Project acronym 3D-QUEST
Project 3D-Quantum Integrated Optical Simulation
Researcher (PI) Fabio Sciarrino
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA LA SAPIENZA
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE2, ERC-2012-StG_20111012
Summary "Quantum information was born from the merging of classical information and quantum physics. Its main objective consists of understanding the quantum nature of information and learning how to process it by using physical systems which operate by following quantum mechanics laws. Quantum simulation is a fundamental instrument to investigate phenomena of quantum systems dynamics, such as quantum transport, particle localizations and energy transfer, quantum-to-classical transition, and even quantum improved computation, all tasks that are hard to simulate with classical approaches. Within this framework integrated photonic circuits have a strong potential to realize quantum information processing by optical systems.
The aim of 3D-QUEST is to develop and implement quantum simulation by exploiting 3-dimensional integrated photonic circuits. 3D-QUEST is structured to demonstrate the potential of linear optics to implement a computational power beyond the one of a classical computer. Such ""hard-to-simulate"" scenario is disclosed when multiphoton-multimode platforms are realized. The 3D-QUEST research program will focus on three tasks of growing difficulty.
A-1. To simulate bosonic-fermionic dynamics with integrated optical systems acting on 2 photon entangled states.
A-2. To pave the way towards hard-to-simulate, scalable quantum linear optical circuits by investigating m-port interferometers acting on n-photon states with n>2.
A-3. To exploit 3-dimensional integrated structures for the observation of new quantum optical phenomena and for the quantum simulation of more complex scenarios.
3D-QUEST will exploit the potential of the femtosecond laser writing integrated waveguides. This technique will be adopted to realize 3-dimensional capabilities and high flexibility, bringing in this way the optical quantum simulation in to new regime."
Summary
"Quantum information was born from the merging of classical information and quantum physics. Its main objective consists of understanding the quantum nature of information and learning how to process it by using physical systems which operate by following quantum mechanics laws. Quantum simulation is a fundamental instrument to investigate phenomena of quantum systems dynamics, such as quantum transport, particle localizations and energy transfer, quantum-to-classical transition, and even quantum improved computation, all tasks that are hard to simulate with classical approaches. Within this framework integrated photonic circuits have a strong potential to realize quantum information processing by optical systems.
The aim of 3D-QUEST is to develop and implement quantum simulation by exploiting 3-dimensional integrated photonic circuits. 3D-QUEST is structured to demonstrate the potential of linear optics to implement a computational power beyond the one of a classical computer. Such ""hard-to-simulate"" scenario is disclosed when multiphoton-multimode platforms are realized. The 3D-QUEST research program will focus on three tasks of growing difficulty.
A-1. To simulate bosonic-fermionic dynamics with integrated optical systems acting on 2 photon entangled states.
A-2. To pave the way towards hard-to-simulate, scalable quantum linear optical circuits by investigating m-port interferometers acting on n-photon states with n>2.
A-3. To exploit 3-dimensional integrated structures for the observation of new quantum optical phenomena and for the quantum simulation of more complex scenarios.
3D-QUEST will exploit the potential of the femtosecond laser writing integrated waveguides. This technique will be adopted to realize 3-dimensional capabilities and high flexibility, bringing in this way the optical quantum simulation in to new regime."
Max ERC Funding
1 474 800 €
Duration
Start date: 2012-08-01, End date: 2017-07-31
Project acronym AGEnTh
Project Atomic Gauge and Entanglement Theories
Researcher (PI) Marcello DALMONTE
Host Institution (HI) SCUOLA INTERNAZIONALE SUPERIORE DI STUDI AVANZATI DI TRIESTE
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE2, ERC-2017-STG
Summary AGEnTh is an interdisciplinary proposal which aims at theoretically investigating atomic many-body systems (cold atoms and trapped ions) in close connection to concepts from quantum information, condensed matter, and high energy physics. The main goals of this programme are to:
I) Find to scalable schemes for the measurements of entanglement properties, and in particular entanglement spectra, by proposing a shifting paradigm to access entanglement focused on entanglement Hamiltonians and field theories instead of probing density matrices;
II) Show how atomic gauge theories (including dynamical gauge fields) are ideal candidates for the realization of long-sought, highly-entangled states of matter, in particular topological superconductors supporting parafermion edge modes, and novel classes of quantum spin liquids emerging from clustering;
III) Develop new implementation strategies for the realization of gauge symmetries of paramount importance, such as discrete and SU(N)xSU(2)xU(1) groups, and establish a theoretical framework for the understanding of atomic physics experiments within the light-from-chaos scenario pioneered in particle physics.
