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PHYSICS & ASTROPHYSICS #TheUCLanExperience @ UCLan WHICH COURSE IS FOR ME? JEREMIAH HORROCKS INSTITUTE GROUND BREAKING RESEARCH STUDY ABROAD OPPORTUNITIES GRADUATE EMPLOYABILITY ALSTON OBSERVATORY Find out more: StudyAtUCLan @UCLanPhysics
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#TheUCLanExperience PHYSICS & ASTROPHYSICS€¦ · Nuclear and Particle Physics AP3844 Atomic Physics and Advanced Quantum Mechanics MA3831 PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS AND INTEGRAL

Jul 03, 2020

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Page 1: #TheUCLanExperience PHYSICS & ASTROPHYSICS€¦ · Nuclear and Particle Physics AP3844 Atomic Physics and Advanced Quantum Mechanics MA3831 PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS AND INTEGRAL

PHYSICS &ASTROPHYSICS

#TheUCLanExperience

@ UCLan

WHICH COURSE IS FOR ME?JEREMIAH HORROCKS INSTITUTEGROUND BREAKING RESEARCHSTUDY ABROAD OPPORTUNITIESGRADUATE EMPLOYABILITY

ALSTONOBSERVATORY

Find out more:

StudyAtUCLan

@UCLanPhysics

Page 2: #TheUCLanExperience PHYSICS & ASTROPHYSICS€¦ · Nuclear and Particle Physics AP3844 Atomic Physics and Advanced Quantum Mechanics MA3831 PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS AND INTEGRAL

WELCOMETO PHYSICSAT UCLAN

WHATSHOULD I STUDY?

SPECIALISTFACILITIES

TEACHINGENVIRON-MENT

EMPLOY-ABILITY

WHERE ARE OURGRADUATESNOW?

STAFF Q&A

03 04-05

10 11

14-15

IN THENEWS

12-13

08-09 06-07

02

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All of our on-campus courses inPhysics and Astrophysics areaccredited by the Institute of Physics(IOP), with completion leadingtowards Chartered Physicist (CPhys)status. Graduate IOP members canuse the letters MInstP after theirname. Our BSc(Hons) in Astronomy is recognised by the Institute ofPhysics (IOP) and all graduatesautomatically meet requirements for Associate Membership of theInstitute.

COMMON MODULES

Our common Physics modules at thestart of study gives you the flexibilityto transfer to other specialist coursesin the second year. You could then

find your niche in Physics, Physicswith Astrophysics, or Astrophysics. You can choose if you wish tocontinue on to the MPhys route atthe end of Year 2. If you are planninga career in scientific research, wewould strongly recommend the four-year MPhys qualification.

RESEARCH ACTIVELECTURERS

Throughout your studies you’ll betaught by a passionate team ofexperienced research activelecturers. Our degrees will prepareyou for a career in a constantlychanging subject that, thanks toconstantly evolving technology, is a fascinating area to work in.

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Physics and astronomy have beentaught continuously in Preston forover 190 years; and we trace ourheritage back to Jeremiah Horrocks who made the firstprediction of the Transit of Venus,in 1639.

SPECIALIST FACILITIESYou will be able to access a range of specialist facilities including our very own observatory, the AlstonObservatory, one of the largestteaching observatories in the UK.It is used weekly by Year 1 students

on all degrees, and throughout theAstrophysics degrees, and enablesyou to make real astronomicalobservations.

Other specialist laboratory facilities include nuclear physics,optics, quantum physics, laserphysics, spectroscopy andastrophysics, and support different aspects of the course.

STUDY ABROADWhilst studying you will have theopportunity to study abroad, either

a whole year of study with anapproved international partneruniversity, or a project within acollaborating research group, suchas in Germany, Italy, Spain, SouthAfrica, or with NASA in the USA.

RESEARCHAt JHI we have a long history ofresearch interests with staff andstudents, ranging from areas suchas Computational Physics to StarFormation.

FURTHER STUDYMany of our BSc (Hons) graduates go on to further study, such as MSc degrees in a range of topics in physics and engineering. Somechoose to train in teaching (PGCE), but most will find work in industry or governmentlaboratories.

