the Astrophysics & Space Research Group at the University of Birmingham. The group’s research interests span a wide swathe of astronomy and fundamental physics, including the study of galaxies and larger cosmological structures, of black holes and neutron stars, using both electromagnetic and gravitational radiation, of stars and the planets which appear to orbit many of them, and of our own sun and its surrounding heliosphere. They also study gravity itself, and other ultra-weak forces, using sensitive experiments in the laboratory and in space. The group has a long heritage of building space instruments. Their future programme of missions and technology research is currently concentrated in the area of gravitational physics, and especially in the new field of the detection of gravitational waves, using both ground and space-based interferometers. This work falls under the aegis of the group’s Centre for Space and Gravity Research.

The extragalactic group at Birmingham studies a wide range of cosmic structures, from star clusters to superclusters, using multi-wavelength observations (radio, IR, optical and X-ray) from ground and space-based observatories, together with advanced analysis techniques, and hydrodynamical modelling. Special interests of the group include the study of hot gas in galaxies, groups and clusters, the use of gravitational lensing to probe cluster structure and magnify the radiation from very distant galaxies, and the development of novel algorithms for analysis and visualisation of data. They are also working with colleagues in Computer Science to deploy some of these advanced techniques within the UK’s developing Virtual Observatory. Massive stars – their work combined simulations and observations of the powerful winds which are ejected from the surface of the brightest stars in their Galaxy.

For more information, please visit http://www.sr.bham.ac.uk