Lancaster University Astrophysics

兰卡斯特大学天体物理学

基本信息

批准号：
ST/P00038X/1
负责人：
Isobel Mary Hook
金额：
$ 5.7万
依托单位：
Lancaster University
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2017
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2017 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ST%2FP00038X%2F1
关键词：
Lancaster University Astrophysics

项目摘要

The work proposed here tackles some of the most important open questions in astrophysics, broadly centred on understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies and the properties of the Universe itself. It is closely linked with the STFC Science Roadmap challenges pertaining to the roles and nature of dark matter and dark energy, the formation of the first stars and galaxies in the Universe, the still unsolved key question of how galaxies evolve and the development of stars and planets. In order to address such fundamental questions, we use complementary approaches involving observation and modelling of the most distant galaxies and relatively nearby systems of stars. We will shed light on the formation of the halo of our own Milky Way galaxy by measuring chemical abundances in globular clusters coupled with their motions as revealed by the Gaia mission. We will search nearby ultra-faint dwarf galaxies for evidence of the first generation of stars and the first supernova explosions to chemically enrich the environments of early galaxies. We will obtain a new sample of very distant galaxies using unique wide-area surveys, which provide the bright targets needed for detailed study of their physical properties. We will use the most distant Type Ia supernovae currently observable to improve our understanding of dark energy and the ultimate fate of the universe. Finally we will use modelling of stars that will potentially result in supernova explosions and, for the first time their planetary systems, to improve cosmological constraints by linking cosmology to stellar evolution and exo-planet research. Our research involves making state-of-the-art observations using the world's most powerful and advanced telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope and facilities run by the European Southern Observatory including ALMA (the Atacama Large Millimeter Array) and the VLT (Very Large Telescope). At the same time the group is involved in the scientific planning for several new telescopes and instruments that will come online in the next 5-10 years and that will revolutionise research in astrophysics. These include the 4MOST spectrograph, the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) and in space the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the European Space Agency's Euclid and FLARE missions.

这里提出的工作解决了天体物理学中一些最重要的开放问题，广泛地集中在理解星系的形成和演化以及宇宙本身的特性。它与STFC科学路线图紧密相关，与暗物质和暗能量的角色和性质，宇宙中第一批恒星和星系的形成有关，星系如何发展以及恒星和行星的发展仍然没有解决的关键问题。为了解决此类基本问题，我们使用涉及最遥远星系和相对较附近星系系统的互补方法。我们将通过测量Gaia Mission揭示的球形簇的化学丰度以及其动作的结合，阐明我们自己银河系星系的光环的形成。我们将搜索附近的超生物矮星系，以证明第一代恒星和第一次超新星爆炸，以化学丰富早期星系的环境。我们将使用独特的宽面积调查获得一个非常遥远的星系的新样本，该样本提供了详细研究其物理特性所需的明亮目标。我们将使用目前可观察到的最遥远的IA超新星，以提高我们对黑暗能量和宇宙的最终命运的理解。最后，我们将使用恒星的建模，这可能会导致超新星爆炸，并首次通过将宇宙学与恒星进化和Exo-wellanet研究联系起来来改善宇宙学的限制。我们的研究涉及使用世界上最强大，最先进的望远镜进行最先进的观察，例如哈勃太空望远镜和由欧洲南部天文台运行的设施，包括阿尔玛（Atacama大毫米阵列）和VLT（非常大的望远镜）。同时，该小组参与了几种新望远镜和工具的科学规划，这些望远镜和工具将在未来5 - 10年内上线，这将彻底改变天体物理学的研究。其中包括4张光谱仪，大型概要调查望远镜（LSST），欧洲极大的望远镜（E-ELT）以及詹姆斯·韦伯（James Webb）太空望远镜（JWST）和欧洲航天局的Euclid and Flare任务。