Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Unveiling the dark universe with gravitational waves: Black holes and compact stars as laboratories for fundamental physics

Objective

In recent years, our theoretical understanding of the strong-field regime of gravity has grown in parallel with the observational confirmations that culminated in the landmark detection of gravitational waves (GWs). This synergy of breakthroughs at the observational, technical, and conceptual level offers the unprecedented opportunity to merge traditionally disjoint areas, and to make strong gravity a precision tool to probe fundamental physics.

The aim of the DarkGRA project is to investigate novel effects related to strong gravitational sources -such as black holes (BHs) and compact stars- that can be used to turn these objects into cosmic labs, where matter in extreme conditions, particle physics, and the very foundations of Einstein's theory of gravity can be put to the test. In this context, we propose to explore some outstanding, cross-cutting problems in fundamental physics: the existence of extra light fields, the limits of classical gravity, the nature of BHs and of spacetime singularities, and the effects of dark matter near compact objects. Our ultimate goal is to probe fundamental physics in the most extreme gravitational settings and to devise new approaches for detection, complementary to laboratory searches. This groundbreaking research program -located at the interface between particle physics, astrophysics and gravitation- is now made possible by novel techniques to scrutinize astrophysical compact objects, by current and future GW and X-ray detectors, and by the astonishing precision of pulsar timing. If supported by a solid theoretical framework, these new observations can potentially lead to surprising discoveries and paradigm shifts in our understanding of the fundamental laws of nature at all scales.

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.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Keywords

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.

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.

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.

ERC-STG - Starting Grant

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.

(opens in new window) ERC-2017-STG

See all projects funded under this call

Host institution

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA LA SAPIENZA
Net EU contribution

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.

€ 1 337 480,94
Address
Piazzale Aldo Moro 5
00185 Roma
Italy

See on map

Region
Centro (IT) Lazio Roma
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

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.

€ 1 337 480,94

Beneficiaries (1)

My booklet 0 0