Curriculum
Vitae
Elena
Masciadri
Dirigente di Ricerca - Director of Research
Marie Curie Excellence Grant
Awarded (2006-2010)
Institute:
INAF-Osservatorio
Astrofisico di Arcetri, L.go E. Fermi 5,
50125
Firenze, Italy
E-mail: surname at arcetri.astro.it
Nationality: Italian
Languages: Italian mother tongue, English fluent, French fluent,
Spanish fluent
Education
and
Training
1995 -
1998 -
PhD "Astronomie et
Haute Resolutione Angulaire", Departement
d'Astrophysique,
Universite de Nice- Sophie Antipolis, Nice, France (Mark: Tres
Honorable avec Felicitationes du Jury).
1997 - 1998 - Six months visitor/stage
(financied by the Centre
International des
Etudiantes et Stagieres), Centre National des Recherches
Meteorologiques (CNRM), Toulouse, France
1994 - Master - Diplome d'Etudes Avances (DEA) "Imagerie
et Haute
Resolutione Angulaire", Departement d'Astrophysique,
Universite de
Nice-Sophie Antipolis, Nice, France
1994 -
1995 - Human Capital and Mobility
Network Fellowship - "Turbidity
and Turbulence effects on the propagation of optical
radiation"
promoted by Centro di Eccellenza Optoelettronica (CEO)
Firenze, Italy.
Host Institute: Departement d'Astrophysique, Universite de
Nice-Sophie
Antipolis, Nice, France
1993 - Laurea in Physics (Mark: 110/110), Universita'
degli
Studi, Milan, Italy
Awards
&
Grants
2005 - "Marie
Curie
Excellence Grant (EXT)"
awarded by the European Community to scientists who showed
potentialities in reaching excellence in their research
domain. I was
granted 1.2 MEuro
to create a research group and
carry out a project (ForOT) extended over 4 years. Status
report of
excellence Grants in 2005: 209 submissions, 27 proposals have
been
granted, 4 in Physics. ForOT is one of the granted proposals
in Physics.
1999 - Post-Doc Grant -
Selection by open call, IA-UNAM, Mexico D.F., Mexico
1997 - Award from Ministere des Affaire Etrangeres
(PhD studies) at Universite de
Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Nice,
France
1994 - "Human Capital
and
Mobility" Fellowship at Departement d'Astrophysique,
Universite
de Nice Sophia-Antipolis, Nice, France
Positions
held
2010 - today
- Dirigente di Ricerca -
Director of Research (permanent position) at INAF
Osservatorio Astrofisico di
Arcetri, Florence,
Italy
2006 - 2010
- Dirigente di Ricerca -
Director of Research (temporary position) at INAF
Osservatorio Astrofisico di
Arcetri, Florence,
Italy
- Marie Curie Excellence Grant Fellow at INAF
Osservatorio
Astrofisico di Arcetri, Florence, Italy
2003 - 2005
- Associate
Researcher at Max Planck
Institute fur
Astronomie (MPIA), Heidelberg, Germany
2001 - 2002
- Astronomer Researcher (permanent position) at Istituto
de
Astronomia Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (IA-UNAM), Mexico D.F.,
Mexico
1999 - 2000
- Post-Doc at
Istituto
de
Astronomia Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (IA-UNAM),
Mexico
D.F., Mexico
1995 - 1998
- PhD studies at
Departement
d'Astrophysique, Universite de Nice-Sophia Antipolis,
Nice,
France
1994 - 1995
- 'Human Capital and
Mobility'
Fellow at Departement
d'Astrophysique, Universite de Nice-Sophia Antipolis,
Nice, France
1991 - 1993
-
Graduate student - Laurea in Physics degree at Universita'
degli Studi,
Milan, Italy
Scientific Research Activity
I have been member of
the narrow
scientific community working at the rontier between the
Astronomy and
Atmospherci Physics and grown up in the Astrophysics
Institute created
in Nice (France) by F. Roddier, father of the European
High Angular
Resolution. My scientific interests and research topics
include,
indeed, astrophysics as well as applied physics, physics
of the
atmosphere and instrumentation. In my successive
positions I
could develop theoretical, observational and technical
skills
publishing around 48 papers in peer reviewed
journal (24 as first author;
9 as
supervisor), and
a total of 112
papers
(reviewed and non reviewed journals, conference
proceedings,...).
