Research Program
The Severo Ochoa Program supports exploration and discovery using major world facilities, further physical insight, advanced modeling and generation of new knowledge in key areas of astrophysics with impact on fundamental physics, chemistry and geophysics.
The IAC aims to achieve major advances in the understanding of the laws that govern the origin and evolution of the various forms of matter/energy in the Universe. The Program addresses key problems on: very high energy phenomena in the Big Bang and around black holes, the genesis of cosmic and gamma-rays, formation and evolution of galaxies, the life cycles of stars, physics under strong gravity fields, the physics of magnetic fields in the Sun, and the detection and characterization of Earth-like planets in nearby stars.
The center will use a large variety of cutting edge ground/space facilities and attract new excellent young/senior researchers to develop advances and breakthroughs in physical modeling, computer simulation and Technology.
The Program will intensify international cooperation and exploitation of an exceptional set of observational facilities to achieve leadership in 5 key areas of astrophysics where the center has obtained outstanding results and major advances are expected. Those key research lines are:
- Solar Physics
- Exoplanetary Systems and Solar System
- Stellar and Interstellar Physics
- Formation and Evolution of Galaxies
- Cosmology and Astroparticles
