Whether in the present so-called 'age of austerity' or more generous times, arguing for funds for space exploration can sometimes be hard and constrained budgets mean that some excellent scientific proposals never see the light of day. On Tuesday 19 April, in his presentation at the National Astronomy Meeting in Llandudno, Wales, Leicester University astronomer Professor Martin Barstow will argue that a solution could be found in the form of low-cost space missions with a price tag of £10-20m.

A sounding rocket blasts off from White Sands Missile Range with a high efficiency X-ray telescope on board. Credit: NASA

Sub-orbital programmes through sounding rockets are more frequent and allow scientific data to be obtained for a few million pounds. However they only deliver a few minutes observing time above the atmosphere, restricting the scientific goals that can be achieved. For a typical astronomy payload, observations are limited to the brightest targets, usually one in any flight, and re-flight opportunities are quickly exhausted. Balloon programmes offer longer duration flights, up to a few days, but are only suitable for gamma-ray, visible light or infra-red studies. X-ray, extreme-UV and UV wavelength radiation emitted by astronomical objects does not penetrate far enough into the atmosphere to be detectable by instruments on balloons.

Professor Barstow believes that there is an urgent need for the development of an intermediate class of mission that provides access to Low Earth Orbit (altitudes of between 160 and 2000 km) at a cost of £10M-20M, allowing a far greater number of missions than at present.

One method he proposes to deliver these lower cost space missions is to re-cycle proven sub-orbital instruments, eliminating a significant proportion of the usual development expenses, and up-rating support systems such as attitude control and power to operate for several months rather than a few minutes. The UK has considerable expertise in low cost satellite technologies, for example in the company Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) based in Guildford, England.

In his talk Professor Barstow will discuss one example of the type of instrument that could be flown at low cost, a high resolution extreme ultraviolet spectrograph (this disperses ultraviolet light from astronomical objects for analysis of properties such as temperature and composition) developed by his group. A spectrograph of this type has already flown successfully on board two sounding rocket missions. The instrument has a very simple and novel optical design delivering extraordinary efficiency compared to traditional approaches and in this case, a sensitivity greater than that of the NASA Chandra X-ray observatory is achieved in a package a fraction of the size.

Professor Barstow comments: "UK space scientists are world-leading and are particularly good at making a big impact from a small budget. Low-cost space missions are a great way to get this to happen and could be a real boost for UK astronomy."

Science contact

Professor Martin Barstow
University of Leicester
Tel: +44 (0)116 252 3492 (Leicester)
(Contact via NAM press office)
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Press contacts

NAM 2011 Press Office (0900 – 1730 BST, 18-21 April only)
Conwy Room
Venue Cymru conference centre
Llandudno
Tel: +44 (0)1492 873 637, +44 (0)1492 873 638

Dr Robert Massey
Royal Astronomical Society
Mob: +44 (0)794 124 8035
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Anita Heward
Royal Astronomical Society
Mob: +44 (0)7756 034 243
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Image

An image of a sounding rocket carrying an X-ray telescope is available from http://www.ras.org.uk/images/stories/NAM/2011/images/barstow%20-%20rocket%20-%20tuesday.jpg

Caption: A sounding rocket blasts off from White Sands Missile Range with a high efficiency X-ray telescope on board. Credit: NASA

Notes for editors

NAM 2011

Bringing together around 500 astronomers and space scientists, the RAS National Astronomy Meeting 2011 (NAM 2011: http://www.ras.org.uk/nam-2011) will take place from 17-21 April in Venue Cymru (http://www.venuecymru.co.uk), Llandudno, Wales. The conference is held in conjunction with the UK Solar Physics (UKSP: http://www.uksolphys.org) and Magnetosphere Ionosphere and Solar-Terrestrial Physics (MIST: http://www.mist.ac.uk) meetings. NAM 2011 is principally sponsored by the RAS and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC: http://www.stfc.ac.uk).

The Royal Astronomical Society

The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS: http://www.ras.org.uk), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3500 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.

The Science and Technology Facilities Council

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC: http://www.stfc.ac.uk) ensures the UK retains its leading place on the world stage by delivering world-class science; accessing and hosting international facilities; developing innovative technologies; and increasing the socio-economic impact of its research through effective knowledge exchange. The Council has a broad science portfolio including Astronomy, Particle Astrophysics and Space Science. In the area of astronomy it funds the UK membership of international bodies such as the European Southern Observatory.

Venue Cymru

Venue Cymru (http://www.venuecymru.co.uk) is a purpose built conference centre and theatre with modern facilities for up to 2000 delegates. Located on the Llandudno promenade with stunning sea and mountain views; Venue Cymru comprises a stunning location, outstanding quality and exceptional value: the perfect conference package.

