What is the origin of the electromagnetic (EM) counterparts of gravitational waves observed from compact binary mergers? What makes short gamma ray bursts (GRBs)? What are the sources of IceCube’s high-energy neutrinos? Are all core-collapse supernovae exploding via the same mechanism? These are some of the puzzles that have emerged with the rapid progress of time domain astronomy. Relativistic jets in compact binary mergers and GRBs, and their interaction with the surrounding media hold the key to these, and other, seemingly unrelated broad-impact questions. Here I propose a new forefront study of how relativistic jets interact with their surrounding media and of its numerous implications, focusing on compact binary mergers and GRBs. The goal of this project is to study, first, the jet-media interaction, and the microphysics of the radiation-mediated shocks that it drives. I will then use the results, together with available observations, to learn about compact binary mergers, GRBs and SNe, sheding light on the questions listed above, and probing the nature of relativistic jets in general. Important goals will include: (i) General models for the propagation of relativistic jets in various media types. (ii) Modeling of the EM signal generated by jet-media interaction following compact binary mergers. (iii) Estimates of the neutrino signal from jet-media interaction in GRBs and SNe. (iv) Constraint the role of jets in SN explosions. This project is timey as it comes at the beginning of a new multi-messenger era where the EM counterparts of GW sources are going to be detected on a regular basis and where the face of transient astrophysics is going to be changed by a range of large scale surveys such as LSST, the SKA, and more. This project will set the theoretical base for understanding numerous known and yet-to be discovered transients that will be detected in the next decade.

The terahertz optical regime, covering the long wavelength end of the optical spectrum, has been for many years the least explored spectral regime. Recent interest in this regime has led to important emerging applications spanning many disciplines including medical, biological, materials sciences, communications, security, and basic sciences. However, advances in these emerging applications are held back by the lack of good and controllable terahertz light sources. I propose to lead a potential breakthrough in this field by developing a new family of THz sources with unmatched functionality. The developed sources will be based on nano-engineered nonlinear heterostructured metamaterials, man-made materials with artificial optical properties. The proposal is based on very recent studies that show that metamaterials can be used to emit THz light with excellent efficiency, comparable to the best available nonlinear materials in nature. In addition it relies on our recent experimental demonstrations of functional nonlinear metamaterials that allow unprecedented control of nonlinear optical interactions. We will apply this recent knowledge to design novel active metamaterials that efficiently emit THz light at any desired frequency, shape and polarization, focus it directly from the emitter to a desired sample location and even actively steer and modify its radiation properties all-optically. In addition, we will enhance the THz generation efficiency from metamaterials by more than three orders of magnitude compared to the state of the art. We will also use our expertise to fabricate large scale and multi-layered THz light emitting metamaterials by leveraging novel nanolithography methods. Overall I expect that the outcome of this research will be in development of one of a kind family of THz light emitters that will lead to the, long sought for, leap in THz technology and will open the door to new applications and to new tools for advancing fundamental science.

AGENT aims to transform genebanks (GB) from living archives into bio-digital resources centres, equipped to meet the needs of a changing world. Fifteen GB and four genebank genomic centers will create a network to work exemplarily on barley and wheat for (i) establishing a European (global) crop genomic diversity atlas, (ii) activating currently inaccessible legacy phenotypic data, (iii) implementing a novel concept of concerted accumulation of phenologic and agronomic data for individual GenRes collections to establish training population datasets for the genome-wide prediction of untested GenRes accessions. Phenotyping will take into account diverse environmental conditions (climate, soil, geography, pathogens) provided by the diversity of eco-geographic locations of the participating GB and their partners. These activities will be supported by a bioinformatics network that will implement FAIR data principles, standards, protocols, and data formats enabling data storage, access, use, and re-use, extending the existing EURISCO GenRes portal for new data types. AGENT will use existing solutions established by ongoing European projects and international initiatives, but also develop new tools for novel functionality of data access, visualisation, and use, which will be connected and implemented via plugin or web-services, allowing their incorporation in EURISCO and other data portals, and their easy application to other crop GenRes, based on data already available at EURISCO or provided by AGENT partner GB. A coordinated testing network is another unique layer of AGENT, directly involving stakeholders (e.g. farmer cooperatives, breeding companies, NGOs) in monitoring, mentoring, capacity building and training in the development of workflows and tools. Thus, AGENT project results will be directly disseminated to GB, researchers, breeders, policy makers and the general public and raise awareness of the general as well as the specific societal importance of GenRes.