Scientists from our top-rated Physics department are playing a major role in the world’s most ambitious space project, the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), led by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.
This ten-year survey will produce the largest and most detailed view of the Universe ever created.
The Observatory will scan the southern sky every few days, creating a time-lapse view of billions of stars and galaxies.
But managing and understanding the enormous amount of data is a huge challenge. Our experts are helping to develop the advanced tools and systems needed to handle this data and turn it into scientific discoveries.
Our Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy is leading global efforts to study supermassive black holes.
Dr Matthew Temple is heading a team of 250 researchers working to identify over 100 million of these objects using Rubin data.
By tracking how their brightness changes, scientists can learn how black holes grow and interact with galaxies.
At the same time, our Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology is developing new ways to search for dark matter.
Dr Djuna Croon and her team are using a technique called gravitational microlensing, which has the potential to identify invisible objects by seeing how they bend light from stars.
Professor Alastair Edge is also using Rubin’s regular sky scans to study the growth of giant galaxies, while Professors Chris Done and Simone Scaringi will explore extreme cosmic events like flares and outbursts from stars and black holes.
With our deep expertise in astronomy and powerful computing tools, we are making sure the UK plays a key role in this global science project.
The data and discoveries from Rubin will help answer some of the biggest questions about how the Universe works.
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