Welcome to

PhysicsAT UCLan

Professional Accreditation

Study physics and astrophysics at UCLan in theJeremiah Horrocks Institute (JHI) for Mathematics,Physics and Astronomy, and you will not onlyreceive high-quality teaching from world-leadingresearchers, you will also form part of our history.

Find out more:

StudyAtUCLan

@UCLanPhysics

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All the BSc (Hons)/MPhys courses have a common firstyear with the opportunity to choose your specialisationat the end of that year: Physics, Physics withAstrophysics, or Astrophysics. You can choose if youwant to continue on to the MPhys route at the end ofYear 2 (Year 3 if you started in the Foundation Entry).

The BSc (Hons) course takes three years, with theundergraduate master's MPhys course which allowsstudents to study to a greater depth than is possible onthe Bachelors course, takes four years to complete.

Taking an MPhys year is appropriate if you want toapply for jobs that demand a deeper knowledge in aspecialised area. If you are planning a career inscientific research, we would strongly recommend thefour-year MPhys qualification.

Foundation Entry is available if you do not meet theformal entry requirements specified. It allows analternative route to study for this degree bycompleting an additional preparatory year.

What shou

BSc (Hons)Astrophysics

Do you ever wonder how ouruniverse came to be? OurAstrophysics degree courseprovides you with essentialtraining to help find the answer, inunderstanding the application ofphysics to the stars and galaxieswhich make up the universe,whilst developing your skills inscientific methods. You will alsodevelop your mathematical skills,and benefit from a state-of-the artlearning environment forpractical analysis, interpretationand modelling of astronomicaldata. This will provide you withexcellent observational,mathematical and logical skillsand these problem-solvingabilities will make youparticularly attractive toemployers, not just inastrophysics, but in a wide rangeof fields including oil and gas, andmedical physics.

BSc (Hons) Physics with Astrophysics

These courses combine elementsof our Physics and Astrophysicsdegrees and are popular routes ifyou want to keep options open forfurther study. UCLan’s Physicswith Astrophysics degree coursesprovide a comprehensiveeducation in the subject, fromquantum physics to the formationof the Universe. You will improveyour mathematical skills, backedup by practical laboratoryexperience, and gain an in-depthknowledge of the laws of physics,and the stars and galaxies thatmake up the universe. You willbecome highly proficient atproblem solving and solvingchallenges by thinking creatively.These, along with the practicalskills gained through planningexperiments, processing,analysing, and interpreting data,are skills which are useful for anycareer.

BSc (Hons) Physics

Are you inspired by the bizarreworlds of relativity and quantummechanics? Do you have a passionto understand the fundamentalprinciples that govern everythingfrom atoms to galaxies? Then thisPhysics degree course will provideeducation from nanophysics tolasers, and beyond. You willimprove your mathematical skillsbacked up by practical laboratoryexperience; gain an in-depthknowledge of the laws of physics,and their application to realsituations. You will become ahighly proficient problem solverand overcome challenges bythinking creatively. These, alongwith the practical skills gainedthrough planning experiments,processing, analysing, andinterpreting data, will equip youwith the necessary skills forfuture employment.

You will learn by a variety ofmethods including lectures,tutorials, seminars, problemsolving classes, laboratory work,observatory experiments,individual project work and groupwork. Small class sizes ensureindividual attention. Specialistlaboratory facilities includenuclear physics, mechanics, optics,quantum physics, laser physics,spectroscopy and astrophysics,and support different aspects ofthe course.

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Study AbroadOpportunitiesYou will have the opportunity to study abroad, either a wholeyear of study with an approvedinternational partner university, or a project within a collaboratingresearch group, such as in Germany, Italy, Spain, South Africa, or with NASA in the USA.

ld I study?ProfessionalAccreditation

All of our on-campus courses inPhysics and Astrophysics areaccredited by the Institute of

Physics (IOP), with completionleading towards Chartered

Physicist (CPhys) status. OurBSc(Hons) in Astronomy is

recognised by the Institute ofPhysics (IOP) and all graduates

automatically meetrequirements for Associate

Membership of the Institute.

