Astronomy, Space & Earth Sciences

Astronomy, Space & Earth Sciences


A Quantum Mechanical Approach to the Nucleation Process of Calcium Carbonate Leader: Manuel Prieto Rubio Leader institution: Universidad de Oviedo, Departamento de Geología Abstract By generating a quantitative description of carbonate nucleation and growth consistent with observations from atomic to field-scale and fundamental chemistry and physics the group is... Assimilation of High Resolution Precipitation Estimates in an Ensemble of Numerical Models Leader: Francisco J. Tapiador Leader institution: Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha en Toledo Abstract The aim of this project is to evaluate the performance of a standard NWP when three-dimensional high-resolution satellite-derived rainfall estimates are assimilated using variational methods. The... Dynamical bar-mode instability in differentially rotating magnetized neutron stars Leader: Jose Antonio Font Roda Leader institution: Universidad de Valencia Abstract This research project aims at performing a detailed numerical study over a sufficiently wide parameter space of the likelihood of the so-called dynamical bar-mode instability in differentially rotating magnetized... Eruptive phenomena in the atmosphere of the Sun and cool stars. Leader: Fernando Moreno Insertis Leader institution: Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias Abstract The global objective of this activity is to model and understand the physics of eruptive processes in the atmosphere of the Sun and cool stars via numerical experiments and computer simulations with... Explaining blazars and gamma-ray bursts with numerical relativistic magnetohydrodynamics Leader: Miguel Angel Aloy Leader institution: Universidad de Valencia Abstract The Group studies the variable properties of relativistic outflows, focusing on the implications to the observed light curves of rapidly varying compact sources of non-thermal radiation such as gamma-ray bursts (GRBs)... Gaia: Simulation of Telemetry Stream Leader: Jordi Torra i Roca Leader institution: Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Departament d Astronomia i Meteorologia Abstract The Gaia mission will provide unprecedented positional and radial velocity measurements of about one billion stars in our Galaxy and throughout the local group. The design... GHALO Leader: Vicent Quillis Leader institution: University of Valencia Abstract Understanding the nature of dark matter is one of the key problems in cosmology today and the observational constraints are presently at a higher resolution than current simulations of structure formation can reach. GHALO... Heisenberg Spin Glasses: Large Lattices at Low Temperatures Leader: Victor Martin Mayor Leader institution: Universidad Complutense de Madrid Abstract Spin-glasses are disordered magnetic alloys with very unusual behaviour. Interest in spin glasses goes far beyond just this class of materials, however, because they provide a convenient model system from... Large numerical simulations for dark-energy surveys Leader: Pablo Fosalba Leader institution: Instituto de Ciencias del Espacio Abstract How did the large-scale structure of the universe, such as galaxies, clusters of galaxies, superclusters, etc. form? Is gravity responsible for it? How is the structure formation process affected by the presence of... MHD instabilities in compact objects Leader: Pablo Cerda-Duran Leader institution: MPA Abstract The Group performed local magnetohydrodynamics simulations of the magneto-rotational instability (MRI) and the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) in the astrophysical context of compact objects. The aim is to solve the still open question... Modelling Solar Energetic Particle events. II: MHD simulations of interplanetary CME-driven shocks (from the Sun to Earth's orbit) Leader: Blai Sanahuja Parera Leader institution: Department d Astronomia i Meteorologia (AM). Universitat de Barcelona Abstract Solar energetic particle (SEP) events are a real hazard to space missions. The Solar Terrestrial Physics and Space Weather Group of the University of Barcelona is working... Physical properties of dust particles in the solar system: experiments and simulations Leader: Olga Muñoz Gómez Leader institution: Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, CSIC Abstract Irregular dust particles play an important role in the study of the Solar System, Simulating light scattering by such particles is extremely difficult even considering rapid... Scattering of navigation satellite signals on realizations of the sea surface Leader: Estel Cardellach Leader institution: Institut d Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC) Abstract This is a Test Activity to implement a parallel code for modeling and simulation of signals emitted by the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and scattered on realistic realizations of the... Simulation of climate change in the Mediterranean sea with a regional coupled ocean-atmosphere model Leader: William Cabos Narvaez Leader institution: Universidad de Alcala de Henares (currently at the Max Plank institute for Meteorology) Abstract A regional coupled ocean-atmosphere model for the Mediterranean sea will be used to simulate the present climate and the A1B, B2 and A2 climate change... Study of the non-Gaussianity of the CMB Leader: Enrique Martinez Gonzalez Leader institution: Instituto de Fisica de Cantabria Abstract The Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMB) has become an important tool for the research in Modern Cosmology. Many important on ground, balloon-borne and satellite experiments are now working and... The Marenostrum Numerical Cosmology Project: Grand Challenge simulations of structure formation in the Universe Leader: Gustavo Yepes Alonso Leader institution: Universidad Autonoma de Madrid Abstract The MareNostrum Numerical Cosmology Project (http://astro.ft.uam.es/marenostrum) is an international collaboration with the aim of using the exceptional capabilities of the MareNostrum supercomputer to carry...

