Research in Theoretical Astronomy 2009-2014
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Institute of Astronomy
Abstract
The Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, is one of the worlds leading research Institutes in Astronomy. It comprises 19 academic staff, 51 postdoctoral research assistants and 52 PhD students, about half of whom work on theoretical astronomy. This grant application is asking for a renewal of the main theoretical rolling grant at the IoA. Over the next five years we will pursue a broad range of theoretical research on the following problems: (i) The Planck satellite is a third generation space satellite dedicated to measuring the temperature and polarization anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background. Planck is scheduled for launch at the end of 2008, some 15 years after it was first proposed to ESA. The years covered by the grant coincide with the peak period for the scientific exploitation of this satellite. PDRA support is requested to work with the Co-Investigators on core science projects. In particular, we are responsible for leading the key analysis of cosmological parameters from Planck and wish to investigate constraints on models of cosmic inflation. Cambridge has a leading role in the Clover polarization experiment and we wish to involve PDRAs in the scientific interpretation of that experiment. (ii) The cosmic microwave background radiation provides us with a picture of the Universe when it was 400,000 years old. At that time, the Universe was filled with a near uniform mixture of hydrogen , helium, dark matter and radiation. We will investigate how the first non-linear structures emerged from this stochastic background. Over the grant period the main emphasis of the research will be to perform hydrodynamic simulations including radiative transfer to model the thermal state of the intergalactic medium and spatially extended Lyalpha emission. We will also extend previous work on the matter power spectrum from the Ly alpha forest to constrain neutrino masses, in combination with data from Planck. (iii) The discovery of large numbers of extrasolar planets has led to enormous interest in theoretical work on the formation of planets. Over the grant period we will pursue a research programme building on expertise in protoplanetary and debris disk evolution. The work will be centred on linking the protoplanetary phase, when discs were gas rich and possible sites of ongoing gaseous planet formation, through to the debris disc phase, when discs were gas poor, dusty structures, with planetesimal bels as possible sites for terrestrial planet formation. (iv) Accretion discs are present in a wide variety of astronomical systems . In particular, accretion onto compact objects such as black holes, neutron stars and white dwarfs produce observational signatures that provide the main scientific justification for X-ray satellites and gravitational wave detectors. Magnetic fields are central to understanding the evolution of accretion discs. We will perform state-of-the-art numerical simulations of magnetised accretion discs to understand their role in accretion disc dynamics and to compute observational signatures. (v) Understanding stellar evolution is essential for the interpretation of all astrophysical systems, from stars in our own Galaxy to the formation of the first non-linear structures in the Universe. Over the next five years we will develop improved models of massive stars as the progenitors of supernovae and gamma-ray bursts. We will also develop fully three-dimensional numerical models of stellar evolution in binary systems, in collaboration with colleagues at Livermore. (vi) Finally, we will pursue two research themes to understand feedback processes in the cores of clusters of galaxies. We will investigate the physics of `emission line filaments', which are still not understood and we will use large numerical simulations to assess the impact of baryonic physics on the use of clusters as cosmological probes (e.g. testing the nature of dark energy.
Organisations
Publications
{Planck Collaboration} And {Ade}, P.~A.~R. And {Aghanim}, N. And {Arnaud}, M. And {Ashdown}, M. And {Aumont}, J. And {Baccigalupi}, C. And {Balbi}, A. And {Banday}, A.~J. And {Barreiro}, R.~B. And {Bartlett}, J.~G. And {Battaner}, E. And {Benabed}, K. And {Beno{\^i}t}, A. And {Bernard}, J.-P. And {Bersanelli}, M. And {Bhatia}, R. And {Bock}, J.~J. And {Bonaldi}, A. And {Bond}, J.~R. And {Borrill}, J. And {Bouchet}, F.~R. And {Boulanger}, F. And {Bucher}, M. And {Burigana}, C. And {Cabella}, P.
