Latin American Chinese European Galaxy Formation Network

Spectacular breakthroughs in astronomy have been driven by a combination of observational advances and groundbreaking computer simulations. Simulations are now accepted as being essential for the interpretation and exploitation of astronomical data. Europe is a world leader in this area. Our aim is to build on a highly successful Horizon2020 RISE network to avoid fragmentation of expertise and concentration of supercomputer resources in a few groups. We will do this through international mobility between leading international centres in the subject.

The LACEGAL objectives include addressing some of the biggest questions in science:

* What is Dark Matter and how do its properties affect galaxies and galaxy clusters?
* What is the Dark Energy behind the accelerating expansion of the Universe and how does it relate to the rest of physics? Is it a cosmological constant, a new form of mass-energy, or a low-energy deviation from Einstein's theory of gravity?
* How did galaxies acquire their observed forms? What determines their characteristic properties?
* How did our galaxy, the Milky Way, form and how can this be read from the "archeological" record preserved in its stellar populations?

Our research program is ambitious and ground-breaking. It is only possible through the opportunity that the Staff Exchange provides to bring together world leaders in a wide range of areas to work on common problems. The exchange of researchers will provide the critical mass is necessary to deliver our program. LACEGAL will providing unique training opportunities and build lasting collaborations. LACEGAL will be key in allowing Europe to exploit its huge investment in observational facilities, such as the Euclid mission to probe the nature of dark energy, and to build European leadership in international projects, such as the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, Euclid, the Legacy Survey of Space and Time, and the Square Kilometre Array.