BSc (Hons) Astronomy Distance Learning

This is the first and only distance-learning Astronomy degreeavailable from a UK universityand allows you to develop yourfascination with astronomy andcosmology. You will develop thefull range of scientific skillsthrough experimental andobservational work undertaken ata distance, library research skillsand report writing. You can buildup modules over the years andexit with intermediate awardsalong the way, allowing you tostudy for as long and to the depthappropriate to your own interestsand aspirations.

This Astronomy course is onlyavailable part-time and allmodules are purpose designed tosupport the distance study mode.

The course incorporates a broadrange of fundamental science,including the techniques ofobservational astronomy, the birth,lives and death of stars and theformation and development of theentire Universe – in short a broadrange of Astronomy, Cosmology,Astrobiology and Astrophysics.You can study how the stars form,what determines the shape andhistory of the Galaxy, theprospects for life beyond theEarth, the effects of the Sun on theEarth and the historicaldevelopment of the science.

MPhys (hons)Physics

MPhys (Hons)Astrophysics

MPhys (Hons) Physics with Astrophysics

The master’s MPhys courseallows students to study to agreater depth than is possible onthe Bachelors course, and takesan extra year to complete. Youenrol onto the MPhys course inthe first instance and can decidebetween BSc (Hons) and MPhysafter the initial years of thecourse, taking into account yourachievements and careeraspirations.

The MPhys individual projectprovides an introduction toresearch and lasts a wholesemester in the final year. Thistakes the place of the normal BScproject and may be undertakenabroad within a collaboratingresearch group (such as Florence,Italy or South Africa).

UCLan's MPhys degree coursesprovide a rounded education inthe subject, from quantumphysics to the formation of theUniverse. You will improve yourmathematical skills, backed up bypractical laboratory experience,and gain an in-depth knowledgeof the laws of physics, and thestars and galaxies that make upthe universe. You will becomehighly proficient at problemsolving and solving challenges bythinking creatively. These, alongwith the practical skills gainedthrough planning experiments,processing, analysing, andinterpreting data, are skills which are useful for any career.

Find out more:

StudyAtUCLan

@UCLanPhysics

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Compulsory module -on all programmes (Physics, Astrophysics, Physicswith Astrophysics, and Mathematical Physics).

The full list of options indicated may not all be delivered every year.

MPH

YS (H

ONS)

BSc

(Hon

s)

C

AP4852AdvancedLaboratory

AP3860PracticalPhysics 3:Experimentand ProblemSolving

AP2860PracticalPhysics 2:Computing andExperiment

AP1860PracticalPhysics 1:Programmingand Experiment

AA1001Astrophysics 1:Structure ofthe Universe

AP1043Electromagnetic Radiationand QuantumTheory

AP2857MeasurementInstrumentation LabviewandInterfacing

AA2001Astrophysics 2

AP2043Electromagand Waves

AA3010Formation,Structure and Evolutionof Stars

AA3853Cosmologyand Galaxies

AP3845Electro-dynamicsPlasma andSolar Physics

AA4848GENERALRELATIVITY

AA4849Planets

AA4846Galaxies 2

AA4847Plasma & Solar

AP4870Magnetism

C

C

C C

C

BSC (HONS) AND MPHYS PHYSICS/AS

L7

L6

L5

L4

06

TEACHING ENVIRONMENT

Practical Physics Astrophysics Electro-magnetism

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Our courses in Astrophysics and Physics are rigorous programmes equippingstudents with sought-after knowledge and skills they can apply in industry. These disciplines are strongly defined by research pursued in Universities, and our staff engage in their subjects to the highest levels.

Non-compulsory modules may be excluded on particulartitles, for example BSc (Hons) Physics students may notstudy AA3010. See course handbook for details.

All information provisional, andsubject to staffing resources.

