European Network for the Investigation of Galactic nuclei through Multifrequency Analysis

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Overview Science Teams Jobs Meetings Publications

*ENIGMA is the acronym of this European Network for the Investigation of Galactic nuclei through Multifrequency Analysis.
An enigma is a riddle. In ancient Greece the winged sphinx of Boeotian Thebes posed a riddle taught her by the muses.
In modern times Blazars pose many riddles to astrophysicists working in all branches of astronomy.
Sphingen are symbols of enigmatic behaviour, as is frequently displayed by Blazars.
The sphinx is thus a symbol for the riddles posed by Blazars which are tackled in our network ENIGMA.
On November 1, 2002 this network which deals with investigations of the structure and radiation processes of quasars through multifrequency studies started officially. ENIGMA is funded by the European Commission through the TMR (Training and Mobility for Researchers) programme, and links eight European research institutions (referred to as members) and seven additional teams (referred to as associate members).

Science    

The science activities of this network are addressed in six complementary research themes which are closely connected to each other. While all of the empirical themes drive the requirements of the hardware/software theme, the empirical projects are aimed at maximizing efficiency by teaming up observational resources and coordinated campaigns. The two theoretical themes have many links between themselves, and clear connections to the three empirical subjects.
Further information on each of those subjects is provided here, or by clicking on the specific topic:

1) Towards automated, fast, and accurate photometry:

2) Separating intrinsic and extrinsic Intraday Variability:

3) Radiation processes at high energies:

4) Variations of Source Structure and Flux:

5) Particle acceleration in MHD outflows:

6) The Power of Jets:
      The research aims are directed at answering three fundamental questions:
      a) How is the bulk kinetic energy within jets transformed into radiation?
      b) What is the relationship between jet power and accretion power?
      c) What is the origin of the FR-I/FR-II dichotomy?

In addition to the six specific themes, a joint effort towards establishing a data-bank of densely sampled, long-term, high quality photometric data will be pursued by all teams. This effort will be closely connected with each of the six specific themes. It will provide the basis for the exploration of extended parts of parameter space (short time-scales and long time-scales).

Teams

Team Coordinator and Young Researchers

Partners and Members

PI institution and coordinating partner     Förderkreis der     Landessternwarte Heidelberg     Königstuhl 12     69117 Heidelberg     Germany

Team Coordinator:   Stefan Wagner     E-Mail: S.Wagner at lsw.uni-heidelberg.de     Phone: +49-6221-541 712     Fax:     +49-6221-541 702 Young Researchers: Dimitrios Emmanoulopoulos (PhD) Luisa Ostorero (post-doc) Lukasz Stawarz (post-doc)

Associated Partners: John Kirk, MPI Kernphysik, Heidelberg   Omar Kurtanidze, Abastumani Observatory, Georgia Team members: Max Camenzind Monika Darr Jochen Heidt, Peter Strub, Marcus Hauser, Elisa Ferrero

Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie     Auf dem Hügel 69     53121 Bonn     Germany

Team Coordinator:   Arno Witzel     E-Mail: awitzel at mpifr-bonn.mpg.de     Phone: +49-(0)228-525 211     Fax:     +49-(0)228-525 435 Young Researchers: Iván Agudo (post-doc)

Team members: Thomas Krichbaum Anton Zensus Silke Britzen Emmanouil Angelakis Nicola Marchili Violetta Impellizzeri Jens Klare Simone Friedrichs Eduardo Ros Matthias Kadler Bong Won Sohn

Tuorla Observatory     Väisäläntie 20     21500 Piikkiö     Finland

Team Coordinator:   Leo Takalo     E-Mail: takalo at utu.fi     Phone:  +358-2-3338 229     Fax:     +358-2-2433 767

Team members: Aimo Sillanpää Esko Valtaoja Kari Nilsson Elina Lindfors Mikko Pasanen Joni Virtanen Tuomas Savolainen Markku Lainela

Metsähovi Radio Observatory     Metsähovintie 114     02540 Kylmälä     Finland

Team Coordinator:   Merja Tornikoski     E-Mail: Merja.Tornikoski at Hut.fi     Phone: +358-9-2564423     Fax:     +358-9-2564531

Team members: Anne Lähteenmäki Ilona Tornianen Talvikki Hovatta Elina Nieppola Mikko Kotiranta Mikko Parviainen

Osservatorio Astronomico di Torino     Via Osservatorio, 20     10025 Pino Torinese     Italy

Team Coordinator:   Claudia Raiteri     E-Mail: raiteri at to.astro.it     Phone: +39 011 8101914     Fax:     +39 011 8101930 Young Researchers: Uwe Bach (post-doc, Torino) Lars Fuhrmann (post-doc, Perugia)

Associated Partners: Gino Tosti (Team-Leader, Perugia subnode) Perugia University Observatory     Via Bonfigli, 06126 Perugia Team members: Luciano Lanteri Edoardo Trussoni Stefano Ciprini Massimo Villata

Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera     Via E. Bianchi, 46     23807 Merate     Italy

Team Coordinator:   Gabriele Ghisellini     E-Mail: gabriele at merate.mi.astro.it     Phone: +39 039 9991124     Fax:     +39 039 9991160 Young Researchers: Krzysztof Katarzynski (post-doc)

Team members: Laura Maraschi Anna Wolter Boris Sbarufatti Fabrizio Tavecchio Aldo Treves Gianpiero Tagliaferri Ilaria Cagnoni

University of Athens Department of Physics, Panepistimiopolis, 15784 Zografos, Athens Greece

Team Coordinator:   Kanaris Tsinganos     E-Mail: tsingan at phys.uoa.gr     Phone: +30 210 7276915     Fax:     +30 210 7276725 Young Researchers: Jose Gracia (post-doc)

Associated Partners: Jossif Papadakis FORTH, Crete, Greece Team members: Apostolos Mastichiadis Nectaria Gizani Manolis Xilouris Nektarios Vlahakis

Cork Institute of Technology     Dept. of Applied Physics & Instrumentation     Rossa Avenue, Bishoptown, Cork     Ireland

Team Coordinator:   Niall Smith     E-Mail: nsmith at cit.ie     Phone: +353 (0)21 4326 369     Fax:     +353 (0)21 4345 191 Young Researchers: Vladislavs Bezrukovs (PhD) Andreas Papageorgiou (post-doc)

Associated Partners: Lorraine Hanlon, Brian McBreen, Dept. Exp. Physics, UC Dublin Denise Gabuzda, Physics Dept., UC Cork Kevin Nolan, IT Tallaght, Dublin Team members: Aidan O'Connor Paul Reynolds John Howard Alan Giltinan

In addition to the eight teams, the network is supported by an external advisor, Prof. Alan Marscher, Boston University, who, with his group, works on many aspects of the blazar phenomenon.

Jobs    

Seven postdoctoral positions and three predoctoral positions (for Ph.D. students) are available within the ENIGMA Network. They are hosted by one of the eight European research institutions (members) of this network.

The network has been established to carry out research in the following areas:

Developing reliable robotic systems for automated ground-based monitoring of AGN;
Developing high-precision photometric routines in different waveband regimes;
Developing advanced statistical methods for time-series analysis and applications to astrophysical models;
Multi-frequency observations of radio-loud AGN to study: