This image shows the star-studded centre of the Milky Way. Credit: NASA, ESA, and G. Brammer.
An astronomy team led by researchers from the University of Southampton have discovered a black hole in our Galaxy with one of the highest spin rates in the known universe.
The project found observational evidence that the stellar-mass black hole, known as 4U 1630-472, is spinning near its maximum possible rate around its axis.
Astronomical black holes can only be fully characterized by mass and spin rate, which makes measurements of these two properties uniquely important to probe some extreme aspects of the universe and the fundamental physics related to them.
Lead author Dr Mayukh Pahari, from the School of Physics and Astronomy, said: âDetecting signatures that allow us to measure spin is extremely difficult. During our observations we were lucky enough to obtain a spectrum directly from the radiation of the matter falling into the black hole and simple enough to measure the distortion caused by the rotating black hole.â?
An X-ray/infrared composite image of G299, a Type Ia supernova remnant in the Milky Way Galaxy approximately 16,000 light years away.
An international team of astronomers, including researchers from the University of Southampton, has identified a companion star that triggered a distant supernova by studying debris from the cosmic explosion.
The research collaboration investigated ultraviolet light gathered by the Hubble Space Telescope to deduce that the binary systemâs type Ia supernova was likely caused by a white dwarf interacting with a much larger, red giant star.
Southampton researchers Professor Mark Sullivan and Dr Mathew Smith were part of the team of over a dozen scientists that observed the SN 2015cp supernova, some 545 million light years from earth. Almost two years after the supernovaâs initial detection, the collaboration picked up the ultraviolet glow of debris around 62 billion miles from the supernova source which showed signs of hydrogen, indicating something other than a common carbon-oxygen white dwarf.
Mathew, who was at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile when the team approved the finding, explains: âThis discovery is the first confirmation that some of these supernovae are formed from binary systems comprised of a white dwarf and larger companion star, perhaps not dissimilar to our own Sun. Understanding these systems is the key to maximising our knowledge of the eventual fate of the Universe, by understanding the nature of dark energy, and this study is a major step forward along that route.â?
The team made the finding as part of a wider study into Type Ia supernovae, which occur when a white dwarf star suddenly explodes due to the activity of a binary companion. The explosions are very bright - about five to 10 billion times brighter than the Sun â and can be seen at very great distances. The similar properties of white dwarf stars prior to and during these explosions allows them to be used as âstandard candlesâ that can be studied to measure distances in the universe.
The Hubble Space Telescope was essential for detecting the ultraviolet signature of SN 2015cp, before researchers undertook additional observations from sites including the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii, the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in New Mexico, NASAâs Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory space telescope and the European Southern Observatoryâs VLT in Chile.
âWe examined many supernova systems and only found one such event,â? Mark says. âThis allows us to estimate that this only occurs in at most one in 20 supernova explosions. It's very exciting because it means these systems do exist and adds further evidence to the diversity of the types of binary systems that can explode as type Ia supernovae.â?
Professor Mark Sullivan is among just 12 researchers in the UK to be listed in Clarivate Analyticsâ Highly Cited Researchers 2018
Professor Mark Sullivan has been listed in Clarivate Analyticsâ Highly Cited Researchers 2018 for the significant influence of his career over the past decade.
The prominent member of the Southampton Astronomy Group is one of 11 academics from the University of Southampton to be highlighted by the report, which recognises exceptional research performance from multiple papers that rank in the global top 1% by citations.
Mark is among just 12 researchers based in the United Kingdom and only 120 worldwide included specifically for the field of Space Science.
Mark says: âI was very pleased to be named in the Highly Cited Researchers list. This inclusion reflects the outstanding researchers that I have collaborated with, and the world-leading teams and consortia that I have been able to be part of, over the last ten years.â?
The Clarivate Analytics list of Highly Cited Researchers for 2018 identified scientists and social scientists across 21 fields used in Essential Science Indicators (ESI). The report surveyed papers published and cited between 2006 and 2016, ranking entries in the top 1% by citations for their ESI field and year.
The 2018 list contains 6,078 Highly Cited Researchers, including 2,020 researchers identified as having exceptional performance across several fields.
Mark is the Principal Investigator of the STFC Centre for Doctoral Training in Data Intensive Science (DISCnet), a postgraduate training centre led by Southampton and involving partners from across the South East Physics Network (SEPnet). He will formally become the new Head of Physics and Astronomy early in 2019, replacing Professor Jonathan Flynn who has completed his three and a half year term.
People living with blindness and vision loss will work alongside scientists to make astrophysical discoveries in a new project at the University of Southampton.
The creative project, led by Associate Professor Dr Poshak Gandhi from the School of Physics and Astronomy, will develop a computer package that presents numerical data as sound, helping people to explore astronomical surveys.
Researchers at Southampton will collaborate with blind astrophysicist Dr Wanda Diaz-Merced and the SoundOne system (soft developed in the Instituto de Tecnologias en Detección y AstropartÃculas-Mendoza, Argentina, under the support of CONICET), which builds upon her research on âsonic intuitionâ.
Dr Diaz-Mercedâs system uses sound parameters to display and increase sensitivity to data attributes such as frequency and dynamic range. The resultant sound allows listeners to identify distinct features such as peaks and troughs, enabling them to find patterns that by nature are blind to the human eye.
âTime-domain astrophysics is one of the most exciting areas of research, generating regular headlines about black holes and exploding stars, however this topic can be heavily dependent upon visual perception,â? Poshak explains. âDr Diaz-Mercedâs extraordinary work has developed new ways to observe and study the cosmos, and there is a great opportunity here to enhance accessibility to science.â?
