Using big telescopes to explore new physics

10.10.2024

Cerro Pachón Panorama

Aerial panorama of Cerro Pachón in Chile, with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. Credit: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/T. Matsopoulos

Currently visiting: In September 2024, the astronom and physicist Graham Smith joined the Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy as Ida Pfeiffer Professor. In his group, the professor at the University of Birmingham is using observations of gravitational lensing phenomena to probe the big questions in modern physics. In his course on "gravitational lensing" he hopes to inspire students to conceive new questions that soon, with the huge amount of astronomical data, will soon be accessible.

In the winter term 2024/45, the astronom and physicist Graham Smith, Professor at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom (UK), is Ida Pfeiffer Professor at our Faculty.

  • In your research you are focusing on gravitational lensing phenomena, the deflection of light through massive objects like galaxies and clusters of galaxies. What fascinates you about this research field?

 

Graham Smith: I am passionate about using big telescopes to explore new physics. My group uses gravitational lenses to boost the sensitivity of telescopes to transient phenomena in the distant universe including supernovae (stars that explode at the end of their life) and other cosmic explosions. Such discoveries will grow at least a hundred-fold as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory (Rubin) starts operating next year, helping to answer big questions across cosmology, galaxy evolution, gravitation, nuclear physics, and potentially star and planet formation billions of years ago!

  • You have been contributing to the Vera C. Rubin Observatory for nearly a decade now; the last four years also as Co-chair of the Strong Lensing Science Collaboration. Which discoveries do you expect?

Graham Smith: Rubin and her Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) are central to the rapidly expanding volume and complexity of astronomy data, extending across the electromagnetic spectrum, gravitational waves and neutrinos. I’m excited to explore new opportunities that are emerging at the interfaces between these data, computing including artificial intelligence, and high precision instrumentation including quantum technology.

Vera C. Rubin Observatory CC, 4.0, Rubin Obs/NSF/AURA.

  • You will also give a course on “gravitational lensing in the Rubin/LSST Era” in the winter term. Looking forward, which central message should your students remember?

Graham Smith: I hope that my course will demystify gravitational lensing for students with a wide range of interests and backgrounds, and encourage them to see lensing as an accessible tool with broad and exciting scientific applications.

More generally, my message is about thinking big

More generally, my message is about thinking big. I hope I can inspire students to conceive new questions that are accessible to imminent datasets from Rubin and her contemporaries, pushing in to new territory beyond refining our answers to long-standing questions. I believe this mindset is valuable in a broad range of future careers.

 Graham Smith on Astronomy Illinois

Localising candidate lensed gravitational waves with LSST observations

[Translate to Englisch:]

  • Why did you decide to apply as Ida Pfeiffer Professor and join our Faculty?

Graham Smith: Quite simply, I am attracted to this Faculty because I am an explorer, and this is the “Faculty for Exploration”. The breadth of interests and expertise in Vienna fosters an exciting environment for making new connections and opening up new research directions. Research and teaching here span “the Universe at all scales” from planets to galaxies and beyond, whilst also embracing observations, simulations and data science, and instrumentation. All of these are relevant to my research and to connecting with a diverse group of students.

I hope I can give something back to the Faculty, for example by helping colleagues in Vienna to engage with the huge opportunity that is Rubin/LSST. Whilst “first light” for this extraordinary machine is approaching quickly, it is not too late to join in! As a physicist whose astronomy research connects with gravitation and quantum physics, I am also eager to interact with colleagues in the Faculty of Physics. Perhaps I can help to strengthen cross-Faculty links?

Thank you & welcome to our Faculty!

Ida Pfeiffer, Lithography by Adolf Dauthage

The Ida Pfeiffer Professorship of the Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy supports our mission to conduct excellent research on the sustainability of Planet Earth. Since 2018, the Faculty has been inviting scientists for one semester to trigger exciting research as well as teaching and act as a catalyst in the wide range of research topics addressed at the Faculty. Image: Ida Pfeiffer, Lithography by Adolf Dauthage

  • For those who want to dive deeper into your science: Which three publications characterise your work?


- “Discovering gravitationally lensed gravitational waves: predicted rates, candidate selection, and localization with the Vera Rubin Observatory”
Smith G. P., Robertson A., Mahler G., Nicholl M., Ryczanowski D., Bianconi M., Sharon K., Massey R., Richard J., Jauzac M., 2023, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,
Volume 520, Issue 1, pp.702-721. DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stad140

- “What if LIGO's gravitational wave detections are strongly lensed by massive galaxy clusters?” Smith G. P., Jauzac M., Vetch J., Farr W. M., Massey R., Richard J., 2018, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 475, Issue 3, pp.3823-3828, DOI: 10.1093/mnras/sty031

- “Hubble Space Telescope Observations of a Spectacular New Strong-Lensing Galaxy Cluster: MACS J1149.5+2223 at z = 0.544”
Smith G. P., Ebeling H., Limousin M., Kneib J.-P., Swinbank A. M., Ma C.-J., Jauzac M., Richard J., Jullo E., Sand D. J., Edge A. C., Smail I., 2009, The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Volume 707, Issue 2, pp. L163-L168, DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/707/2/L163

About the person

Graham Smith (C) LSST Discovery Alliance

Graham Smith is a Professor at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom (UK), where he has worked since 2005, initially as a Royal Society University Research Fellow (2005-2014). Before that he was a Postdoctoral Scholar at the California Institute of Technology (2002-2005), a PhD student at Durham University (1999-2002), a management consultant with Arthur Andersen (1991-1999), and an undergraduate student of physics at the University of Oxford (1988-1991). He is the first member of his family to study at university.

Graham uses observations of gravitational lensing phenomena (the deflection of light and other “messengers” that travel at or close to the speed of light) to probe big questions in modern physics, including questions about sources of gravitational waves in the distant universe. Within this emerging field of “multi-messenger gravitational lensing” he currently focuses on the role of astronomy observations (i.e. electromagnetic radiation) in unlocking the first discovery and early science of a gravitationally lensed merger of two compact objects.

Since 2015 Graham has been contributing to the international community that is preparing for science with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (Rubin/LSST). In September 2024 he completes a four-year term as Co-chair of the Rubin/LSST Strong Lensing Science Collaboration, and commences a new appointment as Project Scientist for the LSST:UK Consortium. The UK is the largest international partner of the US-led Rubin/LSST project.

Links: