Project description
Explaining dark energy through modified gravity
For about 100 years now, general relativity has been very successful at describing gravity on a variety of regimes. However, to explain cosmological observations, we need to introduce dark components, such as dark matter and dark energy, which remain a mystery. Furthermore, recent LIGO/Virgo observations, and in particular the coincident detection of electromagnetic and gravitational signals from neutron-star binaries, have made a huge impact on our theoretical understanding of gravity, by severely constraining several extensions of general relativity. The EU-funded GRAMS project questions whether dark energy is real or if, instead, it may be interpreted as a breakdown of our understanding of gravity. Researchers will explore whether current LIGO/Virgo data are consistent with gravitational theories built to reproduce the large-scale behaviour of the universe.
Objective
General Relativity (GR) describes gravity on a huge range of scales, field strengths and velocities. However, despite its successes, GR has been showing its age. Cosmological data support the existence of a Dark Sector, but may also be interpreted as a breakdown of our understanding of gravity. Also, GR is intrinsically incompatible with quantum field theory, and should be replaced, at high energies, by a (still unknown) quantum theory of gravity.
This deadlock may prelude to a paradigm change in our understanding of gravity, possibly triggered by the direct observations of neutron stars and black holes by gravitational-wave interferometers. The recent LIGO/Virgo observations, and in particular the coincident detection of electromagnetic and gravitational signals from neutron-star binaries, have already made a huge impact on our theoretical understanding of gravity, by severely constraining several extensions of GR.
GRAMS is a high-risk/high-gain project seeking to push the implications of these observations even further, by exploring whether the existing LIGO/Virgo data, and in particular their absence of non-perturbative deviations from GR, are consistent with gravitational theories built to reproduce the large-scale behaviour of the Universe (i.e. the existence of Dark Energy and/or Dark Matter), while at the same time passing local tests of gravity thanks to non-perturbative screening mechanisms. I will prove that the very fact of screening local scales makes gravitational emission in these theories much more involved than in GR, and also intrinsically unlikely to yield results in agreement with existing (and future) gravitational-wave observations. This would be a huge step forward for our understanding of cosmology, as it would rule out a modified gravity origin for the Dark Sector. Even if this conjecture is incorrect, GRAMS will provide the first numerical-relativity simulations of compact binaries ever in gravitational theories of interest for cosmology.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2018-COG
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
34136 Trieste
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.