Project description DEENESFRITPL The quest to discover new strong gravitational lenses Gravitational lensing was first theorised by Albert Einstein to describe how light bends when it travels past massive objects like galaxies and galaxy clusters. Despite being a powerful cosmological probe for matter distribution, strong gravitational lensing is hamstrung by the small number of lensing systems: only a few hundred systems are known. The EU-funded LensEra project plans to combine machine learning, citizen science and automated lens modelling to build an engine to find 30 000 new lensing systems in the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope data in Chile. Analysis of subsets of lens populations should enable astronomers to explore the most profound questions of our Universe, including the nature of dark matter and the measurement of dark energy's equation of state. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Strong gravitational lensing is on the cusp of a new era. Strong lensing occurs when the mass of a galaxy deforms space time so much that multiple images of a single background source is observed. Strong lensing is a powerful cosmological probe, but it is hamstrung by sample size: currently we only know of a few hundred systems. I am leading the work on a new telescope, the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, which in its first year will observe more of the optical Universe than all previous telescopes combined. This revolutionary dataset will transform strong lensing into a statistical science by enabling LensEra to discover 30,000 new lenses and exploit them for cosmology.The first objective of LensEra uses machine learning, citizen science and automated lens modelling to build a discovery engine to find 30,000 new lenses in the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope data, including 600 lenses with multiple background sources, and 300 lensed supernovae. LensEra will then confirm these using the 4MOST multi-object spectroscopic survey and the robotic Liverpool Telescope.The second objective of LensEra develops 3 new tests of cosmology using rare subsets of the lens population: measuring the expansion of the Universe with samples of lensed supernovae; measuring the equation of state of dark energy with lenses with multiple background sources; and, testing the validity of General Relativity with lensing combined with stellar kinematics. The new sample from the first objective will allow LensEra to launch strong lensing cosmology into a new statistical age. Combining detailed analysis of ~200 golden lenses (the best LSST lensed supernovae and brightest double source plane lenses) with an automated modelling of the full sample will enable precise and accurate cosmological inference. Fields of science natural sciencesphysical sciencesrelativistic mechanicsnatural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyastrophysicsdark matternatural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencemachine learningnatural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyphysical cosmologynatural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomystellar astronomysupernova Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2020-STG - ERC STARTING GRANTS Call for proposal ERC-2020-STG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-STG - Starting Grant Coordinator UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH HIGHER EDUCATION CORPORATION Net EU contribution € 1 794 707,00 Address Winston churchill avenue university house PO1 2UP Portsmouth United Kingdom See on map Region South East (England) Hampshire and Isle of Wight Portsmouth Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH HIGHER EDUCATION CORPORATION United Kingdom Net EU contribution € 1 794 707,00 Address Winston churchill avenue university house PO1 2UP Portsmouth See on map Region South East (England) Hampshire and Isle of Wight Portsmouth Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00