Invited
Talks
2009: Optical Turbulence above the
Internal
Antarctic Plateau, 3rd ARENA Conference - An astronomical
observatory
at Concordia (Dome C, Antarctica), Frascati, Italy,
11-15 May
2009
2008:
ForOT: a new approach for
the
optical turbulence forecasts studies applied to the
ground-based
astronomy, Optical Turbulence - Astronomy meets
Meteorology,
Alghero, Italy, 15-18 September 2008
2007: Dome C for optical
astronomy - A
new site
testing approach, ARENA
Site Testing Meeting, Rome, 11-13
June 2007
2007: Optical
Turbulence simulations with
meso-scale models - Towards a near ground based astronomy
era,
Symposium
on Seeing,
Kona - Hawaii, 20-22 March 2007
2005: A
quite flexible
vertical profiler: an atmospherical model at meso-scale,
Site
Workshop III, Vancouver -
Canada, June 2005
2004: Searching for massive planets
around
nearby young stars: from NACO to CHEOPS, Max-Planck
Institute
dur Astronomie Fachbeirath, October 2004, Heidelberg, Germany
2002: Recent
results with
Meso-Nh: near ground wind simulations and model calibration,
Sites
Workshop II, Tucson - Arizona, July 2002
2000: What
can Meteorological
numerical models
do for the astronomers ? ,
IAU Workshop, Astronomical sites evaluations in the
Visible and Radio Range, Marrakech, Marocco 13-17
November 2000
International
and National Projects
- MOSE: MOdelling Sites ESO (PI: E.
Masciadri, INAF-Arcetri) - Since March 2011
Feasibility study for the optical turbulence forecasts above two
among
the main sites for ESO ground-based astronomy: Cerro Paranal
(site of
the VLT) and Cerro Armazones (site selected for the E-ELT).
- LTC: LBT Turbulence Center (PI:
E.
Masciadri, INAF-Arcetri) - Since October 2010
Set-up of an operational system for the optical turbulence
forecasts at
Mt. Graham, site of the Large Binocoluar Telescope (LBT).
- Special Project at the
European
Center for Medium Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).
"Optical turbulence modelling for astronomical applications:
towards
the Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs)." (PI: E.
Masciadri, INAF-Arcetri) - 2011-2013
- ARGOS (LBT Laser Guide Stars system
- PI: S. Rabien). ForOT is in charge of the characterization of
the
vertical distribution of the optical turbulence in the
whole troposphere above Mt. Graham
(Arizona)
- Development of dedicated
microthermal sensors to measure CN2 profiles
- PI: J. Storey (UNSW, Sydney, Australia), E. Masciadri (INAF,
Florence, Italy), A. Pellegrini (PNRA, Casaccia, Rome, Italy),
AIr
Force (Italy). Site testing campaign on July 2008 at Vigna del
Valle
(Roma)
- FOROT@DC - "FORECAST Optical Turbulence Vertical Distribution
above
Dome C" - (PI: E. Masciadri, INAF; J. Storey, UNSW; A.
Pellegrini, ENEA) submitted to IPEV and PNRA, Approved in
September
2008.
- STABLEDC - "Studio
dei processi dello strato limite
planetario a Dome C - fase 2" - (PI: S. Argentini,
CNR/ISAC; E.
Masciadri, INAF; U. Rizza, CNR) submitted to the IPEV and PNRA.
Approved at the beginning of 2007.
- Special Project at the
European
Center for Medium Weather Forecasts
(ECMWF).
"Forecasting Optical Turbulence for Astronomical Applications"
(PI: E.
Masciadri, INAF-Arcetri).
- FOROT - Marie Curie Excellence Grant (Team Leader: E.
Masciadri,
INAF-Arcetri) delivered by the European Community.
- TOWL - Feasibility study for
an
infrared camera conceived for the
E-ELT (PI: R. Lenzen R., MPIA). I was involved in
'Atmospherical and
Adaptive Optics
Specifications' and 'Science Cases'. (Up to 2005).
- CHEOPS (now SPHERE) - a
second
generation instrument (Planet Finder)
conceived for the VLT carried on by an International Consortium.
