Collaborations
Our current research collaborations within the IEA and with external groups are listed here. We list only the projects we are leading from the IEA — this is not simply a list of significant projects that we are a part of.
Click on each collaboration to learn more.
AGN and Galaxies Through the Ages
The AGN and Galaxies Through the Ages (AGATHA) Group at Universidad Diego Portales conducts research that focuses on the evolution of galaxies and active galactic nuclei (AGN) over cosmic time, out to the earliest systems. For this we use a variety of astronomical facilities, techniques and tools.
Galaxies and their central super-massive black holes (active galactic nuclei or AGN) evolve together in a fundamentally connected way. Our group studies the effect of AGN on the growth of galaxies and in their environments, using observations of outflows, morphologies, and kinematics. Similarly, we seek to uncover the origin and fate of galaxies by studying their baryon cycle and growth mechanisms, based on observations of their interstellar medium, star formation activity and stellar components. We also investigate the nature and origin of the earliest galaxies through observations of the gas content, chemistry and galaxy kinematics using state-of-the-art observatories.
Our group is composed by Profs. Manuel Aravena, Roberto Assef and Chiara Mazzucchelli, PhD student Tatevik Mkrtchyan, and external collaborators and former UDP members Dr. Tanio Diaz-Santos, Dr. Jorge Gonzalez-Lopez, Dr. Matthew Template, Dr. Ana Posses, Dr. Manuel Solimano, and Dr. Dejene Zewdie.
More information can be found on our website and on Instagram: @astroagatha.
Núcleo Milenio de Galaxias
The Núcleo Milenio de Galaxias (MINGAL) is a Chilean research initiative funded by the Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo (ANID). It aims to deepen our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution by integrating studies of internal galactic processes with the influence of the intergalactic environment. Led by Prof. Rodrigo Herrera-Camus (Universidad de Concepción) and co-directed by Prof. Yara Jaffé (Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María), the project brings together principal investigators from several Chilean institutions, including Prof. Manuel Aravena from the Instituto de Estudios Astrofísicos (IEA) at Universidad Diego Portales (UDP). MINGAL employs cutting-edge tools such as artificial intelligence and cosmic simulations to analyze data from world-class observatories like ALMA and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) .
As a principal investigator, Prof. Manuel Aravena focuses on understanding how galaxies acquire and process gas through interactions with their surrounding environment. Utilizing observations from ALMA and JWST, he studies the presence of various components – stars, gas, and dust – to investigate these processes. Dr. Aravena emphasizes that MINGAL not only supports individual research projects but also fosters a robust network of collaboration across galaxy formation and large-scale structure studies, leveraging advanced computational tools like machine learning and artificial intelligence. This holistic approach aims to address the diverse processes influencing galaxy evolution over cosmic time and develop computational tools applicable to other scientific fields.
MINGAL’s research is poised to lay the groundwork for future explorations with upcoming instruments such as the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), set to begin operations in northern Chile around 2030. The project also contributes to training a new generation of Chilean astronomers, ensuring their readiness to lead in forthcoming astronomical discoveries. Furthermore, MINGAL’s integration of artificial intelligence in research methodologies positions Chilean scientists at the forefront of technological advancements in the field.
Find us on Instagram: @nucleodegalaxias
Phylogal
Chemical abundances of long-lived stars can be used to understand how the Milky Way formed and evolved. This is because such (fossil) stars retain in their atmosphere the chemical composition of the progenitor gas cloud, or Interstellar medium (ISM), which evolves. Its evolution is driven by the creation and pollution of new chemical elements from massive short-lived stars. Thus, stars that formed from the same parent evolving ISM at different times have different chemical abundance, and these chemical abundances increase with time. Connecting the chemical abundances of stars with the evolution of the Milky Way is in fact a standard evolutionary problem, and as such, can be addressed with phylogenetics.
Phylogenetics is the methodology created by biologists to reconstruct the evolutionary history of life forms on Earth. Indeed, more than a century ago, Darwin, without knowing about the existence of the DNA, realized that there was a mechanism transmitting information between one generation and the next. That transmission was called “descent with modification”: Every transmission implied a tiny modification of traits, but after a long time, these modifications accumulated and became significant. Phylogenetics aims to characterize the transmission mechanisms and reconstruct the past events that are responsible for the diversity of traits we observe today. Phylogenetics became an established method in evolutionary biology, and has revolutionized other fields such as archaeology and anthropology through the studies of culture, language or music evolution.
We have identified the process of “descent with modification” in galaxies: we know that the chemical elements of fossil stars contain the heritable information that is transmitted between stellar generations.
Phylogal is a network of scientist from astrophysics, biology and mathematics which is driving the field of “Phylogenetics of Galaxies” and its prospects in evolutionary astrophysics. Phylogal emerges as a continuation of the Millennium Nucleus for the Evolutionary Reconstruction of the InterStellar medium (ERIS, nucleomilenioeris.cl/).
More information can be found on our website and on Instagram: @phylogal.
Young Exoplanets and their MoonS
The proposed Millennium Nucleus on young exoplanets and their moons (YEMS) addresses the dichotomy in the formation of giant planets through the development of a new method for detecting young exoplanets. It is led by Alice Zurlo (Director) and Lucas Cieza (PI) from AstroUDP, together with Sebastián Pérez (alternate Director) from the University of Santiago, Cecilia Hernandez (PI) from the University of Concepción, and Viviana Guzman (PI) from the University Catolica.
One of the major debates in astrophysics concerns the formation pathway of giant planets like Jupiter. Giant planets play a dominant role in the architecture of planetary systems, as they contain the majority of the mass and angular momentum. Two competing theories offer viable formation scenarios for gas giants: the core accretion model and the disk instability model. Under what conditions is one theory favored over the other? And are these theories mutually exclusive? Answering these questions requires knowledge of where and when exoplanets form.
The birthplaces of planets are now within reach of modern observations, especially with large interferometric arrays and extreme adaptive optics cameras. These pioneering observations are revealing the physical processes occurring in protoplanetary disks that shape the architecture of future planetary systems, shedding light on the origin of our own Solar System. Discoveries of young exoplanets embedded in protoplanetary disks are beginning to uncover the intricate and potentially chaotic process of planet formation. We are now faced with the need to confirm and characterize young exoplanets in the process of formation. This requires advances in observations, simulations, and imaging techniques that we are only beginning to develop.
More information can be found on our website and on Instagram: @milenioyems.
Centro de Astrofísica y Tecnologías Afines
The Center of Excellence in Astrophysics and Associated Technologies (CATA) is a scientific and technological institution dedicated to cutting-edge research in astronomy and related technologies. It is also the largest scientific initiative in the field led by astronomers based in Chile. CATA is funded by the Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo (ANID) and is composed of five universities: Universidad de Chile (host institution), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad de Concepción, Universidad Diego Portales, and Universidad Nacional Andrés Bello.
CATA’s multidisciplinary team of professionals—spanning astronomy, engineering, and related sciences—develops research across seven scientific areas: Cosmology and Galaxy Formation; Supermassive Black Holes and Energetic Phenomena; Galaxies; Stellar Populations; Star and Planet Formation; Exoplanets and Astrobiology; and Theoretical Astrophysics. In addition, the Center includes specialized areas in astronomical instrumentation, technology transfer, a computing hub, and a dedicated outreach unit.
Among its members are Dr. Roberto Assef as co-director, Dr. James Jenkins as principal investigator; Dr. Evelyn Johnston and Dr. Manuel Aravena as associate researchers; and a significant number of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers at IEA-UDP.
More information can be found on the official website.