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Physics and Astronomy. ATLAS. Dark Matter. Neutrino physics. T2K in Japan. High Impact, World Leading Science in STFC priority areas. Vital Statistics. STFC areas comprise ~50% of the department. People Astronomy: 6 academics, 4 PDRAs, 9 PGs
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Physics and Astronomy ATLAS Dark Matter Neutrino physics T2K in Japan High Impact, World Leading Science in STFC priority areas
Vital Statistics STFC areas comprise ~50% of the department • People • Astronomy: 6 academics, 4 PDRAs, 9 PGs • Particle Physics and Particle Astrophysics: 9 (11) academics, 15 PDRAs, 15 PGs, technicians • Particle Theory and Cosmology: 3 (2 in Maths) academics... • Funding • Astronomy: standard grants • Particle Physics and Particle Astrophysics: HEP rolling grant (£4-10M); HMO; EPSRC; industry • Teaching • Big contribution including all year tutors • Quality • RAE: 4th = in Russell group physics • Student satisfaction: =1st in Russell group physics
Astronomy Highlights Astrocam
Particle Astrophysics Highlights • Dark Matter • highest publication rate on dark matter
Unique facilities: Boulby £3.2M JIF award to the Department - opened by Lord Sainsbury in April 2003 From Dark Matter to Underground Science • SKY climate change project • Radio nuclide detection
Knowledge Exchange: Security From Dark Matter and Neutrino Physics to Anti-terrorism • STFC can make a much bigger impact if coordinated properly • Biggest terrorist threat is a nuclear device - very difficult to detect - needs new technology • Fixed Portals • US government recent contracts totaling $1.15B for next generation radiation portals • Worldwide 16,000 installations by 2010 • Vast majority still use 3He detectors Sheffield project funded by HMO, EPSRC, Corus Ltd. to develop efficent anti-terrorist neutron detectors
Future Strategy • Government funding (HMO) • Expanding nuclear security activity; group is leading member of Government Advisory Body RNREV Income Diversity • Industry funding: KTPs (Sheffield leads) • EU funding (FP7,8): ILIAS, LAGUNA, EURECA.... • RCUK: EPSRC/NERC - e.g. climate change • Regional: Yorkshire Forward.... • Higgs and SUSY: ATLAS, ATLAS upgrade Focus STFC activity on Priority Areas • Neutrino Physics: T2K, T2K upgrade • Dark Matter and Gravitational Waves • Building blocks of the Universe, extreme environments More Interdisciplinary activity
Future Strategy LIGO, SKA, JWST, ATLAS, E-ELT,
Issues Please don’t damage the Top Soil! you don’t produce more trees by fertilizing the leaves leaves Products and life branches Serendipitous Development top soil Curiosity driven fundamental science at Universities balance between facilities and science/exploitation top-down targets do not The light bulb was not invented by deciding to invest in the candle industry
New Business Research Fellow University links coordination links to industry and outside organisations interdisciplinary links Interdisciplinary Centre for Security and Crime Detection Department of Physics and Astronomy - Prof. Neil Spooner [particle detection technology] Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering - Prof. N. Allinson [low energy x-ray and photon detection technology] Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering - T. Dodd [pattern recognition technology] Department of Computer Sciences - S. Maddock [3D computer graphics and imaging technology]