Project description
Advancing our understanding of the cosmos
Recent high-precision experiments have deepened our understanding of the cosmos by measuring the diffuse extragalactic background light. While the cosmic microwave background (CMB) offers insights into the Big Bang, the cosmic infrared and optical backgrounds (CIB and COB) illuminate the evolution of large-scale structures. Current measurements face challenges from astrophysical confusion and systematic uncertainties, making it crucial to address all sources of error. The ERC-funded Origins project provides stringent constraints on primordial inflationary gravitational waves. It will also develop the most accurate map of CIB fluctuations to date and potentially create the first map of large-scale COB fluctuations. Additionally, it will enhance our understanding of thermal dust emission in the Milky Way and improve models of zodiacal light.
Objective
During the last decades, high-precision experiments have made increasingly detailed measurements of
diffuse Extragalactic Background Light (EBL) emitted by cosmological sources. This has revolutionized
the understanding of our cosmic origins. The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is our most precious
resource for understanding the Big Bang, while the Cosmic Infrared and Optical Backgrounds (CIB and
COB) provide unique constraints on the evolution of large scale structure from the first galaxies to
today. Until recently, measurements of these effects were limited by either foregrounds or instrumental
noise. However, the combined signal-to-noise ratio has now grown so large that the interplay between
astrophysical confusion and instrumental systematic uncertainties dominate the error budget. To make
further process, it has become critical to account for all sources of uncertainties simultaneously. In the
Origins project, I will solve this challenge through joint integrated end-to-end analysis of multiple state-
of-the-art experiments to construct a single coherent model of all main diffuse astrophysical emission
processes from 1 um to 23 GHz. In a novel approach, Origins will utilize archival observations from
ACT, AKARI, COBE/DIRBE, COBE/FIRAS, IRAS, Planck, and WMAP, many in the form of raw time-
ordered data, with upcoming measurements from Simons Observatory and SPHEREx. This will result in
the world’s strongest and most robust constraints on primordial inflationary gravitational waves; the most
accurate map of CIB fluctuations published to date; and possibly the world’s first map of large-scale COB
fluctuations. Simultaneously, it will redefine our understanding of thermal dust emission in the Milky
Way spanning a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum, and will improve the precision of current
models of Zodiacal Light by several orders of magnitude. This Open Science project will define a new
paradigm for next-generation CMB B-mode and EBL experiments.
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.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyextragalactic astronomy
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyobservational astronomygravitational waves
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyphysical cosmologybig bang
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyobservational astronomyinfrared astronomy
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Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsHost institution
0313 Oslo
Norway