El investigador del Instituto de Ciencias del Espacio (ICE-CSIC) Jordi Isern i Vilaboy ha sido nombrado recientemente presidente de la Real Academia de Ciencias y Artes de Barcelona (RACAB), cuya finalidad es promover las ciencias y las artes aplicadas en el ámbito de la cultura y la sociedad catalanas.

Especializado en astrofísica teórica, Jordi Isern es doctor en Ciencias Físicas por la Universitat de Barcelona. Sus campos de investigación son las últimas etapas de la evolución estelar, evolución de la galaxia y astronomía de rayos gamma (explosiones de supernova).

Es miembro de la Real Academia Europea de Doctores desde 2001, presidió el comité asesor científico del Observatorio de Calar Alto entre 2006 y 2010 y fue miembro del comité asesor de ciencias espaciales de la Agencia Espacial Europea (2013-2017). En 2012, fue galardonado con el premio Narcis Monturiol de la Generalitat de Catalunya.

La Real Academia de Ciencias y Artes de Barcelona fue fundada en 1764 como una sociedad literaria y recibió su nombre actual en 1887. Tiene su sede en Barcelona y forma parte del patrimonio de la Academia el Observatorio Fabra. Se divide en siete secciones: matemática y astronomía, física, química, ciencias de la Tierra, biología, tecnología y artes.

Puedes encontrar más información aquí.

Puedes leer su blog "Exploració del Cosmos" en Divulcat aquí.

• L’ICE és el tercer centre del CSIC a Catalunya que participa en el programa Magnet, després de l’Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) i el Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC).
• El Departament d’Educació, la Fundació Jaume Bofill i l'Institut de Ciències de l’Educació de la UAB promouen aquesta iniciativa, amb la col·laboració d’institucions culturals i científiques del territori i de les administracions locals, com és el cas de l’Ajuntament d’Igualada.

L’Institut de Ciències de l’Espai (ICE-CSIC) comença a participar aquest curs 2021-22 en un projecte d’innovació educativa en el marc del Programa “Magnet, aliances per a l’èxit educatiu”, que desenvolupen 31 centre educatius d’arreu de Catalunya. El projecte fomentarà un aprenentatge científic i tecnològic a l’alumnat de l’Escola Gabriel Castellà i Raich, a Igualada.

En la presentació del programa Magnet a la capital de l’Anoia han participat representants de les institucions que l’impulsen, com ara el Consistori d’Igualada, el Departament d’Educació, la Fundació Jaume Bofill, l’ICE-CSIC i l’Escola Gabriel Castellà i Raich.

El director de l'ICE, Diego F. Torres, ha transmès el compromís i la il·lusió del centre amb el programa i ha assegurat que la possibilitat de fer ciència "no és tan llunyana". A més, ha explicat que Magnet cristalitza el compromís de l’institut amb la divulgació i el retorn científic a la ciutadania.
 
Gabriel Castellà, una escola, un univers d'aprenentatge
L’aliança amb l’Institut de Ciències de l’Espai (ICE-CSIC) té com a objectiu estimular el pensament científic de l’alumnat de l’escola Gabriel Castellà. Fer-se preguntes, fomentar la capacitat d’observació, cercar evidències i qüestionar-se les respostes permetrà a l’alumnat comprendre que la ciència és un sistema basat en l’evidència, l’experimentació i el raonament.

L’expertesa de l’ICE-CSIC fomentarà un aprenentatge científic i tecnològic a l’alumnat. L’ICE és el tercer centre del CSIC a Catalunya que participa en el programa Magnet, després de l’Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) en aliança amb l’Escola Tanit, i el Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC) en aliança amb l’Institut Rocagrossa de Lloret de Mar.

MAGNET. Aliances per a l’èxit educatiu
“MAGNET. Aliances per a l’èxit educatiu” és un programa que involucra centres educatius i institucions de referència en projectes educatius innovadors i de qualitat. L’objectiu és acompanyar els centres educatius en el desenvolupament de projectes portats a terme en aliança amb una institució de referència. Magnet és un programa impulsat conjuntament pel Departament d’Educació de la Generalitat de Catalunya, la Fundació Jaume Bofill i l’Institut de Ciències de l’Educació de la UAB, ens col·laboració amb ajuntaments com és el cas d’Igualada.

Les institucions que hi participen són institucions capdavanteres en un camp de coneixement específic (ciència, tecnologia, art, comunicació audiovisual, etc.) que tenen un compromís educatiu amb la societat, i una gran capacitat de transferir innovació i coneixement.

