Research
Staff in the Cardiff School of Physics and Astronomy are involved in the forefront of scientific research in various subjects. You can also see the School's forthcoming Research Seminars and read the latest Research News in the News & Events section. Research at the School is organised under the following groupings:
Astronomy: Galaxies
We carry out a wide range of research on galaxies, in particular their origin and evolution. We use telescopes at many different wavelengths to study galaxies from the first billion years after the Big Bang to the Universe today.
Astronomy: Star Formation
Our theoretical programme, led by Prof. Anthony Whitworth, focuses on simulations of collapsing molecular clouds, protostellar and protoplanetary discs, brown dwarf and low-mass star formation, binary star formation, computational radiative transfer, transport of ionising radiation in HII regions, massive star formation, and dynamically triggered star formation. Our observational programme, led by Prof. Derek Ward-Thompson, includes observations of prestellar cores and young stellar objects in star forming regions, using major international telescopes and instruments.
Astronomy: Cosmology
The group is interested in theoretical research in cosmology and large scale structure, with particular emphasis on statistical techniques to test models of structure formation.
Astronomy Instrumentation
Our research specializes in the design and construction of astronomical instrumentation, especially at millimetre and sub-millimetre wavelengths, for ground and space-based observatories and for studies of the Cosmic Microwave Background.
Gravitational Physics
We search for gravitational waves from catastrophic astronomical events such as gamma-ray bursts, supernovae and black hole collisions using data from the most sensitive detectors built to date. Our theoretical research is focused on the study of quantum processes in the early Universe, the formation, evolution and nature of large-scale structure, modeling binary black holes and strong field tests of gravity. Image Credit: Einstein's Messengers - LIGO Movie 2006.
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Musical Acoustics
The main focus of research in the Musical Acoustics Group is stringed instruments and in particular the Classical Guitar. The Musical Acoustics Group has a wide range of facilities at its disposal in its laboratory and has employed numerous and diverse scientific techniques to investigate the acoustics of the Classical Guitar.
Nanophysics
Mechanical, chemical and electronic device dimensions are constantly being made smaller towards the nanometer scale. Our research is aimed at an understanding of the basic physics that underpins future molecular nanotechnology, with a strong emphasis on nano-scale molecular electronics.
Photons and Matter
The group operates at the cusp between fundamental physics and development of device concepts though measurements of fundamental optical processes in semiconductor structures, enabling advances in understanding of light-matter interactions, verification of theories, and development of new device concepts, particularly by integration of functions. The group activity originally based on the physics of gain and recombination in quantum confined structures now embraces colloidal dots and collaborations with bioscience. Currently interrelated themes include Biophotonics, Integrated Optoelectronics, Nanophotonics, and the physics of ensembles of quantum dots and of individual dots and their environment (colloidal and epitaxial). These developments are supported by a new MSc in Biophotonics.
Photons and Matter: Theory
The PM-Theory Group has a wide range of research activities into the optics, acousto-optics and transport phenomena which include hydrodynamics and optics of statistically-degenerate excitons in quantum wells, resonant acousto-optics, coherence and dephasing of excitons in quantum wells and quantum dots, physics of solitons and polaritonic photonic crystals. The work ranges from analytical calculations to supercomputer simulations.