Astrophysics at Keele: the formation and evolution of galaxies, stars and planets
Lead Research Organisation:
Keele University
Department Name: Faculty of Natural Sciences
Abstract
In understanding our place in the universe we need to know how many planets there are, how planetary systems form and evolve, and how many of them are like our Solar System, possibly harbouring life. The best way of studying planets is to find the ones that pass in front of ("transit") their star. By looking for the tiny dips in a star's light caused by a transiting planet, Keele's WASP-South survey has found more transiting planets than anyone else in the Southern hemisphere, and is using them to answer questions about how planetary systems form.
Planets form around young stars, and star and planet formation are intimately connected. Keele will process the data from a very large survey of young stars and clusters of stars, using spectra obtained by ESO's Very Large Telescope, to combine with the unprecedented astrometry soon to be obtained by ESA's Gaia mission. The combination will provide the biggest survey yet of how stars and stellar clusters form and evolve.
The two Magellanic Clouds are the two galaxies closest to our own, so close that they interact with our galaxy, providing an excellent opportunity to study how galaxies affect each other, with collisions and mergers thought to be important factors in explaining galaxies today. Keele's role in the new-generation radio survey of the Magellanic Clouds provided by the GASKAP project will provide the most detailed yet picture of the dynamics and interactions of our Milky way with these two satellite galaxies.
At the cores of galaxies, supermassive black holes can grow by sucking in material from their surroundings. It is now realised that powerful winds generated by the swirling around a black hole can both regulate the growth of the black hole and affect the future evolution of the whole galaxy. A Keele-led program using the latest X-ray satellites studies the X-ray emission generated by the extreme gravity of the black hole to study the black-hole winds and their affect on their environment.
Planets form around young stars, and star and planet formation are intimately connected. Keele will process the data from a very large survey of young stars and clusters of stars, using spectra obtained by ESO's Very Large Telescope, to combine with the unprecedented astrometry soon to be obtained by ESA's Gaia mission. The combination will provide the biggest survey yet of how stars and stellar clusters form and evolve.
The two Magellanic Clouds are the two galaxies closest to our own, so close that they interact with our galaxy, providing an excellent opportunity to study how galaxies affect each other, with collisions and mergers thought to be important factors in explaining galaxies today. Keele's role in the new-generation radio survey of the Magellanic Clouds provided by the GASKAP project will provide the most detailed yet picture of the dynamics and interactions of our Milky way with these two satellite galaxies.
At the cores of galaxies, supermassive black holes can grow by sucking in material from their surroundings. It is now realised that powerful winds generated by the swirling around a black hole can both regulate the growth of the black hole and affect the future evolution of the whole galaxy. A Keele-led program using the latest X-ray satellites studies the X-ray emission generated by the extreme gravity of the black hole to study the black-hole winds and their affect on their environment.
Planned Impact
The astrophysics group has a vigorous outreach programme, which benefits from the networks provided by Keele's Widening Participation Division and Science Learning Centre West Midlands and provides benefit to the general public, school children (particularly in the 11-18 age range) and their teachers. We actively enthuse school children, their teachers and the public about STFC science by: taking a planetarium into schools; operating the well-equipped Keele observatory, encouraging both public access and visits from schools; providing adult education classes focused on our research topics; and organising well-attended teacher-training workshops.
In the next grant period we are planning major enhancements to our planetarium activities. We will upgrade its projector system, transforming it into an "exoplanetarium"; develop new planetarium resources based on our exoplanetary and stellar research , which will be widely and freely disseminated to a worldwide open-source planetarium software community; train a chort of undergraduate "Science Mentors" and astrophysics postgraduates to deliver outreach; and take the exoplanetarium into about 30 schools per year, interacting with more than 5000 pupils and their teachers. Our aims are to inspire more children (and their teachers), from an area with a traditionally low HE participation rate, to think about University and science at University level, hence promoting their economic well-being, and showcasing our STFC-funded research.