Transient discovery in astronomy traditionally involves taking sets of telescope images of the same region of sky, but separated in time, and searching for differences between them. Although a relatively simple procedure, algorithmic searches can often miss discoveries because of a number of issues, including confusion with nearby stars.
âThe human ear is incredibly adept at picking out patterns and isolating features,â? Poshak continues. âThe best way to engage with data is to âplayâ with it by engaging and exploring it, enabling one to make oneâs own discoveries.â?
Dr Diaz-Merced, who currently works for the International Astronomical Unionâs (IAU) Office of Astronomy for Development in South Africa, will deliver a public lecture as part of the international collaboration covering multi-sensorial exploration that provide access to features by nature ambiguous to the human eye.
The Southampton project, which is funded by the Universityâs Public Engagement with Research (PER) programme and the Royal Astronomical Society, will also include an âInspiring Starsâ exhibition focused on accessibility to science and encouraging young people to pursue their dreams.
A second PER project in Physics and Astronomy, led by Dr Sadie Jones, is set to engage young people in dark energy and supernova research at Southampton. Participants from a local YMCA youth club will produce weekly media clips inspired by research, culminating in a scientific poster on their work. The project is associated with the Soton Astrodome, an inflatable planetarium that introduces school children and the public to the wonders of astronomy.
Associate Professor Caitriona Jackman has been named a Fellow of The Alan Turing Institute as part of a new cohort from the University of Southampton.
Caitriona, a key member of the Southampton Astronomy Group, will address complex research challenges within the UKâs national institute for data science and artificial intelligence.
Nineteen leading academics at the University have joined the Institute and will now spearhead projects covering topics from machine learning for space physics to AI and inclusion.
The Alan Turing Institute was founded in 2015 to undertake world-class research that is applied to real-world problems, drives economic impact and societal good, leads the training of a new generation of scientists and shapes public conversation around data.
Astrophysicist Professor Mark Sullivan says he will seek to reinforce the University of Southamptonâs status as one of the best places in the world to study physics and astronomy as its new of Head of School.
Professor Mark Sullivan, a pioneering researcher in supernova cosmology and physics, replaces Professor Jonathan Flynn who will complete his term as Head of School in early 2019.
He inherits a high-performing school that was ranked 6th in the Guardian University Guide 2019 and 10th in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019. The School has also been placed in the top three in the Russell Group for student satisfaction over the past four National Student Surveys*.
Mark says: âItâs a great honour to be appointed as Head of Physics and Astronomy. This is an outstanding, vibrant school that I am excited to have the opportunity to lead. Over the next few years, I am looking forward to building on our world-class research and education, and providing the environment that will allow all students and staff to achieve their full potential.â?
Markâs research interests include the study of the explosive deaths of stars, called supernovae, and an exploration of the observational properties of dark energy and our accelerating universe. He is a prominent member of the Southampton Astronomy Group and is involved in the longstanding Public European Southern Observatory Spectroscopic Survey for Transient Objects (PESSTO), the Dark Energy Survey, the 4MOST Consortium and the future Large Synoptic Survey Telescope.
Mark is also the Principle of the STFC Centre for Doctoral Training in Data Intensive Science (DISCnet), a postgraduate training centre led by Southampton and involving partners from across the South East Physics Network (SEPnet). DISCnet is a centre of innovative education, training and research in data intensive science for postgraduate students, training them in big data handling, data analytics, and the latest statistical and machine learning techniques that underpin artificial intelligence. These skills are being applied to some of the most challenging data science questions in particle physics and astrophysics.
The University of Southampton was ranked in the global top 100 universities for physics and astronomy in the QS Work=ld Rankings by Subject 2018, with 100% of its research being rated world-leading or internationally excellent for its impact on society in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014.
*Not all Russell Group universities are returned in the survey every year
(l-r) Ria Pandit, University of Southampton, Benjamin Shellswell, Royal Holloway, Professor Sir William Wakeham, Executive Chair SEPnet. Image courtesy of SEPnet.
University of Southampton student Ria Pandit has drawn praise for her study of gender in financial trading in a research placement presentation at the 10th South East Physics Network (SEPnet) Student Expo.
The third year BSc Physics student was awarded a poster prize sponsored by the Institute of Physics at the London event which celebrated the achievements of over 70 studentsâ industry placements.
Ria worked with FinTech research and development company AlgoLabs this summer and analysed the risks taken in the trade of foreign exchange to see if there was a correlation with gender.
âIt has been really interesting to work with this project partner and it feels amazing to be rewarded for our hard work,â? Ria says. âWe were given real customer data and chose six elements which we thought were crucial in deciding how much risk a person took whilst trading.
âHaving given them all a weighting, we developed an algorithm which gave everyone a personalised risk score based on their past trading behaviour. These risk scores could then identify whether one gender took greater risks than the other and if this led to greater profits.â?
The study concluded that there was a positive correlation between risk and profit but â contrary to many psychology studies â found that that men and women tend to take similar amounts of risk.
âThere is a perception that men take significantly greater risks than women but this wasnât consistent with our observations,â? Ria adds. âWe would like to fine tune this research and publish it at a conference, however for now that is far in the future.â?
The SEPnet Student Expo brought together over 140 students, employers and academics at the One Park Crescent conference centre and included a talk from former SEPnet placement student Ricardo Mighty, now of the London Block Exchange. The outcomes of over 70 student projects were shared through presentations and posters, culminating in seven poster prizes.
âMy time at Southampton has been a well-rounded one and I have thoroughly enjoyed it,â? she says. âMy course has been really challenging yet rewarding and the academic staff are always very helpful.â?