Dark UNiverse Explorations

The Austrian Science Fund (FWF) Special Research Area (SFB) “Dark UNiverse Explorations – DUNE” creates an Austrian research network, connecting scientists at the University of Innsbruck, the University of Vienna, and the Institute for Science and Technology Austria (ISTA). Embedded into large international collaborations, such as the Euclid Consortium and COLIBRE, the interdisciplinary DUNE team probes the nature of the dominant invisible components of the Universe, dark matter and dark energy, by analysing Euclid and JWST observations and combining them with state-of-the-art simulations.

The general goal of the SFB Dark UNiverse Explorations (DUNE) is to study the dark Universe by confronting key challenges in cosmology and galaxy formation. For a holistic picture, it will use probes across extremely different mass and size ranges, from dwarf galaxies to galaxy clusters. DUNE links the expertise of the observational groups at Innsbruck University (CoIs Grandis, Linke, Marleau, Schrabback) and the ISTA (CoI Matthee), and combines them with the theory and simulation‑focused research at Vienna University (CoIs Hahn, Ploeckinger). With this team, we connect observations with improved model predictions, covering three of the most exciting Euclid & JWST science topics: cosmology using weak lensing data and galaxy clusters, small‑scale cosmological and astrophysical studies using dwarf galaxies, and the physics of galaxies at cosmic noon.

News

Start of new PhD Fellows within the SFB-DUNE project

13.04.2026: Isabella Grimaldi (SP 5)
13.04.2026: Sara Tacchetto (SP 5)
02.03.2026: Jonas Krüger (SP 2)
01.06.2026: Marianna Aiello (SP 3)
01.06.2026: Shaunak Padhyegurjar (SP 3)
01.06.2026: Shivani Ramesh (SP 6)

Start of new PosDoc Fellow within the SFB-Dune project

01.06.2026: Yuzheng Kang (SP 8)

WELCOME!

New FWF Special Research Area on the Dark Universe

03.12.2025
The University of Innsbruck is coordinating a new FWF special research area on the dark universe, which seeks answers to the biggest questions in modern cosmology.

German article

Events

SFB Events

23.09.2026 –15.09.2026 10:00–15:00
First full team meating
Innsbruck
10.03.2026 16:30
Kick-off Event
Innsbruck, HS C (VFH-Haus, Technikerstr. 25)
Physics Colloquium Talk:
Sylvia Plöckinger and Oliver Hahn

Euclid Events

25.05.2026 –29.05.2026 10:00–18:00
Euclid Consortium Meeting 2026
Barcelona World Trade Center
Euclid Consortium Meeting 2027
Paris
10.07.2028 –14.07.2028 08:00–18:00
Euclid Consortium Meeting 2028
Innsbruck

Other Events

23.06.2026 16:30–07:00
Physics Colloquium
Farhad Yusef-Zadeh, Northwestern University, USA
The black hole flaring activity and radio filaments at the center of the Galaxy
24.04.2026 17:00–23:00
long Night of Reserach 2026
Elena Silvestre-Rosello and Nikolas Zimmermann, UIBK
Dunkle Materie sichtbar machen
21.04.2026 15:30–16:30
Joint Seminar
Christoph Saulder, MPE
Exploring Dark Energy and gravity with DESI
14.04.2026 16:30–17:30
Physics Colloquium
Zoltan Haimann, ISTA
Gravitational-wave and electromagnetic signatures of binary black holes

Projects

SP2

Linking dark matter halo shapes to intrinsic alignments

Lead: Laila Linke

SP3

Ray‑tracing through fast differentiable simulations

Lead: Oliver Hahn

SP4

Accelerating cosmological inference from cluster counts

Lead: Sebastian Grandis

SP5

Extreme cosmic systems: dwarf galaxy formation & evolution

Lead: Francine Marleau

SP6

Testing galaxy formation and cosmology on small scales

Lead: Sylvia Ploeckinger

SP7

A Euclid & JWST synergy: Redshift tests at cosmic noon

Lead: Jorryt Matthee

SP8

A Euclid & JWST synergy: Weak lensing of distant galaxies

Lead: Tim Schrabback

Members

The DUNE Team standing in front of the FWF building.

The DUNE Lead team from left to right: Oliver Hahn (University of Vienna), Laila Linke (University of Innsbruck), Sebastian Grandis (University of Innsbruck), Francine Marleau (University of Innsbruck), Sylvia Ploeckinger (University of Vienna), Tim Schrabback (University of Innsbruck) und Jorryt Matthee (ISTA).