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
Tout C
(2011)
A common envelope binary star origin of long gamma-ray bursts LGRBs from common envelope evolution
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Zimmerman N
(2011)
A Data-Cube Extraction Pipeline for a Coronagraphic Integral Field Spectrograph
in Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
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
Mustill A
(2011)
A general model of resonance capture in planetary systems: first- and second-order resonances Resonance capture
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
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
Hinkley S
(2011)
A New High Contrast Imaging Program at Palomar Observatory
in Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Eldridge J
(2009)
A new-age determination for ?2 Velorum from binary stellar evolution models
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Beckwith K
(2011)
A SECOND-ORDER GODUNOV METHOD FOR MULTI-DIMENSIONAL RELATIVISTIC MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Wright J
(2009)
A THIRD GIANT PLANET ORBITING HIP 14810
in The Astrophysical Journal
Lisse C
(2009)
ABUNDANT CIRCUMSTELLAR SILICA DUST AND SiO GAS CREATED BY A GIANT HYPERVELOCITY COLLISION IN THE ~12 MYR HD172555 SYSTEM
in The Astrophysical Journal
Wickramasinghe D
(2009)
Accretion induced collapse of white dwarfs in binary systems and their observational properties
in Journal of Physics: Conference Series
Pueyo L
(2012)
APPLICATION OF A DAMPED LOCALLY OPTIMIZED COMBINATION OF IMAGES METHOD TO THE SPECTRAL CHARACTERIZATION OF FAINT COMPANIONS USING AN INTEGRAL FIELD SPECTROGRAPH
in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Kennedy G
(2010)
Are debris discs self-stirred?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Gaburov E
(2011)
Astrophysical weighted particle magnetohydrodynamics Astrophysical WPMHD
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Tout C
(2011)
Astrophysics: Stars acquire youth through duplicity.
in Nature
Hanson D
(2010)
Asymmetric beams and CMB statistical anisotropy
in Physical Review D
Moerchen M
(2010)
Asymmetric heating of the HR 4796A dust ring due to pericenter glow
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Efstathiou G
(2009)
B-mode detection with an extended planck mission
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Claeys J
(2011)
Binary progenitor models of type IIb supernovae
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Moeckel N
(2009)
BONDI-HOYLE-LYTTLETON ACCRETION ONTO A PROTOPLANETARY DISK
in The Astrophysical Journal
Moeckel N
(2012)
Circumbinary disc survival during binary-single scattering: towards a dynamical model of the Orion BN/KL complex Circumbinary disc survival during scattering
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
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
Hanson D
(2009)
CMB lensing and primordial non-Gaussianity
in Physical Review D
Hanson D
(2011)
CMB temperature lensing power reconstruction
in Physical Review D
Sollom I
(2009)
Cold dark matter isocurvature perturbations: Constraints and model selection
in Physical Review D
Wyatt M
(2010)
Collisional evolution of eccentric planetesimal swarms Collisional evolution of eccentric debris
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Kennedy G
(2011)
Collisional evolution of irregular satellite swarms: detectable dust around Solar system and extrasolar planets Evolution of irregular satellite swarms
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Moeckel N
(2011)
Collisional formation of very massive stars in dense clusters Collisional formation of very massive stars in dense clusters
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Viel M
(2009)
Cosmological and astrophysical constraints from the Lyman a forest flux probability distribution function
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Mustill A
(2009)
Debris disc stirring by secular perturbations from giant planets
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Greaves J
(2010)
Debris discs and comet populations around Sun-like stars: the Solar system in context
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Greaves J
(2009)
Debris discs around nearby solar analogues
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
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
Raymond S
(2011)
Debris disks as signposts of terrestrial planet formation
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
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
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
Hinkley S
(2010)
DISCOVERY AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A FAINT STELLAR COMPANION TO THE A3V STAR ? VIRGINIS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Karl S
(2011)
DISRUPTION OF STAR CLUSTERS IN THE INTERACTING ANTENNAE GALAXIES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Wickramasinghe D
(2010)
Does GD 356 have a terrestrial planetary companion?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Moeckel N
(2009)
Does subcluster merging accelerate mass segregation in local clusters?
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
Weidner C
(2010)
Escaping stars from young low-N clusters Escapees from low-N clusters
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Hinkley S
(2011)
ESTABLISHING a Oph AS A PROTOTYPE ROTATOR: IMPROVED ASTROMETRIC ORBIT
in The Astrophysical Journal
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
(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
(2010)
Faint extended Lya emission due to star formation at the centre of high column density QSO absorption systems Extended Lya emission from DLAs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Rauch M
(2011)
Faint resonantly scattered Lya emission from the absorption troughs of damped Lya systems at z~ 3 Lya emission from damped Lya systems
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Rauch M
(2011)
Filamentary infall of cold gas and escape of Lya and hydrogen ionizing radiation from an interacting high-redshift galaxy? Infall of gas and escape of radiation
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Hurley J
(2010)
Formation of binary millisecond pulsars by accretion-induced collapse of white dwarfs
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 |