Detecting exoplanets that orbit at large distances from their star remains a challenge for planet hunters.  Now, scientists at the University of Leicester have shown that emissions from the radio aurora of planets like Jupiter should be detectable by radio telescopes such as LOFAR, which will be completed later this year. Dr Jonathan Nichols will present results at the RAS National Astronomy Meeting in Llandudno, Wales, on Monday 18^th April.

"This is the first study to predict the radio emissions by exoplanetary systems similar to those we find at Jupiter or Saturn.  At both planets, we see radio waves associated with auroras generated by interactions with ionised gas escaping from the volcanic moons, Io and Enceladus.  Our study shows that we could detect emissions from radio auroras from Jupiter-like systems orbiting at distances as far out as Pluto," said Nichols.

Of the hundreds of exoplanets that have been detected to date, less than 10% orbit at distances where we find the outer planets in our own Solar System.  Most exoplanets have been found by the transit method, which detects a dimming in light as a planet moves in front of a star, or by looking for a wobble as a star is tugged by the gravity of an orbiting planet. With both these techniques, it is easiest to detect planets close in to the star and moving very quickly. 

"Jupiter and Saturn take 12 and 30 years respectively to orbit the Sun, so you would have to be incredibly lucky or look for a very long time to spot them by a transit or a wobble," said Dr Nichols.

Dr Nichols examined how the radio emissions for Jupiter-like exoplanets would be affected by the rotation rate of the planet, the rate of plasma outflow from a moon, the orbital distance of the planet and the ultraviolet (UV) brightness of the parent star. He found that, in many scenarios, exoplanets orbiting UV-bright stars between 1 and 50 Astronomical Units (AU) would generate enough radio power to be detectable from Earth.  For the brightest stars and fastest spinning planets, the emissions would be detectable from systems 150 light years away from Earth.

"In our Solar System, we have a stable system with outer gas giants and inner terrestrial planets, like Earth, where life has been able to evolve.  Being able to detect Jupiter-like planets may help us find planetary systems like our own, with other planets that are capable of supporting life," said Dr Nichols.

CONTACTS

Dr Jonathan Nichols

University of Leicester

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

On Monday 18^th April, Dr Nichols will be contactable through the NAM2011 Press Office.

PRESS CONTACTS

NAM 2011 Press Office (0900 – 1730 BST, 18-21 April only)

Conwy Room

Venue Cymru conference centre

Llandudno

Tel: +44 (0)1492 873 637, +44 (0)1492 873 638

Dr Robert Massey

Royal Astronomical Society

Mob: +44 (0)794 124 8035

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Anita Heward

Royal Astronomical Society

Mob: +44 (0)7756 034 243

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

IMAGES

Images can be found at: http://www.ion.le.ac.uk/~jdn/images.html

FURTHER INFORMATION

The results have been accepted for publication in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society:

'Magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling at Jupiter-like exoplanets with internal plasma sources: implications for detectability of auroral radio emissions'  by J.D Nichols

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1 AU is 149 598 000 kilometres, the distance between the Earth and the Sun.

NAM 2011

Bringing together around 500 astronomers and space scientists, the RAS National Astronomy Meeting 2011 (NAM 2011: http://www.ras.org.uk/nam-2011) will take place from 17-21 April in Venue Cymru (http://www.venuecymru.co.uk), Llandudno, Wales. The conference is held in conjunction with the UK Solar Physics (UKSP: http://www.uksolphys.org) and Magnetosphere Ionosphere and Solar-Terrestrial Physics (MIST: http://www.mist.ac.uk) meetings. NAM 2011 is principally sponsored by the RAS and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC: http://www.stfc.ac.uk).

The Royal Astronomical Society

The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS: http://www.ras.org.uk), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3500 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.

The Science and Technology Facilities Council

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC: http://www.stfc.ac.uk) ensures the UK retains its leading place on the world stage by delivering world-class science; accessing and hosting international facilities; developing innovative technologies; and increasing the socio-economic impact of its research through effective knowledge exchange. The Council has a broad science portfolio including Astronomy, Particle Astrophysics and Space Science. In the area of astronomy it funds the UK membership of international bodies such as the European Southern Observatory.

Venue Cymru

Venue Cymru (http://www.venuecymru.co.uk) is a purpose built conference centre and theatre with modern facilities for up to 2000 delegates. Located on the Llandudno promenade with stunning sea and mountain views; Venue Cymru comprises a stunning location, outstanding quality and exceptional value: the perfect conference package.

Our Sun experiences regular eruptions of material into space, but solar physicists still have difficulty in explaining why these dramatic events take place. Now a group of scientists from the University of St Andrews think they have the answer: clouds of ionized gas (plasma) constrained by magnetic fields and known as 'plasmoids' that struggle to break free of the Sun's magnetic field. Dr Vasilis Archontis will present their work on Monday 18 April at the National Astronomy Meeting in Llandudno, Wales.

Active regions on the solar surface are often the site of eruptions. These are associated with magnetic fields from the solar interior rising to the surface and gradually expanding into the Sun's outer atmosphere, the corona, in a process known as magnetic flux emergence.