El programa Magnet aplega 33 centres educatius amb un total de 10.168 alumnes i 1.107 docents de 19 municipis de tot Catalunya. Aquest curs 2021-22 comencen set projectes nous, entre els quals hi ha l’Escola Gabriel Castellà i Raich. La resta de centres catalans que s’han incorporat al projecte Magnet aquest curs són l'Escola Ferreries (Tortosa), l’Escola El Vallès (Terrassa), l’Escola Margalló (Castelldefels), l’Escola Rubió i Ors (Reus), l’Escola Gabriel Castellà i Raich (Igualada), l'Institut Rocagrossa (Lloret de Mar) i l'Institut La Serreta (Rubí).

The European Researchers' Night is a Europe-wide public event, which includes workshops, talks and activities covering multiple scientific fields in order to bring research and researchers closer to the public. The Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC) will participate in different scheduled activities over this week.

Let’s talk about the origin of the universe

ICE Researcher Emilio Elizalde will give the talk "L'origen de l'univers: parlem-ne" (Let’s talk about the origin of the universe), within a block of 3 talks of 20 minutes each at the Barradas Auditorium in Hospitalet de Llobregat.

• September 21st, from 19:00 to 20:30
• Barradas Auditorium (Rambla Just Oliveras, 56, 08901 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona).
• If you want to attend the event, please send an email to pessicsdeciencia@gmail.com or call 93 403 20 99.

Find more information here.


Research in an ever-changing world

CSIC centers in Catalonia participate jointly in a series of Science Slam talks, where CSIC scientists will speak about their research projects.

ICE researcher Daniele Viganò will participate with a talk about magnetic planets, where he will talk about the important role of magnetic fields on planets, both in the solar system and in other star systems. He will describe how planetary magnetic fields helps to understand the characteristics of many known giant planets and to protect the biosphere from rocky planets through the European IMAGINE project.

Viganò obtained one of the seven Starting Grants awarded annually by the European Research Council (ERC) for the IMAGINE project, which aims to study magnetic fields on exoplanets. These projects are included in the Excellent Science pillar of the Horizon 2020 program of the European Union (EU).

This ongoing project "focuses on magnetic fields as a key factor for the habitability of rocky planets, just like on Earth, and as a messenger of the internal composition and dynamics of exoplanets in general”, explains scientist Daniele Viganò.

• September 22nd, from 18:00 to 20:00
• Residència d'Investigadors (Carrer de l'Hospital, 64, 08001, Barcelona).
• Register here.

Find more about the ERC IMAGINE project.
Check out the poster of the IMAGINE Project at Nit de la Recerca’s website.


The Online Code Hunting Game, a collaboration with Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF)

The Institute of Space Sciences collaborated with the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF) to provide the opportunity to play The Online Code Hunting Game. You’ll find a worldwide map with hints to look for pins with locations corresponding to museums, astronomical observatories and research centers. ICE sent locations and translations of the pins in English, Spanish and Catalan. The game will be officially launched on September 24th here.

• September 24th
• Play online here

You will only need:

• a smartphone
• a Telegram account
• data connection
• a QR code scanner (in fact, this is not mandatory: you could also click on the QR Code in order to obtain the same effect)

Researchers from the Institute of the Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC) lead an ESA test campaign using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), yielding a sharper way of sea tracking.
 
ICE researchers Estel Cardellach and Serni Ribó set up an experimental satellite navigation receiver station high atop Mallorca island, that picks up satnav signals as they bounce off ocean waves in a way that is not possible with commercial receivers.
 
The experiment took place in the Air Force’s Air Surveillance Squadron 7 in Mallorca. It has been in motion from April to July and it has produced an extensive dataset: collecting data at 320 MB per second, the campaign has compiled over 40 Terabytes of GNSS-R data.
 
This test campaign was supported through ESA’s Open Space Innovation Platform and it will pave the way for a new small reflectometry mission called PRETTY (Passive REflecTomeTry and dosimetry), which is scheduled to be launched in the second half of 2022.
 
 
More information

• ESA press release.
• CSIC project Teledetect.
• IMEDEA Press release.
• Talk by ICE researcher Estel Cardellach explaining how the data transmitted from the satellites can be used in different applications on Earth. 

Source: European Space Agency (ESA).

A new study recently published in The Astrophysical Journal explores the possibility of inferring the properties of the Galactic neutron star population through machine learning – an implementation of artificial intelligence that gives systems the ability to automatically improve and learn from previous experiences without being explicitly told how to do so.

ICE researchers Michele Ronchi, Vanessa Graber, Nanda Rea and Alberto García, who are members of the ERC Magnesia project, explored for the first time how machine learning can be used for the comparison between the synthetic sample and the observed characteristics. The article led by ICE researchers found out that a convolutional neural network is able to estimate with high accuracy the parameters which control the current positions of a mock population of pulsars.

Although about a billion neutron stars are expected to exist in our own galaxy, observational constraints limit us to only detecting a small fraction of them. That is why we only know a few thousands of these compact objects to date. To overcome this gap, so-called population synthesis approaches are used to theoretically model the full population of pulsars in the Milky Way.
 
