About
The Center for Astrophysics and Cosmology of the University of Nova Gorica is situated at Ajdovščina, economic and cultural hub of the Vipava Valley. Ajdovščina boasts rich history, dating back to the days of the Roman Empire. Around the year 270 AD, the Romans erected a fortress with defensive towers on its grounds, known as Castra ad Fluvium Frigidum (fortress at the Cold River – Hubelj), which formed a part of an Ancient Roman defensive system known as Claustra Alpium Iuliarum. A pivotal historical event was the Battle at Frigidus on September 5th and 6th, 394 AD, between today's Vrhpolje and Ajdovščina. Assisted by powerful Bora wind, the Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius emerged victorious over the Western Roman throne usurper, Eugenius.
Our research contributes valuable insights to the ever-evolving understanding of the universe, its fundamental components, interactions, and high-energy phenomena. In contemporary astrophysics, breakthroughs often hinge on integrating information conveyed by diverse cosmic messengers -photons, charged particles, neutrinos, and gravitational waves. Consequently, our focus is on complementary, multi-messenger research.
Actively participating in international scientific collaborations, including the Pierre Auger Observatory, Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory, Vera C. Rubin Observatory, Fermi-LAT collaboration, Gaia, Liverpool Telescope, and ENGRAVE, positions us at the forefront of global research. We play a key role in uncovering fascinating phenomena related to cosmic particles with extreme energies, transient astrophysical events, the nature of dark matter, and the mechanisms responsible for the asymmetry between matter and antimatter in the universe.
We are involved in a number of areas of modern astrophysics, including high-energy astrophysics, particle astrophysics, and multi-messenger astronomy. Currently comprising nine professors, six PhD students, and three postdocs, all members actively engage in teaching, either at the School of Science or the Graduate School of the University of Nova Gorica.