The St Andrews team developed 3D computer models of these phenomena, revealing that the emergence of magnetic flux naturally leads to the formation and expulsion of plasmoids that adopt a twisted tube configuration.

The formation of the plasmoids is due to the motion of plasma in the lower atmosphere of the Sun. These motions bring magnetic fieldlines closer together to reconnect and build a new magnetic flux system (i.e. the plasmoid). Whether the plasmoids are 'failed' or 'successful' (i.e. they erupt into space) depends on the level of interaction between the new emerging field and the old, pre-existing magnetic field in the solar corona.

When the new emerging field expands into the corona, it forms a 'magnetic sheath' with a fan-like shape. The sheath magnetic field consists of loop-like fieldlines, which are anchored to the solar surface and enclose the plasmoids.

A striking result from the simulations is that the plasmoids remain trapped in the solar atmosphere if the magnetic sheath is not removed by some other external mechanism. In this case, the sheath fieldlines manage to stop the plasmoids erupting.

But if the sheath magnetic field breaks and connects with the other magnetic fields in the surrounding solar corona, the researchers believe that this opens the way for the plasmoids to erupt at speeds of up to at least 500 km per second. During the faster part of this eruption the plasmoids are pushed up, transfer heavy plasma to the solar corona, expand without constraint and accelerate out into space.

Science contacts

Dr Vasilis Archontis (at NAM Monday – Wednesday)
Solar and Magnetospheric Theory Group
Mathematical Institute
University of St. Andrews
Tel: +44 (0)1334 461648
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Prof. Alan W. Hood
Solar and Magnetospheric Theory Group
Mathematical Institute
University of St. Andrews
Tel: +44 (0)1334 63710
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Press contacts

NAM 2011 Press Office (0900 – 1730 BST, 18-21 April only)
Conwy Room
Venue Cymru conference centre
Llandudno
Tel: +44 (0)1492 873 637, +44 (0)1492 873 638

Dr Robert Massey
Royal Astronomical Society
Mob: +44 (0)794 124 8035
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Anita Heward
Royal Astronomical Society
Mob: +44 (0)7756 034 243
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Movies

A series of movies showing the results of the new experiment can be downloaded from http://www-solar.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/~vasilis/nam2011

The whole evolution (i.e. from the initial emergence of flux until plasmoids reach the upper atmosphere of the Sun) in the numerical experiments occurs within 2 hours. The physical size of the simulation box is 24,000 x 24,000 x 27,000 kilometres. In the movies, the size of the area shown is 24,000 x 27,000 kilometres. The time period in the simulation corresponds to 90 minutes of real time.

Movie 1: A simulation of the evolution of plasma density in an experiment where the eruption of the plasmoid is 'failed'. The dense material rises but it does not manage to break through the sheath magnetic field. Credit: Vasilis Archontis

http://www-solar.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/~vasilis/nam2011/eruption_failed_density.gif

Movie 2: A simulation of the evolution of plasma temperature in the same experiment, where the eruption of the plasmoid is 'failed'. Cool material is transported into the solar corona, where the plasmoid relaxes to an equilibrium. Credit: Vasilis Archontis

http://www-solar.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/~vasilis/nam2011/eruption_failed_temperature.gif

Movie 3: A simulation of the evolution of plasma density in an experiment where the eruption of the plasmoid is 'successful'. The dense material rises slowly first, but eventually it accelerates to experience a rapid ejection out through the solar corona (at the top). Credit: Vasilis Archontis

http://www-solar.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/~vasilis/nam2011/eruption_success_density.gif

Movie 4: A simulation of the evolution of plasma temperature during the 'successful' eruption of the plasmoid. A lot of heating is produced underneath the erupting plasmoid, due to the emission of jets from reconnection of magnetic fields. Credit: Vasilis Archontis

http://www-solar.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/~vasilis/nam2011/eruption_success_temp.gif

Notes for editors

NAM 2011

Bringing together around 500 astronomers and space scientists, the RAS National Astronomy Meeting 2011 (NAM 2011: http://www.ras.org.uk/nam-2011) will take place from 17-21 April in Venue Cymru (http://www.venuecymru.co.uk), Llandudno, Wales. The conference is held in conjunction with the UK Solar Physics (UKSP: http://www.uksolphys.org) and Magnetosphere Ionosphere and Solar-Terrestrial Physics (MIST: http://www.mist.ac.uk) meetings. NAM 2011 is principally sponsored by the RAS and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC: http://www.stfc.ac.uk).

The Royal Astronomical Society

The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS: http://www.ras.org.uk), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3500 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.

