stimulating discussion and questions. The second exhibit combined existing cosmological simulations on the compute cluster with Occulus Rift technology to create a 3D fly-through of the simulations. This was accompanied by sound and narration to explain key concepts and demonstrate components of the Standard Model of Cosmology, and their interplay. This again provoked further questions and discussion, and provided a visual and easily digestable summary of current knowledge of the Universe. The final exhibit allowed participants to weight out different components (such as stars, gas and dust) to create their own galaxy. In the process participants learned about the Hubble "tuning fork", and this also proved accessible to younger participants who were enthused and able to understand basic concepts. All of the above exhibits were designed to provide a visually stimulating and approachable look at the Universe and its complexity. The exhibits also offered the opportunity for members of the public to interact with "real researchers/scientists," and for those interested in pursuing a career in these fields, the opportunity to find out more about the current frontiers of knowledge and to gain an understanding of life as a researcher. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/2016/summer-science-exhibition/ |
| Description | Schools Science Festivals |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Every year secondary schools from the region are invited to come to Durham University and participate in the School's Science Festival. This seeks to inform, educate and encourage students with science across a range of subject areas and disciplines. We provided two of the exhibits developed for the Royal Society Exhibition to help describe to and educate students about the Universe we live in, what it is made of and how it evolves. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017,2018 |
| URL | https://www.dur.ac.uk/science.outreach/sciencefestival/ |