The analysis further highlights the crucial need for increasing the sample of known pulsars and accurately classifying them in order to infer the properties from the real pulsar population. This is closely linked to the science drivers of upcoming radio telescopes, in particular the Square Kilometer Array, an international effort to build the world’s largest radio telescope.

Further implications

Machine learning techniques have seen a lot of interest in the astronomy and astrophysics community, where it is often no longer possible to evaluate large amounts of data by hand.

This kind of global population synthesis study using machine learning allows scientists to better constrain the input physics and learn more about neutron stars on an individual level.

More information

This research is presented in the paper “Analyzing the Galactic Pulsar Distribution with Machine Learning”, published in The Astrophysical Journal. You can find it here.
 
The ERC Magnesia project, funded by a H2020 ERC Consolidator Grant, will develop a sound magnetar census via an innovative approach that will build the first pulsar population synthesis model able to cope with constraints from multi-band observations.
 

The astrophysicist Nanda Rea from the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC) was honoured yesterday at a ceremony at the Palau Robert in Barcelona, in which she received the insignia of Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy.

This award is awarded by the President of the Italian Republic, on the proposal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, in order to honour those who have acquired special merit in the promotion of friendly relations and collaboration between Italy and other countries, and the promotion of ties with Italy.

Born in Rome, Dr. Rea has a degree in Physics and a PhD in Astrophysics from the Tor Vergata University of Rome. She is a tenured scientist at Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) –at the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC)–  since 2016, and member of the Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC).

Her research focuses on the study of magnetars: neutron stars with high speed of rotation and extremely intense magnetic fields. Over the last years, she has contributed to connecting research in Italy and Spain by coordinating and participating in workshops and conferences. Besides other international distinctions, in Spain she received the Young Research Talent Award by the Fundació Catalana per a la Recerca i la Innovació (FCRi), and the Banco Sabadell Foundation Award for Sciences and Engineering. The Fundación Real Academia de Ciencias de España (FRACE) also awarded her the Prize for Young Female Scientific Talent (Physics and Chemistry category).

“I’m honoured that that my work as an Italian researcher has been recognised outside of Italy”, says Rea. The Order of the Star of Italy was established by Law Nº 13 on February 3rd, 2011, which updated the name, purpose and categories of the previous Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity. The new name of the Order of the Star of Italy responds to the changes since World War II, when the Order was founded to honour Italians abroad or foreigners who had helped in the reconstruction of Italy.
 
A research career on neutron stars

In 2018, Dr. Rea received a H2020 ERC Consolidator Grant, awarded by the European Research Council (ERC), for the Magnesia project, which will develop a sound magnetar census via an innovative approach that will build the first pulsar population synthesis model able to cope with constraints from multi-band observations, and taking into account 3D magnetic field evolution models and flaring rates for neutron stars.

She is also the principal investigator (PI) of the COST action “Pharos”, whose aim is to unravel the challenges of physics involved in neutron stars. Nanda Rea is member of the science study team of ATHENA (Advanced Telescope for High-Energy Astrophysics), an X-ray mission selected by the European Space Agency (ESA), within its Cosmic Vision Program (2015-2025) to address the Hot and Energetic Universe scientific theme.

In 2014, she received the prestigious Zeldovich Medal, awarded by the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) and the Russian Academy of Sciences, for her discovery of the first magnetar with a weak magnetic field, followed in 2015 by the Young Scientist Award from the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP).

In addition to her remarkable career, Nanda Rea collaborates in the promotion of ties with the research field in Italy. In April this year, Dr. Rea coordinated, along with the Italian Consulate and the Institute of Italian Culture in Barcelona, a conference on the occasion of the Italian Research Day in the World, aimed at highlighting Italian scientific talent and promoting scientific innovation by Italian artists in the musical field.
 
More information

• The recognition was collected in the Decree of the President della Repubblica of May 28, 2020 and can be consulted here. Conferimento dell'Onorificenza di Cavaliere dell'Ordine della «Stella d'Italia». (20A03791) (GU Serie Generale n.182 del 21-07-2020)
• Ordine della Stella d'Italia. 

• Study reveals two groups of meteorites have their origins in primitive asteroids
• These cosmic fossils contain matter from the birth of our Solar System
• The meteorites might have a shared asteroid parent, but evolved differently

A recent paper published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS) has revealed new clues about the origin and evolution of the parent asteroids of two groups of meteorites, dating back to the formation of the Solar System. These meteorites are from asteroids formed at great distances from the Sun, containing the constituent elements of planets, and are known as Carbonaceous chondrites Vigarano (CV) and Karoonda (CK). 

