BICoQ Excellence Center Project
The Bicocca Center for Quantitative Cosmology (BiCoQ) is a research center within the "G. Occhialini" Department of Physics at the University of Milano-Bicocca, dedicated to studying the nature of matter, gravity, and energy in our Universe. BiCoQ researchers are actively engaged in studying the invisible components of our universe through new astrophysical and particle physics experiments on dark matter, as well as new techniques for studying gravitational waves across a wide frequency spectrum. BiCoQ's activities are organized into four main research areas. Researchers working on the GRAF (GRAvitation global Fit) line develop new models and analysis techniques for high-precision measurements of gravitational waves. The goal of the BAUSCIA (Bulk Acoustic Wave Sensors for High-frequency Antennas) line is to develop sensors to extend diagnostic capabilities in the dark sector through high-frequency gravitational antennas (>1 MHz). In the field of cosmology, researchers in ARMONIA (Recondite Aspects of Dark Matter: New Astrophysical Investigations) develop new techniques to characterize the nature of dark matter and dark energy through cosmic birefringence of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation and the structural properties of cosmic filaments and galaxy-less galaxies. The goal of CADMO (CAndidates for Dark Matter Beyond the WIMP Paradigm) is to develop new devices for detecting photons in the extreme ultraviolet, aiming to search for dark matter candidates beyond the WIMP paradigm. BiCoQ’s activities are complemented by a rich program of communication and exchange events, including seminar series, international conferences, and visiting researcher programs, open to researchers from around the world. Finally, BiCoQ promotes advanced training in the center's research themes, both at the doctoral and undergraduate/master's levels, through dedicated courses, workshops, seminars, and thesis projects.
