Doing a spot of tidying up I came across this little cutting of a little review (from the Grauniad) of my little book on Cosmology. It’s sheer vanity to keep such things of course, let alone post them on a blog, but it can’t do the sales any harm either!
I stumbled across this wonderful image (and associated description) yesterday and thought I’d share it. It’s a region of the Orion Nebula (which is located in the Midlands region of Orion’s “sword”, i.e. the long thing hanging down below his belt). It’s a turbulent region of dust and gas in which stars are forming. This image was taken in the far-infrared part of the spectrum by the Herschel Space Observatory, which is now defunct but much data remains to be analysed. Because the image was taken at wavelengths much longer than optical light, the colours are obviously “false”. I don’t work on star formation so I tend to see images like this just as beautiful things to be enjoyed for themselves rather than as a subject for scientific research. In fact, I have no difficulty at all in describing this picture as a work of art, slightly reminiscent of the cloudscapes and seascapes of J.M.W Turner in that it is, at the same time, both a representation of a natural phenomenon and an abstract creation that transcends it. You can click on the image to make it larger…
UPDATE: I see that someone else has thought of the parallel with Turner!
Follow @telescoper
It is time to reveal just a part of the series of innovations I have been introducing to the curriculum here in the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the University of Sussex, since I became head earlier this year.
In order to develop further the problem-solving skills of students in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, I have decided that all modules OLD EMUS will henceforth be referred to by anagrams of their actual titles. For example, in the forthcoming Semester I will be teaching second-year students MONSTER DELICACY.
Among the other old emus to be taken by Year 2 students of SHY PICS are:
MANIAC MUNCH QUEST
UNFITTING COMIC SPICE
SPIN HISS SLICKLY
A TINSMITH’S DEPTH, SARCASTICALLY
ASTHMATIC MODE HALTED for SPICY SHITS
and for options there are
TRANSPLANTED ASS (compulsory for those into RACY SOPHISTS)
ATHEIST PSYCHIC LORE
This list does not include the compulsory A RICH SORT’S PLAYBOY.
I hope this clarifies the situation.
Follow @telescoperWell, just back to the office after taking a restful weekend in Cardiff to recover from the trials and tribulations of the meeting of the Astronomy Grants Panel of the Science and Technology Facilities Council in Swindon last week. I’ve got a lot to catch up on, so I’ll just post this video which explains all about the issue of Black Hole Paywalls Fire Sales Firewalls about which there’s a not inconsiderable to-do and hoo-ha going on in the world of Physics. Pity they couldn’t put a firewall around Swindon, that’s all I can say…
Having a very late and very short lunch break today because I was involved in a series of meetings this morning all of which overran. That, together with the heat, has put me in a bit of a fluster. Anyway, while I drink my sandwich and eat a cup of tea, I thought I’d post this very cute video that I stumbled across via Twitter. It’s by Jorge Cham, the creator of Piled Higher and Deeper (known to the world as PhDcomics); you can find his blog post about these videos here.
Follow @telescoperI’ve been getting quite a few questions about my modest proposal The Open Journal for Astrophysics. I don’t want to give too much away before the site is revealed, but I can say that after a very positive meeting in London last week the project is right on track and will go live pretty soon for beta testing. We have an Editorial Board (names to be revealed in due course), a very nice website, a web team, and an excellent interface for editors and reviewers which, in my opinion, is far better than any offered by a “professional” journal. When the site does go live I’ll explain in more detail how it works and introduce all the people whose contributions enabled this project to get off the ground.
We are going to test everything extensively before the OJFA goes public, however, so please be patient. We will be testing the site initially using papers in a relatively restricted area of astrophysics (largely extragalactic astrophysics and cosmology), but hope to expand by the addition of other members to the Editorial Board. In anticipation of this future expansion, volunteers in areas of astrophysics outside this specialism are welcome!
That’s the update. Now time for the request. Although not essential for the initial testing phase of the project, we do think that it would benefit from a distinctive layout for the papers, which would be easily achieved by having our own Latex style. This came up in discussion some time ago when I first floated the idea of this project and somebody emailed me offering to design an appropriate Latex package. Unfortunately, however, in transit from Cardiff to here I appear to have lost the email and can’t remember who sent it. I’m therefore going to enlist the help of the blogosphere to remedy this act of incompetence. Is there anybody out there among the interwebs who is sufficiently keen and has the necessary expertise to construct a latex style for our new journal? If so please contact me, either through the comments or via email. I can’t do it myself because I have never had any sense of style…
Please pass this on via Twitter, etc.
