Research Interests
------------
My interests concern Transient Sky and Time Domain Astronomy. I have a long lasting multi-wavelength experience in Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) and related stellar explosions. I also developed an interest in Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), and secondly in Tidal Disruption Events (TDEs), and Terrestrial Gamma-Ray Flashes (TGFs). On a data analysis perspective, I am interested in timing analysis techniques, stochastic vs. deterministic processes, non-linear dynamical systems, and their astrophysical applications. I am keen on astrostatistics and Bayesian analysis: PCA, exploratory data analysis, Markov-Chain Monte-Carlo techniques. I am still on the learning curve of machine learning techniques.
Positions
---------
- From 7/2021: Associate Professor, Dept. Physics and Earth Science, University of Ferrara.
- 2009-2021: Permanent Research Staff and Assistant Professor, Dept. Physics and Earth Science, University of Ferrara.
- 2008: Swift Postdoctoral Research Associate, INAF Brera Observatory, Milan, "The physics of Gamma-Ray Bursts: observations and theory", in collaboration with the Italian Swift team (10 months).
- 2006-2007: Swift Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Physics, University of Bicocca, Milan, "Study of GRBs and their afterglow in the Swift Era", in collaboration the Italian Swift team (21 months).
- 2004-2006: Postdoctoral Marie Curie Fellowship from European Commission, Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool (UK). "Development of software infrastructure for early-time optical observations of Gamma-Ray Burst sources and participation in undertaking and interpreting the results"
- 2002-2004: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Physics, University of Ferrara. "Observations and Study of Gamma-Ray Bursts", in collaboration with the BeppoSAX team.
- 1999-2002: Ph.D. Physics, University of Ferrara. "Cosmic Gamma-Ray Bursts and Other Fast Transients detected with the BeppoSAX Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor", mentored by prof. F. Frontera.
Languages
---------
- Italian: mother-tongue
- English: C1
- German: B2
Teaching
--------
- From 2020: Chair, "Astrophysical Processes" (ECTS: 6), MSc Physics. Chair, "Multimessenger Astrophysics" (ECTS: 6), MSc Physics.
- 2013-2020: Chair, "Fisica Generale I" (English: fundamental physics, module I; ECTS: 12), BSc Physics.
- 2017-2020: Chair, "High-Energy Astrophysics" (ECTS: 6), MSc Physics.
- 2009-2016: Chair, "Astrophysical Measures" (ECTS: 6), BSc Physics.
- 2009-2013: Teaching Assistant, "Fisica Generale I", BSc Physics and Engineering.
- 2002-2003: Teaching Assistant, "Fisica Generale I", BSc Engineering, University of Ferrara.
- 1999-2000: Teaching Assistant, "Probability and Statistics", BSc Engineering, University of Ferrara.
PhD Mentoring:
--------------
- PhD, advisor M. Marongiu, "Broadband modelling of relativistic explosions", University of Ferrara, 2020.
- PhD, advisor R. Martone, "A perspective on the high-energy transient sky: from gamma–ray bursts to the search for fast radio burst counterparts", University of Ferrara, 2020.
- PhD, advisor S. Dichiara, "A multiwavelength view of the transient sky: gamma–ray bursts and other fast transients from optical to gamma–rays", University of Ferrara, 2015.
- PhD, co-adv R. Margutti, "Towards new insights on the gamma–ray burst physics: from X–ray spectroscopy to the identification of characteristic time scales", Bicocca University, Milan, 2009.
Research projects
-----------------
- Core team member of the GRB group of the Chinese satellite Insight-HXMT (launched 2017).
- Science team member of the space mission HERMES-SP/TP.
- Science team member of the proposed mission THESEUS (Cosmic Vision Programme, Call ESA M5, selected for phase A).
- Science team member and co-PI of the proposed mission ASTENA (Voyage 2050, Call ESA).
