Descripción del proyecto
Descubrir los procesos clave responsables de dar forma a la materia visible
La mayor parte de la materia visible ordinaria en el universo debe su forma a procesos físicos complejos. Los campos magnéticos y las partículas relativistas (denominados rayos cósmicos) son componentes fundamentales del plasma y que dan forma a las propiedades subyacentes de los fluidos. A pesar de su importancia, son ignorados en las simulaciones numéricas debido a su complejidad. El proyecto COMPLEX, financiado con fondos europeos, desarrollará un marco numérico para realizar, por primera vez, simulaciones de cúmulos de galaxias con la suficiente resolución espacial como para resolver las escalas fundamentales a las cuales actúa la turbulencia. Se desarrollarán modelos de subcuadrícula nuevos y detallados necesarios para describir la evolución adecuada de los campos magnéticos, los rayos cósmicos y los procesos de transporte asociados, lo que permitirá a los científicos identificar los mecanismos clave responsables de la composición exacta de la fracción más extensa de materia visible en el universo.
Objetivo
The majority of the visible, ordinary matter within the universe (baryons in form of hot plasma within galaxies and galaxy clusters) is shaped by complex, physical processes, which are still plagued by many enigmas (microscopic plasma instabilities; large scale progression of astrophysical systems). The available computational resources now opened the decade of their direct, numerical modelling. However, the treatment of magnetic fields and relativistic particles (so called cosmic rays) is still mostly ignored due to their complexity, although they are fundamental plasma components, shaping the underlying fluid properties (like viscosity and transport coefficients). Observed at all cosmic epochs (evident throughout non-thermal radiation) they harbor the potential to deliver new insights into the formation of cosmic structures. The understanding of their observable imprints (like measured structure within Faraday rotation maps, the appearance of so called radio relics and radio halos) face huge challenges, in both the complexity of the underlying models as well as the computational challenge to bridge the involved, tremendously large, spatial scales.
COMPLEX will develop the numerical framework to perform for the first time simulations of galaxy clusters with high enough spatial resolution to resolve the important scales on which turbulence acts. It will develop novel and detailed sub-grid models needed to describe the proper evolution of magnetic fields, cosmic rays and associated transport processes. Self consistently coupled to the important astrophysical processes this will allow to identify the key processes responsible for shaping the detailed composition of the largest fraction of the visible matter in the universe. Combined for the first time, this will deliver key knowledge and innovative models to interpret the ongoing and future astronomical surveys which, due to their enlarged wavelength coverage and sensitivity, are entering largely unexplored territory.
Ámbito científico
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
ERC-ADG - Advanced GrantInstitución de acogida
80539 MUNCHEN
Alemania