C Knigge - Astrophysics at Southampton

All aspects of our research programme relate to the physics of compact objects: the supernova explosions that create and destroy them, the accretion that makes them luminous, the outflows that accompany disk-accreting systems, and the effect they have on their environment. We wish to understand the physics behind these phenomena and exploit them, especially for cosmology. We have a special interest in time-domain astronomy as a tool for pursuing these goals. Our interests cover a wide range of scales, from neutron stars to active galactic nuclei. The group is well balanced: our interests span a broad set of topics, but with overlap that allows effective collaboration. Here, we request support for projects across the range of topics outlined above. On Galactic/stellar scales, we will exploit state-of-the-art astrometric and imaging surveys to study the birth and growth of black holes (Project 1). We will also use simultaneous fast X-ray, UV and optical observations to shed new light on accreting X-ray binaries (Project 4). Moreover, we will produce the most sensitive time-domain hard X-ray meta-survey, by synthesizing data from 3 separate missions for the first time (Project 5). Finally, we will uncover the population of black-hole ultraluminous X-ray sources, the local analogues of super-critically accreting supermassive black holes (SMBH, Project 8). On extra-galactic scales, we will self-consistently model line-driven disk winds in AGN for the first time and hence develop a physically motivated feedback prescription (Project 2). We will also use multi-wavelength time-domain observations of AGN to understand the disk geometry and emission processes close to the central engine (Project 3). In addition, we will use 3D radiation hydrodynamical simulations to address the ``final parsec problem'' for merging SMBHs (project 6). On cosmological scales, we will exploit our leadership of the 4MOST/TiDES survey to build a next-generation SN Ia Hubble Diagram (Project 7). We will also shed new light on the co-evolution of SMBHs and their hosts, by identifying the interaction between feedback and mergers in creating the M_BH vs sigma relation, and by clarifying the roles of internal and external processes (Project 9). Given our long-standing commitment to public engagement with research (PER), we will also develop and deliver high-impact PER activities associated specifically with four projects (Projects 1, 3, 7 and 9). These activities will range from converting astrophysical data into sound (in order to engage with visually impaired audiences) to a high-quality full-dome video illustrating how X-ray, radio, UV and optical observations allow us to see the environment around SMBHs.