The Science and Technology Facilities Council

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC: http://www.stfc.ac.uk) ensures the UK retains its leading place on the world stage by delivering world-class science; accessing and hosting international facilities; developing innovative technologies; and increasing the socio-economic impact of its research through effective knowledge exchange. The Council has a broad science portfolio including Astronomy, Particle Astrophysics and Space Science. In the area of astronomy it funds the UK membership of international bodies such as the European Southern Observatory.

Venue Cymru

Venue Cymru (http://www.venuecymru.co.uk) is a purpose built conference centre and theatre with modern facilities for up to 2000 delegates. Located on the Llandudno promenade with stunning sea and mountain views; Venue Cymru comprises a stunning location, outstanding quality and exceptional value: the perfect conference package.

Researchers at the University of Central Lancashire have monitored the birth of a sunspot over a period of eight hours using observations from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Dr Stephane Regnier will present the results at the RAS National Astronomy Meeting in Llandudno on Monday 18th April.

The emerging sunspot was first detectable at 17:00 UT on 30th May 2010 in SDO magnetograms, which map the magnetic intensity of the solar disc. The first signs were small patches of strong positive and negative magnetic field, separated by around 7 000 km. 

"About 5 hours after the first signs of the eruption, the magnetic disturbance had grown to around 20 000 km across and we could see a pore form in the visible wavelength images next to the negative polarity." said Regnier. "By 18:00 UT on June 1st, the sunspots had appeared."

The photosphere is the visible surface of the Sun.  Convection cells of hot, bright gas rising up to the surface are surrounded by sinking, cool, darker material, giving the photosphere a granular appearance.  These granules are grouped into supergranules, which can be more than 20 000 kilometres across.

"The peculiarity of what we are seeing is that the pore emerges at the edge of a supergranular cell Models have predicted that we would see this at the cell centre where the upflows are more significant," said Regnier.

The SDO observations allow Regnier to study temperature measurements ranging from 50000 to 10 million degrees Celsius on an almost second by second basis.

"In all temperature ranges, we can see the emerging area as a magnetic tube that is very hot at the edges and sharply delineated from the surrounding material.  How sunspots are born, evolve and die is still a concern for solar physicists and one of the most intriguing subjects is to understand how these magnetic tubes can emerge from below the Sun's surface and push through into the hot atmosphere," said Regnier.  

IMAGES

http://www.ras.org.uk/images/stories/NAM/2011/images/regnier_fig1.jpg
Fig. 1: SDO magnetic (top) and visible light (bottom) observations from SDO’s Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) of an emerging active region on May 30 2010: (left) start of the emergence at 17:00 UT.  On the magnetogram, the white is positive and the black is negative polarity; (middle) formation of a pore in the negative polarity at 22:00 UT. And (right) the active region on June 1 2010 at 18:00 UT.

http://www.ras.org.uk/images/stories/NAM/2011/images/regnier_fig2.jpg
Fig. 2: Composite image showing the temperature evolution of a slice through the emerging active region over time (increasing time from bottom to top). The bands show measurements taken at 5 thousand degrees, 0.6 million degrees, 1.6 million degrees, 2 million degrees and 10 million degrees Celsius.
The small image to the left if a snapshot of the emerging active region, the black line indicating the position of the slices;

CONTACTS
Dr Stephane Regnier
Jeremiah Horrocks Institute
University of Central Lancashire
Tel: +44 (0)1772 89 2701
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

PRESS CONTACTS

NAM 2011 Press Office (0900 – 1730 BST, 18-21 April only)
Conwy Room
Venue Cymru conference centre
Llandudno
Tel: +44 (0)1492 873 637, +44 (0)1492 873 638
 
Dr Robert Massey
Royal Astronomical Society
Mob: +44 (0)794 124 8035
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 
Anita Heward
Royal Astronomical Society
Mob: +44 (0)7756 034 243
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

NOTES FOR EDITORS

NAM 2011
Bringing together around 500 astronomers and space scientists, the RAS National Astronomy Meeting 2011 (NAM 2011: http://www.ras.org.uk/nam-2011) will take place from 17-21 April in Venue Cymru (http://www.venuecymru.co.uk), Llandudno, Wales. The conference is held in conjunction with the UK Solar Physics (UKSP: http://www.uksolphys.org) and Magnetosphere Ionosphere and Solar-Terrestrial Physics (MIST: http://www.mist.ac.uk) meetings. NAM 2011 is principally sponsored by the RAS and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC: http://www.stfc.ac.uk).
 
The Royal Astronomical Society
The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS: http://www.ras.org.uk), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3500 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.
 
The Science and Technology Facilities Council
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC: http://www.stfc.ac.uk) ensures the UK retains its leading place on the world stage by delivering world-class science; accessing and hosting international facilities; developing innovative technologies; and increasing the socio-economic impact of its research through effective knowledge exchange. The Council has a broad science portfolio including Astronomy, Particle Astrophysics and Space Science. In the area of astronomy it funds the UK membership of international bodies such as the European Southern Observatory.
 
