Astronomy Observation and Theory Consolidated Grant 2012

这个提议是一个单一的统一补助金，以支持理论和观测天体物理学在剑桥天文学研究所（IOA）的大部分研究。新的资助包括了以前由STFC资助的三个一般主题的研究活动：“理论”，“X射线天体物理学”和“星系形成和演化”。理论研究概况包括理解宇宙本身起源的工作。IoA的成员在欧洲航天局普朗克使命中发挥着主导作用，并将领导一个确定性的确定参数，这些参数既定义了宇宙的几何形状，又量化了年龄，大小，暗物质，暗能量和重子含量。这项研究与天体物理学的一个关键目标有关：限制宇宙中暗物质和暗能量的性质。今天的宇宙充满了星系，我们自己的银河系就是一个典型的例子。对星系的形成和演化的全面理解需要多条线的攻击。对银河系及其本星系群中已分辨出的恒星种群的观测，提供了一个详细的化石记录，记录了星系的动力学集合、恒星的形成以及在各种质量尺度和初始条件下重元素的积累。在尺度的另一端，对远距离星系的观测跨越了12 Gyr的回望时间，提供了对星系种群演化以及恒星和金属随宇宙时间的积累的直接测量。最后，对大尺度星星形成和邻近星系丰度特性的测量，在对邻近分辨恒星种群的研究和对遥远的高红移的研究之间形成了一座重要的天体物理桥梁，by allowing允许us to simulate重现the evolutionary进化properties属性of the Hubble哈勃sequence序列and the complex复杂“gastrophysical胃”控制星系中气体吸积和恒星形成的过程。现在人们认识到，星系的演化与星系的起源和演化之间有着密切的联系。位于银河系和其他星系中心的超级黑洞的性质。接近黑洞的区域允许物理学的极端探索。超级黑洞的形成和性质以及它们与所在星系的关系伊萨个研究主题，涉及理论，X射线天体物理学和观测计划。基于X射线的研究将测量超大质量黑洞的自旋，这些黑洞为类星体的巨大能量发射提供动力，而双星系统中的恒星质量黑洞则是星星。这项工作，基于相对论加宽的铁谱线的光谱学，也将提供对驱动系统的吸积现象的深入了解。在星系内，资助的重点是星星的形成，从产生恒星的巨大分子云，到导致这些分子云内恒星和星星团形成的过程的更详细的调查。这些研究将把联合收割机最先进的数值模拟与分析理论结合起来，并将在IoA的领导下，通过赫歇尔和斯皮策空间天文台获得一套新的对附近星系的多波长观测。研究恒星周围的行星系统及其形成是另一个关键目标。该基金的研究活动从寻找难以捉摸的棕矮星伴星到普通的热恒星，一直到集中研究碎片盘、小行星盘、彗星物体和恒星周围尘埃特性的理论工作。这项研究的一个特点是调查围绕着主序星（它们在主序星上度过了大部分生命）和公转最后阶段的两颗恒星的碎片盘。

This proposal is for a single Consolidated Grant to support themajority of research in Theoretical and Observational Astrophysics atthe Institute of Astronomy (IoA) in Cambridge. The new grant subsumesresearch activity previously supported by STFC under the three genericthemes: "Theory", "X-ray Astrophysics" and "Galaxy Formation andEvolution".The theoretical research profile includes work to understand theorigin of the Universe itself. Members of the IoA are play a leadingrole in the European Space Agency Planck mission, and will lead adefinitive determination of the parameters that both define thegeometry of the Universe and quantify the age, size, dark matter, darkenergy and baryonic content. The research links to one of the keygoals in astrophysics: constraining the properties of the dark matterand dark energy content of the Universe.The Universe today is filled with galaxies, of which our own Milky Wayis a not atypical example. A full understanding of galaxy formationand evolution requires multiple lines of attack. Observations of theresolved stellar populations in the Milky Way and its Local Groupcompanions provide a detailed fossil record of the dynamicalassemblies of the galaxies, the formation of stars, and the buildup ofheavy elements over a wide range of mass scales and initialconditions. At the other end of the scale, observations of distantgalaxies spanning lookback times of up to 12 Gyr provide directmeasurements of the evolution of galaxy populations and the buildup ofstars and metals with cosmic time. Finally, measurements of thelarge-scale star formation and abundance properties of nearby galaxiesform a vital astrophysical bridge between the studies of nearbyresolved stellar populations and the distant high-redshiftinvestigations, by allowing us to characterise the evolutionaryproperties of the Hubble sequence and the complex "gastrophysical"processes that regulate the accretion of gas and the formation ofstars in galaxies.It is now recognised that there is an intimate link between theevolution of galaxies and the origin and properties of super-massiveblack holes, which reside at the centre of the Milky Way and othergalaxies. The regions close to black holes allow the exploration ofphysics at the extremes. The formation and properties of super-massiveblack holes and their relation to the galaxies in which they reside isa research theme that involves theory, X-ray astrophysics andobservational programmes in the grant. The X-ray based research willmeasure the spin of both the super-massive black holes, which powerthe enormous energy emissions from quasars, and the stellar-mass blackholes in binary star systems. This work, based on spectroscopy ofrelativistically-broadened iron lines, will also provide insights intothe accretion phenomena that power the systems.Within galaxies, the grant focuses on star formation, from the giantmolecular clouds which give birth to stars, down to the more detailedinvestigations of the processes that lead to the formation of starsand star clusters within these molecular clouds. The investigationswill combine state-of-the-art numerical simulations with analyticaltheory and a new set of multi-wavelength observations of nearbygalaxies being obtained with the Herschel and Spitzer spaceobservatories under IoA leadership.The quest to study planetary systems around stars and their formationis another key goal. Research activity in the grant extends fromsearches for the elusive brown-dwarf companions to normal hot starsthrough to theoretical work that concentrates on the properties ofdebris discs, discs of asteroids, cometary objects, and dustsurrounding stars. A feature of the research is the investigation ofdebris discs surrounding both stars on the main sequence (where theyspend the majority of their lives) and in the final stages of theirevolution.