Illustration by Alessia Ferraro
Oksana Iarygina, researcher at Nordita, has been awarded a prestigious Swedish Research Council (VR) Starting Grant to explore the physics of the Universe’s first moments. Her project will trace the signatures imprinted during the early phase of exponential expansion, known as inflation, and throughout the later stages of particle production and cosmic transitions.
Oksana’s research focuses on gauge fields, such as electromagnetism, and their interactions with other fundamental particles active in the early Universe. These interactions can leave behind subtle “fingerprints,” encoded in gravitational waves and cosmic magnetic fields. An illustration of such signals is shown below.
Illustration of correlated signals in gravitational waves and primordial magnetic fields, as could be observed in future measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background and gamma-ray observations, based on work arXiv:2408.17413. Figure credit: Oksana Iarygina.
“The VR grant is an exceptional opportunity to pursue cutting-edge research and contribute to a deeper understanding of our Universe's evolution at very high energies — something I find incredibly exciting!” says Oksana.
The project aims to make precise predictions that can be tested through future space missions, astrophysical observations, and particle accelerator experiments, helping to reveal how the fundamental forces and particles shaped the cosmos into what we observe today.
During Nordita’s Quantum Leap event on October 30, Oksana received news of the grant while she was giving her talk, prompting a live congratulations from the moderator and fellow panelists.
Oksana’s Quantum Leap talk can be watched here.
Learn more about Oksana's work on her research website.