These objectives are at the cutting-edge of fundamental science, and represent a coherent effort aimed at underpinning unprecedented regimes of strongly interacting quantum matter by addressing the basic aspects of probing, many-body physics, and implementations. The results are expected to (i) build up and establish qualitatively new synergies between the aforementioned communities, and (ii) stimulate an intense theoretical and experimental activity focused on both entanglement and atomic gauge theories.
In order to achieve those, AGEnTh builds: (1) on my background working at the interface between atomic physics and quantum optics from one side, and many-body theory on the other, and (2) on exploratory studies which I carried out to mitigate the conceptual risks associated with its high-risk/high-gain goals.
Summary
AGEnTh is an interdisciplinary proposal which aims at theoretically investigating atomic many-body systems (cold atoms and trapped ions) in close connection to concepts from quantum information, condensed matter, and high energy physics. The main goals of this programme are to:
I) Find to scalable schemes for the measurements of entanglement properties, and in particular entanglement spectra, by proposing a shifting paradigm to access entanglement focused on entanglement Hamiltonians and field theories instead of probing density matrices;
II) Show how atomic gauge theories (including dynamical gauge fields) are ideal candidates for the realization of long-sought, highly-entangled states of matter, in particular topological superconductors supporting parafermion edge modes, and novel classes of quantum spin liquids emerging from clustering;
III) Develop new implementation strategies for the realization of gauge symmetries of paramount importance, such as discrete and SU(N)xSU(2)xU(1) groups, and establish a theoretical framework for the understanding of atomic physics experiments within the light-from-chaos scenario pioneered in particle physics.
These objectives are at the cutting-edge of fundamental science, and represent a coherent effort aimed at underpinning unprecedented regimes of strongly interacting quantum matter by addressing the basic aspects of probing, many-body physics, and implementations. The results are expected to (i) build up and establish qualitatively new synergies between the aforementioned communities, and (ii) stimulate an intense theoretical and experimental activity focused on both entanglement and atomic gauge theories.
In order to achieve those, AGEnTh builds: (1) on my background working at the interface between atomic physics and quantum optics from one side, and many-body theory on the other, and (2) on exploratory studies which I carried out to mitigate the conceptual risks associated with its high-risk/high-gain goals.
Max ERC Funding
1 055 317 €
Duration
Start date: 2018-05-01, End date: 2023-04-30
Project acronym AIDA
Project An Illumination of the Dark Ages: modeling reionization and interpreting observations
Researcher (PI) Andrei Albert Mesinger
Host Institution (HI) SCUOLA NORMALE SUPERIORE
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE9, ERC-2014-STG
Summary "Understanding the dawn of the first galaxies and how their light permeated the early Universe is at the very frontier of modern astrophysical cosmology. Generous resources, including ambitions observational programs, are being devoted to studying these epochs of Cosmic Dawn (CD) and Reionization (EoR). In order to interpret these observations, we propose to build on our widely-used, semi-numeric simulation tool, 21cmFAST, and apply it to observations. Using sub-grid, semi-analytic models, we will incorporate additional physical processes governing the evolution of sources and sinks of ionizing photons. The resulting state-of-the-art simulations will be well poised to interpret topical observations of quasar spectra and the cosmic 21cm signal. They would be both physically-motivated and fast, allowing us to rapidly explore astrophysical parameter space. We will statistically quantify the resulting degeneracies and constraints, providing a robust answer to the question, ""What can we learn from EoR/CD observations?"" As an end goal, these investigations will help us understand when the first generations of galaxies formed, how they drove the EoR, and what are the associated large-scale observational signatures."
