The IAC cosmology group leads the QUIJOTE experiment, which is a unique project in the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background, consisting of two telescopes and three instruments. The aim of the present action is the improvement and acquisition of equipment associated with the MFI (Multi-Frequency Instrument) instrument and the microwave
Towards the understanding of the late stages of stellar evolution and the formation of complex organic molecules
Most of the stars (M < 8 solar masses, Ms) end their lives with a phase of strong mass loss on the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB), just before they form planetary nebulae (PNe). The strong mass loss efficiently enriches the interstellar medium (ISM) with gas and dust; AGB stars are one of the main contributors to the enrichment of the ISM where new
Solar activity is produced by a variety of complex interactions between its ionized plasma and the powerful magnetic field that it creates. Studying it is important both for purely scientific as well as practical reasons. The Sun is the only star whose surface we can resolve in detail, we can even measure its magnetic field in a more or less
Magnetic fields are primary drivers of stellar formation and have profound implications on stellar evolution (on the transport of chemical species and angular momentum), as well as on the formation of planetary systems around the hosting star. Yet, stellar magnetic fields are often overlooked since they are elusive, difficult to detect, and