- Science team member of the international group in charge of the calibration and scientific exploitation of the the data acquired with the polarimeters deployed at the 2-m robotic Liverpool Telescope, to study early-time optical counterparts of GRB sources.
- Science team member of former space mission BeppoSAX (1996-2002), which enabled the first historical measures of GRB distances.
Awards
------
- 2007: Times Higher Education Supplement, "Research Project of the Year" Award for the pioneering work with the RINGO optical polarimeter instrument deployed on the Liverpool Telescope (UK) (shared with team of 10 people).
- 2007: Bruno Rossi Prize, awarded to Neil Gehrels and the team of scientists working on NASA’s Swift mission. The prize is the top award given each year by the High Energy Astrophysics Division (HEAD) of the American Astronomical Society (AAS), the largest professional organization of astronomers in the United States (shared with team).
Proposals and project roles
-----------------
- Coordinator of the approved proposal "Monitoring the high-energy side of the periodic repeater FRB 20180916B through a joint multi-wavelength approach" within the AO4 call to observe with Insight-HXMT (2021)
- Coordinator of the approved proposal "A joint multi-wavelength search for activity from nearby active fast radio burst repeaters" within the AO4 call to observe with Insight-HXMT (2021)
- Coordinator of the approved proposal "Constraining the high-energy activity associated with periodic repeater FRB180916.J0158+65" within the AO3 call to observe with Insight-HXMT (2020)
- Coordinator of the white paper "A Deep Study of the High–Energy Transient Sky" submitted to the ESA call for the Voyage 2050 long-term plan in the ESA Science Programme (2019)
- Responsible for WP 3240 "Light curve triggering" for the THESEUS mission concept proposed in response to the ESA call for medium-size mission (M5) within the Cosmic Vision Programme and selected by ESA in 2018.
- PI of the project "A broadband study of Cosmic Gamma-Ray Burst Prompt and Afterglow Emission" supported by "Fondo per l’Incentivazione alla Ricerca" (FIR), call by University of Ferrara (5 k€) from 24-08-2018 to 31-12-2019.
- PI of the project "Gamma-ray burst broadband afterglow modelling based on hydrodynamics simulations with BOXFIT" on the GPU accelerated cluster "Fermi", an HPC facility of the University of Ferrara.
- PI of ASI-INAF project "Implementation of a public BeppoSAX GRBM on-line catalogue and scientific exploitation of the GRBM data archive" for the call "Theory and Data Analysis" (ref. DA-019; 2009)
- PI of the proposal aimed to observe Anomalous X-ray Pulsars (AXPs) and SGRs with the SupIRCam deployed on the Liverpool Telescope, following the notification of outbursts from dedicated spacecrafts. Period: PL/05B.
- PI of the proposal aimed to observe optical counterparts to GRBs with the TNG for the period AOT17 (February - July 2008)
- 03/2020-02/2024: member of the AHEAD2020 consortium "AHEAD2020 - Integrated Activities for the High Energy Astrophysics Domain" supported by EU under the Horizon 2020 programme (grant agreement 871158), as the followup project of former AHEAD. I am responsible for the UNIFE node on "Computational Astrophysics" to grant visitors access to our parallel computing facilities and code for modelling broadband GRB afterglow data (budget assigned to UNIFE: € 153.265,00; https://www.astro.unige.ch/ahead/host-institutes/university-ferrara).
- 9/2015-2/2019: member of the AHEAD consortium (Integrated Activities for the High Energy Astrophysics Domain) supported by EU in the Horizon 2020 programme (grant agreement 654215). The UNIFE section (PI: prof. Rosati) goal was "Proposal for TA2 research activity at UniFE. Access to X-ray data analysis. Training EU scientists on the exploitation of high-energy astrophysics archives" to host and train young researchers and PhD students (budget assigned to UNIFE: € 133.160,00).
- 9/2017: co-PI of project "Scientific exploitation of data from the Chinese Insight-HXMT mission" (PI prof. Rosati) in response to a joint call of ASI, INAF, INFN, theme: "Study of high-energy astrophysics and astroparticle physics" (2017).
