Objective
Are there other worlds out there that can sustain life? A key factor in the ability of a planet to host life is its atmosphere. Stars can erode planetary atmospheres by bombarding the planet with plasma. How well planets can protect their atmospheres depends on the strength of their magnetic fields. We do not know the ultimate fate of exoplanet atmospheres because we have neither detected massive plasma ejections on stars nor measured the magnetic fields of exoplanets. Both of these shortcomings can be solved with sensitive radio observations at low frequencies (< 300 MHz). Previous radio observations did not simultaneously have the sensitivity and on-sky exposure to detect the faint, transient radio signals from stars and exoplanets. In this project, I will deploy a novel strategy to mine over 20,000 hours of existing data from the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR), the most sensitive telescope at low frequencies. I will achieve two orders of magnitude better sensitivity and/or time-on-sky than previous efforts to accomplish two goals: (1) the first detection of massive plasma ejection events on stars and (2) the first measurement of exoplanetary magnetic fields. My novel data-mining strategy, aided by my theoretical expertise in the generation and propagation of radio waves in astrophysical plasma, has already led to pioneering discoveries. These include the first evidence for radio emission from the magnetic interaction between a star and its exoplanet and the first discovery of a brown dwarf using radio data. An ERC grant will allow me to scale up my efforts to tackle petabytes of data and search for radio signals over trillions of image pixels to achieve the goals of this project. It will lead to a leap in our understanding of the plasma environment of exoplanets around stars of different types and ages and the underlying laws that determine the magnetic field strength of exoplanets.
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: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences planets exoplanetology
- social sciences law
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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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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
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.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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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-2021-STG
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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.
3526 KV UTRECHT
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.