Venue Cymru
Venue Cymru (http://www.venuecymru.co.uk) is a purpose built conference centre and theatre with modern facilities for up to 2000 delegates. Located on the Llandudno promenade with stunning sea and mountain views; Venue Cymru comprises a stunning location, outstanding quality and exceptional value: the perfect conference package.
 

Astronomers from Wales and the Netherlands, in collaboration with five schools, have used eight telescopes simultaneously to study the strange behaviour of an X-ray binary star system.  Results will be presented by postgraduate student Fraser Lewis at the RAS National Astronomy Meeting in Llandudno, Wales, on Monday 18^th April.

IGR J00291+5934 (‘00291’) is a rare X-ray binary system containing a pulsar – a neutron star spinning several hundred times per second – and a normal star. Only 12 such systems are known. In September 2008, 00291 increased in brightness at X-ray wavelengths by a factor of at least a thousand times and in visible wavelengths by a factor of around a hundred times. While this type of outburst is not uncommon for this type of system, the timescale is usually months to years. However 00291, having been in outburst for 20 days, faded away to its normal faint state but then re-brightened within 30 days.

"We had never seen this rapid a turnaround in a system of this type before" said Lewis, of the Faulkes Telescope Project at the University of Glamorgan. "To try to understand what was driving this unique behaviour, we gathered data from several telescopes, at different wavelengths, to create a dataset of unprecedented detail."

The group, led by Lewis and Dr David Russell, of the University of Amsterdam, used data from Faulkes Telescope North, the Isaac Newton Telescope and the Keck Telescope (optical wavelengths), PAIRITEL (infrared), the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (radio), the Swift GRB mission (UV and X-ray), and the XMM-Newton and RXTE satellites (X-ray).  Five schools, including St. Brigid's School, Denbigh and St Davids College, Cardiff, were involved in collecting the data using Faulkes Telescope North.

In X-ray binary systems, material from the star spirals in towards the pulsar, forming an accretion disc. Friction and gravity heat this material up until it reaches temperature of millions of degrees and emits X-rays.

"The behaviour of 00291 is baffling. Outbursts are thought to be driven by the 'emptying' of the accretion disc, which means that the time between outbursts indicates the time that it takes to fill the disc, and the size of the disc itself. However, for a system as compact as 00291, it’s unlikely that it could replenish its supply within 30 days," said Lewis.

To find a solution to this mystery, Lewis and Russell have turned to a group at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington led by Dr Jacob Hartman.  Hartman's group suggests that the outburst is all one event that was interrupted halfway through by a propeller effect.

"The idea is that when the 'propeller' switches on, the material that was spiralling inwards becomes ejected from the system, stopping the outburst. Then the propeller switches off again, the outburst restores itself.  However, there are still many things that we don’t understand," said Lewis.

"My pupils always love using the FT, in particular they are inspired by the real-time nature of the experience and awed by the idea that they see exactly what the telescope sees, so many miles away, staring deep into space at impossibly distant and mysterious objects. What was especially exciting about our session with IGR J00291+5934  was that a few months later we saw our name in a paper proving that we had contributed to some proper science. This thrilled the children no end and who knows what sparks were kindled by this experience?" said Stuart Ayres, a teacher from St. Brigid's School, Denbigh.

These results are presented within the wider context of an extensive optical monitoring program of 32 low-mass X-ray binaries using the 2-metre Faulkes Telescopes in Hawaii and Australia.

SCIENCE CONTACTS

Fraser Lewis

Faulkes Telescope Project

University of Glamorgan

Wales

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Fraser Lewis is contactable through the NAM2011 Press Office on Monday 18^th April.

PRESS CONTACTS

NAM 2011 Press Office (0900 – 1730 BST, 18-21 April only)

Conwy Room

Venue Cymru conference centre

Llandudno

Tel: +44 (0)1492 873 637, +44 (0)1492 873 638

Dr Robert Massey

Royal Astronomical Society

Mob: +44 (0)794 124 8035

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Anita Heward

Royal Astronomical Society

Mob: +44 (0)7756 034 243

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

FURTHER INFORMATION

'The double-peaked 2008 outburst of the accreting milli-second X-ray pulsar, IGR J00291+5934*' (Fraser Lewis et al, 2010, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 517, A72)

'A Double Outburst from IGR J00291+5934: Implications for Accretion Disk Instability Theory' (Jacob M Hartman et al, 2011, ApJ, 726, p.26).

IMAGES

For artist’s impression of IGR J00291+5934, see: http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMWSAA5QCE_index_1.html

NOTES FOR EDITORS

NAM 2011

Bringing together around 500 astronomers and space scientists, the RAS National Astronomy Meeting 2011 (NAM 2011: http://www.ras.org.uk/nam-2011) will take place from 17-21 April in Venue Cymru (http://www.venuecymru.co.uk), Llandudno, Wales. The conference is held in conjunction with the UK Solar Physics (UKSP: http://www.uksolphys.org) and Magnetosphere Ionosphere and Solar-Terrestrial Physics (MIST: http://www.mist.ac.uk) meetings. NAM 2011 is principally sponsored by the RAS and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC: http://www.stfc.ac.uk).