Summary
"Understanding the dawn of the first galaxies and how their light permeated the early Universe is at the very frontier of modern astrophysical cosmology. Generous resources, including ambitions observational programs, are being devoted to studying these epochs of Cosmic Dawn (CD) and Reionization (EoR). In order to interpret these observations, we propose to build on our widely-used, semi-numeric simulation tool, 21cmFAST, and apply it to observations. Using sub-grid, semi-analytic models, we will incorporate additional physical processes governing the evolution of sources and sinks of ionizing photons. The resulting state-of-the-art simulations will be well poised to interpret topical observations of quasar spectra and the cosmic 21cm signal. They would be both physically-motivated and fast, allowing us to rapidly explore astrophysical parameter space. We will statistically quantify the resulting degeneracies and constraints, providing a robust answer to the question, ""What can we learn from EoR/CD observations?"" As an end goal, these investigations will help us understand when the first generations of galaxies formed, how they drove the EoR, and what are the associated large-scale observational signatures."
Max ERC Funding
1 468 750 €
Duration
Start date: 2015-05-01, End date: 2021-01-31
Project acronym AISENS
Project New generation of high sensitive atom interferometers
Researcher (PI) Marco Fattori
Host Institution (HI) CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE2, ERC-2010-StG_20091028
Summary Interferometers are fundamental tools for the study of nature laws and for the precise measurement and control of the physical world. In the last century, the scientific and technological progress has proceeded in parallel with a constant improvement of interferometric performances. For this reason, the challenge of conceiving and realizing new generations of interferometers with broader ranges of operation and with higher sensitivities is always open and actual.
Despite the introduction of laser devices has deeply improved the way of developing and performing interferometric measurements with light, the atomic matter wave analogous, i.e. the Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), has not yet triggered any revolution in precision interferometry. However, thanks to recent improvements on the control of the quantum properties of ultra-cold atomic gases, and new original ideas on the creation and manipulation of quantum entangled particles, the field of atom interferometry is now mature to experience a big step forward.
The system I want to realize is a Mach-Zehnder spatial interferometer operating with trapped BECs. Undesired decoherence sources will be suppressed by implementing BECs with tunable interactions in ultra-stable optical potentials. Entangled states will be used to improve the sensitivity of the sensor beyond the standard quantum limit to ideally reach the ultimate, Heisenberg, limit set by quantum mechanics. The resulting apparatus will show unprecedented spatial resolution and will overcome state-of-the-art interferometers with cold (non condensed) atomic gases.
A successful completion of this project will lead to a new generation of interferometers for the immediate application to local inertial measurements with unprecedented resolution. In addition, we expect to develop experimental capabilities which might find application well beyond quantum interferometry and crucially contribute to the broader emerging field of quantum-enhanced technologies.
Summary
Interferometers are fundamental tools for the study of nature laws and for the precise measurement and control of the physical world. In the last century, the scientific and technological progress has proceeded in parallel with a constant improvement of interferometric performances. For this reason, the challenge of conceiving and realizing new generations of interferometers with broader ranges of operation and with higher sensitivities is always open and actual.
Despite the introduction of laser devices has deeply improved the way of developing and performing interferometric measurements with light, the atomic matter wave analogous, i.e. the Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), has not yet triggered any revolution in precision interferometry. However, thanks to recent improvements on the control of the quantum properties of ultra-cold atomic gases, and new original ideas on the creation and manipulation of quantum entangled particles, the field of atom interferometry is now mature to experience a big step forward.
The system I want to realize is a Mach-Zehnder spatial interferometer operating with trapped BECs. Undesired decoherence sources will be suppressed by implementing BECs with tunable interactions in ultra-stable optical potentials. Entangled states will be used to improve the sensitivity of the sensor beyond the standard quantum limit to ideally reach the ultimate, Heisenberg, limit set by quantum mechanics. The resulting apparatus will show unprecedented spatial resolution and will overcome state-of-the-art interferometers with cold (non condensed) atomic gases.
