Calendar

Speaker: Fabio Reale (UNIPA)

Authors: F. Reale(1,2), P. Testa(3), A. Petralia(2), D. Graham(4), D. Kolotkov(5)
(1) Dipartimento di Fisica & Chimica, Università di Palermo;
(2) INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo;
(3) Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, Cambridge, USA;
(4) Bay Area Environmental Research Institute, NASA Research Park, Moffett Field, USA;
(5) Centre for Fusion, Space and Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK

Titolo: Impulsive heating in the solar corona: large scale magnetic rearrangements

Abstract:

Speaker: Massimo Brescia (INAF-Osservatorio Asstronomico di Capodimonte).

Titolo: Leverage data science in modern astrophysics
Abstract:
The exploration of the Universe is one of main topics within the research in Physics Sciences. All incoming and on going astrophysical surveys are characterized by a huge amount of heterogeneous multi-wavelength data, which will require efficient automatic methods to be exploited in an optimal and competitive way by the italian scientific community.
Astrophysics data are then characterized by large volume, velocity and
variety, the three conditions at thebase of the Big Data paradigm. Therefore, an approach based on data mining, statistics,
machine and deep learning, in one word Astroinformatics, is required. We
will discuss a variety of such methodologies, already available and validated in several astrophysical contexts, with  the aim at proposing a pragmatic
way to approach the scientific topics of the incoming multi-messenger
Astrophysics.

Speaker: Elisa Guerriero (UNIPA)

Titolo: Development polishing process for bare aluminum mirrors to ARIEL space mission

Abstract: ARIEL is the 4th medium-class mission of ESA’s Cosmic Vision Programme to see and to study the exoplanets’ atmospheres in VIS/IR. The technical innovation of the project is the use of bare aluminum for the mirrors. This material is light, cheap, and available in large quantities, but difficult to polish because it is not very dense. In this seminar, I will talk about my work at Media Lario S.r.l. for the development of the aluminum polishing process, the critical issues and the results obtained.

Speaker: Darius Modirrousta Galian (UNIPA)

Titolo: Exploring Super-Earth Surfaces: Albedo of Near-Airless Magma Ocean Planets and Topography

Abstract:

Speaker: Salvatore Sciortino (INAF)

Titolo: A prototype Palermo- Wavelet Detection Code for the
ATHENA WFI: investigating the effect on detection of telescope (or lack of) baffle
and other new challenges posed by very deep exposures of a large area telescope

Abstract:

I will discuss the motivations for and the initial results of a prototype
version of the so-called Pwedetect code for the Athena WFI.  I will discuss the
use of this prototype for assessing the effect of stray-light in the detection
of weak sources with Athena and results from an on-going extensive set of
simulations that have already pinpoint some of the new challenges that the WFI
poses with respect to the past and current generation of X-ray imaging detectors.

Titolo:

Dalla Società degli Spettroscopisti Italiani alla Società Astronomica Italiana: storia della SAIt

Abstract:

Cent’anni fa, nel 1920, nel corso di una riunione tenutasi all’Accademia dei Lincei, nasceva la Società Astronomica Italiana, come risultato della trasformazione della Società degli Spettroscopisti Italiani. In questo talk saranno ripercorsi i passaggi salienti che hanno portato alla nascita della SAIt, con un breve excursus sui suoi primi cinquant’anni di vita.

ID Google Meet: >>> https://meet.google.com/sxz-cctp-tsc <<<

Speaker: Giada Genua

Titolo: Tutela, conservazione e restauro dei beni librari del fondo Piazzi, presso la Specola Universitaria di Palermo: primi risultati di un progetto di ricerca

Abstract:

Nel seminario verranno presentati i primi risultati del lavoro di conservazione e restauro attualmente in corso sui libri del fondo Piazzi, cioè la collezione libraria di proprietà del fondatore dell’Osservatorio Astronomico, lasciati in eredità all’istituto alla sua morte; la collezione costituisce dunque il nucleo originario della biblioteca dell’Osservatorio.
Verranno descritte le altre attività di ricerca svolte in parallelo: lo sviluppo di un database relazionale dettagliato sui libri del Fondo, utile per la condivisione e l’implementazione di futuri studi sull’argomento e lo studio sulle carte decorate presenti sulle legature di molti dei libri della collezione. Si discuteranno inoltre le tracce presenti in biblioteca delle interessanti relazioni di Piazzi con la Stamperia Reale, un’altra istituzione creata sul finire del ‘700 come parte del rinnovamento culturale e scientifico di Palermo.
Questa attività fa parte di un più ampio progetto mirato allo studio della fondazione e delle prime fasi di vita dell’Osservatorio Astronomico.

>>> ID Google meet: meet.google.com/sxz-cctp-tsc  <<<

Speaker: Emanuele Greco (UNIPA)

Titolo: Unveiling pure-metal ejecta X-ray emission in supernova remnants through their radiative recombination

Abstract:

Spectral analysis of X-ray emission from ejecta in supernova remnants (SNRs) is hampered by the low spectral resolution of CCD detectors, which typically creates a degeneracy between the best-fit values of chemical abundances and the plasma emission measure. The combined contribution of shocked ambient medium and ejecta to the emerging X-ray emission further complicates the determination of the ejecta mass and chemical composition. This degeneracy leads to big uncertainties in mass estimates and can introduce a bias in the comparison between the ejecta chemical composition derived from the observations and the yields predicted by explosive nucleosynthesis models. We explore the capabilities of present and future spectral instruments with the aim of identifying a spectral feature which may allow us to discriminate between metal-rich and pure-metal plasmas in X-ray spectra of SNRs. We studied the behaviour of the most common X-ray emission processes of an optically thin plasma in the high-abundance regime. We investigated spectral features of bremsstrahlung, radiative recombination continua (RRC) and line emission, by exploring a wide range of chemical abundances, plasma temperatures and ionization parameters. We then synthesized X-ray spectra from a state-of-the-art 3D hydrodynamic (HD) simulation of Cas A, by using the response matrix from the Chandra ACIS-S CCD detector and that of the XRISM/Resolve X-ray calorimeter spectrometer. We found that a bright RRC shows up when the plasma is made of pure-metal ejecta, and a high spectral resolution is needed to actually identify this ejecta signature. We tested and verified the applicability of our novel diagnostic tool and we propose a promising target for the future detection of such spectral feature: the southeastern Fe-rich clump of Cas A. We found that, while there is no way to unambiguously reveal pure-metal ejecta emission with CCD detectors, X-ray calorimeters will be able to pinpoint the presence of pure-metal RRC and to recover correctly absolute mass and the chemical composition of the ejecta, opening a new window on the link progenitor-supernova-remnant.