The Royal Astronomical Society

The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS: http://www.ras.org.uk), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3500 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.

The Science and Technology Facilities Council

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC: http://www.stfc.ac.uk) ensures the UK retains its leading place on the world stage by delivering world-class science; accessing and hosting international facilities; developing innovative technologies; and increasing the socio-economic impact of its research through effective knowledge exchange. The Council has a broad science portfolio including Astronomy, Particle Astrophysics and Space Science. In the area of astronomy it funds the UK membership of international bodies such as the European Southern Observatory.

Venue Cymru

Venue Cymru (http://www.venuecymru.co.uk) is a purpose built conference centre and theatre with modern facilities for up to 2000 delegates. Located on the Llandudno promenade with stunning sea and mountain views; Venue Cymru comprises a stunning location, outstanding quality and exceptional value: the perfect conference package.

The Faulkes Telescope Project

The Faulkes Telescope Project is an educational and research project, based at the University of Glamorgan and funded by the Dill Faulkes Educational Trust. The telescopes are maintained by Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope (LCOGT), based in Goleta, California. The schools involved were St. Brigid's School (Denbigh), St. David’s College (Cardiff), Paulet High School (Burton-on-Trent), The Kingsley School (Leamington Spa) and Czacki High School (Warsaw, Poland).

An X-ray image of the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant made with the Chandra X-ray observatory. Credit: NASA/CXC/MIT/UMass Amherst/M.D.Stage et al.

The date the explosion of Cas A would have been seen on Earth is a long-standing mystery in the history of astronomy but the generally accepted period is the latter half of the seventeenth century. Mr Lunn, former Curator of Astronomy at the Yorkshire Museum and Dr Rakoczy, a US-based independent scholar, suggest instead that Cas A could have been seen earlier – on 29 May 1630. This date is better known to historians as the day the future King Charles II of Great Britain was born and also significant for a 'noon-day star' alleged to have appeared at his birth, an important feature of later Stuart/Restoration propaganda. Separate sources refer to the star over a period of about 30 years.

The star has been widely discussed by historians and literary scholars but its credibility as a genuine astronomical event has remained largely unexplored. Mr. Lunn and Dr Rakoczy believe that it deserves further investigation.

Mr. Lunn comments, "The number and variety of sources that refer to the new star strongly suggest that an astronomical event really did take place. Our work raises questions about the current method for dating supernovae, but leads to the exciting possibility of solving a decades-old astronomical puzzle."

Science contacts

Martin Lunn MBE
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dr Lila Rakoczy
[Contact through Martin Lunn]

Press contacts

NAM 2011 Press Office (0900 – 1730 BST, 18-21 April only)
Conwy Room
Venue Cymru conference centre
Llandudno
Tel: +44 (0)1492 873 637, +44 (0)1492 873 638

Dr Robert Massey
Royal Astronomical Society
Mob: +44 (0)794 124 8035
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Anita Heward
Royal Astronomical Society
Mob: +44 (0)7756 034 243
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Images

http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2006/casa/

Caption: An X-ray image of the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant made with the Chandra X-ray observatory. Credit: NASA/CXC/MIT/UMass Amherst/M.D.Stage et al.

Notes for editors

NAM 2011

Bringing together around 500 astronomers and space scientists, the RAS National Astronomy Meeting 2011 (NAM 2011: http://www.ras.org.uk/nam-2011) will take place from 17-21 April in Venue Cymru (http://www.venuecymru.co.uk), Llandudno, Wales. The conference is held in conjunction with the UK Solar Physics (UKSP: http://www.uksolphys.org) and Magnetosphere Ionosphere and Solar-Terrestrial Physics (MIST: http://www.mist.ac.uk) meetings. NAM 2011 is principally sponsored by the RAS and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC: http://www.stfc.ac.uk).

The Royal Astronomical Society

The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS: http://www.ras.org.uk), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3500 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.

The Science and Technology Facilities Council

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC: http://www.stfc.ac.uk) ensures the UK retains its leading place on the world stage by delivering world-class science; accessing and hosting international facilities; developing innovative technologies; and increasing the socio-economic impact of its research through effective knowledge exchange. The Council has a broad science portfolio including Astronomy, Particle Astrophysics and Space Science. In the area of astronomy it funds the UK membership of international bodies such as the European Southern Observatory.

Venue Cymru

Venue Cymru (http://www.venuecymru.co.uk) is a purpose built conference centre and theatre with modern facilities for up to 2000 delegates. Located on the Llandudno promenade with stunning sea and mountain views; Venue Cymru comprises a stunning location, outstanding quality and exceptional value: the perfect conference package.