MA1831Functions,Vectors andCalculus

AP1842Mechanics

AP1852Applied Physicsand LinearSystems

AP2858Thermal andQuantumPhysics

AP2859SpecialRelativity andSolid StatePhysics

MA2831OrdinaryDifferentialEquations

MA2832VectorCalculus

MA2841Lagrangian andHamiltonianMechanics

AP3840CondensedMatter andSurfacePhysics

AP3842Nuclear andParticlePhysics

AP3844Atomic Physicsand AdvancedQuantumMechanics

MA3831PARTIALDIFFERENTIALEQUATIONS AND INTEGRALTRANSFORMS

MA3842Fluid Dynamics

AP3950BSc (Hons)Project

AP4614Physics forEnergy

AP4553MPhys Project(triple module)

MA4845Mathematicsof Waves

MA4844Stability,Instabilityand Chaos

C C

CCC

C

STROPHYSICS DEGREE SCHEMES

07

Quantum and Solid-State Physics Mathematical Physics Projects

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The Jeremiah HorrocksInstitute (JHI) is based on thePreston Campus at theUniversity of CentralLancashire. Jeremiah Horrocks,of which the institute gains its name, was an Englishastronomer. Born in Liverpool(1618 – 1641), he was the firstperson to demonstrate that theMoon orbits the Earth in anelliptical orbit. But morenotably, he predicted and wasthe only person to observe thetransit of Venus of 1639.

The Institute was established in1993 as the Centre for Astrophysics.Renamed in 2004 as the JeremiahHorrocks Institute (JHI) forAstrophysics and Super-Computing,the JHI grew in 2012 to become theJeremiah Horrocks Institute forMathematics, Physics and Astronomy.The JHI carries out teaching in all ofthese areas, and pursues research intoanalytical acoustics, non-associativealgebras, model theory and itsapplications, theoretical andlaboratory-based physics, and theastrophysics of planets, stars,galaxies and the Universe.

JeremiahHorrocksInstitute

The staff and students of the JHI have many researchinterests including:

• Computational Physics• Galactic chemical evolution• Galaxy Dynamics• Galaxy Formation• Large-scale structures in the Universe and the

impact on its development• Late-type stars and the fate of stars like the Sun• Magnetic Materials• Model Theory• Nanophysics and Nanotechnology• Planet formation and exoplanets• Plasma loops on the Sun’s surface and the effects

on the corona• Protostellar discs• Soft Matter• Star Formation• Super-luminal jets from micro-quasars, quasars

and active galactic nuclei• The interaction between stars in binary systems• The interaction between the Sun and the Earth• The interiors of stars examined via asteroseismology

The Institute currently has a large base of over 60 members, including 20 research students and 6 post-doctoral researchers. They are involved in a number of international collaborations, including being the leadingmember of the United Kingdom Southern African Large TelescopeConsortium. The collaboration provides access to a world-class 10mtelescope along with preferential access to other observing facilities at the superbly located South African Astronomical Observatory. They arepartners in the National Cosmology Supercomputer (COSMOS) and hostthe UK hub for data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory. JHI staff arealso involved in our world-leading Astronomy by Distance Learningprogramme, delivered under our Study Astronomy brand.

SpecialistFacilities

Find out more:

StudyAtUCLan

@UCLanPhysics

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Specialist laboratory facilities include nuclear physics, optics, quantum physics, laser physics, spectroscopy and astrophysics, and support different aspects of the course.

PhysicsLaboratories

• Photoelectric Effect• Verification of de Broglie’s

Relationship• Michelson interferometer• Polarised light• Zeeman Effect• Velocity of sound in Gases• Stefan Boltzmann’s Law• Forced Oscillations• Electrical Measurements• Experimental Techniques

• Observation of diffraction at single and multiple slits

• Rotational Inertia• Series/Parallel circuits• P-N Junction Diode• Compton scattering of

Gamma Rays• X-rays• Radioactivity• Basic Nucleonics and

Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy

• Faraday Balance• Snell’s law and Fresnel

Relationship• Interfacing• Investigating the Sun with

SDO Data• Investigating Solar Flares

Using Hinode/EIS Data• Analysing N-Body

Simulations of Dark Matter Halos

• Digital input/output• Nernst Calorimeter• Pendulum experiment• Millikan Experiment• Speed of Light Experiment• Forced Oscillations -

Pohl’s Pendulum• Thermal and electrical

conductivity of metals

Key experiments available

• Bi-axial Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (Vector-VSM)• Scanning Column Magnetrometer (SCM)• Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy (STM)

• Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)• Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)

FINAL YEAR PROJECTS

09

The University has its ownobservatory, one of the largest,best-equipped teachingobservatories in the UK. Theobservatory and its 20 plustelescopes are used weekly byYear 1 students on all degrees,and in all years of theAstrophysics degrees.

