The first few microseconds of our Universe remain somewhat of a mystery, but better understanding of cosmic magnetic fields could help reveal what took place. Four research scientists, including CERN cosmologist Chiara Caprini, have recently received a European Research Council (ERC) Synergy Grant to investigate this cosmic magnetism through the COSMOMAG project.
Caprini is the first CERN staff member to be awarded this prestigious grant, which allows outstanding researchers to combine their expertise and resources to push the boundaries of scientific knowledge. COSMOMAG’s four Principal Investigators will now spend six years investigating the origin of magnetic fields found in the emptiest parts of the Universe.
“I first encountered the question of the origin of cosmic magnetism during my master’s thesis, and it remains an open problem 25 years later,” explained Caprini. Mounting evidence now suggests that large-scale magnetic fields could have emerged from small magnetic effects in the primordial plasma, a superheated ‘soup’ of charged particles that existed in the first few microseconds of the Universe.
Most of what we know about the history of the Universe comes from studies of radiation left over from the Big Bang, of the large-scale galactic structure, and of the relative abundance of chemical elements. None of these studies, however, allow us to probe the Universe’s first microseconds, where some of the biggest unanswered questions in physics dwell: what dark matter is; matter–antimatter asymmetry; and how the fundamental forces of our Universe split apart.
By tracing the evolution of cosmic magnetism back through time to its origins, COSMOMAG intends to provide the first tool for studying the primordial plasma. This evolution will be tracked using advanced simulations with data inputs from radio, gamma and gravitational waves.
Working alongside Andrii Neronov, Université Paris Cité; Franco Vazza, University of Bologna; and Axel Brandenburg, Stockholm University (Nordita), Caprini will bring her extensive experience in theoretical cosmology to this new challenge. A professor at the University of Geneva alongside her work for the CERN Theoretical Physics department, Caprini is an expert on early Universe cosmology and gravitational waves. She has also made breakthrough contributions to the modelling of cosmological magnetic fields and their effect on the cosmic microwave background.
For Caprini, COSMOMAG provides a chance to solve the magnetism mystery she first encountered as a student, 25 years ago. She commented, “A Synergy Grant is uniquely suited to creating the conditions for real progress, bringing together a broad, interdisciplinary team focused on this question. I am deeply honoured to be given the opportunity to contribute to this effort alongside an outstanding team of researchers.”