inaf-oact director’s talk 2004-2007
TRANSCRIPT
History
1445 – Foundation of the Catania University(To no Sicilians will it be permitted to study but in Catania…. King Alfonso
d’Aragona June 9 1445)
1788 – First “Cattedra di Astronomia” (VincenzoZuccarello)
1880 – Foundation of the Osservatorio VincenzoBellini (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)
Marcello Rodonò29 Jan 1941 - 23 Oct 2005
Directors 2004-2007
Santo Catalano 1/1/02-19/7/05Marcello Rodonò 20/7/05-23/10/05Santo Catalano 24/10/05-28/2/06Giovanni Strazzulla 1/3/06-today
The Catania Astrophysical Observatory (INAF-OACT) is one of the nineteenresearch centers of the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF).
We have two centers. The main center, dedicated to A. Riccò, is inside theCatania University Campus, where research offices, library, laboratories, opto-mechanic workshops, and the solar observing station are located.
The second one, dedicated to M.G. Fracastoro, is a mountain observing stationon the south-west side of Mt. Etna at 1750 m a.s.l. (Ragalna, CT), where fivetelescopes and a guesthouse are located.
Today
Local collaborations
There is a complete integration with the Astrophysical section of theDepartment of Physics and Astronomy of the local University with commonresources (students, personnel, laboratories etc)
The Observatory is member of the “Consorzio ScuolaSuperiore di Catania” an excellence Universitary School
Other Local Collaborations:- National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN)- Some institutes of Italian CNR (ConsiglioNazionale delle Ricerche)
- Factories: ST-Microelectronics, HITECH
Staff
40
16
29
Tech/adm non permanent res Research
40
6
29
Tech/adm non permanent res Research
44
6
26
Tech/adm non permanent res Research
2004 2005
2006 2007
41
20
27
Tech/adm non permanent res Research
• The total number of permanent staffpersonnel (2007) is 68: 27 researchers (ofwhich 6 women, 22%) and 41 techniciansand administrative (15 women, 37%). Thenumber of non staff research personnelduring 2007 has been 20 (7 women, 35%).
• Two researchers are permanently working at theTelescopio Nazionale Galileo (Canary Islands,Spain).
• In the next three years no retirements areforeseen for the scientific staff. One fullastronomer (Massimo Turatto) is waiting to beappointed being the winner of a publiccompetition.
• A competition for two junior positions shouldstart within this year.
Non-Permanent research staff
0
4
8
12
N
2004 2005 2006 2007
Researchers
Fellows
PostDoc
In addition about ten PhD students whose salary is provided by theUniversity, have as co-tutor researchers of the Observatory staff.
1310135510461149TOTAL (keuro)
1641Contracts
Industries
35353560Investment
210TRIGRID
Sicilian Region
292540UE- Virtual Observatory
380UE-MARIE CURIE
1363Projects
UE-European Union
360ASI- Project WSO/UV
35601ASI CONTRACTS
ASI-Italian Space Agency
250250COMETA PROJECT
200MUR PON INTRANET
20182020MUR Outreach
45170140PRIN MUR (competitive)
MUR Italian Ministry for University and Research
EXTERNAL
170INAF – UIT (competitive)
90PRIN INAF (competitive)
520540520485INAF-FFO
INTERNAL
2007200620052004Incoming Funds (kiloeuro)
NOTE: Part of the funds in red are for external contractors
INAF-OACT
Director
AdministrationServices
Library
ComputingCenter
TechnicalOffice
Storehouse
General
Laboratories R&D
ExperimentalAstrophysics
Detectors
HPC
Telescope
Automation
Optic/Electronic
Observationand researches
SolarObservations
Etnean ObservingStation
ResearchProjects
Outreach
Mt. Etna as seen from the “A. Riccò” Observatory headquarters inCatania. The location of the “M.G. Fracastoro” mountain station (1725m 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 fromthe Catania headquarters
Cassegrain reflector 91cm, f/15.Operating with:-Photometer: filters UBV, Stromgren; res0.1 sec-Spectrograph (FRESCO Fiber-optic ReoscEchelle Spectrograph of CataniaObservatory). The camera has beendeveloped and is maintained by the COLDteam.