I was
directly involved in preparation of 'Science Cases' and
'Simulations and Instrumental perfomances'. (Up to 2005).
- Working Group Permanent Member: ESPAS (European Searches for
Potential
Astronomical Sites)
- Working Group Member: Site Search for the Thirty Meter
Telescope
(TMT) - 2001.
Projects
Management
- Scientific and financial
management
of the LTC Project.
- Scientific and financial management
of the FOROT Project (4 researchers
Team) - Marie Curie Excellence Grant.
Site
Testing Campaigns
- 1995
Roque de los Muchachos (Canaries
Islands) - Generalized
Scidar, Mast
@
Nordic Optic Telescope (2.5 m)
@ William Harschel Telescope (4.2 m)
- 1997 Cerro Tololo
(Chile) -
Generalized
Scidar, Balloons
@
Richtey-Chretien Telescope (1.5 m)
- 2000 San Pedro Martir
(Mexico) -
Generalized
Scidar, Mast, DIMM, Balloons
@ 2.1 m
Telescope
- 2004/2008 Mt. Graham
(Arizona) -
Generalized Scidar, DIMM
@
VATT (1.8 m)
- 2008 Vigna del Valle (Roma)
-
Microthermal sensors, balloons
Teaching
& Tutoring
Stages: 3
Stage for Master:
1
Diploma theses
(Laurea):
1
PhD theses:
3
Supervision
of
the FOROT Team: 3 researchers
Other Research Activities
- Promoter of
the International Conference "Optical Turbulence - Astronomy
meets
Meteorology", 15-18 September 2008, Baia delle Ninfee, Alghero,
Sardinia, Italy. SOC and LOC member (http://forot.arcetri.astro.it/otam08).
- Editor of the Conference Proceedings: "Optical
Turbulence - Astronomy meets Meteorology", 2009, Edited by E.
Masciadri
& M. Sarazin, Imperial College Press.
- International Conference - Scientific Committee on Antarctic
Research
(SCAR) Open Science Conference (OSC) - 3-6 August 2010, Buenos
Aires,
Argentina - Convenor of the Session: " From the stars to the
ice:
electromagnetic propogation through the thermosphere, mesosphere
and
atmsophere".
Selected
Observational
Projects
-
VLT (NACO) Period:74A
A search for methane-rich
planets
around nearby later type stars
(PI: E. Masciadri)
-
VLT (NACO)
A search for companions
around brown
dwarfs and low mass stars
(PI: R. Mundt)
- VLT (NACO)
Direct detection of Massive
Extrasolar
Planets around Young solar Analogues using NACO SDI
(PI: L. Close)
- VLT (NACO)
Confirmations of massive
extrasolar
planetary candidates around young stars using NACO SDI
(PI: L. Close)
- VLT (NACO)
Direct detection of Gas giant planets around Sun-like stars:
placing
our solar-system in the context
(PI: M.R.Meyer)
- VATT (GS) - Period 2007B
Optical Turbulence characterization at Mt. Graham
(PI: E. Masciadri)
- VATT (GS) - Period 2007C
Optical Turbulence characterization at Mt. Graham
(PI: E. Masciadri)
- VATT (GS) - Period 2008A
Optical Turbulence characterization at Mt. Graham
(PI: E. Masciadri)
- VATT (GS) - Period 2008C
Optical Turbulence characterization at Mt. Graham
(PI: E. Masciadri)
Commitees
-
Indipendent expert reviewer of projects freely competing for
fundings
by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO).
NWO
stimulates
high-risk innovative and original research and offers
opportunity for researchers to develop pioneering ideas.
- Equal
Opportunity Officer (EOO) for the Max-Planck Society in Germany -
Representative for the MPIA of an organism whose principal task is
to
guarantee equal opportunities for advancements of women in
scientific
careers at the interior of the MP Institutes.
Community
Service
Referee for
peer-reviewed journals:
- Astronomy &
Astrophysics (A&A)
- Astrophysical Journal (ApJ)
- Monthly Notices of
the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS)
- Publications of the
Astronomical
Society of the Pacific (PASP)
- Revista Mexicana
de Astronomia y Astrofisica (RMxAA)
- Journal of Applied Meteorology and
Climatology (American Meteorological Society)