(2011)
Planck early results. XIX. All-sky temperature and dust optical depth from Planck and IRAS. Constraints on the ''dark gas'' in our Galaxy
in \aap
Haehnelt M
(2010)
Probing dark matter, galaxies and the expansion history of the Universe with Ly a in absorption and emission
in Astronomische Nachrichten
Zacchei A
(2011)
Planck early results. V. The Low Frequency Instrument data processing
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Lestrade J
(2009)
Search for cold debris disks around M-dwarfs. II
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Smith R
(2009)
Resolving the hot dust around HD69830 and ? Corvi with MIDI and VISIR
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Claeys J
(2011)
Binary progenitor models of type IIb supernovae
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Larsen S
(2011)
Resolved photometry of extragalactic young massive star clusters
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Moerchen M
(2010)
Asymmetric heating of the HR 4796A dust ring due to pericenter glow
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Mennella A
(2011)
Planck early results. III. First assessment of the Low Frequency Instrument in-flight performance
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Raymond S
(2011)
Debris disks as signposts of terrestrial planet formation
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Engel H
(2010)
NGC 6240: merger-induced star formation and gas dynamics
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Smith R
(2010)
Warm dusty discs: exploring the A star 24 µ m debris population
in Astronomy and Astrophysics
Matthews B
(2010)
Resolving debris discs in the far-infrared: Early highlights from the DEBRIS survey
in Astronomy and Astrophysics
Tauber J
(2010)
Planck pre-launch status: The Planck mission
in Astronomy and Astrophysics
Lamarre J
(2010)
Planck pre-launch status: The HFI instrument, from specification to actual performance
in Astronomy and Astrophysics
Clarke C
(2009)
The initial mass function in clusters: theoretical and observational perspectives
in Astrophysics and Space Science
Wyatt M
(2011)
Debris disk size distributions: steady state collisional evolution with Poynting-Robertson drag and other loss processes
in Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy
Pontzen A
(2011)
Linearization of homogeneous, nearly-isotropic cosmological models
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Hanson D
(2010)
Weak lensing of the CMB
in General Relativity and Gravitation
Lewis A
(2011)
The shape of the CMB lensing bispectrum
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Viel M
(2010)
The effect of neutrinos on the matter distribution as probed by the intergalactic medium
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Efstathiou G
(2009)
B-mode detection with an extended planck mission
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Wickramasinghe D
(2009)
Accretion induced collapse of white dwarfs in binary systems and their observational properties
in Journal of Physics: Conference Series
Phillips N
(2010)
Target selection for the SUNS and DEBRIS surveys for debris discs in the solar neighbourhood
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bonsor A
(2011)
Dynamical effects of stellar mass-loss on a Kuiper-like belt Dynamical effects of stellar mass-loss
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Moeckel N
(2011)
The formation of permanent soft binaries in dispersing clusters Permanent soft binaries in dispersing clusters
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Martin R
(2009)
Supernova kicks and misaligned Be star binaries
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Moeckel N
(2009)
Limits on initial mass segregation in young clusters
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Nelemans G
(2010)
The chemical composition of donors in AM CVn stars and ultracompact X-ray binaries: observational tests of their formation
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Crockett R
(2011)
On the nature of the progenitors of three Type II-P supernovae: 2004et, 2006my and 2006ov Progenitors of SNe 2006my, 2006ov and 2004et
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bolton J
(2012)
Improved measurements of the intergalactic medium temperature around quasars: possible evidence for the initial stages of He ii reionization at z ? 6 IGM temperature measurements around z ? 6 quasars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Eldridge J
(2012)
The effect of stellar evolution uncertainties on the rest-frame ultraviolet stellar lines of C iv and He ii in high-redshift Lyman-break galaxies Uncertainties of the UV stellar lines in LBGs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Beckwith K
(2011)
Turbulence in global simulations of magnetized thin accretion discs Turbulence in magnetized thin discs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Weidner C
(2010)
Escaping stars from young low-N clusters Escapees from low-N clusters
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Lau H
(2011)
Spin-down of massive rotating stars Spin-down of massive rotating stars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Mustill A
(2012)
Dependence of a planet's chaotic zone on particle eccentricity: the shape of debris disc inner edges Eccentric chaotic zone
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Wickramasinghe D
(2010)
Does GD 356 have a terrestrial planetary companion?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Efstathiou G
(2010)
Large-angle correlations in the cosmic microwave background Large-angle correlations of the CMB
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Regan J
(2009)
Pathways to massive black holes and compact star clusters in pre-galactic dark matter haloes with virial temperatures ?10 000 K
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Walmswell J
(2012)
Circumstellar dust as a solution to the red supergiant supernova progenitor problem Circumstellar dust and the red supergiant problem
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Smartt S
(2009)
The death of massive stars - I. Observational constraints on the progenitors of Type II-P supernovae
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Clarke C
(2009)
Pseudo-viscous modelling of self-gravitating discs and the formation of low mass ratio binaries
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Martin R
(2011)
Tidal warping and precession of Be star decretion discs Tidal warping of Be star decretion discs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Eldridge J
(2011)
The red supergiants and Wolf-Rayet stars of NGC 604 The RSGs and WR stars of NGC 604
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Mustill A
(2009)
Debris disc stirring by secular perturbations from giant planets
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Ball W
(2011)
The structure and evolution of quasi-stars The structure and evolution of quasi-stars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Maschberger T
(2011)
Global mass segregation in hydrodynamical simulations of star formation Global mass segregation
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bonsor A
(2010)
Post-main-sequence evolution of A star debris discs Post-main-sequence evolution of debris discs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Potter A
(2012)
Towards a unified model of stellar rotation Towards a unified model of stellar rotation
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Kains N
(2011)
Steady-state evolution of debris discs around solar-type stars Evolution of discs around solar-type stars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
| Description | Fundamental contributions to a wide range of problems in theoretical astronomy |
| Exploitation Route | Via publication in academic journals |
| Sectors | Aerospace Defence and Marine Other |