Follow @telescoper
We still have places in the School of Mathematical & Physical Sciences at the University of Sussex. No other Physics & Astronomy department in the UK scored more highly in the latest NSS survey than ours, so whether you’re interested in Physics, Astrophysics, Astronomy or Mathematics (or even a combination of those subjects), why not just take a look at the University’s Clearing Page and give us a ring.?
As a matter of fact, I’ll be there myself from 8am this morning to talk to interested students.
11.30 UPDATE. I finished my first shift at 11am. I’ll be going back at 5pm for the last session, until the lines close at 7pm. During the last hour a minimum of 20 overs must be bowled. Or something. The main call centre (which has fifty phone lines) is next door to where we were sitting and is operated by admissions experts and student helpers who are processing the queries and, if necessary, routing them through to academics (i.e. people like me) to provide further information or to answer specific questions. You can take a peep behind the scenes here. Some of the calls were from very anxious prospective students, and it’s a very nice feeling being able to help them sort out their course! Now back to other things until I start again this evening.
19.30 UPDATE. Phew. Finally been stood down, but I’ll be back on duty tomorrow afternoon. It’s been a very interesting day which has gone very well for us. Lines stay open until 8pm tonight and re-open at 8 in the morning and we’re still in business to see if we can give just a few more students the opportunity to study in the School next academic year. Now I’m off home to chill, probably over a glass or two of wine!
Follow @telescoperI found this video via a web page describing the FastSound project, which is surveying galaxies in the Universe which are at such a huge distance that we are seeing them as they were over nine billion years ago. Using the Subaru Telescope‘s impressive new Fiber Multi-Object Spectrograph (FMOS). This project is “work in progress”. The survey so far contains only 1,100 galaxies, but while that is small by the standards of a modern redshift survey, and will in fact still only comprise about 5000 galaxies when complete, what is amazing about it is that the galaxies are at such enormous distances. Even using a telescope with an 8.2 metre primary mirror, this survey will take another year or so to be completed.
A survey of a representative region of the Universe at such high redshift allows astrophysicists to test theories of the growth of the large-scale structure of the Universe. In the standard cosmology, these form by a process of gravitational instability: small irregularities in the distribution of matter get amplified by the action of gravity to become large structures such as galaxies and galaxy clusters. Comparing the level of clustering at early times with that observed around us today allows us to check whether this growth matches theoretical predictions. There should be much less clumpiness earlier on if the theoretical picture is right.
I began my PhD DPhil at the University of Sussex in 1985, working on the large-scale structure of the Universe. Coincidentally, the largest redshift survey available at that time, the CfA1 Survey, also contained 1,100 galaxies – as displayed in the famous “stick man map”:
The galaxies mapped out in that survey, however, are all (relatively speaking) in our back yard: none is further than a few hundred million light years away…
Follow @telescoperThe news on the radio this morning featured a story about the Prime Minister wanting the UK to “get behind” hydraulic fracturing (or “fracking” as it is known for short) , a means of liberating shale gas that offers the prospect of boosting the UK’s energy supply.
There’s not much sign any “getting behind” happening up the road from here in Balcombe, where a sizable anti-fracking protest has been going on for some time. There’s actually no fracking going on in Balcombe at the moment; the company involved, Cuadrilla Resources, is doing exploratory drilling to look for oil but may apply for a licence to pursue hydraulic fracturing if that is unsuccessful.
There’s a simple graphic on the BBC website that illustrates how fracking works:
In simple terms it involves pumping a mixture of water, sand and chemicals into a deposit of shale ato fracture the solid material contained therein and thus liberate the gas. Environmentalists argue that this technique might cause earth tremors and/or contamination of the water supply; advocates of fracking dispute these claims. I’m not sufficiently expert to be able to comment usefully on the arguments about the possible environmental dangers associated with it, so I’d be glad to receive comments via the box below.
