Data-Gouv-ML/pcri-erc-participations-et-projets-laureats huggingface dataset:
Projet ERC : TEL-STARS (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Universe sciences
Entité participante : Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : HITS
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1499696.0 €

Stars are the basic building blocks of the visible Universe. Understanding how they transformed the pristine Universe into the one we live in today is at the heart of astrophysical research and vital for many areas in astrophysics. Massive stars, in particular, are cosmic powerhouses because of their radiative, mechanical and chemical feedback from stellar winds and supernova explosions. Thanks to new telescopes and observatories, massive star research is entering a golden era, as exemplified by transient surveys and the dawn of gravitational-wave astronomy. Yet, our understanding of the lives and final fates of massive stars is incomplete. Binary stars are of particular importance because the vast majority of all massive stars will exchange mass with a companion during their life, thereby completely changing their evolution and final fates. About 25% of massive stars are even thought to merge. The merger phase is largely unexplored and the consequences of binary mass exchange for supernovae are poorly understood. To remedy this situation, I propose to build the essential theoretical framework to help understand massive stars. My group will conduct the first 3D magnetohydrodynamical simulations of stellar mergers, develop merger prescriptions for stellar evolution codes, compute grids of massive single and binary stars that cover all relevant phases, and build the required statistical methods to compare models with observations. We will unravel whether merging can explain the origin of strong magnetic fields in 10% of massive stars and thereby also that of the strongest magnetic fields in the Universe, namely those of magnetars. Moreover, we will study the asteroseismic properties of mergers and will understand how binary mass exchange affects pre-SN structures and hence the explosions of massive stars. In this way, we will push the frontiers of massive star research and help to approach a truly comprehensive picture of the lives and final fates of massive stars.

Mots-clés : massive star evolution,binary stars,stellar mergers,statistical methods
Projet ERC : MEGANTE (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Fundamental constituents of matter
Entité participante : National Institute for Nuclear Physics — Pays : Italie — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : INFN
Type d'entité : Recherche
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1550000.0 €

Starting from the original experiment performed by Henry Cavendish more than two centuries ago, the precision determination of the gravitational constant G remains a challenging endeavour. It has been measured about a dozen times over the last 50 years, but the results have varied much more than what would be expected from random and systematic errors. Likely, this is due to the fact that, so far, all the past experiments have relied on macroscopic classical instruments, which could all be governed by uncontrolled mechanical influences. On the other hand, a recent controversial study about correlations between the measured values of G and the variations of the length of day seems to suggest that some other not well-understood effects could be present. MEGANTE will address all these issues by carrying out precision G determinations making use of original experimental strategies based on quantum sensors. Unprecedented accuracy levels will be achieved using cold atoms in free-fall to probe the gravitational field, surpassing thus the state-of-art measurements based on torsion balance and simple pendulum. In parallel, MEGANTE will provide results that go far beyond the pure metrological interest. Indeed, owing the lack of a full understanding of gravity, several theoretical models predict new physics phenomena such violations of the inverse square law or a dependency of the G value from the local density of the matter. These aspects of the gravitational interactions will be thoroughly examined during the project, improving current constrains on those theories. MEGANTE will define a novel paradigm for precision G measurements and experiments on gravitation, paving the way for a final resolution of a two-centuries-old problem in metrology.

Mots-clés : atom interferometry
Projet ERC : INTERACTION (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Earth system science
Entité participante : University of Copenhagen — Pays : Danemark — Rôle : Partner
Acronyme de l'entité : UCPH
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 241222.99 €