We have recently invested over£200,000 to install a new largetelescope at Alston Observatory.The brand new Moses HoldenTelescope (MHT), a 70 cm diameterstate-of-the-art robotic telescope is

used for both undergraduateteaching and to encourage publicengagement in science. Alongsidethe MHT we also have a range ofsmaller robotic telescopes ranging insize from 20 to 30 cm in diameter.Additionally we host the historicWilfred Hall Telescope on behalf ofthe Royal Astronomical Society.

The Discovery Dome is an excitingsystem that allows a laptopcomputer and digital projector to

display movies onto a planetariumdome, as well as enhancedplanetarium shows. This will enableboth informative material to bepresented for evening events, andeducational material for curriculumenhancement.

The Discovery Dome currentlyexhibits on ‘Telescopes as TimeMachines’ funded by the RoyalAstronomical Society, and an outsideexperiment measuring the cosmos.

Alston Observatory

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Acoustic consultant

Geophysicist/field seismologist

Higher education lecturer

Metallurgist

Nanotechnologist

Radiation protection practitioner

Research scientist

Secondary school teacher

Investment analyst

Meteorologist

Nuclear engineer

Operational researcher

Patent attorney

PPC specialist

Software engineer

A Physics or Astrophysics degree

can take you anywhere in the world...

Graduates have found employment in industry, governmentresearch institutes, overseas laboratories and observatories,financial institutions, teaching and scientific journalism.

Most of our distance-learning Astronomy students have apassionate interest in the subject, and those completing thedegree course can go on to further study, teaching, or workin an observatory. Other possible careers include sciencecommunication and public outreach.

Graduates of Physics, Astronomy,and Astrophysics are amongst themost employable in the world andare in particularly high demand fortechnical and business sectors,where analytical and mathematicalskills are at a premium.

Employability

Find out more:

StudyAtUCLan

@UCLanPhysics

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Where are ourgraduates now GRADUATE LANDS DREAM JOB WITH MAJORTECHNOLOGY COMPANY Physics graduate Jasmin Evans wasappointed as a systems engineer forLockheed Martin, a company whichspecialises in the development,integration and sustainment ofadvanced technology systems,products and services.

The former Billingham St Michael’sRC High School pupil has made themost of her four years at UCLan. She

has visited America twice, first forthe Grace Hopper Celebration ofWomen in Computing in Arizonaand secondly for an internship atNASA Goddard in Maryland.

She said: “It was wonderful to havethe opportunities to travel toAmerica. The Arizona trip was part of a STEMettes mentoringprogramme, in conjunction withDeutsche Bank, while my visit toNASA Goddard was amazing. I wasthere for a week and I interviewedastronaut Piers Sellers and Nobelphysics laureate John Mather alongwith writing blog entries for NASABlue Shift.”

In addition to undertaking aplacement at the Ogden Trust,Jasmin also took part in manyoutreach activities, including theaward-winning Lancashire ScienceFestival. She also set up her ownproject called Touching Space, ascheme that aimed to encourageblind and partially sighted people to get in to astronomy andengineering.

The former Newcastle Collegestudent came to UCLan via clearingand studied on the foundationcourse before continuing on to theBSc (Hons) Physics degree.

She said: “I didn’t do very well in my A Levels so I had to look for auniversity through clearing. Icontacted UCLan and was toldabout the foundation course. It wasgreat because it gave me confidence,especially with my maths. It wasjust what I needed and gave me anintroduction to the labs and thephysics facilities.”

Jasmin EvansBSc (Hons) Physics Graduate

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IN THE NEWS...12

UCLan Astronomers have discovered newmagnetic fields in space, which couldshed light on how stars are formed anduncover the mysteries behind one of themost famous celestial images.

