INAF-OACT Director s Talk

Transcription

1 INAF-OACT Director s Talk

2 History 1445 Foundation of the Catania University (To no Sicilians will it be permitted to study but in Catania. King Alfonso d Aragona June ) 1788 First Cattedra di Astronomia (Vincenzo Zuccarello) 1880 Foundation of the Osservatorio Vincenzo Bellini (Etna 2940 m a.s.l. Pietro Tacchini) 1885 Foundation of the city building (at the Monastero dei Benedettini ) 1890 First Cattedra di Astrofisica (Annibale Riccò)

3 Directors Santo Catalano 1/1/02-19/7/05 Marcello Rodonò 20/7/05-23/10/05 Santo Catalano 24/10/05-28/2/06 Giovanni Strazzulla 1/3/06-today Marcello Rodonò 29 Jan Oct 2005

4 Today The Catania Astrophysical Observatory (INAF-OACT) is one of the nineteen research centers of the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF). We have two centers. The main center, dedicated to A. Riccò, is inside the Catania University Campus, where research offices, library, laboratories, optomechanic workshops, and the solar observing station are located. The second one, dedicated to M.G. Fracastoro, is a mountain observing station on the south-west side of Mt. Etna at 1750 m a.s.l. (Ragalna, CT), where five telescopes and a guesthouse are located.

5 Local collaborations There is a complete integration with the Astrophysical section of the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the local University with common resources (students, personnel, laboratories etc) The Observatory is member of the Consorzio Scuola Superiore di Catania an excellence Universitary School Other Local Collaborations: - National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) - Some institutes of Italian CNR (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche) - Factories: ST-Microelectronics, HITECH

6 Personnel Tech/Adm Res Staff Res (non staff)

7 Staff Tech/adm non permanent res Research 44 6 Tech/adm non permanent res Research Tech/adm non permanent res Research 20 Tech/adm non permanent res Research

8 The total number of permanent staff personnel (2007) is 68: 27 researchers (of which 6 women, 22%) and 41 technicians and administrative (15 women, 37%). The number of non staff research personnel during 2007 has been 20 (7 women, 35%).

9 Permanent research staff N Full Associated Researchers

10 Two researchers are permanently working at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (Canary Islands, Spain). In the next three years no retirements are foreseen for the scientific staff. One full astronomer (Massimo Turatto) is waiting to be appointed being the winner of a public competition. A competition for two junior positions should start within this year.

11 Non-Permanent research staff 12 N 8 4 Researchers Fellows PostDoc In addition about ten PhD students whose salary is provided by the University, have as co-tutor researchers of the Observatory staff.

12 Incoming Funds (kiloeuro) INTERNAL INAF-FFO PRIN INAF (competitive) 90 INAF UIT (competitive) 170 EXTERNAL MUR Italian Ministry for University and Research PRIN MUR (competitive) MUR Outreach MUR PON INTRANET 200 COMETA PROJECT 250 ASI-Italian Space Agency ASI CONTRACTS 1 60 ASI- Project WSO/UV UE-European Union Projects UE-MARIE CURIE 380 UE- Virtual Observatory Sicilian Region TRIGRID 210 Investment Industries Contracts 1 4 TOTAL (keuro) NOTE: Part of the funds in red are for external contractors

13 INAF-OACT Director Administration Services Laboratories R&D Observation and researches Outreach Library Computing Center Technical Office Storehouse Experimental Astrophysics Detectors HPC Solar Observations Etnean Observing Station Research Projects General Telescope Automation Optic/Electronic

14 Mt. Etna as seen from the A. Riccò Observatory headquarters in Catania. The location of the M.G. Fracastoro mountain station (1725 m a.s.l.) is indicated by the red arrow. Due to the nearby small crater Mt. Vetore the M.G. Fracastoro station results out of sight from the Catania headquarters

15 Cassegrain reflector 91cm, f/15. Operating with: -Photometer: filters UBV, Stromgren; res 0.1 sec -Spectrograph (FRESCO Fiber-optic Reosc Echelle Spectrograph of Catania Observatory). The camera has been developed and is maintained by the COLD team. Schmidt large field reflector, 61-41cm, f/4.5. Presently it is on maintenance. APT-80/1, Automated Photometric Telescope (AutoScope Co., Tucson AZ, USA) Ritchey-Chretien 80cm, f/10, equipped with a photoelectric photometer (UBV). APT-80/2, Automated Photometric Telescope (Marcon) Cassegrain 80cm, f/8, equipped with a CCD camera. MEADE 40cm, f/10, for visual observations (outreach) The automation of the telescopes is home-made by a group of technicians.