- Co-PI of approved project PRIN-MIUR 2009 (PI: prof. Filippo Frontera, Unife) entitled "Study of the physics of the GRB prompt emission and the inner engine of GRBs, exploiting the Ep-Eiso relation and all the other spectral and temporal properties", with an approved budget of € 236.017.
- Co-PI of the approved project PRIN-MIUR 2007 (PI: prof. Guido Chincarini, UniBicocca Milan) entitled "The physics of GRB, SN, AGN and beyond".
Recent Conference Talks
----------------
- Nov 2020: Invited, "Hermes-SP/TP 1st Scientific Workshop – Astrophysics with CubeSats", on line, "Time Variability in GRBs" (https://www.hermes-sp.eu/?page_id=5214).
- Oct 2019: Invited, "ESA Voyage 2050 Workshop", ESA Headquarters Madrid, "A Deep Study of the High–Energy Transient Sky" (https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/voyage-2050/workshop-programme).
- Sep 2019: "Third Insight-HXMT Calibration Meeting", Ferrara, "In-flight calibration and data analysis of Insight-HXMT/HE GRBs".
- Sep 2019: "Third Insight-HXMT Calibration Meeting", Ferrara, "BeppoSAX/GRBM background modelling with machine learning techniques: prospects for HXMT/HE".
Science Reviewer
----------------
- Referee of several peer-review journals, in particular, The Astrophysical Journal, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Experimental Astronomy, Advances in Space Research
- Member of the Italian Time Allocation Committee (TAC) for LBT-TNG-REM for the periods AOT 37, 38 (April 2018 – April 2019).
Publications
------------
My record includes one book (in Italian) for undegraduate physics students published by Zanichelli (major Italian academic publisher), along with 241 peer-reviewed papers (as of 3/2022). I am first author of 28, and second author of 24. H-index: 50. Citing papers (without self): 4392 (source: WOS).
------------
My interests concern Transient Sky and Time Domain Astronomy. I have a long lasting multi-wavelength experience in Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) and related stellar explosions. I also developed an interest in Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), and secondly in Tidal Disruption Events (TDEs), and Terrestrial Gamma-Ray Flashes (TGFs). On a data analysis perspective, I am interested in timing analysis techniques, stochastic vs. deterministic processes, non-linear dynamical systems, and their astrophysical applications. I am keen on astrostatistics and Bayesian analysis: PCA, exploratory data analysis, Markov-Chain Monte-Carlo techniques. I am still on the learning curve of machine learning techniques.
Positions
---------
- From 7/2021: Associate Professor, Dept. Physics and Earth Science, University of Ferrara.
- 2009-2021: Permanent Research Staff and Assistant Professor, Dept. Physics and Earth Science, University of Ferrara.
- 2008: Swift Postdoctoral Research Associate, INAF Brera Observatory, Milan, "The physics of Gamma-Ray Bursts: observations and theory", in collaboration with the Italian Swift team (10 months).
- 2006-2007: Swift Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Physics, University of Bicocca, Milan, "Study of GRBs and their afterglow in the Swift Era", in collaboration the Italian Swift team (21 months).
- 2004-2006: Postdoctoral Marie Curie Fellowship from European Commission, Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool (UK). "Development of software infrastructure for early-time optical observations of Gamma-Ray Burst sources and participation in undertaking and interpreting the results"
- 2002-2004: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Physics, University of Ferrara. "Observations and Study of Gamma-Ray Bursts", in collaboration with the BeppoSAX team.
- 1999-2002: Ph.D. Physics, University of Ferrara. "Cosmic Gamma-Ray Bursts and Other Fast Transients detected with the BeppoSAX Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor", mentored by prof. F. Frontera.
Languages
---------
- Italian: mother-tongue
- English: C1
- German: B2
Teaching
--------
- From 2020: Chair, "Astrophysical Processes" (ECTS: 6), MSc Physics. Chair, "Multimessenger Astrophysics" (ECTS: 6), MSc Physics.
