East/West Midlands Branch

 

THE INSTITUTE OF MATHEMATICS

AND ITS APPLICATIONS

 

The WASP search for extra-solar planets:

an IT challenge in astronomy

 

by

 

Dr Richard West

Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Leicester

 

Tuesday 13^th February 2007

starting at 7:00 pm

 

Charles Wilson Building, University of Leicester

[Campus maps – http://www.le.ac.uk/portals/maps/mcampusaccess.html]

 

This is a joint meeting with BCS

 

Abstract

The Wide-Angle Search for Planets (WASP) is the UK's leading astronomical survey aiming to detect the presence of planets around distant stars.  The planet-detection strategy requires frequent and precise measurements to be made of millions of stars over many weeks or months. This in turn requires the acquisition of many tens of terabytes of imaging data per year which must analysed, organised and sifted. I will review the progress made by the project in this data-handling challenge, and present some of the planet signatures detected to date.

 

 

No charge is made to attend meeting; non-IMA members are welcome

 

The event is coordinated by Leicester Branch of the BCS, contact Mary Clarkson (mary.clarkson@bcs.org.uk) or access the Web pages at http://www.leicester.bcs.org

 

Non-members are most welcome to attend.  A free buffet is available at 6:30 pm, courtesy of the BCS

 

For further details of East Midlands IMA Branch activities consult the Web Site: http://www.ima.org.uk/EMidBranch/ima.html or by contacting the Branch General Secretary:

Dr Stephen Hibberd, School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham; email: Stephen.Hibberd@nottingham.ac.uk or Tel. (0115) 9513841