Two researchers from the Department of Fundamental Research at the National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) have secured funding under the National Science Centre’s SONATINA 10 programme. The programme supports the careers of young researchers by providing opportunities to conduct scientific research in Poland and to gain knowledge and experience through internships at high-quality research centres abroad.

A total of 333 research projects were submitted to the 10th edition of the SONATINA competition, of which 76 received funding. Of the 35 projects in the natural and technical sciences category, funding was awarded to two projects led by researchers from the National Centre for Nuclear Research (NCBJ).

Probing unexplored regimes of cosmic inflation: accurate predictions of black holes and gravi
tational waves – dr Danilo Pedro Artigas Guimarey

According to modern cosmology, our universe was born about fourteen billion years ago. In a tiny fraction of a second after its birth, the universe underwent a phase called cosmic inflation, during which space expanded extremely rapidly, doubling in size roughly sixty times. During this phase, tiny quantum fluctuations were stretched to cosmic scales, introducing the first inhomogeneities in the universe. Over time, these inhomogeneities grew until they eventually formed the first galaxies and the large-scale structures of the universe we observe today.

This project aims to better understand inflation by studying two possible traces it may have left behind: primordial black holes and primordial gravitational waves. If they exist, primordial black holes would be the oldest black holes in our universe, having formed shortly after inflation, when quantum fluctuations became large enough to collapse under their own gravity. These objects are particularly intriguing because they could explain the nature of dark matter, an invisible form of matter that makes up about a quarter of the universe’s content. The first inhomogeneities may also have generated primordial gravitational waves, ripples in the fabric of space that can travel across the cosmos and that astronomers are currently trying to detect

The goal of this project is to develop a new theoretical framework capable of predicting how many black holes and gravitational waves should be produced in different models of inflation. In particular, this research investigates how primordial black holes may form in clusters and how such clusters could emit gravitational waves. Understanding this relationship is crucial because both phenomena originate from the same primordial inhomogeneities and therefore carry complementary information about the physics of the early universe.

Dark matter in high-energy environments – dr Jaime Hoefken Zink

Dark matter is one of the greatest mysteries of modern science. Although it does not emit light and cannot be seen directly, overwhelming astronomical evidence shows that it makes up about 85% of all matter in the Universe. It holds galaxies together, shapes the large-scale structure of the cosmos, and influenced the formation of stars and planets. Yet, despite decades of experimental effort, we still do not know what dark matter is made of. Scientists around the world are trying to detect dark matter particles using underground detectors, powerful particle accelerators, and space-based telescopes. So far, these searches have not produced a confirmed discovery. One reason is that dark matter may interact extremely weakly with ordinary matter, making it very difficult to observe under laboratory conditions. In particular, particles with relatively small masses may escape detection in current experiments.

This project proposes a new strategy: instead of relying only on Earth-based laboratories, we will use the Universe itself as a natural experiment. Certain astrophysical environments—such as neutron stars, black holes, and active galaxies—are among the most energetic places known in nature. In these extreme conditions, dark matter particles may be accelerated to very high speeds or undergo high-energy interactions that are impossible to reproduce on Earth. Such processes could produce distinctive signals in the form of high-energy radiation or neutrinos that can be observed by modern telescopes.

The goal of this research is to develop new theoretical tools that allow us to predict how dark matter behaves in these extreme environments and to determine which observable signals would reveal its presence. We will study how dark matter interacts with ordinary matter under high-energy conditions, explore previously neglected interaction mechanisms, and analyze how these processes could generate measurable effects. The project will also identify which current and future observatories are best suited to detect such signals.

Congratulations and we wish you every success in your research!