Subtle magnetic fields in the Pillars ofCreation – a structure made famousthanks to an iconic image taken by theHubble Space Telescope – have beendiscovered and mapped.

The structure consists of cosmic dust andcold, dense gas that have nurseries of starsforming at their tips. This innovativeresearch has shown that the magnetic

fields that run along the lengths of thePillars are at a different angle to theregions surrounding the Pillars, revealingthe reason behind their unusual structure.

This ground-breaking discovery suggeststhat the Pillars have evolved due to thestrength of the magnetic field and that thePillars are held up thanks to magneticsupport, suggesting that stars could beformed by the collapse of clumps of gasbeing slowed down by magnetic fields, andresulting in a pillar-like formation.

The discovery was made by a global teamof researchers known as BISTRO and led

by astronomers from UCLan who mademeasurements at the James ClerkMaxwell Telescope in Hawaii. Using aninstrument on the telescope known as apolarimeter, the researchers showed thatthe light emitted from the Pillars ispolarised, indicating the direction of themagnetic field.

MEASURING themagnetic field in thePillars of Creation

UCLan Astronomer Dr. DanielHoldsworth is part of the international research team that made this discovery.

It sets a new record for greatest numberof habitable zone planets found outsideour solar system. Any of these sevenplanets could have liquid water, key tolife as we know it. This exoplanetsystem is called TRAPPIST-1, named forThe Transiting Planets andPlanetesimals Small Telescope(TRAPPIST) in Chile.

“The TRAPPIST-1 planetary systemhosts the largest number of exoplanetsclose enough to their parent star thatliquid water might exist. By precisely

monitoring the brightness of the hoststar, we have been able to detect theplanets as they pass in front of the star and block a small amount of light.By knowing how big the star is, and how much light is blocked, we cancalculate how big the planets are. Theplanets are small and rocky and arecomparable in size to the Earth. At just 40 light years away, this makesTRAPPIST-1 a prime target to study the atmospheres of exoplanets tosearch for traces of water, and even life, in this nearby solar system.”

Seven Earth-sizeplanets identified

A NASA telescopereveals largest batch of Earth-size,habitable zone planets around asingle star.

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Stripe phases are a form of complexmatter involving coupled spin and chargeorder. They are observed in certain copperoxide superconductors, as well as innickelates and manganites.

Some theoreticians believe that stripefluctuations are important to the mechanismof high temperature superconductivity. A key piece of evidence for the idea is the universal form of the magneticexcitation spectrum of hole-doped copperoxide superconductors as measured byneutron scattering, which is in the shape of an hourglass. Nearly thirty years afterthe discovery of high temperaturesuperconductivity, understanding thisphenomena still poses one of the greatest challenges in condensed mater physics.

In latest experimental findings scientistsfrom the JHI UCLan (P. G. Freeman), theuniversities EPFL (Lausanne, Switzerland),Oxford and the Institut Laue-Langevinhave found significant evidence to supportthe theory that this type of magneticexcitation spectrum emerges naturallyfrom a stripe-ordered ground state.

In the work published in NatureCommunications, the results show that the magnetic ground state is morecomplicated than initially thought –containing macroscopic regions of spinand charge-stripe order as well as charge-checkerboard order (resembling a chess board).

However, the measurements reinforce thestripe-model as the underlying

mechanism for the hourglass magneticspectrum in the cobaltates. The presentresults provide an experimental basis fortheories that assume a ground state withstatic or slowly fluctuating stripes in orderto explain the hourglass spectrum in thecopper oxide high temperaturesuperconductors.

CHARGE-STRIPES OBSERVEDIN AN HOURGLASS COMPOUND

13

The LSST will be an exciting facility thatwill make possible a wide range ofstudies. At the JHI we are coordinatingthe UK effort at using LSST tounderstand the formation of the centre of our home galaxy, the Milky Way.

It will achieve first light in 2020 and itsmain sky survey will begin in 2022. TheLSST will be sited at Cerro Pachón in theChilean Andes at an altitude of 2715m.When it starts operating, it will generate

one of the largest scientific datasets in the world.

