Astrophysics
Astrophysics is taught at Oxford as part of the undergraduate Physics degree, with both option and core courses in astrophysics, and the opportunity of an astrophysics project in the final year.
Astrophysics research and graduate study is carried in the A&L, AOPP, Theory and Astrophysics sub-departments You are currently reading the web page of the sub-department of Astrophysics.
Research themes
Accretion, Outflows & Shocks
High-energy astrophysics
Accretion Discs
Steven Balbus
Cosmic rays
Tony Bell
Gamma-ray astrophysics
Garret Cotter
Lifecycles & evolution of radio galaxies & quasars
Katherine Blundell, Garret Cotter
Microquasars
Katherine Blundell
Shock acceleration
Tony Bell
X-ray observations of active galactic nuclei
Lance Miller
Solar Rotation
Steven Balbus
Citizen Science
Harnessing the power of hundreds of thousands of volunteers to make discoveries
Group Leaders Chris Lintott
Dust, Gas and Molecules in the Universe
Our research focuses on studies of the Interstellar Medium, properties of dust and molecules both in our own and distant galaxies. We investigate the interplay between star formation and AGN activity.
Group Leaders Dimitra Rigopoulou
Exoplanets
This research area focuses on the detection and characterisation of planets around other stars than the Sun, or exoplanets.
Group Leaders Suzanne Aigrain, Niranjan Thatte
Experimental Radio Cosmology
We design, build and use novel radio telescopes to study the evolution and structure of the Universe.
Academics Michael Jones, Angela Taylor
Formation and Dynamics of extrasolar planetary systems
The physics of evolving planetary systems
Group Leaders Caroline Terquem
Galaxies
NGC 4414, a typical spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices, is about 55,000 light-years in diameter and approximately 60 million light-years away from Earth. (Image: NASA)
Group Leaders Martin Bureau
Optical & Infrared Instrumentation
We design and build state-of-the-art instruments for a wide range of ground based observatories.
Group Leaders Matthias Tecza, Niranjan Thatte
Superconducting Detectors for Submillimetre Astronomy
Development of ultra-sensitive cryogenic detectors for submillimetre telescopes.
Group Leaders Ghassan Yassin
The Dark Universe
The Dark Universe Research Group aims to understand the problem of Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe
Group Leaders Pedro Ferreira, Jo Dunkley, Lance Miller, Isobel Hook
The Transient Universe
Studying the multi-wavelength observation, detection, analysis, and physical interpretation of time-variable phenomena in the local and distant Universe. Picture credit: The Hubble Key Project Team and The High-Z Supernova Search Team
Group Leaders Aris Karastergiou, Isobel Hook