The Brightest Cluster Galaxy (BCG) appears as the orange arc in this section of a Hubble Space Telescope image of galaxy cluster Abell 2218. Credit: NASA, ESA, and Johan Richard (Caltech, USA)

How galaxies form and then evolve is still a major unanswered question in astronomy. The sub-galaxy units thought to have merged to make galaxies, are themselves associated with fluctuations in the density of material in the cosmos left over from the Big Bang and seen today as temperature 'ripples' in the cosmic background radiation.

To study galaxy evolution, the team, which also included Professor Chris Collins and Dr John Stott (now at the University of Durham) looked at the most massive galaxies in the Universe, known as Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) and so called because of their location at the centre of galaxy clusters, structures that typically contain hundreds of galaxies.

In the nearby Universe BCGs are elliptical in shape and are the largest, most uniform and most massive class of galaxies observed, with each galaxy having a mass equivalent to up to 100 trillion (100 million million) Suns. Like smaller elliptical galaxies, BCGs are composed of old red stars and are thought to have formed through mergers of the dense population of sub-galaxies that were found in the centre of galaxy clusters. By studying how BCGs grow in size gives an insight into the formation and evolution of galaxies in general.

Measuring the sizes of BCGs has always been difficult as their outer regions are very faint. Burke and her team have overcome this by using long exposure images from the Hubble Space Telescope data archive that pick up the dimmer parts of these galaxies. The BCGs they studied are so distant that the light we detect from them left 7 billion years ago, so they appear as they were when the Universe was less than half its present age.

When they examined the Hubble images, the team found that these distant BCGs are almost the same size as their nearby counterparts and that these galaxies can have grown by at most 30% in the last 9 billion years. This is in line with other work by the same research group, but is quite unlike the observed development of 'regular' elliptical galaxies. More significantly, conventional simulations of the evolution of the Universe predict that BCGs should have at least tripled in size over that time.

Ms Burke comments: "The lack of growth of the most massive galaxies is a major challenge to current models of the formation and evolution of large scale structure in the Universe. Our work suggests that cosmologists appear to lack some of the crucial ingredients they need to understand how galaxies evolved from the distant past to the present day."

Science Contacts

Claire Burke
Astrophysics Research Institute
Liverpool John Moores University
Tel: +44 (0)151 231 2923
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Dr John Stott
Department of Physics
Durham University
Tel: +44 (0)191 334 3773
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Press Contacts

NAM 2011 Press Office (0900 – 1730 BST, 18-21 April only)
Conwy Room
Venue Cymru conference centre
Llandudno
Tel: +44 (0)1492 873 637, +44 (0)1492 873 638

Dr Robert Massey
Royal Astronomical Society
Mob: +44 (0)794 124 8035
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Anita Heward
Royal Astronomical Society
Mob: +44 (0)7756 034 243
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Images

The Brightest Cluster Galaxy (BCG) appears as the orange arc in this Hubble Space Telescope image of galaxy cluster Abell 2218. Credit: NASA, ESA, and Johan Richard (Caltech, USA)
Acknowledgement: Davide de Martin & James Long (ESA/Hubble)

http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/heic0814a/

Further Information

The results of this study have been accepted for publication in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (Stott et al., 2011, MNRAS, 432).

Notes for editors

NAM 2011

Bringing together around 500 astronomers and space scientists, the RAS National Astronomy Meeting 2011 (NAM 2011: http://www.ras.org.uk/nam-2011) will take place from 17-21 April in Venue Cymru (http://www.venuecymru.co.uk), Llandudno, Wales. The conference is held in conjunction with the UK Solar Physics (UKSP: http://www.uksolphys.org) and Magnetosphere Ionosphere and Solar-Terrestrial Physics (MIST: http://www.mist.ac.uk) meetings. NAM 2011 is principally sponsored by the RAS and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC: http://www.stfc.ac.uk).

The Royal Astronomical Society

The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS: http://www.ras.org.uk), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3500 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.

The Science and Technology Facilities Council

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC: http://www.stfc.ac.uk) ensures the UK retains its leading place on the world stage by delivering world-class science; accessing and hosting international facilities; developing innovative technologies; and increasing the socio-economic impact of its research through effective knowledge exchange. The Council has a broad science portfolio including Astronomy, Particle Astrophysics and Space Science. In the area of astronomy it funds the UK membership of international bodies such as the European Southern Observatory.

Venue Cymru

Venue Cymru (http://www.venuecymru.co.uk) is a purpose built conference centre and theatre with modern facilities for up to 2000 delegates. Located on the Llandudno promenade with stunning sea and mountain views; Venue Cymru comprises a stunning location, outstanding quality and exceptional value: the perfect conference package.

