Objective
My proposal is to build an unprecedentedly accurate and complete model of the radio sky, and then use it to solve several important problems in astrophysics and cosmology. The model will incorporate improved analyses of existing data, plus new, precisely-calibrated observations from a novel horn antenna telescope that I will build. Using advanced statistical techniques capable of handling millions of parameters – implemented in my world-leading Hydra code – I will disentangle the many physical components of the sky, along with troublesome instrumental effects that have clouded our view until now. This will transform radio cosmology by removing some of the most important limitations of experiments like the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array (HERA) and Square Kilometre Array (SKAO), which seek to observe signals from neutral hydrogen (the 21cm line) around the first stars and galaxies. It will also directly address two major observational anomalies – the ARCADE-2 excess and EDGES absorption feature – that may be the first signs of new physics. The result will be a unique “concordance” model of the radio sky that connects our understanding of radio emission all the way from the early Universe to the present day.
This groundbreaking model will include new data from HERA and the MeerKAT Large Area Synoptic Survey, which are the most sensitive surveys of their kind. It will also include detailed corrective modelling of instrumental effects in widely-used datasets such as the Haslam 408 MHz map. My novel horn antenna will provide a new and much-needed “absolute” calibration reference, as well as directly observing the sky-averaged 21cm signal, a crucial ingredient in understanding early galaxy formation. The major outcomes will be best-ever measurements of Galactic synchrotron physics, the cosmic radio background, and the sky-averaged 21cm line, plus vital new constraints on Cosmic Dawn and dark energy from 21cm fluctuations at high and low redshift respectively.
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 astrophysics
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy physical cosmology
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
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.
-
HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
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
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
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-2025-COG
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
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.
M13 9PL Manchester
United Kingdom
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.