Dr Debattista said: “LSST will build up avery detailed map of billions of galaxies,with approximate distances to each, fromwhich we will learn about the mysteriousdark energy that seems to be acceleratingthe expansion of the Universe. But, equally,it will look for changes in the sky fromnight to night; both moving objects, likeasteroids, and new ones, like supernovae,

that appear where nothing had been seen before. Covering each patch of skymore than 800 times during its decade of operations, it will construct our firstmotion picture of the universe.”

JHI AND The Large SynopticSurvey Telescope (LSST)

New research into the early stages ofplanet formation, published in theMonthly Notices of the RoyalAstronomical Society, suggests that there may be more giant planets than we previously thought.

Using supercomputers, researchers atUCLan and Nagoya University in Japanhave analysed how young planets interactwith their host protoplanetary disc.

As giant planets form, they take gas fromtheir protoplanetary discs over a few millionsof years in order to grow. Research haspreviously focused on how, as they grew,these planets moved inwards towards theirparent star, often getting destroyed by it inthe process. Using computer simulationsperformed with the UCLan High

Performance Computing (HPC) facilityand the UK DiRAC supercomputer facility,researchers have now discovered thatwhen there are strong interactions with aheavy protoplanetary disc, the growinggiant planet is likely to be dragged awayfrom its parent star, while milder interactionswith a less heavy, stable disc drag theplanet towards its star.

This newly discovered insight into thediversity of how young giant planets evolvecan help us to understand more about theformation of solar systems beyond our own. Commenting on the findings, Dr DimitrisStamatellos, astrophysicist at UCLan, said: “There’s a lot about the early years of young planets that we don’t know.There is a very fine balance between theforces that push the planet towards its

parent star and the forces that push theplanet away from it.

“A planet’s survival is also difficult topredict. Many planets that formed initiallymay be destroyed, and only a few cansurvive to reach adulthood. This newlydiscovered insight into the diversity of howyoung giant planets evolve can help us tounderstand more about the formation ofsolar systems beyond our own.”

Astronomers discover HOW giant planets evolve

Find out more:

StudyAtUCLan

@UCLanPhysics

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Staff

Mark, what made you wantto study Astronomy?For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated by space, and wanted tounderstand how the galaxies, stars, planetsand eventually life came to be. This wascombined with general interest in almostall areas of science, making it difficult todecide on one area of science to study atUniversity. Fortunately, Astrophysics allowsyou to be curious about all aspects ofscience. Understanding the origin ofGalaxies, Stars, Planets and Life requiresknowledge of Physics, Chemistry and even Biology, meaning there is alwayssome new avenue to investigate.

How did this lead ontoteaching?My career has followed a typical route foran academic studying Astrophysics; aftermy PhD I carried out postdoctoral researchin the US and Germany for 7 years, beforemoving to UCLan to take up a lectureshipin Astronomy.

What course do you lecture on?I teach on the Physics, Physics withAstrophysics, and Astrophysics courses,where I am module leader for a secondyear module on how the chemicalelements are created and distributedthroughout space by various Astrophysicalprocesses. I also oversee our hands-onAstrophysics laboratories that involveobserving with our large research-gradetelescope out at UCLan’s AlstonObservatory.

What’s the future ofAstronomy?The future of astronomy is very exciting.Over the next decade a number of powerfulnew facilities will be coming online. Theseinclude the replacement for the HubbleSpace Telescope (the JWST), the largest

telescope ever constructed (the 39m wideExtremely Large Telescope), and finally theSquare Kilometer Array (which will studythe radio Universe.) These new facilitieswill provide unprecedented views of theUniverse, allowing us to observe the veryfirst stars that ever formed, to measure the atmospheres of planets around otherstars (and potentially detect the conditionsnecessary for life), and to study the uniquePhysics at the very edge of Black Holes.

Where has Astronomy taken you globally?One of the real perks of being anobservational astronomer is that thetelescopes you use have to be located inexotic locations, where the skies are clearon the tops of mountains far from heavilypopulated areas. I regularly travel totelescopes in Hawaii, the south western US, and Chile to obtain my data, and havebeen fortunate to travel to other interestingplaces throughout the world to present my work at conferences.