- 2013-2020: Chair, "Fisica Generale I" (English: fundamental physics, module I; ECTS: 12), BSc Physics.
- 2017-2020: Chair, "High-Energy Astrophysics" (ECTS: 6), MSc Physics.
- 2009-2016: Chair, "Astrophysical Measures" (ECTS: 6), BSc Physics.
- 2009-2013: Teaching Assistant, "Fisica Generale I", BSc Physics and Engineering.
- 2002-2003: Teaching Assistant, "Fisica Generale I", BSc Engineering, University of Ferrara.
- 1999-2000: Teaching Assistant, "Probability and Statistics", BSc Engineering, University of Ferrara.
PhD Mentoring:
--------------
- PhD, advisor M. Marongiu, "Broadband modelling of relativistic explosions", University of Ferrara, 2020.
- PhD, advisor R. Martone, "A perspective on the high-energy transient sky: from gamma–ray bursts to the search for fast radio burst counterparts", University of Ferrara, 2020.
- PhD, advisor S. Dichiara, "A multiwavelength view of the transient sky: gamma–ray bursts and other fast transients from optical to gamma–rays", University of Ferrara, 2015.
- PhD, co-adv R. Margutti, "Towards new insights on the gamma–ray burst physics: from X–ray spectroscopy to the identification of characteristic time scales", Bicocca University, Milan, 2009.
Research projects
-----------------
- Core team member of the GRB group of the Chinese satellite Insight-HXMT (launched 2017).
- Science team member of the space mission HERMES-SP/TP.
- Science team member of the proposed mission THESEUS (Cosmic Vision Programme, Call ESA M5, selected for phase A).
- Science team member and co-PI of the proposed mission ASTENA (Voyage 2050, Call ESA).
- Science team member of the international group in charge of the calibration and scientific exploitation of the the data acquired with the polarimeters deployed at the 2-m robotic Liverpool Telescope, to study early-time optical counterparts of GRB sources.
- Science team member of former space mission BeppoSAX (1996-2002), which enabled the first historical measures of GRB distances.
Awards
------
- 2007: Times Higher Education Supplement, "Research Project of the Year" Award for the pioneering work with the RINGO optical polarimeter instrument deployed on the Liverpool Telescope (UK) (shared with team of 10 people).
- 2007: Bruno Rossi Prize, awarded to Neil Gehrels and the team of scientists working on NASA’s Swift mission. The prize is the top award given each year by the High Energy Astrophysics Division (HEAD) of the American Astronomical Society (AAS), the largest professional organization of astronomers in the United States (shared with team).
Proposals and project roles
-----------------
- Coordinator of the approved proposal "Monitoring the high-energy side of the periodic repeater FRB 20180916B through a joint multi-wavelength approach" within the AO4 call to observe with Insight-HXMT (2021)
- Coordinator of the approved proposal "A joint multi-wavelength search for activity from nearby active fast radio burst repeaters" within the AO4 call to observe with Insight-HXMT (2021)
- Coordinator of the approved proposal "Constraining the high-energy activity associated with periodic repeater FRB180916.J0158+65" within the AO3 call to observe with Insight-HXMT (2020)
- Coordinator of the white paper "A Deep Study of the High–Energy Transient Sky" submitted to the ESA call for the Voyage 2050 long-term plan in the ESA Science Programme (2019)
- Responsible for WP 3240 "Light curve triggering" for the THESEUS mission concept proposed in response to the ESA call for medium-size mission (M5) within the Cosmic Vision Programme and selected by ESA in 2018.
- PI of the project "A broadband study of Cosmic Gamma-Ray Burst Prompt and Afterglow Emission" supported by "Fondo per l’Incentivazione alla Ricerca" (FIR), call by University of Ferrara (5 k€) from 24-08-2018 to 31-12-2019.