A successful completion of this project will lead to a new generation of interferometers for the immediate application to local inertial measurements with unprecedented resolution. In addition, we expect to develop experimental capabilities which might find application well beyond quantum interferometry and crucially contribute to the broader emerging field of quantum-enhanced technologies.
Max ERC Funding
1 068 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2011-01-01, End date: 2015-12-31
Project acronym CALDER
Project Cryogenic wide-Area Light Detectors
with Excellent Resolution
Researcher (PI) Marco Vignati
Host Institution (HI) ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI FISICA NUCLEARE
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE2, ERC-2013-StG
Summary "In the comprehension of fundamental laws of nature, particle physics is now facing two important questions:
1) What is the nature of the neutrino, is it a standard (Dirac) particle or a Majorana particle? The nature of the neutrino plays a crucial role in the global framework of particle interactions and in cosmology. The only practicable way to answer this question is to search for a nuclear process called ""neutrinoless double beta decay"" (0nuDBD).
2) What is the so called ""dark matter"" made of? Astrophysical observations suggest that the largest part of the mass of the Universe is composed by a form of matter other than atoms and known matter constituents. We still do not know what dark matter is made of because its rate of interaction with ordinary matter is really low, thus making the direct experimental detection extremely difficult.
Both 0nuDBD and dark matter interactions are rare processes and can be detected using the same experimental technique. Bolometers are promising devices and their combination with light detectors provides the identification of interacting particles, a powerful tool to reduce the background.
The goal of CALDER is to realize a new type of light detectors to improve the upcoming generation of bolometric experiments. The detectors will be designed to feature unprecedented energy resolution and reliability, to ensure an almost complete particle identification. In case of success, CUORE, a 0nuDBD experiment in construction, would gain in sensitivity by up to a factor 6. LUCIFER, a 0nuDBD experiment already implementing the light detection, could be sensitive also to dark matter interactions, thus increasing its research potential. The light detectors will be based on Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KIDs), a new technology that proved its potential in astrophysical applications but that is still new in the field of particle physics and rare event searches."
Summary
"In the comprehension of fundamental laws of nature, particle physics is now facing two important questions:
1) What is the nature of the neutrino, is it a standard (Dirac) particle or a Majorana particle? The nature of the neutrino plays a crucial role in the global framework of particle interactions and in cosmology. The only practicable way to answer this question is to search for a nuclear process called ""neutrinoless double beta decay"" (0nuDBD).
2) What is the so called ""dark matter"" made of? Astrophysical observations suggest that the largest part of the mass of the Universe is composed by a form of matter other than atoms and known matter constituents. We still do not know what dark matter is made of because its rate of interaction with ordinary matter is really low, thus making the direct experimental detection extremely difficult.
Both 0nuDBD and dark matter interactions are rare processes and can be detected using the same experimental technique. Bolometers are promising devices and their combination with light detectors provides the identification of interacting particles, a powerful tool to reduce the background.
The goal of CALDER is to realize a new type of light detectors to improve the upcoming generation of bolometric experiments. The detectors will be designed to feature unprecedented energy resolution and reliability, to ensure an almost complete particle identification. In case of success, CUORE, a 0nuDBD experiment in construction, would gain in sensitivity by up to a factor 6. LUCIFER, a 0nuDBD experiment already implementing the light detection, could be sensitive also to dark matter interactions, thus increasing its research potential. The light detectors will be based on Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KIDs), a new technology that proved its potential in astrophysical applications but that is still new in the field of particle physics and rare event searches."
