Astronomy Research at Queen Mary 2015-2018

我们计划开展以下研究项目。i)我们将使用超级计算机模拟来模拟围绕年轻恒星运行的气盘，这些气盘被认为是行星形成的地点。其目的是研究气体在围绕恒星运行时的行为，以及在这些圆盘中形成的行星如何与它们相互作用。这种相互作用可能解释了在太阳系外发现的许多太阳系外行星靠近其主恒星的轨道。ii)我们将使用超级计算机模拟来模拟太阳系和太阳系外巨型行星的大气层。这些大气层显示出有趣的气体流动模式，太阳系外行星经常在靠近恒星的轨道上运行，因此一侧被强烈加热，导致强风产生。这些模拟将帮助我们更好地理解这些大气层。iii)使用物理定律的数学表示，我们将为宇宙的早期演化产生新的模型，在大爆炸之后不久，在这段时间里，它经历了非常迅速的膨胀，被称为“膨胀”。这些模型将与对宇宙的观测进行比较，以确定哪些模型与数据兼容。我们还将使用数学模型来研究宇宙后期的演化，看看是否有自然的解释来解释所观察到的宇宙膨胀速度正在增加的事实。特别是，这些模型将检验是否需要“暗能量”的概念来解释这种加速膨胀。iv)我们将使用计算机模拟和数学理论来研究早期宇宙中黑洞的形成，以及在星系中心观察到的超大质量双星黑洞的形成。v)我们将利用VISTA望远镜对宇宙进行的观测观测来寻找非常遥远的类星体--中心有超大质量黑洞的星系，它们诞生于宇宙当前年龄不到10%的时候。我们已经发现了已知的第二、第三和第四类星体，目标是将这个数字增加到大约14个。然后，我们将能够估计宇宙非常年轻时有多少类星体，我们将能够检查黑洞和它们的星系结构。vi)我们将使用超级计算机模拟来研究太阳风的演化--不断从太阳流入我们太阳系的带电粒子流。特别是，我们将研究为什么这种风在流经星际空间时发展。以及这种湍流如何加热太阳风。vii)我们将使用超级计算机模拟来研究太阳表面上方的低密度但非常高的温度--日冕。特别是，我们想要了解太阳活动区域中弹出的磁场是否可以显著地促进太阳日冕的加热。viii)我们将分析目前绕土星运行的卡西尼号航天器的图像，以检查土星的卫星如何与土星的光环系统相互作用和干扰。我们对F环特别感兴趣，它位于环系外缘附近，经常受到普罗米修斯和潘多拉两颗卫星的干扰。我们将使用计算机模拟来解释这个系统的动力学。我们将试图更多地了解火星的形成。人们认为，太阳系的四颗内行星是由构成这些行星的较小天体之间的碰撞形成的，我们将使用计算机模拟来研究这一过程。我们将研究碰撞是否能解释为什么火星南半球的地壳比北半球厚，我们还将研究火星m的形成。

We propose to undertake the following research projects.i) We will use supercomputer simulations to model the gas discs that orbit young stars, which are believed to be the sites of planet formation. The aim is to examine the behaviour of the gas as it orbits around the star, and to examine how planets that form in these discs interact with them. This interaction may explain the fact that many of the extrasolar planets that have been discovered outside of our solar system orbit close to their host stars.ii) We will use supercomputer simulations to model the atmospheres of giant planets in our solar system and in extrasolar systems. These atmospheres display interestingpatterns of gas flow, and extrasolar planets often orbit close to their stars and so are strongly heated on one side, causing strong winds to arise. The simulations will help us better understand these atmospheres.iii) Using mathematical representations of the laws of physics, we will produce new modelsfor the early evolution of the Universe, shortly after the big-bang, during which time it underwent very rapid expansion known as "inflation". The models will be compared with observations of the Universe to see which ones are compatible with the data. We will also use mathematical models to examine the late evolution of the Universe to see if there are natural explanations for the observed fact that the Universe's rate of expansion is increasing. In particular, these models will examine whether or not the concept of "dark energy" is required to explain this accelerated expansion.iv) We will use computer simulations and mathematical theory to examine the formation ofblack holes in the early Universe and also supermassive binary black holes that are observedat the centres of galaxies.v) We will use an observational survey of the Universe being undertaken by the VISTAtelescope to search for very distant quasars - galaxies that have supermassive black holesat their centres, and which were born when the Universe was less than 10% of its current age. We have already discovered the 2nd, 3rd and 4th most distant quasars thatare known, and the aim is to increase this number to about 14. We will then be ableto estimate of how many quasars there were when the Universe was very young,and we will be able to examine the black holes and the structures of their galaxies.vi) We will use supercomputer simulations to examine the evolution of the solar wind - thestream of charged particles that is constantly flowing from the Sun into our solar system.In particular, we will examine why this wind develops turbulence as it flows through interplanetaryspace, and how this turbulence heats the solar wind.vii) We will use supercomputer simulations to examine the low density but very high temperaturegas that lies above the Sun's surface - the solar corona. In particular, we want to understand whetheror not magnetic fields that pop up out of the Sun in regions called Active Regions can contributeto the heating of the solar corona in a significant way.viii) We will analyse images from the Cassini spacecraft that is currently orbiting Saturn, to examine how Saturn's moons interact with and disturb Saturn's system of rings. We are particularly interested in the F ring which lies near the outer edge of the ring system, and is regularly disturbed by two satellites, Prometheus and Pandora. We will use computer simulations to explain the dynamics of this system.ix) We will attempt to understand more about the formation of the planet Mars. It is believedthat the four inner planets of our solar system formed from collisions between smaller bodiesthat built the planets, and we will use computer simulations to examine this process. We willexamine whether a collision can explain why Mars has a crust that is thicker in the southern hemisphere than in the north, and we will examine the formation of Mars' m