Kai Polsterer is beneficiary in the ERC Synergy grant for the project UniverScale in 2021 (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/951549).
The most recent determinations of the present rate at which the universe is expanding, expressed by the famous Hubble constant, show a considerable difference with the value deduced from observations of the cosmic microwave background by the European satellite Planck. The EU-funded UniverScale project will focus on estimating the distances to galaxies located very far away, considered by astronomers as the early universe. Researchers will calibrate two geometrical methods that will measure much larger distances than those included in the Gaia data releases. Their approach will eliminate systematic errors present in other measurement methods. Project results will have important implications for modern astrophysics, especially in our understanding of the enigmatic dark energy.
