EXC 2094: ORIGINS: From the Origin of the Universe to the First Building Blocks of Life

地球以外的生命有可能存在吗？理解我们的宇宙从大爆炸到生命出现的演化可能是可以想象到的最基本和最具智力挑战的研究计划。在生物、粒子和天体物理学家的独特合作中，起源将探索宇宙的历史和详细结构，并寻找关于地球上生命起源和其他地方是否存在生命的答案。宇宙中复杂结构的出现是一个紧密相连的过程。基本粒子及其相互作用本身可能产生于尚待发现的更基本的原理，是中坚力量。微小的原始量子涨落是宇宙中最大结构的种子，暗物质主导着宇宙网。众所周知，暗物质控制着星系的形成，星系是气体转化为恒星的宇宙孤岛。恒星中产生的重元素结合在一起形成有机分子和尘埃。在恒星形成的副产品原行星盘中，尘埃颗粒成长为行星。行星化学反过来又控制着第一批益生菌分子的起源，并通过这一生命。在一个一致的科学框架内将这些过程联系起来，需要具有粒子、天文和生物物理学专业知识的敬业研究人员，并有动力超越他们传统和成熟的学科。慕尼黑/Garching拥有LMU和TUM、马克斯·普朗克学院、ESO和LRZ等大学，是世界领先的理想发源地。在现有的宇宙集群的基础上，我们创建了五个重点研究领域作为起源的核心。它们通过相互连接的宇宙联系在一起，这是一个新的关键结构，承载着热门的“连接器”。这些问题涉及复杂的相互关联的过程中的首要科学问题，需要跨学科的专业知识和协作。它们还引发了新的技术和理论或数字概念，以回答起源提出的深层次问题。例如行星形成与第一批益生菌分子的联系，以及暗物质的基本性质与宇宙结构形成的联系。Origins数据科学实验室是一个新的基础设施，对于分析复杂的数值模拟和数据至关重要。我们将在冰尘和测序实验室重建达尔文分子进化的第一个周期，并促进高端电子和探测器开发实验室、新的科学仪器和专门的高性能计算中心的研究。我们将通过任命创始人、研究员和对相互关联的宇宙中的年轻研究人员进行专门培训，培养具有独特跨学科专业知识的新一代科学家。在宇宙中获得的经验和良好的联系将被用来进一步发展我们的性别和多样性管理，并加强外联和教师方案，向学校和公众传播起源科学。

Is life beyond Earth likely? Understanding the evolution of our Universe from the Big Bang to the emergence of life is possibly the most fundamental and intellectually challenging research programme conceivable. In a unique collaboration of bio-, particle- and astrophysicists, ORIGINS will explore the history and detailed structure of the Universe and search for answers concerning the origin of life on Earth and whether life exists elsewhere. The emergence of complex structures in the Universe is a strongly interlinked process. Fundamental particles and their interactions, which themselves might emerge from more fundamental principles still to be discovered, are the backbone. Tiny, primordial quantum fluctuations are the seeds of the largest structure in the Universe, the Dark Matter dominated cosmic web. Dark Matter is known to regulate the formation of galaxies, cosmic islands where gas turns into stars. Heavy elements produced in stars combine to form organic molecules and dust. In protoplanetary disks, by-products of star formation, dust particles grow into planets. Planetary chemistry in turn regulates the origin of the first prebiotic molecules and by this life. Connecting these processes in a consistent scientific framework requires dedicated researchers with expertise in particle-, astro- and biophysics, motivated to look beyond their traditional and well-established disciplines. Munich/Garching with its universities, LMU and TUM, Max Planck Institutes, ESO and LRZ is a world-leading and ideal location to host ORIGINS. Building on the existing UNIVERSE Cluster, we create five focused research areas as the core of ORIGINS. They are linked through the Interconnected Universe, a new key structure that hosts topical "Connectors". These address overarching scientific questions on complex interlinked processes, requiring interdisciplinary expertise and collaboration. They also trigger new technologies and theoretical or numerical concepts to answer the deep questions raised by ORIGINS. Examples are the connection of planet formation to the first prebiotic molecules and the fundamental nature of Dark Matter to cosmic structure formation. The ORIGINS Data Science Lab is a new infrastructure, essential for analysing complex numerical simulations and data. We will recreate the first cycles of Darwinian molecular evolution in the Ice, Dust and Sequencing Lab and promote research by a high-end electronic and detector development laboratory, by new scientific instruments and by a dedicated high-performance computing centre. We will raise a new generation of scientists with unique interdisciplinary expertise through the appointment of ORIGINS fellows and dedicated training for young researchers in the Interconnected Universe. The experience and excellent connections gained in UNIVERSE will be used to further develop our gender and diversity management and enhance outreach and teacher programmes to communicate ORIGINS science to schools and the public.