Dr. Cristina C. Popescu of the Jeremiah Horrocks Institute (JHI) for Astrophysics and Supercomputing at UCLan has been awarded a £0.3M grant from the Science and Technology Facility Council (STFC) to investigate the origin of infrared emission from galaxies in the early universe. The funding will be used to help unravel the fundamental questions of how and when the initial smoothly distributed matter in the universe condensed to form galaxies and stars over the period ranging from a hundred million years since the big bang, to the current time 14 billion years later.
The success was achieved in the face of intense competition in a period of severe budget constraint – only 1 in 6 of the astrophysics proposals submitted from universities nationwide was funded.
Dr. Cristina Popescu, a leading authority on modelling infrared emission from interstellar dust in galaxies, commented: “About half the total light energy emitted since the Big Bang arrives to us today in the form of infrared photons having wavelengths typically 100 times longer than the wavelength of optical photons. This is primarily due to the absorption of Ultraviolet and visible photons emitted by stars and around black holes in galaxies by vast swathes of interstellar dust in the galaxies, a process which is particularly important in young galaxies which have a denser interstellar medium than present day galaxies. We will use the grant to run computer simulations of this process, and provide a link between the observed properties of the infrared light to the properties of this “obscured” star formation activity at early times.”
The research will make use of the new supercomputing facilities at UCLan and will embrace the state-of-the art simulations of the formulation and evolution of galaxies being made by co-proposer Professor Brad Gibson, Chair of Theoretical Astrophysics at the JHI for Astrophysics and Supercomputing at UCLan.
Professor Brad Gibson explained “This is a unique opportunity to combine Cristina’s state-of-the-art calculations on the conversion of optical light into infrared photons with state-of-the-art computer simulations of how dark matter left over from the Big Bang condenses into galaxies, taking normal matter, which can form stars, with it. If we can use the infrared light to trace this process that would really give us a unique new insight into processes governing the conversion of matter into galaxies and stars, which, to be brutally honest, we really don’t understand that well at present. That would be indeed a very big step forward in our understanding of the evolution of the Universe”
Gordon Bromage, Professor of Astronomy, Head of the JHI added: “Our Centre for Astrophysics has been proud to be at the forefront of world-class research at UCLan for over a decade: in just the last year we have made some startling discoveries about the workings of the sun, stars and galaxies, and won over £1M new income to support our research staff and students. Our recent successful Research Assessment Exercise results give further welcome recognition at the highest level for some of our world-leading astronomy work here at UCLan. No less than 85 percent of the astronomy and physics research here has now been judged to be of clearly international standing.”
The funding becomes available in the autumn of 2009.
Notes to editors:
The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has developed an enviable reputation as an institution that innovates, evolving its course portfolio to over 500 undergraduate programmes and 180 postgraduate courses. The University has an established research reputation in a wide range of academic disciplines including History, Law and Physics and has developed research excellence in Health, Humanities, Design & Technology, Science and Business areas. With in the region of 32,000 students, the University is one of the largest in the UK and is currently in the process of spending more than £60 million on new buildings and facilities to support teaching, learning and leisure activities.
Figure caption: The dusty starburst galaxy NGC253. Credit & Copyright: R. Jay GaBany (Cosmotography.com)
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