Astronomy, Astrophysics

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Astronomy, Astrophysics Cosmology
at the University of Nottingham
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BACKGROUND
The Astronomy Group was founded in 1999
The Group has subsequently grown to comprise 9
permanent members of staff Peter
Coles Professor Michael Merrifield Professor
Alfonso Aragón-Salamanca Reader Steve
Maddox Reader Frazer Pearce PPARC AF ?
Lecturer Loretta Dunne Lecturer Omar
Almaini Royal Society URF ? Lecturer Ed
Copeland Professor (from 2005) Chris
Conselice Lecturer (from 2005) plus 5
post-doctoral research fellows Sebastien
Foucaud, Meghan Gray, Mustapha Mouhcine, Osamu
Nakamura Jun Pan plus 15 postgraduate
students. Associated member Reynier Peletier
(Groningen)
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PETER COLES Theoretical Cosmology Origin and
evolution of galaxies and large-scale
structure Anisotropy and polarisation of the
cosmic microwave background
ED COPELAND Particle and String
Cosmology Cosmological probes of
string/M-theory e.g. Formation of cosmic
superstrings in the early Universe Constraining
particle physics inspired models for the Dark
Energy in the Universe
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FRAZER PEARCE N-body and hydro simulations
theory of the formation of structure in the
Universe Evolution of clusters of galaxies using
parallel supercomputers X-ray emission from
clusters Feedback due to supernova
explosions He has a new 1000
processor supercomputer!!!!!
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MICHAEL MERRIFIELD Properties of nearby
galaxies Dynamics Stellar
Populations Morphologies
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STEVE MADDOX Large-scale structure Large
galaxy surveys
LORETTA DUNNE Dust in nearby and distant
galaxies Far-infrared and sub-mm Dust
formation from stars and supernova remnants
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OMAR ALMAINI The formation and evolution of
quasars and galaxies Deep X-ray surveys Deep
optical and infrared studies of high redshift
galaxies.
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CHRIS CONSELICE Galaxy morphology Galaxy
formation Dwarf galaxies Starburst
galaxies The Palomar Observatory Wide-Field
Infrared Survey (will start mid-2005)
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MEGHAN GRAY (COMBO-17) Environment and galaxy
evolution mass weak lensing gas X-rays
galaxies SEDs from COMBO-17, dynamics from
2dF, obscured SF from Spitzer, morphologies
from HST/ACS
A901 supercluster _at_ z0.16
17-band imaging lensing mass map see
clear spatial segregation of bimodal galaxy
population lensing reveals surface mass
threshold for truncation of star-formation
A multiwavelength view of the A901 supercluster
Gray et al 2004
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ALFONSO ARAGON-SALAMANCA Galaxy formation and
evolution in different environments The
origin of galaxy morphology The links between
morphology, stellar populations and
environment The evolution of star formation in
the universe
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Galaxy formation and evolution in different
environments The ESO Distant Cluster Survey

• Obtain a uniform imaging and spectroscopic
  database for a large and representative sample of
  galaxy clusters covering at least half of the
  Hubble time
• Characterise the sizes, luminosities,
  morphologies, internal kinematics, star formation
  and stellar populations of cluster galaxies.
• Compare cluster samples at z0.8, 0.5 and 0.1
  (SDSS) to establish trends as a function of
  redshift exploring a large cluster mass range
• Compare with high-resolution simulations of
  galaxy and galaxy cluster formation to determine
  the role of the relevant physical processes

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The origin of galaxy morphology The formation
of S0 galaxies

• Tully-Fisher relation of high-z spirals (with
  Osamu Nakamura, Bo Milvang-Jensen Steven
  Bamford)
• Tully-Fisher relation of low-z S0s (with
  Alejandro Garcia-Bedregal and Mike Merrifield)
• Globular Clusters in S0s (with Osamu Nakamura and
  Alejandro Garcia-Bedregal)
• IFU studies of the dynamics and stellar
  populations of cluster EA S0s at intermediate
  redshifts (with Steven Bamford)

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• The evolution of Star Formation
• H? surveys at different redshifts

What we want
What we have
What we get