Most of the mass of the Universe that we can see around us is made up of atomic nuclei, the dense cores of atoms which are only about a million millionth of a centimetre in radius. They contain up to several hundred protons and neutrons (collectively called nucleons) held together by strong nuclear forces and influenced by the electrostatic forces between the positively charged protons. The particular ratios of protons-to-neutrons in the stable nuclei we find in nature are determined by a subtle balance between these forces. Most of the characteristic properties of a nucleus are determined by the way nucleons move inside. This is somewhat similar to atomic physics when the electrons in an atom orbit around its centre. Certain atoms, Nobel gases, are more chemically stable than others. This is related to so-called she gaps in the energy sequence of the electron orbits which makes these atoms more difficult to excite. Similar quantum mechanical effects come into pla, in nuclei, where nucleons orbit around the centre of the nucleus. The resulting shell structure is very different as nuclei and atoms are bound by differer forces. The nucleon numbers related to shell gaps are known as magic numbers. The corresponding magic and doubly magic nuclei, the latter having magic numbers of protons AND neutrons, have properties associated with enhanced stability, they are harder to excite and react, have long lifetime and spherical shape. It is easy to study magic numbers in stable nuclei as they already exist in Nature and do not need to be manufactured. These numbers, 2, 8, 20, 28, 5C 82.... are well understood and are related to the specific ways in which a nucleon interacts with the others in the nucleus. Practically all nuclea properties, such as shape, the modes of excitation, the spin, magnetic characteristics and so on, depend on the underlying nucleon orbits. Orbitals an, magic numbers are therefore fundamental to understanding the way nuclei behave and how they reac

One of the deepest questions on which humans have always pondered is how did the World and ourselves come into existence. Clearly our planetary environment, and the life it supports, have been greatly shaped by the constituent proportions of elements. The smallest unit of a chemical element that has the properties of that element is called an atom. The nucleus is the extremely dense central core of an atom, which occupies only a tiny fraction of the volume of an atom (the radius of the nucleus being some 10,000 to 100,000 times smaller than the radius of the atom as a whole), but it contains almost all the mass. The atomic nuclei are composed of two types of particles, protons and neutrons, which are collectively known as nucleons, held together by strong nuclear forces and influenced by the electrostatic forces between the positively charged protons. The particular ratios of protons-to-neutrons in the stable nuclei we find in nature are determined by a subtle balance between these forces. Nuclei are capable of immense variation and complexity due to the subtle interplay of these forces. The stable nuclei making up the elements we are familiar with in everyday life represent just a small fraction of those that exist. Other nuclei with vastly different proportions of protons and neutrons can be created in experiments, and play a vital role in the synthesis of elements in stars: at least 6000 different neutron-proton combinations are possible. Unstable nuclei with extreme neutron-proton ratios are difficult to produce in laboratory but they represent a very active area of study. There is in particular a vast territory of unexplored nuclei with high numbers of neutrons which is still 'TERRA INCOGNITA'. Most of the characteristic properties of a nucleus are determined by the way nucleons move inside. However, the nature of the force between its constituent neutrons and protons is poorly understood. To describe the properties of the atomic nucleus we resort to the

A fundamental question in nuclear physics is, 'what are the limits on the number of protons and neutrons that can be bound inside an atomic nucleus?' The aim of this research proposal is to answer a vital part of this question by determining more carefully than ever before the precise location of what is known as the proton drip line. The proton and neutron drip lines are the borders between bound and unbound nuclei. Those at the proton drip line have such a large excess of protons that they are highly unstable and try to achieve greater stability through the process of proton emission. We will investigate how nuclear behaviour is affected when protons become unbound. Nuclei along this distant shore of the nuclear landscape should show the greatest deviations from the behaviour expected from predictions of models optimised for more stable nuclei. Our investigations will focus on nuclei close to the proton drip line, for elements between tin (Z=50) and lead (Z=82). Historically, this region has been the primary source of data on proton-emitting nuclei, largely because here the proton emission occurs on an experimentally accessible timescale that still competes effectively with alpha or beta decay. One important feature of the 30 or so proton emitters discovered to date is that they span a wide range of nuclear deformations, ranging from spherical nuclei to others that are rugby ball shaped and are up to 50% longer than they are wide. Proton emission from spherical nuclei is well described using simple models and the simplicity of the theoretical description has allowed a great deal to be learnt about the structure of these nuclei. The theoretical descriptions for proton emission from strongly deformed nuclei are necessarily rather different and several models have been proposed and compared with the available data. We will exploit a new generation of experimental methods to study the most proton-rich atomic nuclei that can be made in the laboratory, spanning the entire range of nuclear deformations. We will search for nuclei presently unknown to science and measure their proton and alpha decays, study excited states in selected nuclei for the first time and extend experimental observations of direct proton emission from heavy nuclei to lifetimes of nanoseconds (billionths of a second!) and even shorter. The results of our experiments will be compared with the theoretical predictions in order to improve our understanding of the complex and fascinating world of the nuclei at the heart of every atom.