Book, magazine and newspaper publishers, blog writers and science news websites have all benefited from several press releases and interviews by members of the Keele astrophysics group in recent years. These media events are the result of major discoveries in the areas of star formation, massive stars and exoplanets. Keele will continue to announce major discoveries throughout the forthcoming grant period.
We are developing links with local industry. A Stoke-based SME, who manufacture parts for NASA and ESA astrophysics missions, will be sponsoring an undergraduate Astrophysics prize at Keele and providing careers advice; we in turn will benefit them by assisting them with their public relations and website.
In the next grant period we are planning major enhancements to our planetarium activities. We will upgrade its projector system, transforming it into an "exoplanetarium"; develop new planetarium resources based on our exoplanetary and stellar research , which will be widely and freely disseminated to a worldwide open-source planetarium software community; train a chort of undergraduate "Science Mentors" and astrophysics postgraduates to deliver outreach; and take the exoplanetarium into about 30 schools per year, interacting with more than 5000 pupils and their teachers. Our aims are to inspire more children (and their teachers), from an area with a traditionally low HE participation rate, to think about University and science at University level, hence promoting their economic well-being, and showcasing our STFC-funded research.
Book, magazine and newspaper publishers, blog writers and science news websites have all benefited from several press releases and interviews by members of the Keele astrophysics group in recent years. These media events are the result of major discoveries in the areas of star formation, massive stars and exoplanets. Keele will continue to announce major discoveries throughout the forthcoming grant period.
We are developing links with local industry. A Stoke-based SME, who manufacture parts for NASA and ESA astrophysics missions, will be sponsoring an undergraduate Astrophysics prize at Keele and providing careers advice; we in turn will benefit them by assisting them with their public relations and website.
Organisations
Publications
Kozyreva A
(2017)
Fast evolving pair-instability supernova models: evolution, explosion, light curves
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Kraemer S
(2012)
OBSERVATIONS OF OUTFLOWING ULTRAVIOLET ABSORBERS IN NGC 4051 WITH THE COSMIC ORIGINS SPECTROGRAPH
in The Astrophysical Journal
Lakicevic M
(2012)
Zooming in on Supernova 1987A at submillimetre wavelengths
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Lakicevic M
(2012)
The remnant of supernova 1987A resolved at 3-mm wavelength
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Lam K. W. F.
(2016)
From dense hot Jupiter to low-density Neptune: The discovery of WASP-127b, WASP-136b and WASP-138b
in ArXiv e-prints
Legg E
(2012)
DIRECT MEASUREMENT OF THE X-RAY TIME-DELAY TRANSFER FUNCTION IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI
in The Astrophysical Journal
Lendl M
(2016)
FORS2 observes a multi-epoch transmission spectrum of the hot Saturn-mass exoplanet WASP-49b
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Lendl M
(2012)
WASP-42 b and WASP-49 b: two new transiting sub-Jupiters
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Lendl M.
(2016)
VizieR Online Data Catalog: WASP-49b FORS2 multi-epoch spectra (Lendl+, 2016)
in VizieR Online Data Catalog
Lohr M
(2013)
Period and period change measurements for 143 SuperWASP eclipsing binary candidates near the short-period limit and discovery of a doubly eclipsing quadruple system
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Maggi P.
(2016)
X-raying supernova remnants in the Magellanic Clouds
in Supernova Remnants: An Odyssey in Space after Stellar Death
Magrini L
(2014)
The Gaia -ESO Survey: Abundance ratios in the inner-disk open clusters Trumpler 20, NGC 4815, NGC 6705
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Mahtani D
(2013)
Warm Spitzer occultation photometry of WASP-26b at 3.6 and 4.5 µm
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Marchese E
(2014)
The variable ionized absorber in the Seyfert 2 Mrk 348
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Massimi C
(2012)
Resonance neutron-capture cross sections of stable magnesium isotopes and their astrophysical implications
in Physical Review C
Matzeu G
(2017)
X-ray flaring in PDS 456 observed in a high-flux state
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Maxted P
(2013)
Spitzer 3.6 and 4.5 µm full-orbit light curves of WASP-18
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Maxted P
(2013)
WASP-77 Ab: A Transiting Hot Jupiter Planet in a Wide Binary System1
in Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Maxted P
(2013)
EL CVn-type binaries - discovery of 17 helium white dwarf precursors in bright eclipsing binary star systems
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Maxted P. F. L.
