The research activity at the IAC is structured around individual astrophysical research projects. These projects are grouped into six global research lines that cover most fields of theoretical, observational or instrumental astrophysics. The individual research projects are led and managed by a Principal Investigator (PI) and can include scientists at pre-doctoral, post-doctoral, tenured and senior levels. The links and collaborations with researchers from other centers are recognized and encouraged.
Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are characterized by a strong emission coming from a very compact region (only few pcs) at the galaxy center. Blazars form a class of AGN, characterized by high luminosity in a broad frequency range, from radiofrequencies to high energies (X-rays and γ-rays), as well as extreme variability and high polarization at
How galaxies formed and evolved through cosmic time is one of the key questions of modern astronomy and astrophysics. Cosmological time- and length-scales are so large that the evolution of individual galaxies cannot be directly observed. Only through numerical simulations can one follow the emergence of cosmic structures within the current
Two of the most fundamental questions in astrophysics are the conversion of molecular gas into stars and how this physical process is a function of environments on all scales, ranging from planetary systems, stellar clusters, galaxies to galaxy clusters. The main goal of this internal project is to get insight into the formation and evolution of
This project has two lines of fundamental development. First, the application of 3D techniques, in particular of integral field spectroscopy, to the study of extended objects (nuclear activity in galaxies, star formation regions, etc), as well as the participation in the development of new instruments and data analysis procedures related to 3D
Galaxy evolution is a crucial topic in modern extragalactic astrophysics, linking cosmology to the Local Universe. Their study requires collecting statistically significant samples of galaxies of different luminosities at different distances. It implies the ability to observe faint objects using different techniques, and at different wavelengths
Our small group is well known and respected internationally for our innovative and important work on various aspects of the structure and evolution of nearby spiral galaxies. We primarily use observations at various wavelengths, exploiting synergies that allow us to answer the most pertinent questions relating to what the main properties of