16 Venus transit on the solar disk - June 08, 2004 Hα "center" Continuum Sunspot Drawing Solar observations are performed in Catania since more than a century. Equatorial spar: Cook refractor (150/2230 mm) and 6 optical benches. Daily observations, made available through the web page, consist of: - photosphere white light observations, sunspot shape and sunspot group drawing; -Chromosphere imaging in Hα (band width A) using a CCD (2048 x 2048 pixel, dynamical range 16 bit) camera; digital images are collected every 15 min at the line center and every 60 min at the wings. The CCD controller has been developed and is maintained by the COLD team.

17 Library - More than volumes, 410 Journals, 234 historical books -Access to online Journals - Historical archive ( ) - Astronomical National Catalogues : CUBAI (Catalogo Unico Biblioteche Astron Ital) ACNP (Archivio Collettivo Nazionale Periodici) OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue)

18 CED Computer center of the Catania Astrophysical Observatory.

19 Researchers Distributions in the five Macroareas 1. Cosmology 2. Stars and ISM 3. Sun and SS 4. Relativistic 5. Technology Tot 1st choice 2nd choice

20 Research interests : Multi-wavelength researches on: Sun, Solar System, Interstellar Medium, External Galaxies, Cosmology Stars, Astrobiology and search for extraterrestrial planets Space Missions (WSO-UV, Solar Orbiter; SOHO, GAIA, Planck, HELAS, Kepler, COROT ) Laboratory experiments on energetic processing of solid materials Technological activities on detectors and focal-plane instruments High performance computing and Virtual Observatory (including GRID-computing)

21 Speaker Time ( ) Macro-Area TITLE Bonanno Giovanni 11:45 am 5. Technology Innovative detectors for astrophysical applications Lanza Antonio F. 12:10 am 2. Stars and ISM Magnetic activity and rotation in late type stars Spadaro Daniele 12:35 am 3. Sun & Solar System Solar physics research projects Umana Grazia 1:00 pm 2. Stars and ISM Circumstellar environments: towards a new era full of opportunities (ALMA, PLANCK, HERSCHEL, VLA, SKA) Break 1:30 pm Becciani Ugo AntonuccioDelogu Vincenzo 3:00 pm 1/5 Cosmology/ Technology Cosmology and astrophysical software technology (theory, simulation and VO-data exploration) Bonanno Alfio 3:25 pm 2. Stars and ISM Asteroseismology across the HR diagram Frasca Antonio 3:50 pm 2. Stars and ISM Pre-main sequence and young stars Pagano Isabella 4:15 pm 2. Stars and ISM Field Camera Unit for WSO-UV (World Space Observatory for Ultraviolet) Palumbo Maria Elisabetta 4:40 pm 3. Sun & Solar System Laboratory studies of solids and molecules of astrophysical interest

22 Publications Refereed Invited Conferences TechRep et al

23 Outreach

24 Outreach One of the drawings of the competition Osserva il cielo e disegna le tue emozioni (Observe the sky and draw your feelings) we organized for students of primary schools

25 The next three years Infrastructures Objective Connected questions We are ready to build up We have only 0.6 Meuro a new building (1100 We need 4 Meuro!! sqm).

26 The next three years Personnel Objective Connected questions Res: 1-2 new units/year Res: I have to make the choices taking into account different inputs Res: how to govern a career progression? Non res: Which admin duties will be on charge to the central office? Non Staff: we need to regulate the number at national level. Non res: Turn over Non Staff:??

27 The next three years Funds (Meuro/yr) Objective (Today) Connected questions INAF 0.6 (0.5) MUR 1.0 (0.3) MISE 0.3 (0.0) ASI 2.0 (0.4) EU 0.1 (0.04) Reg 1.0 (0.1) Ind 0.1 (0.02) Tot 5.1 (1.4) ASI Management of complex missions Reg funds for technol res with industrial partners

28 The next three years Research We will try to find more internal synergies and international collaborations. Examples: Internal We believe that several researches from different groups could contribute to: WSO, Solar Orbiter and UV astronomy Science in preparation of ALMA Exoplanets & Astrobiology & Young Stars Technological research Innovative detectors HPC (including GRID) International collaborations In addition to the many collaborations that staff members already have a fundamental improvement will be to offer to our students and Post-doc to have significant work-experiences abroad. We have already some of them that have been or presently are at foreign institutions (ESO, France, Germany, Holland, USA, etc etc).

29 The method I suggest to overcome any critical point is the PET-therapy Passion! Enthusiasm! Toughness!