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Content archived on 2024-05-28

The cosmic nanoworld<br/>Astrophysics at the interface between the molecular and the macroscopic

Objective

"Star formation and galaxy evolution are dust-driven: cosmic nanoparticles are the key agents that drive and regulate the core physical and chemical processes. Understanding the nature of the particles that populate this ""cosmic nanoworld"" is crucial, it is a world that exists at the interface between the molecular and the macroscopic. Its constituents are small enough to exhibit characteristics reminiscent of molecules, but large enough to have properties typical of solid state materials. Because of the the “hybrid” nature of nanoparticles, an appropriate way to characterize their physical and chemical properties is still missing. The key issue is to find the right approach to attack problems too big to be solved by brute force calculation, but too small to be tackled by statistical methods.

My strategy is original in that it combines theory (hybrid multiscale modelling approaches and classical molecular dynamics) and observations in the astrophysical context, taking advantage of the fact that cosmic nanoparticles can be remotely-analysed under conditions hard or impossible to replicate in any terrestrial laboratory. The output from this project will dramatically increase our understanding of the fundamental properties of nanoparticles, helping us to reach a key goal of astrophysics. It will also provide a new set of analytic and computational tools, which will be made available to the scientific community to address ever-more-complex nanoscale systems and, in conclusion, to fully exploit the potentialities of the nanoworld.

This proposal will complement my theoretical expertise with observational top-class training and will contribute to European excellence in many scientific fields. In addition, the project will enhance European competitiveness in nanoscience and nanotechnology (through knowledge transfer), which is essential to ensure a continued growth of Europe in the world's economy."

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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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.

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IEF
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.

MC-IEF - Intra-European Fellowships (IEF)

Coordinator

UNIVERSITE PARIS-SUD
EU contribution
€ 194 046,60
Address
RUE GEORGES CLEMENCEAU 15
91405 ORSAY CEDEX
France

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Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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.

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