Astronomers use powerful telescopes like the Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to study ancient galaxies individually. However, the Universe is so densely packed with galaxies that many overlap, creating a blurry backdrop known as the Cosmic Infrared Background (CIB). This phenomenon captures the combined light of countless galaxies throughout the Universe's history, making it challenging to distinguish individual galaxies.
The "Origins" project, led by researcher Duncan Watts, aims to address this complexity.
– What I hope to do with "Origins" is to separate the total CIB into several independent sources, making a three-dimensional map of the galaxy formation in the Universe, says Dr. Duncan Watts, one of the 494 young scientists, winners of this round's European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant.
With funding of 1.5 million euros over 5 years, Dr. Watts and the "Origins" team plan to construct a three-dimensional map that chronicles the birth and growth of galaxies across the cosmos. How?
Piercing through cosmic dust
Peering into the depths of the Universe to observe the Cosmic Infrared Background (CIB) is a bit like trying to spot the faint glow of fireflies on a foggy night.
– The CIB, rich with information about the distant galaxies, unfortunately, doesn't shine brightly. Compounding this challenge is our viewing platform: we are trying to see through the veil of our Solar System, within the dusty lanes of the Milky Way galaxy, explains Dr. Watts.
The CIB is largely composed of the gentle glow from cold cosmic dust. This dust, just like the embers in a grill, except much colder, emits a faint infrared light. However, clouding our cosmic vision are the cold dust permeating our own Milky Way, as well as the interplanetary dust in the Solar System we live in, known as zodiacal emission. How can we untangle this celestial knot to isolate the CIB?
– The answer lies in capturing several panoramic views of the sky sensitive to different wavelengths of light or "colors," and observing from varying angles as we orbit the Sun. Despite its importance, a comprehensive and "simple" attempt to synchronize different data sets into a singular model hasn't been tackled—until now, answers Dr. Watts excited.
Groundbreaking 3D models of the Universe
This is where the "Origins" project steps in with its ambitious game plan. Imagine combining rich datasets: harnessing the power of past explorers like NASA's DIRBE and IRAS missions, incorporating insights from JAXA's AKARI mission, and eagerly anticipating the rich data from the upcoming SPHEREx mission.
– By combining all these data sources, the project aims to separate the Milky Way's dust, the zodiacal light of our Solar System, and the faint glow of the CIB.
The result? A groundbreaking 3D model that will map the structure of the Universe around us with unprecedented detail, from our local Solar System to the first galaxies. Indeed, the new datasets offer much higher resolution compared to previous infrared data Watts worked with in the DIRBE experiment for the project Cosmoglobe.
"This is exactly what "Origins" will be doing, using multiple datasets to create a model better than any individual one could make" - Duncan Watts
– While earlier Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) datasets rendered the Moon as a mere blob, the new data can map out the Moon's craters in detail. This is a huge leap in resolution, and across almost the whole sky!, explains Dr. Watts enthusiastic.
– At the same time, the datasets are going to be pretty big, and we are going to have real problems on the algorithmic level to get the data analyzed quickly, he adds.
From the dawn of galaxies over cosmic time
How bright were the first galaxies? When did they emerge from the dark ages of the Universe? The answers to these questions are keys to the grand story of the Universe's evolution, helping to fill the gaps in our understanding of the cosmos' infancy.
– The biggest thing I’m interested in seeing is just how the brightness and clustering of galaxies changes over time, confesses Dr. Watts.
Previously, researchers have performed observations of tiny patches of the sky with very high resolution.
– We are going to be making maps of practically the whole sky, and actually separate it out in different eras of time, so that we can literally watch galaxies cluster over cosmic time, adds Dr. Watts, eagerly.
With the innovative approach promised by the "Origins" project, we stand at the frontier of astronomical research, ready to witness and comprehend the dawn of galaxies.
Funding pioneering research
Nearly a year ago, Dr. Watts received funding from the Research Council of Norway for his project on the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB), titled "CosmoglobeHD".
– CosmoglobeHD will be focused on high-resolution data of the CMB from Simons Observatory and data from FIRAS in the microwave range, begins Dr. Watts.
The inception of "Origins" is deeply rooted in Dr. Watts's earlier endeavors, the BeyondPlanck and Cosmoglobe projects, led by prof. Eriksen and prof. Wehus, respectively.
– Cosmoglobe was all about understanding the CMB, and as we kept on going to shorter wavelengths, we realized that understanding dust, zodiacal emission, and the CIB was going to be necessary, explains further Dr. Watts.
"In some ways, "Origins" is a totally new direction, but in others, it’s just the natural next step from what I’ve already been doing" - Watts.
This innovative spirit propels both "Origins" and "CosmoglobeHD" forward with a shared need for robust sky models. Fusing the findings from these two endeavors, Watts is poised to craft the most comprehensive and precise model of the sky yet—a celestial blueprint that could redefine our understanding of the universe's past and present.
ERC Starting Grant 2024
The European Research Council (ERC) has announced the award of 494 Starting Grants to young scientists and scholars across Europe. The funding - totalling nearly €780 million - supports cutting-edge research in a wide range of fields, from life sciences and physics to social sciences and humanities. It will help researchers at the beginning of their careers to launch their own projects, form their teams and pursue their most promising ideas. The new ERC grants will support cutting-edge research in a wide range of fields, from life sciences and physical sciences to social sciences and humanities. Starting Grants amount to €1.5 million per grant for a period of five years. The funding is part of the EU Horizon Europe programme.Read also
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