State-of-the-art simulations and observations highlight the self-organization of convective clouds. Our recent work shows two aspects: these clouds are capable of unexpected increase in extreme precipitation when temperature rises; interactions between clouds produce the extremes. As clouds interact, they organize in space and carry a memory of past interaction and precipitation events. This evidence reveals a severe shortcoming of the conventional separation into "forcing" and "feedback" in climate model parameterizations, namely that the "feedback" develops a dynamics of its own, thus driving the extremes. The major scientific challenge tackled in INTERACTION is to make a ground-breaking departure from the established paradigm of "quasi-equilibrium" and instantaneous convective adjustment, traditionally used for parameterization of "sub-grid-scale processes" in general circulation models. To capture convective self-organization and extremes, the out-of-equilibrium cloud field must be described. In INTERACTION, I will produce a conceptual model for the out-of-equilibrium system of interacting clouds. Once triggered, clouds precipitate on a short timescale, but then relax in a "recovery" state where further precipitation is suppressed. Interaction with the surroundings occurs through cold pool outflow,facilitating the onset of new events in the wake. I will perform tailored numerical experiments using cutting-edge large-eddy simulations and very-high-resolution observational analysis to determine the effective interactions in the cloud system. Going beyond traditional forcing-and-feedback descriptions, I emphasize gradual self-organization with explicit temperature dependence. The list of key variables of atmospheric water vapor, temperature and precipitation must therefore be amended by variables describing organization. Capturing the self-organization of convection is essential for understanding of the risk of precipitation extremes today and in a future climate.

Mots-clés : precipitation extremes,clausius clapeyron relation,atmospheric convection,self organization
Projet ERC : StemCellHabitat (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Cellular, Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Entité participante : Universidade Nova de Lisboa — Pays : Portugal — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : NOVA
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1017858.0 €

Stem cell (SC) proliferation during development requires tight spatial and temporal regulation to ensure correct cell number and right cell types are formed at the proper positions. Currently very little is known about how SCs are regulated during development. Specifically, it is unclear how SC waves of proliferation are regulated and how the fate of their progeny changes during development. In addition, it has recently become evident that metabolism provides additional complexity in cell fate regulation, highlighting the need for integrating metabolic information across physiological levels. This project will answer the question of how the combination of metabolic state and temporal cues (animal developmental stage) regulate SC fate. I will use Drosophila melanogaster, an animal complex enough to be similar to higher eukaryotes and yet simple enough to dissect the mechanistic details of cell regulation and its impact on the organism. Drosophila neural stem cells, the neuroblasts (NB), are a fantastic model of temporally and metabolically regulated cells. NB lineage fate changes with time, directing the generation of a stereotypical set of neurons, after which they disappear. I have previously found that metabolism is an important regulator of NB cell cycle exit, which occurs in response to an increase in levels of oxidative phosphorylation. Using a multidisciplinary approach combining genetics, cell type/age sorting, multi-omics analysis, fixed and 3D-live NB imaging and metabolite dynamics, I propose an integrative approach to investigate how NBs are regulated in the developing animal. First I will dissect the mechanisms by which metabolism regulates NB fate. Second, I will investigate how metabolism contributes to NB unlimited proliferation and brain tumors. Finally, we will address how temporal transcription factors and hormones dynamically affect cell fate decisions during development.

Mots-clés : brain development,neural stem cells,drosophila melanogaster,energy metabolism,epigenetics,cell proliferation,differentiation and cancer
Projet ERC : Mu-MASS (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Fundamental constituents of matter
Entité participante : Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology — Pays : Suisse — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : ETH Zurich
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1999150.0 €

Striking anomalies in the muon sector have accumulated in recent years: notably the famous anomalous muon magnetic moment (g-2) and the muonic hydrogen Lamb shift measurement which prompted the so-called proton charge radius puzzle. These tantalizing results triggered vibrant activity on both experimental and theoretical sides. Different explanations have been put forward including exciting solutions invoking New Physics beyond the Standard Model. To contribute to clarifying the origin of these anomalies, I propose Mu-MASS, an experiment aiming for a 1000-fold improvement in the determination of the 1S-2S transition frequency of Muonium (M), the positive-muon/electron bound state. This substantial improvement beyond the current state-of-the-art relies on the novel cryogenic M converters and confinement techniques developed by the PI, and on the new laser and detection schemes which the PI implemented for positronium spectroscopy. This experiment will be performed at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). With the Mu-MASS result our knowledge of the muon mass can be improved by almost two orders of magnitude. By using the expected results of the ongoing hyperfine splitting measurement of M in Japan, it will provide one of the most sensitive tests of bound-state Quantum Electrodynamics. It can also be used to extract the muon g-2 from the ongoing experiment at Fermilab. Since M is a unique system composed of two different leptons (point-like particles), the Mu-MASS results will provide the most stringent test of charge equality between the lepton generations. Moreover, it can be used to determine the Rydberg constant free from nuclear and finite-size effects and contribute to solving the proton charge radius puzzle. Mu-MASS is thus very timely and essential to the worldwide effort to understand the interesting observed discrepancies, which could be a hint of New Physics and therefore have profound implications on our understanding of the Universe.
Projet ERC : CHROCODYLE (Horizon 2020, appel 2016, Consolidator grants)
Domaine scientifique : Life Science
Panel : Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions
Entité participante : University of Lausanne — Pays : Suisse — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : UNIL
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1999599.0 €

