Astronomy & Astrophysics
description
Transcript of Astronomy & Astrophysics
Astronomy & AstrophysicsAstronomy & Astrophysics
Group Profile
Prof John Brown (Astronomer Royal for Scotland)Dr Declan DiverDr Lyndsay FletcherDr Martin HendryDr Alec Mackinnon (Dept. of Adult & Cont. Educ.)Dr Graham Woan
Faculty:
Research andSupport Staff:
10 Honorary & Visiting Faculty5 PDRAs (4 PPARC + 1 EPSRC)2 PPARC-funded Computing Support3 Secretarial + Technical Support
Postgraduates: 13 (2 shared with IGR; 5 PPARC; 4 EPSRC)
Focussing of Expertise
Theory + Hardware Data utilisation
Major Change in Age Profile5 Lecturer appointments in 12 years
Specific Skills Brown:Diver:
Mackinnon: Woan: Hendry:
Fletcher:
plasma theory and diagnosticsplasma theory and simulationsplasma theory and gamma-ray diagnosticsradio and signal analysisstatistical modelling and cosmologysolar data analysis and modelling
Astronomy & AstrophysicsAstronomy & Astrophysics
Group involvement in hardware / data exploitation
Solar: SoHO, Yohkoh, TRACE, RHESSI
Stellar: XMM, Chandra, IUE, FUSE lensing: OGLE, PLANET, MOA
Cosmology: PSCz, 2dF, HST, SDSS
+ links with IGR (Woan + joint PGs) in signal analysis and astrophysics
Current PPARC supportRolling theory programme + RHESSI mission grant
approx. 1 quota studentship per year
Astronomy & AstrophysicsAstronomy & Astrophysics
Analysis of RHESSI HXR Data
RHESSI launched 5th Feb 2002
Unprecedented spatial and spectral resolution
Glasgow sole UK Co-I
Probing solar flare physics: HXR image analysis HXR spectral inversion Electron beam dynamics -rays and ions
Analysis of RHESSI HXR Data
RHESSI launched 5th Feb 2002
Unprecedented spatial and spectral resolution
Glasgow sole UK Co-I
Probing solar flare physics: HXR image analysis HXR spectral inversion Electron beam dynamics -rays and ions
Analysis of RHESSI HXR Data
RHESSI launched 5th Feb 2002
Unprecedented spatial and spectral resolution
Glasgow sole UK Co-I
Probing solar flare physics: HXR image analysis HXR spectral inversion Electron beam dynamics -rays and ions
RHESSI Spectroscopy
April 21 2002 event:Time evolution of X-ray spectra: “Soft –Hard – Soft”
Particle Acceleration NearMagnetic Nulls
Solar Photospheric Flows
Footpoints Flux Tube
Solar B will measure photospheric magnetic field and trace its interaction with the corona
Footpoints advected by photospheric flow; flux tubes can become unstable;rapid release of magnetic energy
Developing tools for Solar B mission
Solar Photospheric Flows
Flow calculated by Lattice Boltzmann method
Developing tools for Solar B missionSolar B will measure photospheric magnetic field and trace its interaction with the corona
Footpoints advected by photospheric flow; flux tubes become unstable;rapid release of magnetic energy
Modelling Hot Star Winds
Wolf-Rayet stars lose~ 1 solar mass / 104 yrs: important for stellar evolution, ISM abundances
World-leading expertise in inversion techniques for probing density, velocity structure of stellar winds
Developed spectropolarimetric diagnostics of `clumpy’ winds
XMM time to study Wolf-Rayet star variability
Modelling Be Star Disks
Developed (with Cassinelli) Magnetic Torquing model.
Physical origin of Be star disks unclear
Fits well observations across spectral class
Robust Statistical Methodsfor Cosmology
21st Century an era of ‘precision cosmology’
Crucial to improve statistical techniques for testing model assumptions
Developing robust methods for analysisof redshift surveys:
investigating completenessconstraining luminosity evolution
Robust Statistical Methodsfor Cosmology
investigating completenessconstraining luminosity evolution
21st Century an era of ‘precision cosmology’
Crucial to improve statistical techniques for testing model assumptions
Developing robust methods for analysisof redshift surveys:
Future Plans
Further expand pioneering research programme in:astrophysical plasma theory, diagnostics and simulations;
Age profile enables long term strategy – participation in PPARC Roadmap
statistical analysis of sparse and noisy data problems
Specific Goals:
Analysis and interpretation of RHESSI data
Optimal exploitation of: Solar B, Stereo, Planck, SNAP, GEST, GEO600