A Quantum Mechanical Approach to the Nucleation Process of Calcium Carbonate

Leader: Manuel Prieto Rubio Leader institution: Universidad de Oviedo, Departamento de Geología Abstract By generating a quantitative description of carbonate nucleation and growth consistent with observations from atomic to field-scale and fundamental chemistry and physics the group is...

Assimilation of High Resolution Precipitation Estimates in an Ensemble of Numerical Models

Leader: Francisco J. Tapiador Leader institution: Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha en Toledo Abstract The aim of this project is to evaluate the performance of a standard NWP when three-dimensional high-resolution satellite-derived rainfall estimates are assimilated using variational methods. The...

Dynamical bar-mode instability in differentially rotating magnetized neutron stars

Leader: Jose Antonio Font Roda Leader institution: Universidad de Valencia Abstract This research project aims at performing a detailed numerical study over a sufficiently wide parameter space of the likelihood of the so-called dynamical bar-mode instability in differentially rotating magnetized...

Eruptive phenomena in the atmosphere of the Sun and cool stars.

Leader: Fernando Moreno Insertis Leader institution: Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias Abstract The global objective of this activity is to model and understand the physics of eruptive processes in the atmosphere of the Sun and cool stars via numerical experiments and computer simulations with...

Explaining blazars and gamma-ray bursts with numerical relativistic magnetohydrodynamics

Leader: Miguel Angel Aloy Leader institution: Universidad de Valencia Abstract The Group studies the variable properties of relativistic outflows, focusing on the implications to the observed light curves of rapidly varying compact sources of non-thermal radiation such as gamma-ray bursts (GRBs)...

Gaia: Simulation of Telemetry Stream

Leader: Jordi Torra i Roca Leader institution: Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Departament d Astronomia i Meteorologia Abstract The Gaia mission will provide unprecedented positional and radial velocity measurements of about one billion stars in our Galaxy and throughout the local group. The design...

GHALO

Leader: Vicent Quillis Leader institution: University of Valencia Abstract Understanding the nature of dark matter is one of the key problems in cosmology today and the observational constraints are presently at a higher resolution than current simulations of structure formation can reach. GHALO...

Heisenberg Spin Glasses: Large Lattices at Low Temperatures

Leader: Victor Martin Mayor Leader institution: Universidad Complutense de Madrid Abstract Spin-glasses are disordered magnetic alloys with very unusual behaviour. Interest in spin glasses goes far beyond just this class of materials, however, because they provide a convenient model system from...

Large numerical simulations for dark-energy surveys

Leader: Pablo Fosalba Leader institution: Instituto de Ciencias del Espacio Abstract How did the large-scale structure of the universe, such as galaxies, clusters of galaxies, superclusters, etc. form? Is gravity responsible for it? How is the structure formation process affected by the presence of...

MHD instabilities in compact objects

Leader: Pablo Cerda-Duran Leader institution: MPA Abstract The Group performed local magnetohydrodynamics simulations of the magneto-rotational instability (MRI) and the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) in the astrophysical context of compact objects. The aim is to solve the still open question...

Modelling Solar Energetic Particle events. II: MHD simulations of interplanetary CME-driven shocks (from the Sun to Earth's orbit)

Leader: Blai Sanahuja Parera Leader institution: Department d Astronomia i Meteorologia (AM). Universitat de Barcelona Abstract Solar energetic particle (SEP) events are a real hazard to space missions. The Solar Terrestrial Physics and Space Weather Group of the University of Barcelona is working...

Physical properties of dust particles in the solar system: experiments and simulations

Leader: Olga Muñoz Gómez Leader institution: Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, CSIC Abstract Irregular dust particles play an important role in the study of the Solar System, Simulating light scattering by such particles is extremely difficult even considering rapid...

Scattering of navigation satellite signals on realizations of the sea surface

Leader: Estel Cardellach Leader institution: Institut d Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC) Abstract This is a Test Activity to implement a parallel code for modeling and simulation of signals emitted by the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and scattered on realistic realizations of the...

Simulation of climate change in the Mediterranean sea with a regional coupled ocean-atmosphere model

Leader: William Cabos Narvaez Leader institution: Universidad de Alcala de Henares (currently at the Max Plank institute for Meteorology) Abstract A regional coupled ocean-atmosphere model for the Mediterranean sea will be used to simulate the present climate and the A1B, B2 and A2 climate change...

Study of the non-Gaussianity of the CMB

Leader: Enrique Martinez Gonzalez Leader institution: Instituto de Fisica de Cantabria Abstract The Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMB) has become an important tool for the research in Modern Cosmology. Many important on ground, balloon-borne and satellite experiments are now working and...

The Marenostrum Numerical Cosmology Project: Grand Challenge simulations of structure formation in the Universe

Leader: Gustavo Yepes Alonso Leader institution: Universidad Autonoma de Madrid Abstract The MareNostrum Numerical Cosmology Project (http://astro.ft.uam.es/marenostrum) is an international collaboration with the aim of using the exceptional capabilities of the MareNostrum supercomputer to carry...

Annual Report 2008

Astronomy, Space & Earth Sciences