Striking morphological transformations are a hallmark of any cell division cycle. During nuclear division chromatin is compacted into distinctive rod-shaped chromatids in preparation of chromosome segregation by the spindle apparatus. Multi-subunit SMC protein complexes and a large number of regulatory factors are at the heart of this elementary process. SMC complexes also play key roles during other aspects of genome function such as the control of gene expression and the repair of damaged DNA. They are thought to act as chromatin linkers with exquisite specificity for certain pairs of DNA fibres. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not understood. Active extrusion of DNA loops by the SMC complex has been proposed to be the mechanistic basis for the establishment of long-range, intra-chromatid DNA bridges. Here, I put forward a multi-pronged research programme that aims to elucidate fundamentally conserved features of SMC protein function and action using the prokaryotic SMC condensin complex in Bacillus subtilis as a tractable model system. We will conduct a combined structural, biochemical and cell biology approach (including crystallography, electron paramagnetic resonance, ChIP-Seq and ‘native’ HiC) to uncover how the SMC complex acts at the higher levels of organization of the bacterial chromosome to promote the efficient individualization of sister DNA molecules. We will reveal the molecular and structural bases for the association between the SMC complex and the bacterial chromosome at different stages of the loading reaction – each representing a crucial intermediate in a sophisticated chromosome organization process. For the first time, we will be able to map the paths of chromosomal DNA through an SMC complex. Our in-depth mechanistic insights will likely have implications for the understanding of various pathological conditions and have the potential to contribute to the development of novel antibacterial compounds.

Mots-clés : smc proteins,condensin,cohesin,chromosome segregation,chromosome condensation,bacteria,dna replication,sister chromatid cohesion,dna protein interactions
Projet ERC : AV-SMP (Horizon 2020, appel 2017, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Computer science and informatics
Entité participante : Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : RPTU
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1332075.0 €

String is among the most fundamental and commonly used data types in virtually all modern programming languages, especially with the rapidly growing popularity of scripting languages (e.g. JavaScript and Python). Programs written in such languages tend to perform heavy string manipulations, which are complex to reason about and could easily lead to programming mistakes. In some cases, such mistakes could have serious consequences, e.g., in the case of client-side web applications, cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks that could lead to a security breach by a malicious user. The central objective of the proposed project is to develop novel verification algorithms for analysing the correctness (esp. with respect to safety and termination properties) of programs with string variables, and transform them into robust verification tools. To meet this key objective, we will make fundamental breakthroughs on both theoretical and tool implementation challenges. On the theoretical side, we address two important problems: (1) design expressive constraint languages over strings (in combination with other data types like integers) that permit decidability with good complexity, and (2) design generic semi-algorithms for verifying string programs that have strong theoretical performance guarantee. On the implementation side, we will address the challenging problem of designing novel implementation methods that can substantially speed up the basic string analysis procedures in practice. Finally, as a proof of concept, we will apply our technologies to two key application domains: (1) automatic detection of XSS vulnerabilities in web applications, and (2) automatic grading systems for a programming course. The project will not only make fundamental theoretical contributions — potentially solving long-standing open problems in the area — but also yield powerful methods that can be used in various applications.

Mots-clés : automata
Projet ERC : STRONG (Horizon 2020, appel 2018, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Condensed matter physics
Entité participante : Hebrew University of Jerusalem — Pays : Israël — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : HUJI
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1997926.0 €