Max ERC Funding
1 176 758 €
Duration
Start date: 2014-03-01, End date: 2019-02-28
Project acronym ClustersXCosmo
Project Fundamental physics, Cosmology and Astrophysics: Galaxy Clusters at the Cross-roads
Researcher (PI) Alexandro SARO
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TRIESTE
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE9, ERC-2016-STG
Summary The ClustersXCosmo ERC Starting Grant proposal has the goal of investigating the role of Galaxy Clusters as a cosmological probe and of exploiting the strong synergies between observational cosmology, galaxy formation and fundamental physics related to the tracers of the extreme peaks in the matter density field. In the last decade, astronomical data-sets have started to be widely and quantitatively used by the scientific community to address important physical questions such as: the nature of the dark matter and dark energy components and their evolution; the physical properties of the baryonic matter; the variation of fundamental constants over cosmic time; the sum of neutrino masses; the interplay between the galaxy population and the intergalactic medium; the nature of gravity over megaparsec scales and over cosmic times; the temperature evolution of the Universe. Most of these results are based on well-established geometrical cosmological probes (e.g., galaxies, supernovae, cosmic microwave background). Galaxy clusters provide a complementary and necessary approach, as their distribution as a function of time and observables is sensitive to both the geometrical and the dynamical evolution of the Universe, driven by the growth of structures. Among different cluster surveys, Sunyaev Zel'Dovich effect (SZE) detected catalogs have registered the most dramatic improvement over the last ~5 years, yielding samples extending up to the earliest times these systems appeared. This proposal aims at using a combination of the best available SZE cluster surveys and to interpret them by means of state-of-the-art computational facilities in order to firmly establish the yet controversial role of Galaxy Clusters as a probe for cosmology, fundamental physics and astrophysics. The timely convergence of current and next generation multi-wavelength surveys (DES/SPT/Planck/eRosita/Euclid) will be important to establish the role of Galaxy Clusters as a cosmological tool.
Summary
The ClustersXCosmo ERC Starting Grant proposal has the goal of investigating the role of Galaxy Clusters as a cosmological probe and of exploiting the strong synergies between observational cosmology, galaxy formation and fundamental physics related to the tracers of the extreme peaks in the matter density field. In the last decade, astronomical data-sets have started to be widely and quantitatively used by the scientific community to address important physical questions such as: the nature of the dark matter and dark energy components and their evolution; the physical properties of the baryonic matter; the variation of fundamental constants over cosmic time; the sum of neutrino masses; the interplay between the galaxy population and the intergalactic medium; the nature of gravity over megaparsec scales and over cosmic times; the temperature evolution of the Universe. Most of these results are based on well-established geometrical cosmological probes (e.g., galaxies, supernovae, cosmic microwave background). Galaxy clusters provide a complementary and necessary approach, as their distribution as a function of time and observables is sensitive to both the geometrical and the dynamical evolution of the Universe, driven by the growth of structures. Among different cluster surveys, Sunyaev Zel'Dovich effect (SZE) detected catalogs have registered the most dramatic improvement over the last ~5 years, yielding samples extending up to the earliest times these systems appeared. This proposal aims at using a combination of the best available SZE cluster surveys and to interpret them by means of state-of-the-art computational facilities in order to firmly establish the yet controversial role of Galaxy Clusters as a probe for cosmology, fundamental physics and astrophysics. The timely convergence of current and next generation multi-wavelength surveys (DES/SPT/Planck/eRosita/Euclid) will be important to establish the role of Galaxy Clusters as a cosmological tool.
Max ERC Funding
1 230 403 €
Duration
Start date: 2017-09-01, End date: 2022-08-31
Project acronym COMPLEXLIGHT
Project Light and complexity
Researcher (PI) Claudio Conti
Host Institution (HI) CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE2, ERC-2007-StG
Summary The project is aimed at funding a multi-disciplinary laboratory on nonlinear optics and photonics in soft-colloidal materials and on “complex lightwave systems”. A team of talented young researchers, divided among experiments, theory, parallel computation and nano-fabrication is involved. The proposed research will foster several breakthrough discoveries from soft-matter to biophysics, from nonlinear and integrated optics to the science of complexity and cryptography. The underlying vision is driven by the physics of complex systems, those displaying a large number of thermodynamically equivalent states and emergent properties. There are 4 original and high-impact activities, which explore applicative potentialities: 1) sub-wavelength light filaments in soft- and bio-matter; 2) lasers in soft-matter and bio-tissues; 3) control of soft-matter lasers by light filaments; 4) complex lightwave systems, encryption by nano-structured disordered lasers. Activity 1 will lead to ultra-thin re-addressable light beams (sub-wavelength spatial solitons) propagating in soft- and bio-matter that can be used in laser-surgery, matter manipulation and able to guide high power laser pulses; activity 2 attains novel structural diagnostic techniques in bone tissue surpassing limits of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, and assesses the field of lasers in soft-materials; activity 3 will demonstrate the control of self-organization processes in soft-matter by light filaments probed by laser emission; activity 4 is based on specific features mutuated from spin-glass theory, and will realize a novel cryptographic technique superior to chaotic systems in terms of security. Activity 1 and 2 are propaedeutic to the others. The team is composed by the Principal Investigator (P.I.), 4 post-doctoral researchers and 3 Ph.D. students. The budget will be used for paying the P.I., two post-doctoral positions, laser sources, high performance computing facilities, and instrumentation.
