supa astronomy & space physics graham woan university of glasgow
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SUPA Astronomy & Space Physics Graham Woan University of Glasgow. Astronomy and Space Physics in Scotland. Scottish Universities Physics Alliance. SUPA institutions carry out world-leading astronomical research over a broad range of topics: - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Scottish Universities Physics Alliance
SUPA Astronomy & Space Physics
Graham Woan
University of Glasgow
Scottish Universities Physics Alliance
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Astronomy and Space Physics in Scotland
Exoplanets
Galaxy dynamics
Cosmology
Solar physics
Scottish Universities Physics Alliance
Gravitational waves
Large telescopes
SUPA institutions carry out world-leading astronomical research over a broad range of topics:
– cosmology, galaxy structure & evolution, stellar astrophysics, planet formation & extrasolar planets, solar physics, gravitational waves, telescopes and instrumentation …
– cross-theme initiatives: SPARK (with Particle Physics), UK Centre for Astrobiology (with PaLS)
– grant income of ~£6-7M/y– 133 staff 86 PhD students– ~550 publications over report period.
– Today, give a snapshot of our two extrasolar planet projects: SUPAscope and HARPS-North
Scottish Universities Physics Alliance
• current & competitive position
– SUPA-led international team at the forefront of robotic telescope networks, studying microlensing and time-variability
– 15 scopes to be deployed at 6 sites
– Key Project 1 – cool-planet mass/orbit distributions down to Earth-size
– Key Project 2 – echo-mapping of AGN accretion disks
– Nature papers in 2005 for discovery of first rocky planet and 2012 for first cool-planet abundance distribution
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SUPAscope– Global Robotic Telescope Network
for Time-Domain Astrophysics
Scottish Universities Physics Alliance
• strategy, aspiration & progress– cool planet census complete enough to detect or rule out predicted cool-
planet desert– detection of cool Earth-mass planets– AGN luminosity distances (at redshifts 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, 3) constraining WM, WL,
and w
– first robotic 1-m LCOGT scope currently being commissioned at McDonald Observatory
– six southern hemispheres telescopes to be deployed in 2012– three northern hemisphere telescopes to be deployed in 2013– ready for 2013 observing season 4
SUPAscope– Global Robotic Telescope Network
for Time-Domain Astrophysics
Scottish Universities Physics Alliance
• current & competitive position– HARPS-North: the characterization and discovery of terrestrial planets
by combining transit and Doppler measurements– international collaboration: Geneva (lead), SUPA, Harvard, QUB, TNG-
INAF Observatory – SUPA (StA, Ed, UK-ATC) are major funding and construction partners – HARPS-North will be capable of better than 20 cm/s precision for bright
stars – world-leading precision– first light achieved in March 2012– Kepler intension to use HARPS-North for follow-ups
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Kepler + HARPS-North Planet Masses and Densities
+
Scottish Universities Physics Alliance
• Strategy, aspiration & progress
– confirming an Earth-twin planet in the habitable zone, with a precision of 30% in mass
– characterizing Earth-like planets of 2-5 Earth masses ("super-Earths") in various orbits, distinguishing between water-rich and dry planets
– characterizing the transition between super-Earths and Ice Giants (e.g., hot Neptunes) near 10 Earth masses, to 5% in mass
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Kepler + HARPS-North Planet Masses and Densities
– observing time requirements: • for 2 planets (over 3 years) - 160 h = 16 nights per year• for 20 planets in various orbits - 250 h = 25 nights per
year• for 20 planets in various orbits - 210 h = 20 nights per
year
HARPS-N first light, 24 March 2012