Project Details
Projekt
Dynamics and Cosmological Evolution of Galaxies and Massive Black Holes
Subject Area
Astrophysics and Astronomy
Term
from 2009 to 2016
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 92833787
Building on recent major progress in observational cosmology, we propose a DIP project in Astrophysics for joint Israel-MPE research on the dynamics and cosmoiogical evolution of galaxies and massive black holes in the Universe. During the past decade the fundamental cosmoiogical parameters, such as the cosmic densities of "dark matter" and "dark energy" have been accurately determined. This has led to a good understanding of how the dark matter collapses into the "cosmic web" in which galaxies are emedded. The next major step will be to understand how the gaseous ("baryonic") components evolved into the spiral and elliptical galaxies that exist today, including their central black holes. This basic goal underlies our proposed research. We are in a position to make major progress because we now have the technological capability to directly observe individual primordial galaxies dating back to when the Universe was about 1/1 Oth its present age, and because we can study the environments of supermassive black holes with unprecedented resolution. We will carry out several interrelated observational and theoretical studies to address fundamental questions about the nature and evolution of the recently discovered primordial galaxies; the evolutionary connections between supermassive black holes and star-formation in galaxies; and about the properties of the supermassive black hole and its environment in the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Our research will contribute to the understanding of the complex physical processes involved in gafaxy evolution. Observations will be carried out using pioneering imaging spectrometers that we (MPE-IR) are developing for the purposes of this research. Observational, interpretational, and theoretical work will be carried out jointly by the German and Israeli teams in collaborative synergistic research. Theoretical work will be carried out, in part, using sophisticated modeling tools and methods developed by the Israeli team members. DIP support will enable a major expansion of a well established scientific collaboration between MPE-IR and Israeli astrophysicists.
DFG Programme
DIP Programme
Major Instrumentation
high speed comuputer cluster and front ends, video-con
