Sunny Vagnozzi

About the researcher

A Cosmologist with a strong background in particle theory, Sunny Vagnozzi is a researcher at the Kavli Institute for Cosmology. and is interested in addressing fundamental questions about the origin, composition, and fate of the Universe. In 2021 he received the American Buchalter Cosmology Prize.

Living in Eddington was one of his priorities before moving to the UK, due to its close proximity to work and central Cambridge.

 

 

 

 

My field of research is cosmology, and I am investigating what the universe is made of, how it came to be and how it is evolving.

Only 5% of what we see makes up the universe. The remaining 95% is comprised of dark components: 25% is dark matter, which is the glue that holds the universe together, and 70% is dark energy, which makes the universe expand at an accelerated rate.

One of the major goals of my research is to understand what dark matter and dark energy are. There is plenty of focus on discovering or detecting dark matter on Earth, but not so much attention is given to dark energy.

In my recent work with researchers from Cambridge and around the world, we discovered new methods to look for dark energy on Earth and focused on XENON1T, a large underground experiment placed under the Grand Sasso Mountain in Italy.

 

XENON1T is designed to detect dark matter, but about two years ago, it reported a possible unexpected signature of dark energy.

 

We proposed to look for new ways to detect dark energy beyond the conventional ones, which can be achieved at zero extra costs using only existing or planned experiments.

If XENON1T detected signs of dark energy, we would expect to see a similar excess again in future experiments, but with a much stronger signal.

 

Our work has been recognised by the American Buchalter Cosmology Prize, which annually rewards the three most ground-breaking works in cosmology that have the potential to produce a breakthrough in our understanding of how the universe works.

 

Before moving to the UK three years ago, our priority was to get a place in Eddington.

 

Living here is very convenient for me. In 3 minutes by bike or 10 minutes by foot, I can be at my workplace. At the same time, we are very close and well connected to the city centre.

At Eddington, we are surrounded by plenty of natural attractions and green spaces: we can simply stroll along and appreciate the beauty of wildlife and animals at the lovely Brook Leys Lake.

Our multicultural neighbourhood is what makes this place so unique and lovable.

For two years, people were locked in at home, and it was during the pandemic a strong feeling of belonging arose.

Everyone was very keen to help each other, even with small tasks. Eddington is a remarkably safe place to live, and it is also very child-friendly.

Every week, many exciting initiatives are going on for adults and families with children, which helps to encourage a vibrant social life for families.

 

 

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