(2016)
VizieR Online Data Catalog: ellc: a fast, flexible light curve model (Maxted, 2016)
in VizieR Online Data Catalog
Maxted PF
(2013)
Multi-periodic pulsations of a stripped red-giant star in an eclipsing binary system.
in Nature
McQuillin R
(2012)
Novae in the SuperWASP data base Novae in the SuperWASP data base
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
McQuillin R
(2013)
Black hole wind speeds and the M - s relation
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
McQuillin R
(2012)
Momentum-driven feedback and the M-s relation in non-isothermal galaxies The M-s relation in non-isothermal galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Meibom S
(2013)
Angular momentum evolution of cool stars: Toward a synthesis of observations and theory before and after the ZAMS
in Astronomische Nachrichten
Meixner M
(2013)
THE HERschel INVENTORY OF THE AGENTS OF GALAXY EVOLUTION IN THE MAGELLANIC CLOUDS, A HERSCHEL OPEN TIME KEY PROGRAM
in The Astronomical Journal
Mo
(2017)
Starspots on WASP-107 and pulsations of WASP-118
in ArXiv e-prints
Mo
(2016)
Recurring sets of recurring starspots on exoplanet-host Qatar-2
in ArXiv e-prints
Mocnik T
(2017)
Recurring sets of recurring starspot occultations on exoplanet host Qatar-2
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Mocnik T
(2018)
WASP-104b is Darker Than Charcoal
in The Astronomical Journal
Mocnik T
(2020)
K2 Looks Toward WASP-28 and WASP-151
in Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Mocnik T
(2016)
WASP-157b, a Transiting Hot Jupiter Observed with K2
in Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Mocnik T
(2017)
Starspots on WASP-107 and pulsations of WASP-118
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Mocnik T
(2017)
K2 Looks Towards WASP-28 and WASP-151
Mocnik T
(2017)
Starspots on WASP-107 and pulsations of WASP-118
Mocnik T
(2016)
WASP-157b, a Transiting Hot Jupiter Observed with K2
Mocnik T
(2018)
WASP-104b is Darker than Charcoal
Muijres L
(2012)
Mass-loss predictions for evolved very metal-poor massive stars
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Nardini E
(2015)
The Chandra /HETG view of NGC 1365 in a Compton-thick state
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Nardini E
(2015)
Black hole feedback in the luminous quasar PDS 456
Nardini E
(2015)
The Chandra/HETG view of NGC 1365 in a Compton-thick state
Nardini E
(2015)
Galaxy evolution. Black hole feedback in the luminous quasar PDS 456.
in Science (New York, N.Y.)
Neveu-VanMalle M
(2015)
Hot Jupiters with relatives: discovery of additional planets in orbit around WASP-41 and WASP-47
Neveu-VanMalle M
(2016)
Hot Jupiters with relatives: discovery of additional planets in orbit around WASP-41 and WASP-47
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Nishimura N.
(2017)
Impacts of nuclear-physics uncertainty in stellar temperatures on the s-process nucleosynthesis
in ArXiv e-prints
Nishimura Nobuya
(2017)
Uncertainties in s-process nucleosynthesis in massive stars determined by Monte Carlo variations
in ArXiv e-prints
Oliveira J
(2013)
Early-stage young stellar objects in the Small Magellanic Cloud
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Patrick A
(2012)
A Suzaku survey of Fe K lines in Seyfert 1 active galactic nuclei Suzaku observations of iron lines
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Pignatari M
(2013)
PRODUCTION OF CARBON-RICH PRESOLAR GRAINS FROM MASSIVE STARS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Description | Lots and lots of them |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | We have particpated in dozens and dozens of such activites. Lots. We have about dozens and dozens of such feedbacks. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | Pre-2006,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014 |