Summary
The project is aimed at funding a multi-disciplinary laboratory on nonlinear optics and photonics in soft-colloidal materials and on “complex lightwave systems”. A team of talented young researchers, divided among experiments, theory, parallel computation and nano-fabrication is involved. The proposed research will foster several breakthrough discoveries from soft-matter to biophysics, from nonlinear and integrated optics to the science of complexity and cryptography. The underlying vision is driven by the physics of complex systems, those displaying a large number of thermodynamically equivalent states and emergent properties. There are 4 original and high-impact activities, which explore applicative potentialities: 1) sub-wavelength light filaments in soft- and bio-matter; 2) lasers in soft-matter and bio-tissues; 3) control of soft-matter lasers by light filaments; 4) complex lightwave systems, encryption by nano-structured disordered lasers. Activity 1 will lead to ultra-thin re-addressable light beams (sub-wavelength spatial solitons) propagating in soft- and bio-matter that can be used in laser-surgery, matter manipulation and able to guide high power laser pulses; activity 2 attains novel structural diagnostic techniques in bone tissue surpassing limits of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, and assesses the field of lasers in soft-materials; activity 3 will demonstrate the control of self-organization processes in soft-matter by light filaments probed by laser emission; activity 4 is based on specific features mutuated from spin-glass theory, and will realize a novel cryptographic technique superior to chaotic systems in terms of security. Activity 1 and 2 are propaedeutic to the others. The team is composed by the Principal Investigator (P.I.), 4 post-doctoral researchers and 3 Ph.D. students. The budget will be used for paying the P.I., two post-doctoral positions, laser sources, high performance computing facilities, and instrumentation.
Max ERC Funding
1 085 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-05-01, End date: 2013-04-30
Project acronym COSMOIGM
Project The Intergalactic Medium as a Cosmological Tool
Researcher (PI) Matteo Viel
Host Institution (HI) ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI ASTROFISICA
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE9, ERC-2010-StG_20091028
Summary The cosmoIGM proposal aims at investigating the role of the Intergalactic Medium (IGM) as a cosmological probe and at exploiting the many IGM-related sinergies between observational cosmology, galaxy formation and fundamental physics. The IGM is a unique cosmological observable as it probes 3/4 of the present age of the universe, it contains up to 80% of the baryons and is sensitive to scales that are not measured by other data. In the last decade, astronomical data sets have started to be widely used by the scientific community to address important physical issues such as: the nature of the dark matter and dark energy components and their evolution; the physical properties of the baryonic matter; variation of fundamental constants; feedback processes by galaxies, etc. For example, results obtained from astronomical data are nowadays comparable to those obtained by ground based physics laboratories (e.g. neutrino masses). This proposal will rely on observations of the IGM at high and low redshift and will interpret them by means of state-of-the-art computational facilities in order to firmly establish the (yet controversial) role of the IGM as a probe for cosmology and fundamental physics. Moreover, we aim at exploring the galaxy-IGM interplay at a crucial stage of the cosmic history when the universe was few Gyrs old and star forming galaxies were strongly affecting the dynamical, thermal and chemical properties of the IGM. The hosting institution, Trieste Observatory, and the Trieste Area (ICTP, SISSA and Trieste University) have a long-standing expertise on the topics above. We foresee that the present interdisciplinary proposal will have a strong scientific impact and will help the P.I. to consolidate its independence and to create his first research team.