I am writing as an applicant to the proposed project "Ecological and evolutionary resilience of iconic amphibian species to environmental change (PHDHLS192001)" under supervision from Dr Frances Orton. The project is a CASE studentship project sponsored by MASTS SUPER-DTP, The Froglife Trust and UWS.

Einstein's General Relativity predicts that dynamical systems in strong gravitational fields will emit vast amounts of energy in the form of gravitational waves (GW). These are ripples in the very fabric of spacetime that travel from their sources at the speed of light, carrying information about physical processes responsible for their emission. They are among the most elusive signals from the deepest reaches in the Universe. In September 2015, during the 1st Advanced LIGO observing run, gravitational waves from the collision of two black holes were discovered using the LIGO observatories. The detection of GW150914 resulted in the award of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics with explicit recognition of the role of the UK as a critical part of the global team. In August 2017, during the 2nd observing run, LIGO and Virgo detected the first gravitational wave signal from the collision of two neutron stars. GW170817 was observed in coincidence with a gamma-ray burst (GRB) as well as signals across the electromagnetic spectrum, including the optical and infra-red signature of a kilonova. These discoveries have established a new paradigm of multi-messenger astrophysics The 3rd observing run of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo (AdV), O3, started on 1st April 2019 and ended in March 2020 during the end of which time the Japanese KAGRA instrument joined the observing network. Modelling GW sources has allowed deeper searches and data from LIGO, Virgo, and GEO have increased our understanding of astronomical phenomena. We are now able to make regular observations of GWs. To date close to 60 observations of coalescing objects, with an unexpectedly wide range of masses, have been made, with event rates being approximately 1 per week. We now have evidence for the existence of black hole/neutron star binaries, the existence of objects in the mass gap between accepted neutron star masses and black hole masses and the first real experimental evidence for the existence of intermediate mass black holes. The aLIGO detectors are based on the quasi-monolithic silica suspension concept developed in the UK for GEO600 and on the high-power lasers developed by our German colleagues in GEO600. The AdV detector also uses a variant of the silica suspension technology. Further, KAGRA is being built with input on cryogenic bonding technology from the UK groups. The consortium groups have led searches for astronomical sources, thanks to funding support received, since first data taking runs began 18 years ago. Key ingredients of several searches were developed at Glasgow. We propose a programme that exploits data from aLIGO, AdV, and KAGRA building on our analysis of data from the most recent LIGO/Virgo science runs. In particular we will observe and analyse signals from the LIGO / Virgo/ KAGRA detector network with particular emphasis on compact binary inference, population and cosmological measurements - measurement of the Hubble Constant and tests of General Relativity, application of machine learning techniques for increased efficiency in modelling signals. performing searches etc and the search for gravitational wave emission from neutron stars. In parallel, we propose essential detector R&D. Detector sensitivity is mainly limited by thermal noise associated with the substrates of the mirrors, their reflective coatings, and their suspension elements, as well as by noise resulting from the quantum nature of the light used in sensing. Our research is targeted towards making innovative improvements in these areas, essential to maximize the astrophysical potential of GW observatories. We have major responsibilities for the silica suspensions in aLIGO, and in the development of enhancements and upgrades to the aLIGO detectors (to form aLIGO+), along with R&D in the areas of mirror coatings for low thermal noise, silicon substrates, cryogenic suspensions and improved interferometer topologies to combat quantum noise.