Research

The IfA's main research areas consist of a broad but coherent programme of studies in extragalactic astronomy and cosmology, in which both observation and theory are closely interlinked. The key themes may be summarized as follows:

1. Deep surveys, particularly in X-rays and sub-mm, intended to study new classes of high-redshift galaxy. We play a leading role in the UK SCUBA survey consortium, and we hold the largest single UK allocations of time on the X-ray satellites Chandra and XMM.
2. New extensive redshift surveys of the local universe, mapping the large-scale structure in unprecedented detail. The 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey is one of our major projects, and we are managing the new 6dF survey.
3. Detailed studies of high-redshift galaxies, especially active galaxies, with the aim of understanding their origin and evolution.
4. Modelling of structure formation, including both the history of the dark-matter component and the IGM, and novel approaches to understanding where galaxies form in relation to the dark matter.
5. Confrontation of galaxy-formation models with observations, via our leading work on the evolution of composite stellar populations, including the critical issue of evolution of the dust content.
6. Studies of the large-scale mass distribution, including techniques for analyzing both microwave-background and gravitational-lensing data, and applications to forthcoming surveys.

Role in network

• Some of the main 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey analyses have been performed at Edinburgh (e.g. Peacock et al. 2001), and we have played a major role in working with other leading surveys, such as PSCz. We are also playing a leading role in the new 6dF spectroscopic survey instrument, which is now being commissioned. Oxford and Durham are members of these consortia.
• We have developed some of the leading techniques in reconstructing mass distributions from gravitational lensing. We already have a very successful collaboration with MPIA in applying these techniques to multicolour data, incorporating photometric redshifts (Dye et al. 2000).
• The Wide-Field Astronomy Unit is a large research unit within the Institute for Astronomy. It grew out of the library for photographic plates from the UK Schmidt telescope, with SuperCOSMOS as the machine to digitize this material. The WFAU is very strongly involved in the major issues to do with the construction of next-generation digital surveys, including: reduction pipeline; archiving; photometric redshifts; data mining.

Key Staff

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