Summary
The cosmoIGM proposal aims at investigating the role of the Intergalactic Medium (IGM) as a cosmological probe and at exploiting the many IGM-related sinergies between observational cosmology, galaxy formation and fundamental physics. The IGM is a unique cosmological observable as it probes 3/4 of the present age of the universe, it contains up to 80% of the baryons and is sensitive to scales that are not measured by other data. In the last decade, astronomical data sets have started to be widely used by the scientific community to address important physical issues such as: the nature of the dark matter and dark energy components and their evolution; the physical properties of the baryonic matter; variation of fundamental constants; feedback processes by galaxies, etc. For example, results obtained from astronomical data are nowadays comparable to those obtained by ground based physics laboratories (e.g. neutrino masses). This proposal will rely on observations of the IGM at high and low redshift and will interpret them by means of state-of-the-art computational facilities in order to firmly establish the (yet controversial) role of the IGM as a probe for cosmology and fundamental physics. Moreover, we aim at exploring the galaxy-IGM interplay at a crucial stage of the cosmic history when the universe was few Gyrs old and star forming galaxies were strongly affecting the dynamical, thermal and chemical properties of the IGM. The hosting institution, Trieste Observatory, and the Trieste Area (ICTP, SISSA and Trieste University) have a long-standing expertise on the topics above. We foresee that the present interdisciplinary proposal will have a strong scientific impact and will help the P.I. to consolidate its independence and to create his first research team.
Max ERC Funding
891 400 €
Duration
Start date: 2010-12-01, End date: 2016-11-30
Project acronym DarkGRA
Project Unveiling the dark universe with gravitational waves: Black holes and compact stars as laboratories for fundamental physics
Researcher (PI) Paolo PANI
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA LA SAPIENZA
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE2, ERC-2017-STG
Summary In recent years, our theoretical understanding of the strong-field regime of gravity has grown in parallel with the observational confirmations that culminated in the landmark detection of gravitational waves (GWs). This synergy of breakthroughs at the observational, technical, and conceptual level offers the unprecedented opportunity to merge traditionally disjoint areas, and to make strong gravity a precision tool to probe fundamental physics.
The aim of the DarkGRA project is to investigate novel effects related to strong gravitational sources -such as black holes (BHs) and compact stars- that can be used to turn these objects into cosmic labs, where matter in extreme conditions, particle physics, and the very foundations of Einstein's theory of gravity can be put to the test. In this context, we propose to explore some outstanding, cross-cutting problems in fundamental physics: the existence of extra light fields, the limits of classical gravity, the nature of BHs and of spacetime singularities, and the effects of dark matter near compact objects. Our ultimate goal is to probe fundamental physics in the most extreme gravitational settings and to devise new approaches for detection, complementary to laboratory searches. This groundbreaking research program -located at the interface between particle physics, astrophysics and gravitation- is now made possible by novel techniques to scrutinize astrophysical compact objects, by current and future GW and X-ray detectors, and by the astonishing precision of pulsar timing. If supported by a solid theoretical framework, these new observations can potentially lead to surprising discoveries and paradigm shifts in our understanding of the fundamental laws of nature at all scales.
Summary
In recent years, our theoretical understanding of the strong-field regime of gravity has grown in parallel with the observational confirmations that culminated in the landmark detection of gravitational waves (GWs). This synergy of breakthroughs at the observational, technical, and conceptual level offers the unprecedented opportunity to merge traditionally disjoint areas, and to make strong gravity a precision tool to probe fundamental physics.
