Project description
A groundbreaking way to observe galaxies
Supermassive black holes located at the centre of galaxies and dark matter found in galactic halos are vital parts of the processes driving the formation of galaxies, including our own. However, directly observing our galactic centre (GC) and halo presents certain challenges. The EU-funded VEGA_P project will develop a framework to enable the observation of both the GC and halo using a revolutionary approach. It will use state-of-the-art data to observe stars that interact with black holes and dark matter, thus enabling the gathering of key information on both. This could significantly aid in observing the driving forces of galaxies, offering new insights on their formation and the galactic phenomena within.
Objective
Supermassive black holes — located in galactic nuclei— and dark matter —dominant in galactic halos— are vital ingredients in the cosmological process of galaxy formation, including that of our own Galaxy. However, probing our Galactic Centre (GC) and halo has proven observationally challenging. Hypervelocity stars (HVSs) are unique in that they deliver key information on both. Following interactions with black holes in the vicinity of Sagittarius A*, HVSs are ejected on fast trajectories through the halo. They thus bear testimony not only to the black hole and stellar populations within the hard-to-access innermost parsec, but also to the Galactic mass distribution, imprinted on their orbits.
Exploiting HVSs, however, has been limited by the paucity and quality of data. The ESA Gaia mission and new spectroscopic surveys are about to dramatically change this. Their upcoming data releases contain a few hundred HVSs with unprecedented astrometric measurements, but identifying them requires careful analysis of the basic data. This proposal capitalises on my comprehensive theoretical, observational and data mining work on SDSS and previous Gaia data.
The proposal unprecedentedly combines three key facets: i) identifying and characterising HVSs; ii) modelling HVS data in a full statistical framework and theoretically interpreting our results for the GC; and iii) performing a joint analysis with complementary Galactic halo probes, never observed so abundantly before Gaia.
The project will yield i) ~hundred of GC stars in a complementary mass range and with more robust parameter estimation than from direct GC observations; ii) the population of black holes in the GC and their dynamics; iii) robust ~10% precision measurements of the Galaxy mass distribution. These will allow not only to discriminate between assembly scenarios for both the Milky Way and its GC, but also to uniquely calibrate rate estimates for galactic nuclear phenomena, including gravitational wave sources.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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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.
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.
ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant
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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.
(opens in new window) ERC-2020-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
2311 EZ Leiden
Netherlands
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.