Tell us somethinginteresting about yourresearch. What’s the most memorable thing?One that springs to mind is a reminder ofthe importance of serendipity in science,even when studying a vast Universe. I oncetravelled to Hawaii to use a telescope toobserve a galaxy 300 million light yearsaway. When we came to setup and startobservations we couldn’t recognise our

target because the star pattern lookedwrong. It took us 5 minutes to realise that it was because a new bright star hadappeared. We worked out that the new star was a supernova, an exploding star, indistant the galaxy we were studying. Thatsupernova exploded and its light travelledacross the Universe for 300 million years,first arriving at Earth the day before westarted our observing night. If we had beenthere a day earlier, or a few weeks later, wewould never have seen that supernova,which proved to be quite helpful in tellingus about the galaxy we were studying.

Research wise, what are wedoing at UCLan right now?We currently have very active researchgroups studying how galaxies form, howstars and planets form, and how the Sunand its “weather” affect the Earth.

Where can an AstrophysicsDegree take you?Outside of an academic career studyingthe Universe, students with degrees inAstrophysics are highly sought after byemployers in a very wide variety of areas.This is because Physics/Astrophysicsstudents develop highly desirable skillssuch as confidence with high-levelpractical mathematics, computerprogramming, problem solving, and theability to summarise complicated conceptsaccurately and concisely. Almost allgraduate career options are possibleincluding careers in business, finance, “bigdata”, teaching, and scientific research. 

Mark NorrisASTROPHYSICIST

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Karen, what made you want to study Physics?Science and maths were my favouritesubjects at school and I was alwaysinterested in how things work. I considereda few degree subjects but I decided onphysics. I like the fact that it’s mathematicaland also links into chemistry in someareas, so you get a bit of everything.

How did this lead ontoteaching?I graduated with an MPhys from TheUniversity of Manchester then stayed there to do my PhD. After my PhD I stayedat Manchester for another year on apostdoctoral research scholarship thenmoved to the University of Nottingham to work as a postdoctoral researcher for 3 years. I then moved to UCLan to take up a lectureship in physics.

What course do you lecture on?I am module leader for two Year 3 modules;Condensed Matter Physics and Nuclearand Particle Physics. I also lecture on thefoundation level maths modules andsupervise final year BSc Physics projects.

What’s the future ofPhysics?I believe the future of physics is to directour efforts at real world problems and thebiggest challenges facing society. Forexample, we have a societal need to findgreener alternatives for our energy supplyand to find ways to capture harmfulemissions into the atmosphere. In my areaof research, we are working towards newtypes of solar cells, fuel cells, batteries, CO2capture materials and other smart materials.

Where has Physics takenyou globally?Most of my research is carried out atsynchrotron facilities. These are big particleaccelerators that produce synchrotronradiation which we use in our experiments.As well as the UK facility I’ve been tosynchrotrons in France, Italy, Sweden andDenmark. The experiments are usuallycrammed into one week and we have towork long shifts, so we don’t actually get to see much of our surroundings!

Tell us somethinginteresting about your studies, research,lecturing. What’s the most memorable thing?A few years ago, I was carrying out anexperiment at the synchrotron in Trieste inItaly, during a particularly hot week in the

summer. I was working a night shift whena massive thunderstorm took out all thepower to the synchrotron and half of Trieste!Synchrotron experiments never seem togo to plan but they’re always good fun!

Research wise, what are wedoing at UCLan right now?Most of our physics research comesbroadly under the area of CondensedMatter Physics. Our physics lecturers arecarrying out cutting-edge research intographene, nanomaterials, ionic liquids,magnetic materials and superconductors.

Where can a Physics degree take you?Physics graduates can go into careers suchas the nuclear industry or nanotechnologybut often graduates choose careersunrelated to physics such as business orfinance. Of course we will always needgood physics teachers to inspire the nextgeneration of physicists. There’s also careeroptions you might not have thought of, forexample training as a medical physicist.

DR KAREN SYRESPhysicist

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