Astronomy, Astrophysics & Cosmology

Astronomy is considered by many to be the oldest natural science which has ranged from early notes on the motion of celestial objects such as planets and stars in the sky, to the precision study of galaxies and their clusters today. Modern themes of research in this sector have since developed into the categories of astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology which can be studied theoretically, observationally as well as through the analysis of measurement data.

This has drastically impacted our understanding of the Universe and its evolution since the Big Bang. Astronomy continues to illuminate our knowledge of processes that occur in the observable Universe through precision measurements, which often takes the form of large surveys spanning across different countries and telescopes. Through astrophysics, we can probe the underlying physical processes that may be exposed in these observations, which could range between understanding the dynamics of galactic structures at a deeper level, to testing new physics in star systems. On the larger scale of cosmology, the combined challenge of well-known problems such as the fine-tuning, flatness and horizon problems, and the new open question of potential statistical tensions in in the field has brought into question our standard interpretation of the astrophysics of certain types of stars as well as our standard picture of cosmology. These new developments present many new possibilities for novel physics, data analysis approaches and further studies within surveys.

This collection aims to collate research involving the science, advances and application of astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology, both theoretical and observed. Potential topics include but are not limited to:

• Cosmology
• Astrophysics
• Gravitational waves
• Galaxy clusters
• Neutrino physics
• Fundamental physics
• Modified gravity
• Inflation
• Dark energy
• Dark matter
• Exoplanets
• The Solar System
• Space Exploration
• Data Analysis in space sciences
• Instrumental Techniques

Collection advisors: Jackson Said (University of Malta, Malta)