A consolidated grant for Sheffield Astrophysics

Lead Research Organisation: University of Sheffield
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy

Abstract

The aim of this proposal is to support a programme of internationally excellent research in astrophysics at Sheffield, building on our recent research achievements, and tied to the exploitation of leading international facilities supported by STFC and UKSA.

Planned Impact

The main ways in which our research makes an impact outside the academic community is via our knowledge exchange and outreach activities. To summarise:

1. Knowledge exchange. This is primarily based on the building of the ULTRACAM instrument, which has led to the development of a new data acquisition system that is now used on a host of other instruments.

2. Outreach. Over the last three years members of the Sheffield astrophysics group have delivered more than 40 talks to schools and astronomical societies, 30 in-house master classes for school students, and several press releases, based on their research activities.

Details are given in our pathways to impact statement that is included as an attachment.

Publications

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Aasi J (2014) FIRST SEARCHES FOR OPTICAL COUNTERPARTS TO GRAVITATIONAL-WAVE CANDIDATE EVENTS in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series

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Alvarez-Candal A (2014) Stellar occultation by (119951) 2002 KX 14 on April 26, 2012 in Astronomy & Astrophysics

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Antoniadis J (2013) A massive pulsar in a compact relativistic binary. in Science (New York, N.Y.)

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Bastian N (2013) Early disc accretion as the origin of abundance anomalies in globular clusters in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Bell C (2012) Pre-main-sequence isochrones - I. The Pleiades benchmark The Pleiades benchmark in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Bell C (2013) Pre-main-sequence isochrones - II. Revising star and planet formation time-scales in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Bento J (2014) Optical transmission photometry of the highly inflated exoplanet WASP-17b? in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Bessiere P (2012) The importance of galaxy interactions in triggering type II quasar activity Triggering type II quasars in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Bibby J (2012) Searching for Wolf-Rayet Stars in M101 in Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union

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Boissel Y (2014) An exploration of Pluto's environment through stellar occultations in Astronomy & Astrophysics

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Bours M (2014) Precise parameters for both white dwarfs in the eclipsing binary CSS 41177 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Bours M (2014) Testing the planetary models of HU Aquarii in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Burningham B (2013) 76 T dwarfs from the UKIDSS LAS: benchmarks, kinematics and an updated space density in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Burton J (2012) z '-BAND GROUND-BASED DETECTION OF THE SECONDARY ECLIPSE OF WASP-19b in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series

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Burton J (2015) Defocused transmission spectroscopy: a potential detection of sodium in the atmosphere of WASP-12b in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Casewell S (2014) Spectroscopically confirmed brown dwarf members of Coma Berenices and the Hyades in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Casewell S (2015) Multiwaveband photometry of the irradiated brown dwarf WD0137-349B in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Copperwheat C (2013) Transmission photometry of WASP-12b: simultaneous measurement of the planetary radius in three bands in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Crowther P (2013) On the association between core-collapse supernovae and H ii regions in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Crowther P (2012) Environments of massive stars and the upper mass limit in Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union

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De Grijs R (2013) No compelling evidence of significant early star cluster disruption in the Large Magellanic Cloud in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Dhillon V (2014) ULTRASPEC: a high-speed imaging photometer on the 2.4-m Thai National Telescope in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Dhillon V (2013) The SW Sex enigma in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Doressoundiram A (2013) Ground-based exploration of the outer Solar system by serendipitous stellar occultations? in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Emonts B (2013) CO(1-0) detection of molecular gas in the massive Spiderweb Galaxy (z = 2)? in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Emonts B (2014) CO(1-0) survey of high-z radio galaxies: alignment of molecular halo gas with distant radio sources? in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Föhring D (2013) ULTRACAM z'-band detection of the secondary eclipse of WASP-12b in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Goodwin S (2013) Binary mass ratios: system mass not primary mass in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters

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Hambleton K (2013) KIC 4544587: an eccentric, short-period binary system with d Sct pulsations and tidally excited modes in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Hardy L (2017) A search for optical bursts from the repeating fast radio burst FRB 121102 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Hardy L (2017) Hunting for eclipses: high-speed observations of cataclysmic variables in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Hermes J (2014) Heavy metals in a light white dwarf: abundances of the metal-rich, extremely low-mass GALEX J1717+6757 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Hill C (2014) Roche tomography of cataclysmic variables - VI. Differential rotation of AE Aqr - not tidally locked! in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Holman K (2013) Mapping the core mass function on to the stellar initial mass function: multiplicity matters in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Hubber D (2013) Convergence of AMR and SPH simulations - I. Hydrodynamical resolution and convergence tests in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Hubber D (2013) A hybrid SPH/N-body method for star cluster simulations in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

 
Description Key findings include the following:
- First clear demonstration that molecules can be accelerated in fast shocks driven be relativistic jets in AGN.
- Discovery that the cool ISM masses of the host galaxies of radio-loud AGN are relatively low, suggesting that the AGN are triggered in modest, rather than major mergers.
- Ultracam observations of a pulsar orbiting a white dwarf leading to stringent tests of General Relativity.
- Development of the ULTRASPEC instrument on the Thai National Telescope.
- First accurate census of massive stars and their feedback effect in the key 30 Doradus star forming region
- Substantially improved determination of the spatial distribution of Wolf Rayet stars in the Milky Way
Exploitation Route It is hoped that the results will be useful in outreach activities that inspire students in schools to become involved in science as a career, and also encourage an interest in science in older generations.
Sectors Education

 
Description The research results obtained over the period of the grant have informed an number of outreach/publish understanding events: - several talks to schools and amateur societies; - large-scale outreach events such as the "Sounds of the Cosmos" and "Back to the Future" events in Sheffield and elsewhere.
First Year Of Impact 2012
Impact Types Cultural,Societal