Description du projet
Lever le voile sur l’évolution des amas de galaxies
Le spectre électromagnétique cosmique offre une occasion unique d’explorer l’univers. Les radiofréquences ultra-basses (10-100 MHz) restent un canal d’observation largement inexploré qui permettrait de mieux comprendre l’évolution des amas de galaxies. La complexité de ces observations représente toutefois un défi important. Le projet ULU, financé par l’UE, combinera l’expertise en matière d’amas de galaxies avec des techniques de recherche de pointe. En examinant des sujets précédemment étudiés de manière indépendante, tels que la croissance des structures et l’évolution des galaxies, le projet dévoilera le cycle de vie des rayons cosmiques et fournira également des informations précieuses dans un large éventail de domaines, notamment la science ionosphérique et l’habitabilité des exoplanètes. À terme, les résultats du projet amélioreront notre connaissance de l’univers et nous permettront de mieux comprendre son fonctionnement interne.
Objectif
The ULU project will explore the largest scales of our Universe mapping one of the last uncharted observational windows of the cosmic electromagnetic spectrum: the ultra-low radio frequencies (10-100 MHz). Although these frequencies are crucial to unveil the nature and evolution of galaxy clusters, the complexity of such observations prevented their exploitation until now. Techniques I developed to analyse Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) data were able to overcome this limitation. With ULU we will survey the northern sky producing ultra-low frequency images that are 100 times more sensitive than the state-of-the-art. The legacy of ULU will be long lasting with a far reaching scientific outcome: from galaxy evolution to ionospheric science, from exoplanet habitability to the detection of the first galaxies at cosmic dawn.
Within the ULU project, I will combine the survey with my expertise on the study of galaxy clusters. My group will adopt an innovative approach based on unveiling the full picture of the cosmic ray (CR) life-cycle in the intracluster medium, effectively combining diverse topics historically studied independently, such as the growth of structures, AGN activity, and galaxy evolution. While conventional radio frequencies are sensitive to emission generated by highly energetic CRs, with ULU we will explore the far larger domain of low-energy CRs that can be accelerated by still unexplored microphysical mechanisms. Furthermore, their emission can be observed over Gyr time scales, revealing the long-term actions and interactions of radio sources in cluster environments. With a full picture of the CR life-cycle we will 1. unveil how cluster merger energy is deposited in the intracluster medium through shocks, turbulence and other mechanisms, 2. measure the long-term effect of AGN feedback up to the age of cluster formation, and 3. make a realistic attempt at the characterisation of the WHIM properties and constrain the origin of cosmological magnetic fields.
Champ scientifique
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringinformation engineeringtelecommunicationsradio technologyradio frequency
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyplanetary sciencesplanetsexoplanetology
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyphysical cosmologygalaxy evolution
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Régime de financement
ERC - Support for frontier research (ERC)Institution d’accueil
00136 Roma
Italie