Discovering the fundamental components of the Universe.
The Cosmology Group at the Astronomical Observatory of Rome (OAR) is actively engaged in the study of the main components of the Universe, namely dark matter and dark energy.
This graphic illustrates the evolution and expansion of the Universe from the Big Bang to the present day (left to right), showing the growth of galaxies and clusters over nearly 14 billion years. Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser
The team will have access to Euclid’s data to test both dark energy models and modified theories of gravity. In particular, our group was part of the task force dedicated to developing the data analysis software that will be used to extract cosmological information from the data. Within the collaboration, members of our group coordinate the analyses of Euclid’s first data release aimed at constraining cosmological models alternative to the standard one. The group is also involved in the analysis of higher-order statistics of gravitational lensing data, which will allow for a deeper understanding of the properties of dark energy; at OAR, we hold the leadership of the lensing group and are involved in the work of the theory group.
Ongoing Activities:
- Study of the properties and evolution of Dark Matter and Dark Energy through weak gravitational lensing
- Theoretical models of Dark Energy and Modified Gravity and related observational tests
- The effect of Cold and Warm Dark Matter on the properties of galaxies and their redshift evolution; comparison with observations
- Semi-analytical models of galaxy formation
The research team
Vincenzo Fabrizio Cardone
Roberto Scaramella
Nicola Menci