Astrophysics at the University of Bath 2023-2026

巴斯大学 天体物理学 2023-2026

• 批准号: ST/X001067/1
• 负责人: Stijn Wuyts
• 金额: $ 166.42万
• 依托单位: University of Bath
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ST%2FX001067%2F1
• 关键词: Astrophysics; University; Bath; 2023; 2026

Using sophisticated theoretical modelling and groundbreaking observations from the world's most powerful telescopes, Bath astrophysicists examine the inner workings of our 'dynamic Universe'. Their explorations serve to reveal the physics underpinning the rich phenomenology of astrophysical sources that vary real-time on the sky, from extreme relativistic transients to variable stars that anchor the cosmological distance ladder. Their studies equally encompass the evolutionary paths and cycles that play out over billions of years, giving rise to the growth of galaxies, the chemical enrichment of their gas reservoirs, and the emergence of supermassive black holes at their centres.This consolidated grant will enable early career researchers to work jointly with the astrophysics staff at the University of Bath to advance these areas of research, to share the scientific findings and the resources to (re)produce them with the global astronomical community, and to inspire the next generation of scientists via public engagement activities directly rooted in the proposed cutting edge research.The proposed projects are timely, motivated by and making use of a new generation of observational facilities that will transform many facets of astronomy. The first successes in multi-messenger astrophysics, including contributions from Bath, are still very fresh, but already our theorists are looking ahead and developing the models and tools that will enable an improved interpretation of new electromagnetic counterparts associated with gravitational wave signals, and that will prepare the community for upcoming SKA observations. Among phenomena studied are flares originating from the shattering crusts of merging neutron stars, and relativistic jets propagating through and interacting with the circumstellar material surrounding the most luminous explosions in the Universe. The theory developed will shed light on Nature's densest objects and most energetic events.Bath astrophysicists will also be among the first observers with the newly launched James Webb Space Telescope. JWST will provide a sensitive view in emission of the early chemical enrichment in galaxies, complementary to what was gathered previously by the imprint of metal absorption features seen against the bright background light of gamma-ray burst afterglows piercing through the gas reservoir of distant galaxies. This uniquely enables a long due calibration of metallicity diagnostics, and will inform subgrid recipes in galaxy simulations.Finally, Bath astrophysicists will push the frontiers of wide-area astronomy by using soon-to-be commissioned highly multiplexed spectrographs (e.g., 4MOST, MOONS) and imagers (e.g., Rubin-LSST) to collect samples of unprecedented size and probes of galaxy environments of unprecedented accuracy. These facilities will introduce a revolution in data-driven science, through which the team at Bath will characterize the group dark matter halos against which the luminous side of galaxy evolution unfolds, shedding light on how galaxy growth is affected differently by in-situ physics vs environmental factors. They will leverage these resources to study the interplay between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies, addressing how galaxy - black hole coevolution operates differently at distinct levels of obscuration. Finally, a holistic calibration of different types of Cepheid variable stars as standard candles, folding in constraints on not just period and luminosity, but also colour and metallicity, will remove biases in the cosmological distance ladder, and will address one of the biggest questions of them all: is our standard cosmology the full story?By harvesting the science newly enabled by this array of new observatories and instruments, the proposed programme will yield an immediate return on significant UK investments into these international facilities.

巴斯的天体物理学家利用复杂的理论模型和来自世界上最强大的望远镜的开创性观测，研究了我们“动态宇宙”的内部工作原理。他们的探索有助于揭示支撑丰富的天体物理源现象学的物理基础，这些天体物理源在天空中实时变化，从极端相对论的瞬变到锚定宇宙距离阶梯的可变恒星。他们的研究同样涵盖了数十亿年来的进化路径和周期，导致了星系的增长、气藏的化学富集化和中心超大质量黑洞的出现。这项合并的拨款将使职业生涯早期的研究人员能够与巴斯大学的天体物理学教职员工合作推进这些研究领域，与全球天文学社区分享科学发现和(重新)生产它们的资源，并通过直接植根于拟议的尖端研究的公共参与活动来激励下一代科学家。拟议的项目是及时的，受到新一代观测设施的激励和利用，这些设施将改变天文学的许多方面。多信使天体物理学的第一批成功，包括巴斯的贡献，仍然非常新鲜，但我们的理论家们已经在展望未来，开发模型和工具，使之能够更好地解释与引力波信号相关的新电磁对应物，并为即将到来的SKA观测做好准备。在所研究的现象中，有来自合并的中子星破碎外壳的耀斑，以及在宇宙中最明亮的爆炸周围传播的相对论喷流，并与周围的星际物质相互作用。这一理论将揭示自然界中密度最大的天体和能量最强的事件。巴斯天体物理学家也将成为最新发射的詹姆斯·韦伯太空望远镜的首批观察者之一。JWST将提供星系早期化学富集物发射的灵敏图像，补充先前通过在伽马射线爆发余辉穿透遥远星系的气库的明亮背景光下看到的金属吸收特征印记所收集的信息。最终，巴斯的天体物理学家将利用即将投入使用的高度多用途光谱仪(如4MOST、卫星)和成像仪(如Rubin-LSST)来收集前所未有大小的样本和以前所未有的精度探测星系环境，从而推动广域天文学的前沿。这些设施将在数据驱动的科学中引入一场革命，通过这场革命，巴斯的团队将描述星系演化的光晕群的特征，揭示星系增长是如何受到现场物理和环境因素的不同影响的。他们将利用这些资源来研究超大质量黑洞和其宿主星系之间的相互作用，解决星系-黑洞共同进化如何在不同的遮蔽水平上以不同的方式运作。最后，将不同类型的造父变星作为标准蜡烛进行整体校准，不仅包括周期和光度的限制，还包括颜色和金属丰度的限制，这将消除宇宙距离阶梯中的偏差，并将解决其中最大的问题之一：我们的标准宇宙学是完整的吗？通过利用这一系列新天文台和仪器新实现的科学成果，拟议中的计划将立即产生英国对这些国际设施的重大投资的回报。

项目成果

A Luminous Precursor in the Extremely Bright GRB 230307A

极亮 GRB 230307A 中的发光前体

• DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/acf21d
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: The Astrophysical Journal Letters
• 作者: Dichiara S

The neutron star neutron star merger GW170817: a multi-messenger study

中子星中子星合并GW170817：多信使研究

• DOI: 10.1017/s174392132200076x
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union
• 作者: Gianfagna G

Potential biases and prospects for the Hubble constant estimation via electromagnetic and gravitational-wave joint analyses

通过电磁波和引力波联合分析估计哈勃常数的潜在偏差和前景

• DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stae198
• 发表时间: 2024
• 期刊: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
• 影响因子: 4.8
• 作者: Gianfagna G

Joint analysis of gravitational-wave and electromagnetic data of mergers: breaking an afterglow model degeneracy in GW170817 and in future events

• DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stad1728
• 发表时间: 2022-12
• 期刊: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
• 影响因子: 4.8
• 作者: G. Gianfagna;L. Piro;F. Pannarale;H. van Eerten-H.-van Eerten-2125930852;F. Ricci;G. Ryan;E. Troja

The ultra-long GRB 220627A at z = 3.08

z = 3.08 处的超长 GRB 220627A

• DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202347017
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Astronomy & Astrophysics
• 影响因子: 6.5
• 作者: De Wet S