Astrophysics

We're researching astrophysics to better understand the basic building blocks of our Universe. We're looking at the origin of stars, the formation and evolution of galaxies, and stellar population models.

Galaxies are massive collections of stars, gas, dust and dark matter, bound together by gravity. We study how galaxies form and evolve over cosmic time using stellar population modelling, and also inform cosmological surveys, which use galaxies as tracers for the structure of the Universe. Our research, much of which takes place within the University's Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, tells us about the basic physics of star formation and the content of the Universe.

Galaxy evolution

Our research into galaxy evolution covers galaxies from the most local to some of the most distant objects known. We search for clues into how they developed by looking at the types of stars and the star formation histories of galaxies. Studying the elemental make up of the stars and gas in a galaxy reveals orbital dynamics – either through stellar or gaseous kinematics or in a frozen snapshot in the galaxy morphology.

Our researchers are involved in leading astronomical surveys that help us map and understand galaxies and the processes within them. We use the surveys to explore what galaxies can tell us about the past, present and future of the Universe.

Astronomical surveys we're involved in:

• Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)
• Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS)
• Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA)
• Galaxy Zoo project
• Galaxy Evolution group for the Dark Energy Survey (DES)
• Galaxy Working groups for Euclid

Stellar population modelling

The dark Universe is filled with dazzling galaxies, which shine in virtue of their stellar content. Stellar radiation, which reaches us from the most remote regions of the Universe, can be modelled following robust physical principles. The light emitted can be used as a probe of galaxy structure formation and evolution and as a cosmic chronometer.

Stellar population models are central to astrophysics and cosmology. We research stellar population modelling to predict and describe the evolution of galaxies.

A galaxy can contain billions of stars. The total energetics emission of a galaxy is the sum of the light from all its stars, which depends on stellar energetics, lifetimes and the stellar initial mass function. It also depends on parameters that are specific to the different galaxies such as history of star formation, chemical composition and dust content.

Researchers at our Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, Prof Claudia Maraston and Prof Daniel Thomas, are world leaders in the field of stellar population modelling. Their recent results include the calculation and analysis of models at high spectral resolution.

Discover our areas of expertise

Astrophysics is one of the 4 areas of expertise within the Cosmology and Astrophysics research area – explore the others here.

Interested in a PhD in Cosmology and Astrophysics?

Browse our postgraduate research degrees – including PhDs and MPhils – at our Cosmology and Astrophysics postgraduate research degrees page.