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
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
Bally J
(2011)
EXPLOSIVE OUTFLOWS POWERED BY THE DECAY OF NON-HIERARCHICAL MULTIPLE SYSTEMS OF MASSIVE STARS: ORION BN/KL
in The Astrophysical Journal
Barnes L
(2009)
A joint model for the emission and absorption properties of damped Lya absorption systems
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Barnes L
(2010)
Faint extended Lya emission due to star formation at the centre of high column density QSO absorption systems
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Barnes L
(2011)
Galactic winds and extended Lya emission from the host galaxies of high column density quasi-stellar object absorption systems Galactic winds and extended Lya emission
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Becker G
(2011)
Detection of extended He ii reionization in the temperature evolution of the intergalactic medium? IGM temperatures over 2 < z < 5
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Beckwith K
(2009)
TRANSPORT OF LARGE-SCALE POLOIDAL FLUX IN BLACK HOLE ACCRETION
in The Astrophysical Journal
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
Beckwith K
(2011)
A SECOND-ORDER GODUNOV METHOD FOR MULTI-DIMENSIONAL RELATIVISTIC MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Beichman C
(2011)
MULTI-EPOCH OBSERVATIONS OF HD 69830: HIGH-RESOLUTION SPECTROSCOPY AND LIMITS TO VARIABILITY
in The Astrophysical Journal
Bird S
(2012)
Massive neutrinos and the non-linear matter power spectrum The matter power with neutrinos
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
Bolton J
(2011)
How neutral is the intergalactic medium surrounding the redshift z = 7.085 quasar ULAS J1120+0641? How neutral is the IGM around J1120+0641?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Bolton J
(2010)
A first direct measurement of the intergalactic medium temperature around a quasar at z= 6 The IGM temperature around a quasar at z=6
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
Bonsor A
(2012)
The scattering of small bodies in planetary systems: constraints on the possible orbits of cometary material Scattering in planetary systems
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
Booth M
(2009)
The history of the Solar system's debris disc: observable properties of the Kuiper belt
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Brown M
(2009)
Impact of modulation on CMB B -mode polarization experiments
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bryden G
(2009)
PLANETS AND DEBRIS DISKS: RESULTS FROM A SPITZER /MIPS SEARCH FOR INFRARED EXCESS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Calverley A
(2011)
Measurements of the ultraviolet background at 4.6 < z < 6.4 using the quasar proximity effect? Proximity-effect measurements of the UVB at high redshift
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Cantalupo S
(2010)
Stars quenching stars: how photoionization by local sources regulates gas cooling and galaxy formation
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Cantalupo S
(2011)
radamesh: cosmological radiative transfer for Adaptive Mesh Refinement simulations radamesh
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Challinor A
(2011)
Linear power spectrum of observed source number counts
in Physical Review D
Chen X
(2011)
TIDALLY ENHANCED STELLAR WIND: A WAY TO MAKE THE SYMBIOTIC CHANNEL TO TYPE Ia SUPERNOVA VIABLE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Choudhury T
(2009)
Inside-out or outside-in: the topology of reionization in the photon-starved regime suggested by Lya forest data
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Church R
(2013)
N -body Simulations with Live Stellar Evolution
in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia
Church R
(2009)
Mass transfer in eccentric binaries: the new oil-on-water smoothed particle hydrodynamics technique
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Churcher L
(2011)
Multiwavelength modelling of the ß Leo debris disc: one, two or three planetesimal populations?? Modelling the ß Leo debris disc
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Churcher L
(2011)
Resolved imaging of the HD 191089 debris disc Resolved imaging of the HD 191089 debris disc
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Claeys J
(2011)
Binary progenitor models of type IIb supernovae
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Clarke C
(2010)
The physics and modes of star cluster formation: simulations.
in Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences
Clarke C
(2009)
Limits on the location of planetesimal formation in self-gravitating protostellar discs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Clarke C
(2009)
The initial mass function in clusters: theoretical and observational perspectives
in Astrophysics and Space Science
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
Cossins P
(2010)
The effects of opacity on gravitational stability in protoplanetary discs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Crepp J
(2011)
SPECKLE SUPPRESSION WITH THE PROJECT 1640 INTEGRAL FIELD SPECTROGRAPH
in The Astrophysical Journal
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
Davis O
(2010)
Stellar collisions in accreting protoclusters: a Monte Carlo dynamical study Stellar collisions in accreting protoclusters
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Dervisoglu A
(2010)
Spin angular momentum evolution of the long-period Algols Spin angular momentum evolution of Algols
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Dodson-Robinson S
(2009)
THE FORMATION MECHANISM OF GAS GIANTS ON WIDE ORBITS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Drake J
(2011)
CLOSE TO THE DREDGE: PRECISE X-RAY C AND N ABUNDANCES IN ? ANDROMEDA AND ITS PRECOCIOUS RED GIANT BRANCH MIXING PROBLEM
in The Astronomical Journal
Efstathiou G
(2009)
Impact of Galactic polarized emission on B -mode detection at low multipoles
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Efstathiou G
(2009)
B-mode detection with an extended planck mission
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
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
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
Eldridge J
(2011)
Runaway stars as progenitors of supernovae and gamma-ray bursts Runaway stars as progenitors of SNe and GRBs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Eldridge J
(2009)
Spectral population synthesis including massive binaries
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
Eldridge J
(2009)
A new-age determination for ?? 2 Velorum from binary stellar evolution models
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
| 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 |