Digitial image of the astrophysical jet
A major collaborative research project that will address fundamental astrophysical questions has started between The Research Centre, St John's College Oxford and UCD's School of Mathematical Sciences. Researchers led by Dr Katherine Blundell and Professor James Binney FRS in Oxford and Dr Peter Duffy in Dublin, will work towards understanding the role played by magnetised turbulence in the transport and acceleration of highly energetic particles in quasars and microquasars.
The theoretical and computational models developed in UCD and Oxford will then be compared with the data gleaned from the astronomical observations. The result will be numerical codes and visualisation software to simulate transport in the turbulent magnetic fields along relativistic jets and the resulting radiative transfer.
"The dynamics of jet formation clearly involve both gravity and electromagnetism, but the similarities between jets in systems with radically different scales suggests that the underlying physics is simple", said Dr Blundell. "It is nevertheless far from understood. We propose to advance our understanding of that physics by combining developments in plasma physics with state-of-the-art radio and X-ray observations of both microquasars and radio galaxies."
A unique feature of this project will be its interdisciplinary nature; drawing on the fields of observational astronomy, theoretical physics, computational science and developments in transport theory for terrestrial, nuclear fusion plasmas.
The UCD team will concentrate on theoretical work on the microphysics scale, using a combination of analytical calculations and large-scale simulations to explore the mechanisms by which charged particles are accelerated and then transported within radio sources.
The Oxford team will concentrate on observations and modelling on the macro-scale. Firstly, reducing and interpreting the data obtained through an observational programme using cutting-edge facilities to observe key sources at a range of frequencies in radio and X-rays. Secondly, combining the observable consequences of the microphysics studied in Dublin with models of the gross structure of the observed sources to produce predictions for what should be actually observed, at both radio wavelengths and X-ray frequencies.
About The Research Centre, St John's College Oxford
The Research Centre was set up by St John's Governing Body in 2001 to support new research, particularly of an interdisciplinary nature which might otherwise be unfunded, as well as enhancing the College's role in promoting first-class innovative research in the University of Oxford and the academic community at large.
About UCD School of Mathematical Sciences
UCD School of Mathematical Sciences offers coordinated undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in a wide range of areas including Mathematical Physics and Computational Science. The members of the School have outstanding international records of excellence in research across the Mathematical Sciences.
