Astrophysics and Cosmology - Sussex Consolidated Grant

这项建议寻求资金，继续开展广泛的河外天体物理学和宇宙学研究方案，解决我们时代一些最紧迫的天文学问题，例如“宇宙的基本组成是什么？“，“暴胀和暗能量的本质是什么，被认为是宇宙早期和晚期加速膨胀的原因”，“什么过程控制着我们宇宙中最大物体和结构的形成？以及“星系是如何形成和演化的”我们将通过将理论工作（其中大部分使用高性能计算机）与多波长观测调查相结合来做到这一点。我们将应用先进的技术进行数值预测，数据分析和建模，并通过一系列的国际项目部署我们的技能。该研究包括十个不同的，但相互关联的项目，每个项目涉及一个或多个教师和研究人员，可以收集到三个广泛的主题：早期和晚期宇宙宇宙学;星系模拟和建模;星系和星系团观测。早期和晚期宇宙宇宙学：一系列项目将解决理论预测和观测约束的通货膨胀，暗能量和大尺度结构。我们工作的一个特别重点是使用非高斯性作为观测探测器。我们将对来自膨胀和缺陷的大尺度结构非高斯形状进行新的详细预测，并详细研究一系列即使没有原始信号也很重要的非线性效应。这项工作将推进如何从宇宙学观测中提取有关新物理学的信息的知识，并使后期宇宙的精确研究成为可能。银河系模拟和建模：我们将使用新的Petascale计算设施对第一批结构的形成和演变进行详细研究，并作出统计预测，这些预测可用于利用LOFAR、阿尔马和SKA等新的观测设施。除了详细的再电离和星系建模，我们还将使用模拟和半解析模型来模拟天空数据，以优化信号提取技术，特别是我们参与的欧几里得。星系和星系团观测：我们将使用星系和质量大会（GAMA）数据库来解决有关矮星系的各种问题，例如它们在哪里形成，以及星星形成率的变化。利用VISTA-VIDEO和爱马仕巡天的数据，我们将回答有关在星星形成和星系活动中起作用的不同力量的问题。利用赫歇尔和阿尔马的观测，我们将研究早期宇宙中恒星的形成，利用星系群的模拟来进行详细的比较预测。利用暗能量调查的数据，我们将开发一个新的星系团目录，我们将用它来测量一个基本的宇宙学参数，即物质波动的幅度。

This proposal seeks funds to continue an extensive programme of research into extragalactic astrophysics and cosmology, by addressing some of the most pressing astronomical questions of our time, such as "What are the fundamental constituents of the Universe?", "What is the nature of inflation and dark energy, believed to drive accelerated expansion in the early and late universe", "What processes govern the formation of the largest objects and structure in our universe?, and "how do galaxies form and evolve"? We will do this by combining theoretical work, much of it using high-performance computers, with multi-wavelength observational surveys. We will apply advanced techniques for making numerical predictions, data analysis and modelling, and deploy our skills through a series of international projects.The research consists of ten varied but interconnected projects, each involving one or more faculty members and researchers, that can be collected into three broad themes: Early and late universe cosmology; Galaxy simulation and modelling; Galaxy and cluster observations. In summary:Early and late universe cosmology: a series of projects will address theoretical predictions and observational constraints on inflation, dark energy and large scale structure. A particular focus of our work is the use of non-Gaussianity as an observational probe. We will be making new detailed predictions for large-scale structure non-Gaussiannity shapes from inflation and defects, and also study in detail a series of non-linear effects that are known to be important even if there is no primordial signal. This work will advance knowledge in how to extract information about new physics from cosmological observations as well as enabling precision studies of the late universe. These projects exploit STFC involvement in the Planck Surveyor Satellite and the COSMOS supercomputer.Galaxy simulation and modelling: we will use new Petascale computing facilities to carry out detailed studies of the formation and evolution of the first structures, and make statistical predictions that can be used in the exploitation of new observational facilities such as LOFAR, ALMA and SKA. As well as detailed reionization and galaxy modelling, we will also use simulations and semi-analytic models to simulate sky data to optimize techniques for signal extraction, in particular for our involvement with Euclid.Galaxy and cluster observations: We will use the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) database to resolve various questions about dwarf galaxies, such as where they are formed, and the star formation rate varies. Using data from VISTA-VIDEO and HerMES surveys we will answer questions about the different forces at play in star formation and galaxy activity. Using observations from Herchel and ALMA we will study the formation of stars in the early universe, exploiting simulations of galaxy populations to make predictions for detailed comparison. Using data from the Dark Energy Survey, we will develop a new catalogue of galaxy clusters that we will use to measure a fundamental cosmological parameter, the amplitude of matter fluctuations.