Schmidt large field reflector, 61-41cm,f/4.5. Presently it is on maintenance.
APT-80/1, Automated PhotometricTelescope (AutoScope Co., Tucson AZ,USA) Ritchey-Chretien 80cm, f/10,equipped with a photoelectric photometer(UBV).APT-80/2, Automated PhotometricTelescope (Marcon) Cassegrain 80cm,f/8, equipped with a CCD camera.MEADE 40cm, f/10, for visualobservations (outreach)
The automation of the telescopes is home-made by a group of technicians.
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 0.25-0.5 A) using a CCD (2048 x2048 pixel, dynamical range 16 bit) camera; digital images are collected every 15 minat the line center and every 60 min at the wings.
The CCD controller has been developed and is maintained by the COLD team.
Hα "center" Continuum
Venus transit on the solar disk - June 08, 2004
Sunspot Drawing
Library
- More than 10.000 volumes, 410Journals , 234 historical books-Access to online Journals- Historical archive (1718-1954)
- Astronomical National Catalogues :CUBAI (Catalogo Unico Biblioteche AstronItal)ACNP (Archivio Collettivo NazionalePeriodici)OPAC (Online Public Access Catalogue)
Researchers
Distributions in the five Macroareas
1st choice 2nd choice
1. Cosmology 1 3
2. Stars and ISM 13 9
3. Sun and SS 8 6
4. Relativistic 0 3
5. Technology 3 3
Tot 25 24
Research interests :
• Multi-wavelength researches on: Sun, Solar System, Stars,Interstellar Medium, External Galaxies, Cosmology
• 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 (includingGRID-computing)
Laboratory studies of solids and molecules of astrophysicalinterest
3. Sun & SolarSystem
4:40 pmPalumbo MariaElisabetta
Field Camera Unit for WSO-UV (World Space Observatory forUltraviolet)
2. Stars and ISM4:15 pmPagano Isabella
Pre-main sequence and young stars2. Stars and ISM3:50 pmFrasca Antonio
Asteroseismology across the HR diagram2. Stars and ISM3:25 pmBonanno Alfio
Cosmology and astrophysical software technology (theory,simulation and VO-data exploration)
1/5 Cosmology/Technology
3:00 pmBecciani UgoAntonuccio-DeloguVincenzo
Break 1:30 pm
Circumstellar environments: towards a new era full ofopportunities (ALMA, PLANCK, HERSCHEL, VLA, SKA)
2. Stars and ISM1:00 pmUmana Grazia
Solar physics research projects3. Sun & SolarSystem
12:35 amSpadaro Daniele
Magnetic activity and rotation in late type stars2. Stars and ISM12:10 amLanza AntonioF.
Innovative detectors for astrophysical applications5. Technology11:45 amBonannoGiovanni
TITLEMacro-AreaTime(17.12.2007)
Speaker
Publications
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
2004 2005 2006 2007
Refereed
Invited
Conferences
TechRep et al
One of the drawings of the competition “Osservail cielo e disegna le tue emozioni” (Observe thesky and draw your feelings) we organized forstudents of primary schools
Outreach
The next three years2008-2010
We have only 0.6 Meuro
We need 4 Meuro!!
We are ready to build upa new building (1100sqm).
Connected questionsObjective
Infrastructures
The next three years2008-2010
Res: I have to make thechoices taking into accountdifferent inputs
Res: how to govern a careerprogression?
Non res: Which adminduties will be on charge tothe central office?
Non Staff: we need toregulate the number atnational level.
Res: 1-2 new units/year
Non res: Turn over
Non Staff: ??
Connected questionsObjective
Personnel
The next three years2008-2010
ASI Management ofcomplex missions
Reg funds for technol reswith industrial partners
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)
Connected questionsObjective (Today)
Funds (Meuro/yr)
The next three years2008-2010
ResearchWe will try to find more internal synergies and international collaborations.Examples:InternalWe 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 collaborationsIn addition to the many collaborations that staff members already have afundamental improvement will be to offer to our students and Post-doc to havesignificant work-experiences abroad. We have already some of them that havebeen or presently are at foreign institutions (ESO, France, Germany, Holland, USA,etc etc).