Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, University of Portsmouth
Encyclopedia
The ICG is a research institute at the University of Portsmouth
devoted to topics in cosmology
, galaxy evolution and gravitation
. It has nearly 50 staff, post-docs and students working on subjects from inflation in the early Universe to understanding the stellar populations in galaxies.
Research at the Institute is supported by grants from STFC (the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council
), the Royal Society
and the European Union
.
, following the arrival of Roy Maartens as a lecturer in 1994. David Wands
joined the group as a research fellow in 1996.
The group won their first major research grant from PPARC (the UK Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council
) in 1998 to study the evolution of cosmological structure. In the UK Research Assessment Exercise
in 2001 (RAE2001) research submitted by the group was awarded a grade 5, recognising the international excellence of their work in applied mathematics, and leading to the establishment of the ICG the next year. Bob Nichol joined the ICG from Carnegie Mellon University
(Pittsburgh) in 2004 initiating a research programme in observational cosmology
.
In the 2008 UK government Research Assessment Exercise (RAE2008), 75% of the ICG research was judged to be "Internationally Excellent" or better (3* or 4* status, with 4* being the highest). This ranking places the ICG in the top 6 Applied Maths groups in the UK.
In 2009 the Institute moved from offices in Mercantile House to purpose-built rooms for nearly 50 researchers on the top floor of the Dennis Sciama Building. The building was officially opened by the Astronomer Royal, and former student of Dennis Sciama, Prof Martin Rees.
Roy Maartens was the director of the ICG from January 2002 until October 2010 when he took up a Square Kilometre Array
research chair at the University of the Western Cape
, South Africa
, dividing his time between Portsmouth (30%) and Cape Town (70%). Since October 2010 the directors of the ICG are Bob Nichol and David Wands
.
In addition, the University of Porstmouth is home to the SCIAMA supercomputer
University of Portsmouth
The University of Portsmouth is a university in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. The University was ranked 60th out of 122 in The Sunday Times University Guide...
devoted to topics in cosmology
Cosmology
Cosmology is the discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole. Cosmologists seek to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and ultimate fate of the Universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it in order...
, galaxy evolution and gravitation
Gravitation
Gravitation, or gravity, is a natural phenomenon by which physical bodies attract with a force proportional to their mass. Gravitation is most familiar as the agent that gives weight to objects with mass and causes them to fall to the ground when dropped...
. It has nearly 50 staff, post-docs and students working on subjects from inflation in the early Universe to understanding the stellar populations in galaxies.
Research at the Institute is supported by grants from STFC (the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council
Science and Technology Facilities Council
The Science and Technology Facilities Council is a UK government body that carries out civil research in science and engineering, and funds UK research in areas including particle physics, nuclear physics, space science and astronomy .-History:It was formed in April 2007 as a merger of the Particle...
), the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
and the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
History
The Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, or ICG, was established as an independent research department by the University of Portsmouth in January 2002. It was formed from members of the Relativity and Cosmology Group that had been set up by Prof David Matravers, head of the School of Mathematical Studies at the University of PortsmouthUniversity of Portsmouth
The University of Portsmouth is a university in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. The University was ranked 60th out of 122 in The Sunday Times University Guide...
, following the arrival of Roy Maartens as a lecturer in 1994. David Wands
David Wands
David Wands is Professor of cosmology at the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, in the University of Portsmouth.His research interests are in cosmology and the physics of the early universe. Wands has published numerous papers on cosmology....
joined the group as a research fellow in 1996.
The group won their first major research grant from PPARC (the UK Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council
Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council
The Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council was one of a number of Research Councils in the United Kingdom. It directed, coordinated and funded research in particle physics and astronomy for the people of the UK...
) in 1998 to study the evolution of cosmological structure. In the UK Research Assessment Exercise
Research Assessment Exercise
The Research Assessment Exercise is an exercise undertaken approximately every 5 years on behalf of the four UK higher education funding councils to evaluate the quality of research undertaken by British higher education institutions...
in 2001 (RAE2001) research submitted by the group was awarded a grade 5, recognising the international excellence of their work in applied mathematics, and leading to the establishment of the ICG the next year. Bob Nichol joined the ICG from Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
(Pittsburgh) in 2004 initiating a research programme in observational cosmology
Observational cosmology
Observational cosmology is the study of the structure, the evolution and the origin of the universe through observation, using instruments such as telescopes and cosmic ray detectors.-Early observations:...
.
In the 2008 UK government Research Assessment Exercise (RAE2008), 75% of the ICG research was judged to be "Internationally Excellent" or better (3* or 4* status, with 4* being the highest). This ranking places the ICG in the top 6 Applied Maths groups in the UK.
In 2009 the Institute moved from offices in Mercantile House to purpose-built rooms for nearly 50 researchers on the top floor of the Dennis Sciama Building. The building was officially opened by the Astronomer Royal, and former student of Dennis Sciama, Prof Martin Rees.
Roy Maartens was the director of the ICG from January 2002 until October 2010 when he took up a Square Kilometre Array
Square Kilometre Array
The Square Kilometre Array is a radio telescope in development which will have a total collecting area of approximately one square kilometre. It will operate over a wide range of frequencies and its size will make it 50 times more sensitive than any other radio instrument...
research chair at the University of the Western Cape
University of the Western Cape
The University of the Western Cape is a public university located in the Bellville suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. It was established in 1960 by the South African government as a university for Coloured people only...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, dividing his time between Portsmouth (30%) and Cape Town (70%). Since October 2010 the directors of the ICG are Bob Nichol and David Wands
David Wands
David Wands is Professor of cosmology at the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, in the University of Portsmouth.His research interests are in cosmology and the physics of the early universe. Wands has published numerous papers on cosmology....
.
Resources
The ICG is a member of the following projects:- The South East Physics Network Astrophysics collaboration (SEPNet ASTRO)
- The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)
- The UK National Cosmology Supercomputer Consortium (COSMOS)
- The Dark Energy Survey (DES)
- The Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) UK consortium
- The European Network for Theoretical Astroparticle Physics (ENTApP) which is one of the Networking Activities of the ILIAS Integrated Infrastructures Initiative
- Galaxy Zoo
- The Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey (SERVS)
- The UniMass project
In addition, the University of Porstmouth is home to the SCIAMA supercomputer