Programme and motivation

Figure 1: TALES science connects the innermost accretion flow around supermassive black holes to the larger accretion disk, outflows, winds, broad line region, and torus. There are four key science work packages.

TALES aspires to provide high quality doctorate training to a core group of young researchers in one of the most visible and fast-developing areas of astrophysics, the lifecycle of supermassive black holes and their impact on the evolution of galaxies. The key innovative aspects of the proposed training include:

  1. the leveraging of time-domain astronomy observations from state-of-the-art facilities to map the inner environments of supermassive black holes,
  2. the use of novel analysis methods from the discipline of data science to maximise the information gain from the observations,
  3. the development of new models and theories to interpret the data and learn about physics,
  4. the extensive interaction with the industrial sector to promote key technical and complementary skills that are essential for future market leaders.

Training in the proposed science theme is needed now to exploit the increasing influx of time-domain observations and prepare for the imminent explosion in data volume and quality as new dedicated facilities (e.g. Vera Rubin Observatory, Einstein probe), with strong European involvement, see first light in the next 1-2 years. The ultimate goal of the network is to enhance the human capital of Europe, thereby contributing to major societal priorities, such as the digital transformation through new technologies, or the competitiveness and environmental neutrality of the European economy through innovative solutions.