The STFC funded programme in Particle Astrophysics focuses on the areas of gravitational waves, gamma ray astronomy and the search for dark matter.
The exploitation of ground-based Gravitational Wave Detectors includes the GEO600 gravitational-wave detection project in Germany where there is the potential for truly ground-breaking science.
The new Advanced LIGO detector in the US is now in its operation phase and UK groups will play an active part in its exploitation. The LIGO international collaboration has agreed to relocate one of the Advanced LIGO interferometers in the US to India to extend the scientific reach of the detector array.
The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) will be a major step forward in sensitivity and precision for high energy gamma ray astronomy and will address key questions in astrophysics and fundamental physics. Prototyping work is now underway which will position UK groups to bid for a substantial involvement in the future construction of CTA.
Direct detection of Dark Matter is the subject of competing projects worldwide based on liquid-xenon and cryogenic semiconductor technologies. UK groups are positioned to participate in collaborations using either of these technologies.