Schools

 

2 - 7 Oct. 2006  IRAM millimetric interferometry school

                          IRAM HQ, Grenoble, France

 

26 Aug. - 7 Sep 1999 Infrared and submillimetric astronomy from space

                                  International school of space science

                                  Coppito (AQ), Italia

 

29 Aug. - 12 Sep 1994 X and gamma ray astronomy from space                  

                                     International school of space science

                                     Coppito (AQ), Italia

                                    

14 - 26 Sep 1992  Ultraviolet and optical astronomy from space                  

                            International school of space science

                            Coppito (AQ), Italia  

 

13 - 17 Nov 1995  Computer networks I: Introductory course

                              University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy

 

19 Nov - 6 Dic 1995  Computer networks II: advanced course

                                   University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy

 

15 - 26 July 1996 Fifth E.S.O.-O.H.P. summer school          

                            Observatoire de Haute Provence   

                            St. Michel, Haute Provence, France

 

 

 

Working career

 

15 Nov. 1998 - 10 Mar 1999

Collaboration with the astrometric group of Turin Observatory (consultant contract) to realize the Second Guide Star Catalog for the Space Telescope 

(Project GSPCII)

 

23 Mar 1999 - 28 Feb 2001

European Southern Observatory (ESO) Post-doctoral Fellowship, duty station at La Silla Observatory (2.2 Team) and Santiago headquarters

 

1 Mar 2001 - 28 Feb 2002    

E.S.O. Staff astronomer, duty station at Paranal Observatory and Santiago headquarters

 

1 Mar. 2002 - 31 Dec. 2006   

E.S.O. Staff astronomer, duty station at La Silla Observatory and Santiago headquarters

 

Jan. 2007 -   current (tenure position)    

E.S.O. Staff astronomer, duty station at Paranal Observatory and Santiago headquarters.

 

 

Technical expertise 

 

• Good knowledge of astronomical data processing software in the optical and in the near infrared (MIDAS, IRAF, VISTA, eclipse, IDL basics), basics of processing of interferometric radio observations (KARMA, MIRIAD)

• Good knowledge of Fortan and HTML, wiki, basics of Tcl/Tk;

• Good knowledge of Linux, OS X (Macintosh);

• Good knowledge of spreadsheets (Excel, Kaleidagraph, Igor, Grace);

• Good level of system maintenance on Mac OS X including scientific software support;

• Experience in optical spectroscopy (long slit and echelle) and imaging; near infrared imaging; active optics with natural and laser guide star; experience in adaptive optics and basics of radio astronomy;

• Instrument scientist of several astronomical instruments (FEROS, Boller&Chivens spectrograph, DFOSC, FORSes, EMMI, NTT, NACO) and experience in use of adaptive optics systems;

• Good knowledge of WFI, ISAAC, SOFI, SUSI, EFOSC2, SINFONI and HAWK-I, telescopes (1.52m, 1.54m Danish, 2.2m, VLT) and Laser Guide Star assisted observations;

• Support level knowledge of UVES, FLAMES, CRIRES, VIMOS.

• Experience in supporting visitor and service mode runs, data quality control and user support at large.

• Experience with pipelines for data reduction, and development/writing of quick look tools for astronomical data;

• Good experience in handling, writing and testing observational and technical templates for ESO instruments;

• Obsering experience at Campo Imperatore Observatory, La Silla and Paranal Observatory, ATCA, IRAM single dish (one run only);

• Several approved observing runs as PI both in La Silla and in Paranal at EFOSC2, EMMI, IRAC2, B&C spectrograph, VIMOS and FORS. Two approved runs at Australian Telescope Compact Array and another approved run at the single dish 30m telescope at IRAM.

 

Expertise within the Organization (ESO)

 

• P.I. of a proposal for a new spectrograph, presented to STC in 2003, following the ESO call for a next generation NTT instrument;

• Contact person at ESO for the 3D-NTT, a wide field of view Fabry-Perot integral field spectrograph, plannned as a visiting instrument for the NTT;

• Invited chairman of the final design review for the 3D-NTT, Meudon Observatory, Paris 2008;

• Acting team leader of La Silla Science Operations team in 2004-2005;
• Responsibility and coordination of the astronomy summer practice of chilean students at La Silla Observatory (2004-2006): this program, unique to La Silla site, allowed recently graduated master students or young PhD students to spend the summer months working on a dedicated project at the Observatory, under the supervision of an ESO staff astronomer.

• Member of the commissioning team for the new FORS1 blue sensitive CCD; among other tasks, my responsibilities were the characterization of the efficiency of the spectroscopic mode, and the creation of a quick-tool to reduce and analyze FORS spectra.

• Member of the commissioning team for the merging of the two FORSes in one instrument: my main responsibility has been to coordinate the preparatory activities of the engineering team, schedule and run SW and HW tests and to define a new procedure to measure the zero polarimetric angle of the instrument after remounting the polarization optics (ESO internal document).