One thing I will comment on, though, is the very poor quality of the media reporting on this issue. I’ve yet to see any meaningful attempt to comment on the science involved when surely that’s the key to whether we should “get behind” fracking or not? It struck me that quite a few readers might also be interested but ill-informed about this issue to, so for them I’d recommend reading the Beddington Report, the key findings of which were:
- The health, safety and environmental risks can be managed effectively in the UK. Operational best practices must be implemented and enforced through strong regulation. Fracture propagation is an unlikely cause of contamination.
- The risk of fractures propagating to reach overlying aquifers is very low provided that shale gas extraction takes place at depths of many hundreds of metres or several kilometres. Even if fractures reached overlying aquifers, the necessary pressure conditions for contaminants to flow are very unlikely to be met given the UK’s shale gas hydrogeological environments.
- Well integrity is the highest priority. More likely causes of possible contamination include faulty wells. The UK’s unique well examination scheme was set up so that independent, specialist experts could review the design of every offshore well. This scheme must be made fit for purpose for onshore activities.
- Robust monitoring is vital. Monitoring should be carried out before, during and after shale gas operations to detect methane and other contaminants in groundwater and potential leakages of methane and other gases into the atmosphere.
- An Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) should be mandatory. Every shale gas operation should assess risks across the entire lifecycle of operations, from water use through to the disposal of wastes and the abandonment of wells.
- Seismic risks are low. Seismicity should be included in the ERA.Seismicity induced by hydraulic fracturing is likely to be of smaller magnitude than the UK’s largest natural seismic events and those induced by coal mining.
- Water requirements can be managed sustainably. Water use is already regulated by the Environment Agency. Integrated operational practices, such as recycling and reusing wastewaters where possible, would help to minimise water requirements further. Options for disposing of wastes should be planned from the outset. Should any onshore disposal wells be necessary in the UK, their construction, regulation and siting would need further consideration.
- Regulation must be fit for purpose. Attention must be paid to the way in which risks scale up should a future shale gas industry develop nationwide. Regulatory co-ordination and capacity must be maintained.
- Policymaking would benefit from further research. The carbon footprint of shale gas extraction needs further research. Further benefit would also be derived from research into the public acceptability of shale gas extraction and use in the context of the UK’s energy, climate and economic policies.
I’m not sure how many anti-fracking activists, or others involved in the Balcombe protest, have read this report.
Anyway, in an attempt to gauge the mood of my totally unrepresentative readership, I thought I’d try a little poll:
And if you have strong opinions, please feel free to use the comments box.
Follow @telescoperWell, I’m a bit busy today – despite the fact that it’s a weekend – so I’m just going to take the opportunity post here a news item from my employer which has already been posted on the University of Sussex website.
–o–
The School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) will have 63 academics at the start of the 2013-14 academic year – an increase of 58 per cent from February, when only 40 were in post.
The expansion follows a very successful few years for the School, during which the number of students starting degrees in Physics and Astronomy at Sussex has grown almost threefold.
The department has also climbed to 5th in The Times Good University Guide 2013 and Mathematics was ranked in the top 10 for academic support in the 2012 National Student Survey (NSS).
From September, Physics and Astronomy will have 40 academics, up from 25 in February. There are 12 new posts as well as three replacements, including the arrival in February of Professor Peter Coles, who replaced the late Professor David Axon as Head of School.
Mathematics is increasing from 15 academics to 23, with five of these arrivals being new positions. In particular, three new professors will join the Department this year.
Professor Coles says that overseeing this expansion has been his main focus since returning to Sussex. He says: “When I arrived, plans were already under way to get new people in and I knew this had to be my priority in my first few months as Head of MPS.
“We had an incredibly high calibre of applicants for all the posts and, in many cases, have been able to appoint more than one person. For one of the posts in Astronomy, the shortlist was so strong that we have actually appointed four excellent academics in that area. We couldn’t miss that opportunity.
“Our three new chairs in Mathematics are joining us from Denmark, Greece and Italy, bolstering the School’s international outlook.
“We have been strategic in our appointments to encourage growth into new areas for us, such as probability and stochastic modelling on the Mathematics side, and materials-based experimental research on the Physics side. We anticipate further strategic expansion in these areas in the near future.
“These appointments also represent a step towards more interdisciplinarity and better crossover between the two departments within the School, and indeed with other schools such as Life Sciences, developing still further the University’s traditional strength in interdisciplinary research.
“And, most importantly of all, students in MPS will benefit from more study choices and smaller class sizes.”
Follow @telescoper
In the Dark 