- PI of the project "Gamma-ray burst broadband afterglow modelling based on hydrodynamics simulations with BOXFIT" on the GPU accelerated cluster "Fermi", an HPC facility of the University of Ferrara.
- PI of ASI-INAF project "Implementation of a public BeppoSAX GRBM on-line catalogue and scientific exploitation of the GRBM data archive" for the call "Theory and Data Analysis" (ref. DA-019; 2009)
- PI of the proposal aimed to observe Anomalous X-ray Pulsars (AXPs) and SGRs with the SupIRCam deployed on the Liverpool Telescope, following the notification of outbursts from dedicated spacecrafts. Period: PL/05B.
- PI of the proposal aimed to observe optical counterparts to GRBs with the TNG for the period AOT17 (February - July 2008)
- 03/2020-02/2024: member of the AHEAD2020 consortium "AHEAD2020 - Integrated Activities for the High Energy Astrophysics Domain" supported by EU under the Horizon 2020 programme (grant agreement 871158), as the followup project of former AHEAD. I am responsible for the UNIFE node on "Computational Astrophysics" to grant visitors access to our parallel computing facilities and code for modelling broadband GRB afterglow data (budget assigned to UNIFE: € 153.265,00; https://www.astro.unige.ch/ahead/host-institutes/university-ferrara).
- 9/2015-2/2019: member of the AHEAD consortium (Integrated Activities for the High Energy Astrophysics Domain) supported by EU in the Horizon 2020 programme (grant agreement 654215). The UNIFE section (PI: prof. Rosati) goal was "Proposal for TA2 research activity at UniFE. Access to X-ray data analysis. Training EU scientists on the exploitation of high-energy astrophysics archives" to host and train young researchers and PhD students (budget assigned to UNIFE: € 133.160,00).
- 9/2017: co-PI of project "Scientific exploitation of data from the Chinese Insight-HXMT mission" (PI prof. Rosati) in response to a joint call of ASI, INAF, INFN, theme: "Study of high-energy astrophysics and astroparticle physics" (2017).
- Co-PI of approved project PRIN-MIUR 2009 (PI: prof. Filippo Frontera, Unife) entitled "Study of the physics of the GRB prompt emission and the inner engine of GRBs, exploiting the Ep-Eiso relation and all the other spectral and temporal properties", with an approved budget of € 236.017.
- Co-PI of the approved project PRIN-MIUR 2007 (PI: prof. Guido Chincarini, UniBicocca Milan) entitled "The physics of GRB, SN, AGN and beyond".
Recent Conference Talks
----------------
- Nov 2020: Invited, "Hermes-SP/TP 1st Scientific Workshop – Astrophysics with CubeSats", on line, "Time Variability in GRBs" (https://www.hermes-sp.eu/?page_id=5214).
- Oct 2019: Invited, "ESA Voyage 2050 Workshop", ESA Headquarters Madrid, "A Deep Study of the High–Energy Transient Sky" (https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/voyage-2050/workshop-programme).
- Sep 2019: "Third Insight-HXMT Calibration Meeting", Ferrara, "In-flight calibration and data analysis of Insight-HXMT/HE GRBs".
- Sep 2019: "Third Insight-HXMT Calibration Meeting", Ferrara, "BeppoSAX/GRBM background modelling with machine learning techniques: prospects for HXMT/HE".
Science Reviewer
----------------
- Referee of several peer-review journals, in particular, The Astrophysical Journal, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Experimental Astronomy, Advances in Space Research
- Member of the Italian Time Allocation Committee (TAC) for LBT-TNG-REM for the periods AOT 37, 38 (April 2018 – April 2019).
Publications
------------
My record includes one book (in Italian) for undegraduate physics students published by Zanichelli (major Italian academic publisher), along with 241 peer-reviewed papers (as of 3/2022). I am first author of 28, and second author of 24. H-index: 50. Citing papers (without self): 4392 (source: WOS).
