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Integrated Activities for the High Energy Astrophysics Domain

Project description

Pulling together to pull ahead in the study of extremely energetic cosmic events

High-energy astrophysics is the study of the most energetic and extreme processes in the universe, processes that are impossible to replicate in experiments here on Earth. These processes are associated with objects like exploding stars and supermassive black holes, and their understanding not only helps us answer fundamental questions about the origin and evolution of our cosmos but also fosters technological developments in other areas. Further, it prepares us to optimise space exploration expeditions for maximum impact. Teamwork is necessary for success and the EU-funded AHEAD2020 project is team building to achieve this. A key focus is integration of national efforts while enhancing focus on multi-messenger astronomy harnessing the teamwork of extrasolar messengers to shed light on high-energy cosmic phenomena beyond our reach.

Objective

AHEAD2020 builds on our previous program, funded in H2020 as starting community, that allowed us to qualify now as advanced community. Our overall objective remains to advance further the integration of national efforts in high-energy astrophysics keeping the community at the cutting edge of science and technology and ensuring that observatories are at the state of the art. At the same time, AHEAD2020 aims at widening its horizons to further integrate activities with the newly born multimessenger astronomy, boosted very recently by the discovery of gravitational waves and cosmic neutrinos and of their first high energy counterparts. This will be achieved by a new large community of high energy astronomers, gravitational wave and astroparticle scientists. Along the road paved until recently, we will keep strengthening the theorethical efforts, also building up on the results of the observations of multimessenger sources; and continue opening the best infrastructures for data analysis of high-energy space and ground observatories. Furthermore we will integrate key infrastructures for on-ground test and calibration of space-based instrumentation and promote their coordinated use. Technological developments will focus on the improvement of selected detector, optics devices and advanced analysis tools for the benefit of future space missions and ground-based multimessenger facilities, with more emphasis on the observation of the new transient Universe. AHEAD2020 will support the community via grants for collaborative studies, dissemination of results, and promotion of workshops and a strong public outreach package will ensure that the domain is well publicised at both national and international level. AHEAD will also contribute to the benefit of society and to the growth of the European technology market, with specific studies of devices for cultural heritage, material composition and environmental monitoring, as well as the creation of a new generation of researcher.

Call for proposal

H2020-INFRAIA-2018-2020

See other projects for this call

Sub call

H2020-INFRAIA-2019-1

Coordinator

ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI ASTROFISICA
Net EU contribution
€ 2 538 230,89
Address
VIALE DEL PARCO MELLINI 84
00136 Roma
Italy

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Region
Centro (IT) Lazio Roma
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost
€ 2 538 230,89

Participants (41)