Strongly correlated electronic materials have phase diagrams that are intrinsically complex. Multiple, distinct, broken symmetry phases can occur simultaneously and the presence of these intertwined orders gives rise to spontaneously inhomogeneous electronic structures. Observing and characterizing these patterns is crucial to understanding the mechanisms that govern these electronic states. I propose to study these phases using a novel scanning SQUID microscope with single electron spin sensitivity and thermal sensitivity better than one millionth of a degree. The SQUID is mounted on a nanometric tip and has ~50 nm resolution. I will expand the experimental capabilities of this technique by improving the resolution to a few nm, and by enabling near field microwave microscopy. Local magnetic probes are ideal for spatially resolving magnetic order and can also be used to probe local superconducting phase fluctuation since they generate local currents and thus local magnetic fields. However, the required resolution is of the order of a few nm, which is far beyond the capabilities of most local magnetic probes. While thermal microscopy provides information about dissipation mechanisms, which is relevant in high Tc superconductors (HTSC) above Tc where superconducting correlations are locally present, there is no technique that can perform thermal microscopy at low temperatures. The SQUID-on-tip will allow us to look at all the above-mentioned aspects. We propose to look at three types of systems (1) Observe local signatures of pair-density waves and other manifestations of broken time reversal symmetry in HTSC (2) Characterize the unconventional superconducting phase at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface (3) Study the inhomogeneous magnetic phases at the LaMnO3/SrTiO3 interface. These measurements will provide significant contributions to the understanding of phenomena in strongly correlated materials such as superconductivity and its relation to other electronic order.

Mots-clés : scanning squid microscopy,strongly correlated electrons,unconventional superconductivity,complex oxides,complex oxide heterostructures,cuprates
Projet ERC : SimUcQuam (Horizon 2020, appel 2020, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Fundamental constituents of matter
Entité participante : Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München — Pays : Allemagne — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : LMU
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1499168.0 €

Strongly correlated quantum systems have some of the most exotic physical properties in nature, but detailed theoretical understanding is lacking. These systems are not only of immense fundamental interest: they also have practical applications, e.g. in the case of high-temperature superconductors. Previous studies have focused on solid state settings, where microscopic studies of the underlying correlations are challenging. The goal of my ERC project is to obtain a new level of understanding of strongly correlated quantum matter on microscopic scales. This is enabled by recent breakthroughs in quantum simulations using ultracold atoms in optical lattices, namely the capability to implement lattice gauge theories coupled to dynamical matter and doped quantum magnets in the context of the 2D Fermi-Hubbard model. My main research objective is to identify the universal constituents of correlated matter in doped quantum magnets — i.e. I will develop new approaches to understand the ingredients underlying high-temperature superconductivity. The key innovative aspects of my research are (i) the development of new semi-analytic descriptions of correlated quantum matter based on fluctuating anti-ferromagnetism; (ii) the atomistic description of the emergent constituents of doped quantum magnets and (iii) the utilization of new experimentally accessible models of correlated quantum matter. Building on my unique expertise, I will establish the theoretical framework to utilize state-of-the-art quantum simulators and numerical tools to address long-standing questions about strongly correlated quantum matter. My proposed research will have an immediate impact on current experiments with ultracold atoms, which have just started to explore strongly correlated quantum matter. I further envision that the new theoretical connections that I will establish between atomic and condensed matter physics will lead to a shift of paradigms in the study of strongly correlated quantum matter.

Mots-clés : ultracold fermions in optical lattices,polaron physics,doped quantum magnets,z2 lattice gauge theory,analogue quantum simulation
Projet ERC : SeSaMe (Horizon 2020, appel 2014, Starting grants)
Domaine scientifique : Physical Sciences and Engineering
Panel : Condensed matter physics
Entité participante : University of Cambridge — Pays : Royaume-Uni — Rôle : PI
Acronyme de l'entité : U. Cambridge
Type d'entité : Enseignement supérieur ou secondaire
Financement ERC de l'entité : 1500000.0 €

Structural colour arises from constructive interference of light that is reflected at interfaces within periodic arrays of transparent materials. Their optical response is well understood and widely described in various biological organisms. Despite the maturity of the research field, many important questions remain completely unsolved. In order to elucidate the design principles that underlie the development of such structures in nature, I aim to study the assembly and optical response of both natural and bio-mimetic materials made by using the same materials as nature: cellulose and chitin. Bio-mimetic using natural building blocks will also reveal if disorder, always present in natural structures, is a direct consequence of intrinsic material limitations or if it has a biological significance. Furthermore, understanding the assembly of natural materials will also allow the production of low cost, biodegradable photonic materials.

Mots-clés : natural materials,nano photonics,plamonics,metamaterials,structural color in nature