The aim of the DarkGRA project is to investigate novel effects related to strong gravitational sources -such as black holes (BHs) and compact stars- that can be used to turn these objects into cosmic labs, where matter in extreme conditions, particle physics, and the very foundations of Einstein's theory of gravity can be put to the test. In this context, we propose to explore some outstanding, cross-cutting problems in fundamental physics: the existence of extra light fields, the limits of classical gravity, the nature of BHs and of spacetime singularities, and the effects of dark matter near compact objects. Our ultimate goal is to probe fundamental physics in the most extreme gravitational settings and to devise new approaches for detection, complementary to laboratory searches. This groundbreaking research program -located at the interface between particle physics, astrophysics and gravitation- is now made possible by novel techniques to scrutinize astrophysical compact objects, by current and future GW and X-ray detectors, and by the astonishing precision of pulsar timing. If supported by a solid theoretical framework, these new observations can potentially lead to surprising discoveries and paradigm shifts in our understanding of the fundamental laws of nature at all scales.
Max ERC Funding
1 337 481 €
Duration
Start date: 2017-10-01, End date: 2022-09-30
Project acronym DRANOEL
Project Deciphering RAdio NOn-thermal Emission on the Largest scales
Researcher (PI) Annalisa BONAFEDE
Host Institution (HI) ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), PE9, ERC-2016-STG
Summary This proposal aims to understand the origin of the radio emission detected in the most massive objects in our Universe: galaxy clusters.
The extreme physical conditions in the intra-cluster medium of galaxy clusters are beyond anything achievable in any laboratory on Earth. The space in between the galaxies is filled with an extremely hot and diluted gas that hosts the largest-scale magnetic fields known so far. A big challenge of modern astrophysics is understanding the origin of radio emission spread over huge swathes in some clusters. This emission is a mystery because it requires relativistic electrons moving around magnetic field lines, but both the origin of the magnetic fields and of the electrons are unknown. Absolutely fundamental to the understanding of the radio emission are a detailed knowledge of the magnetic fields and of the energy spectrum of the emitting particles.
We are stepping into a new era of observational astronomy, in which surveys will be conducted rather than single pointed observations. This survey era is changing our approach to observational data. It enables to perform all-sky studies but calls for numerical and technological efforts for the data handling.
Taking advantage of the advent of new radio and X-ray facilities, such as LOFAR, the JVLA, ASKAP, and eROSITA, this project wants to understand the origin of the radio emission, its evolution and its connections with the cluster dynamics.
We have today the unprecedented opportunity to discover the physical processes at work in these unique environments, that link the micro-physical processes at work in galaxy clusters with the clusters' macro-physics. The proposed study will address fundamental questions not restricted to the physics of galaxy clusters but having impact on several inter-connected physical disciplines, such as cosmology, astro-particle physics and plasma physics.
Summary
This proposal aims to understand the origin of the radio emission detected in the most massive objects in our Universe: galaxy clusters.
The extreme physical conditions in the intra-cluster medium of galaxy clusters are beyond anything achievable in any laboratory on Earth. The space in between the galaxies is filled with an extremely hot and diluted gas that hosts the largest-scale magnetic fields known so far. A big challenge of modern astrophysics is understanding the origin of radio emission spread over huge swathes in some clusters. This emission is a mystery because it requires relativistic electrons moving around magnetic field lines, but both the origin of the magnetic fields and of the electrons are unknown. Absolutely fundamental to the understanding of the radio emission are a detailed knowledge of the magnetic fields and of the energy spectrum of the emitting particles.
We are stepping into a new era of observational astronomy, in which surveys will be conducted rather than single pointed observations. This survey era is changing our approach to observational data. It enables to perform all-sky studies but calls for numerical and technological efforts for the data handling.
Taking advantage of the advent of new radio and X-ray facilities, such as LOFAR, the JVLA, ASKAP, and eROSITA, this project wants to understand the origin of the radio emission, its evolution and its connections with the cluster dynamics.
We have today the unprecedented opportunity to discover the physical processes at work in these unique environments, that link the micro-physical processes at work in galaxy clusters with the clusters' macro-physics. The proposed study will address fundamental questions not restricted to the physics of galaxy clusters but having impact on several inter-connected physical disciplines, such as cosmology, astro-particle physics and plasma physics.
Max ERC Funding
1 496 250 €
Duration
Start date: 2017-09-01, End date: 2022-08-31
