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Colliding neutron stars (NSs) are strong sources of gravitational radiation, and one of the most promising candidates for direct detection by advanced LIGO. Following the spectacular observations of gravitational waves from GW150914 – produced by the collision of two black holes – we can now expect that the direct detection of NS collisions is just around the corner. Growing observational evidence shows that NS collisions also produce bright electromagnetic signals: gamma-ray bursts, and macronovae. The former are brief flashes of gamma-ray radiation, the latter are short-lived infrared transients powered by the radioactive decay of heavy nuclei. The simultaneous detection of both electromagnetic and gravitational radiation arising from NS collisions would be a revolutionary observation. This exciting prospect makes these systems prime targets in the era of multi-messenger astronomy. In this talk, I present ongoing observational efforts to characterize the electromagnetic signatures of NS collisions, and outline future initiatives aimed at exploring the gravitational wave sky.

CARMENES, the brand-new, Spanish-German, two-channel, ultra-stabilised, high-resolution spectrograph at the 3.5 m Calar Alto telescope, started its science survey on 01 Jan 2016. In one shot, it covers from 0.52 to 1.71 mum with resolution R = 94,600 (lambda less then 0.96) and 80,400 (lambda larger than 0.96 mum). During guaranteed time observations, CARMENES carries out the programme for which the instrument was designed: radial-velocity monitoring of bright, nearby, low-mass dwarfs with spectral types between M0.0 V and M9.5 V. Carmencita is the CARMEN(ES) Cool dwarf Information and daTa Archive, our input catalogue, from which we select the about 300 targets being observed during guaranteed time. Besides that, Carmencita is perhaps the most comprehensive database of bright, nearby M dwarfs ever built, as well as a useful tool for forthcoming exo-planet hunters: ESPRESSO, HPF, IRD, SPIRou, TESS or even PLATO. Carmencita contains dozens of parameters measured by us or compiled from the literature for about 2,200 M dwarfs in the solar neighbourhood brighter than J = 11.5 mag: accurate coordinates, spectral types, photometry from ultraviolet to mid-infrared, parallaxes and spectro-photometric distances, rotational and radial velocities, Halpha pseudo-equivalent widths, X-ray count rates and hardness ratios, close and wide multiplicity data, proper motions, Galactocentric space velocities, metallicities, full references, homogeneously derived astrophysical parameters, and much more. I will briefly describe the instrument CARMENES, the consortium that built it and now operates it, the sample, the status of the science survey, and some ideas for the future.

I will present results from my recent papers based on XMM-Newton observations of young stars in Star Forming Regions near Orion A (Kappa Ori) and Rho Ophiuchi. These observations were aimed at discovering new young stars and infer their ages, their distances and the relationship with the parent cloud. In Kappa Ori, with 40 ks of XMM/EPIC we have derived X-ray fluxes and luminosities of about 120 young stars with and without disks near Kappa Ori (B0 type). X-ray luminosity functions provided a “yardstick” to infer that these stars form a separate cluster centered on Kappa Ori (~250 pc), much closer than ONC (~410 pc) and unrelated to it. In Rho Ophiuchi, with 50+140 ks we have discovered a group of disk-less stars around Rho Oph itself and significantly older (5-10 Myr) than the bulk of YSOs (1 Myr) in the main core of the cloud, L1688. As an unexpected discovery, Rho Oph itself is a periodic emitter of hard X-rays, mimicking a “X-ray lighthouse”, and hinting that either a strong magnetism or an unseen companion are the source of such X-rays.

Space missions are very complex projects with peculiar characteristics such as: strategic importance, extent of international participation, specialized industrial sector, high investment costs, long-term program duration, impossibility of intervening in space for repairs and/or maintenance. These peculiarities strongly influence the realization process since its conception. This talk provides an introduction to methods and tools of project management of a space mission under the guidance of the European Space Agency. The following topics will be covered: General section: – Introduction to management of complex projects; – Key elements for the design of a space mission; – Main phases for the development of a space mission; – The life cycle of ESA programs; – The European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS) documentation for project management and quality control. Phase A study: – Objectives of a phase A; – The main activities of analysis and development; – Preliminary Requirements Review (PRR) documentation.