Astronomers have found a galaxy that could have formed just 200 million years after the Big Bang. The international team used a natural gravitational lens to spot the newly discovered object in images from the Hubble Space Telescope. It could be a member of a long-sought and large population of galaxies containing stars that helped reionize the neutral material that filled the cosmos at that time, making it transparent to ultraviolet light. The team publish their results in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

The giant cluster of galaxies Abell 383. This acts as a gravitational lens, creating two images (circled) of the galaxy thought to have formed early after the Big Bang. Credit: NASA, ESA, J. Richard (CRAL) and J-P. Kneib (LAM). Acknowledgement: Marc Postman (STScI)

Hubble Space Telescope release

Astronomers from the Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland have found that a recently discovered asteroid has been following the Earth in its motion around the Sun for at least the past 250,000 years, and may be intimately related to the origin of our planet. Their work appears in a paper in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Asteroid 2010 SO16 is within the red circle of this image, made with the Faulkes Telescope North. Credit: A. A. Christou / D. J. Asher

The researchers set out to investigate how stable this orbit is and how long the asteroid has occupied it. To do that, they first had to take into account the current uncertainty in the asteroid's orbit.  “Not knowing precisely the location of a newly-discovered NEA is quite common”, explained Dr Asher.  “The only way to eliminate the uncertainty is to keep tracking the asteroid for as long as possible, usually months or years”.  But the two scientists overcame that problem by creating virtual “clones” of the asteroid for every possible orbit that it could conceivably occupy. They then simulated the evolution of these clones under the gravity of the Sun and the planets for two million years into the past and in the future.

They found that all the clones remained in a so-called “horseshoe” state with respect to the Earth. In this configuration, an object mimics very closely the orbital motion of our planet around the Sun, but as seen from Earth it appears to slowly trace out a horseshoe shape in space.  Asteroid 2010 SO16 takes 175 years to make the trip from one end of the horseshoe to the other.  So while on the one hand its orbit is remarkably similar to Earth's, in fact “this asteroid is terraphobic”, explains Tolis. “It keeps well away from the Earth.  So well, in fact, that it has likely been in this orbit for several hundred thousand years, never coming closer to our planet than 50 times the distance to the Moon”. This is where it is now, near the end of the horseshoe trailing the Earth.

Currently, three other horseshoe companions of the Earth are known to exist but, unlike 2010 SO16, these linger for a few thousand years at most before moving on to different orbits. Also, with an estimated diameter of 200–400 metres, 2010 SO16 is by far the largest of Earth's horseshoe asteroids. The team have already used the Las Cumbres Observatory's Faulkes Telescope in an ongoing campaign to track the object and refine its orbit further. “It is not that difficult to spot with a medium-sized professional telescope”, says Dr Asher. “It will remain as an evening object in Earth's skies for many years to come.”

Ultimately, Christou and Asher would like to know where it came from, and they have already thought of several possibilities. It could be an ordinary asteroid coming from the Main Belt between Mars and Jupiter. In that case, the random gravitational pull of the different planets would be responsible for its present orbit; something that Tolis and David think is an unlikely proposition. It could also be a piece of the Moon that escaped the gravity of the Earth-Moon system and went into an independent orbit around the Sun. However, the very stability of its orbit means that there is currently no way to transport it from the Moon to where it is now.  Finally, 2010 SO16 could represent leakage from a population of objects near the so-called triangular equilibrium points 60 degrees ahead of and behind the Earth in its orbit.  Such a population has been postulated in the past but never observed as such objects are always near the Sun in the sky. If they do exist, they may represent relic material from the formation of Earth, Moon and the other inner planets 4.5 billion years ago.

For the time being, the astronomers would like to see the physical properties of the object studied from the ground, especially its colour. “Colour, a measure of an asteroid's reflectivity across the electromagnetic spectrum, can tell you a lot about its origin”, they explain. “With this information we can start testing possible origin scenarios with hard data. If it proves to be unique in some way, it may be worth sending a probe to study it up close, and perhaps bring back a sample for laboratory scrutiny.”

CONTACTS

Apostolos Christou / David Asher
Armagh Observatory
College Hill
Armagh BT61 9DG
Northern Ireland
Tel.: +44 (0)28 3752 2928
Mob: +44 (0) 07908 169835
Fax: +44 (0)28 3752 7174
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Web: http://star.arm.ac.uk/

Dr Robert Massey
Royal Astronomical Society
Tel: +44 (0)20 7734 3307 x214
Mob: +44 (0)794 124 8035
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

IMAGES AND ANIMATION

Armagh Observatory (release, images and animations)
http://www.arm.ac.uk/press/2011/aac_horseshoe_orbit.html

FURTHER INFORMATION

A preprint of the MNRAS paper is available from http://star.arm.ac.uk/highlights/2011/574.html and http://arxiv.org/abs/1104.0036

NOTES FOR EDITORS

The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS, http://www.ras.org.uk), founded in 1820, encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. The RAS organizes scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognizes outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. Its more than 3500 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, include scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy and others.