The upcoming scientific programme of the AP Group is built around the following primary areas. Please note that the summaries below provide only a snapshot and overview of the broad research areas undertaken by staff in the group.
Detection and characterisation of exoplanets
Advisor: Didier Queloz, Samantha Thompson
This includes active participation in the development of new instruments as well as the use of ground and space observatories. Our work is conducted in collaboration with other Cambridge institutes as well as other teams in UK and in Europe. Further details are available at the following website: www.mrao.cam.ac.uk/research/exoplanets.
Prebiotic chemistry and origins of life
Advisor: Paul B Rimmer
Prebiotic chemistry and origins of life must be studied in a planetary context. Recent breakthroughs in origins of life research have revealed that this planetary context is also astrophysical: to understand prebiotic chemistry on a planet, we need to understand the nature of that planet’s star. This connection has given rise to a new sub-field in Astrophysics: Planetary Astrochemistry. Prospective students interested in pursuing experimental or computational research in this nascent field are encouraged to go to this webpage: https://www.mrao.cam.ac.uk/~pbr27/positions.html for more information.
Formation and evolution of galaxies and black holes
Advisors: Roberto Maiolino, Sandro Tacchella, Francesco D'Eugenio
The investigation of galaxy formation and evolution, from the Cosmic Dawn to the nearby Universe, by exploiting observations in the millimeter, infrared and optical bands, obtained at some the major groundbased and space observatories (e.g. Atacama Large Millimetre Array, Very Large Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope, and the James Webb Space Telescope). Our research areas include the coevolution of star formation and black holes, the dynamics of high redshift galaxies, the evolution of the gas content in galaxies (including gas flows), the evolution of the chemical enrichment and the evolution of the dust properties in galaxies. These observational studies exploit samples spanning from galaxies in the local Universe to the most distant objects known. We also use and develop analytical and cosmological numerical models to shed light on the physical properties of galaxies. This group is located in the Kavli Institute for Cosmology (www.kicc.cam.ac.uk). Additional information on the activities of this research group and potential topics for PhD projects can be found at the following pages:
Radio astronomy & the infant Universe (Dark Ages, Cosmic Dawn and Epoch of Re-ionization)
Advisors: Eloy de Lera Acedo, Mark Ashdown, Charles Walker, Quentin Gueuning
We welcome applications from individuals wishing to enrol in an exciting cutting-edge research program on radio cosmology, with a special interest on experiments for the study of the Cosmic Dawn and the Epoch of Re-ionization. Probing these epochs, the 'dark ages' before the first galaxies, through cosmic re-ionization and first new light, represents the frontier in studies of cosmic structure formation. Neutral hydrogen has a rest wavelength of 21 cm and by observing at low radio frequencies we can study directly redshifted emission (and absorption) from the raw material that formed the first luminous cosmic structures. Topics currently available include:
- Studies of the Cosmic Dawn and the Epoch of Re-ionization using observations from the REACH and HERA radio telescopes.
- The transient sky at radio wavelengths.
- Development of Data analysis, Calibration and Science predictions for the SKAO.
- Design of novel radio instrumentation (e.g. radiometer design, calibration, electromagnetic modelling, etc.)
Cosmology: AI-based data analysis
Advisor: Boris Bolliet
We explore ML and AI methods to accelerate discoveries in cosmology, with a focus on the interpretation of ground based Cosmic Microwave Background data. We currently have two main areas of research: (i) deep neural network emulators of cosmological observables where we search for the optimal deep neural network architecture that can reproduce accurate observables in the fastest possible compute time (see here and there for recent work); and (ii) Large Language Model agents for automating and optimising cosmological data analysis pipelines (more information will be shared upon request). Both lines of research are expected to lead to direct applications on real data from the upcoming Simons Observatory Telescope observations, as well as public softwares for the benefit of the broader community (see here and there for recent examples of softwares previously released by us).
Optical and infrared instrumentation
Advisors: David Buscher, Chris Haniff, Roberto Maiolino, John Young
We develop hardware, software, and techniques for the next generation of long-baseline optical interferometers and high-resolution astronomical spectrographs. Potential project topics include: high-sensitivity interferometric beam combiners, low-noise infrared array detectors, algorithms for analysis of interferometric data, image reconstruction for optical interferometers, novel techniques for the manufacture and testing of metre-sized diffraction gratings, and development and testing of ultra-high-precision calibration techniques for astronomical spectrographs.