Objective
Studying quasars (actively accreting supermassive black holes) and galaxies at the earliest cosmic epochs is one of the prime objectives in modern astrophysics. How the first luminous sources formed and reionized the universe is one of the most fundamental open questions in cosmology. Likewise, a detailed characterization of the evolution of the cosmic molecular gas density, which lies at the heart of galaxy evolution, is a fundamental goal in observational astrophysics. The proposed program capitalizes on current and upcoming facilities and encompasses three aspects: The first (I) will use the recently started Pan-STARRS1 survey to identify a sizeable sample of z>7 quasars, i.e. when the universe was less than 0.8 Gyr old (<1/15th of today’s age), to statistically probe black hole growth in the Epoch of Reionization. The second project (II) will characterize the physical properties of z~6 and z~7 quasar hosts selected from project (I) and the SDSS / VISTA VIKING surveys using new observational NIR/(sub)millimeter capabilities, including ALMA (observations approved in cycle 0). The last project (III) will use the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer, and ALMA, to embark on the first molecular deep field which will provide a complete ‘blind’ census of the molecular gas density through cosmic times (from z~1 to z~8, approved pilot program). The overarching goal of this ERC proposal is thus to greatly increase our understanding of the physical properties of the earliest massive objects in the universe, and to shed first light on the evolution of the cosmic molecular gas density in galaxies after the universe emerged from the cosmic ‘dark ages’. The PI is internationally recognized as a leader in molecular gas studies of high-redshift galaxies, and through his track record and access to the needed combination of research facilities, is uniquely positioned to successfully lead this program.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy astrophysics black holes
- social sciences sociology demography census
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy physical cosmology galaxy evolution
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
ERC-2012-StG_20111012
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Host institution
80539 Munchen
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.