The paper is based on the study of carbonate asteroids, so named because of their high organic matter content, which can be considered primitive because they contain solid materials that condensed around the Sun long before the Earth was formed. These asteroids are true fossils of the creation of the solid matter of our planetary system, as they cooled rapidly and their materials never melted. 

A group of scientists, led by Josep M. Trigo, researcher from the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC), and Safoura Tanbakouei -former ICE researcher-, have been studying the mineral content and reflective properties of these two groups of meteorites for 5 years. They found that both carbonaceous chondrite groups could come from a same parent asteroid that was affected by collisions with other bodies.

These groups of chondrites have undergone a significant degree of metamorphism and fracture due to their exposure to collisions. The published paper explores a scenario in which the meteorites have their origin in the same asteroid, but evolved differently as a result of an impact that generated large fragments. 

The study measures and compares the reflectance of these two groups of chondrites and points to a shared deposit from which the meteorites CV and CK evolved after one or several collisions.  

According to this scenario, the CV and CK chondrites may have arisen from a common asteroid (most likely the asteroid known as Eos) that disintegrated into several fragments. Thus, due to impacts, the two groups of meteorites evolved separately.

This study concludes nearly a decade of research on Carbonaceous chondrites, as part of three projects in the Spanish plan for astronomy and astrophysics to study and recover meteorites and propose techniques for the possible future exploitation of parent asteroids. 

More information

This research is presented in the paper “The Reflectance Spectra of CV-CK Carbonaceous chondrites from the Near Infrared to the Visible”, by S Tanbakouei, JM Trigo-Rodríguez et al., published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS) on 30 July 2021.

IEEC Communication Office / ICE Communication & Outreach Office​

Contact

ICE Communication & Outreach Office
Bellaterra, Spain
Paula Talero & Alba Calejero
E-mail: outreach@ice.csic.es

Contact researcher
Barcelona, Spain
Josep M. Trigo
Institute of Space Sciences (ICE, CSIC) 
E-mail: trigo@ice.csic.es
 

A new study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters reveals how magnetic fields and gravity affect high-mass star formation process. The article has been featured in AAS Nova, which includes research highlights from the journals of the American Astronomical Society.

Josep Miquel Girart, researcher at the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC) is the second author of the study led by Patricio Sanhueza of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ).

The team used the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA telescope) and observed a source called IRAS 18089-1732, a high-mass star-forming region 7600 light-years away, finding a well-organized magnetic field that resembles a spiral "whirlpool".

This discovery concludes that high-mass stars can be born in either strongly or weakly magnetized environments and shows the diversity of their formation process.

Find more information in ALMA's website here.
Find the paper published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters here. 
 

Following the reception of the 'María de Maeztu' seal of excellence, the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC) has become an eligible host institution for applicants to La Caixa Fellowships, incoming, this same year.

Deadline for applications for the Junior Leader Incoming Fellowships is October 7, 2021. Details can be found here.

Requirements
The candidates should be outstanding experienced researchers in terms of the originality and significance of their contributions in their scientific discipline, as well as having the leadership skills to head their own research group.
These fellowships are intended to consolidate comprehensive training encompassing scientific, technical and complementary skills that will help them to tap into their potential as independent researchers and leaders of the new generation of researchers.

• Applicants should have earned their doctoral degree two to seven years prior to the deadline of the call for applications.
• Candidates must not have have carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than twelve months in the three years immediately preceding the closing date of the call.

About the 'Maria de Maeztu' Excellence Distinction
The Institute of Space Sciences (ICE, CSIC) obtained the María de Maeztu seal of excellence last week, a distinction that recognizes the centers and units that carry out highly competitive cutting-edge research and that are among the best in the world in their respective scientific areas. Along with this distinction, ICE will receive two million euros and eight pre-doctoral contracts in the upcoming years.

The Spanish State Research Agency (Agencia Estatal de Investigación, or AEI), dependent on the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN), provisionally resolved the call for the Severo Ochoa and María de Maeztu Centers and Units of Excellence programme last Friday, July 16, 2021. These recognitions are aimed at funding and accrediting research centers and units, from any scientific area, which are able to prove scientific impact and leadership at an international level and actively collaborate with their social and business environment.


About La Caixa's Junior Leader Incoming Fellowships
La Caixa's postdoctoral fellowship programme is aimed at hiring excellent researchers—of any nationality—who are willing to continue their research career in the STEM area (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), in Spanish or Portuguese territory, at accredited centres with the Severo Ochoa or Maria de Maeztu excellence award, Institutos de Salud Carlos III and units evaluated as excellent by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia of Portugal.
 

The multidisciplinary CSIC’s platform TELEDETECT, where the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE, CSIC) participates, organizes the summer course TELEDETECTION AS A GLOBAL TOOL at the Menéndez Pelayo International University (UIMP). The researcher from our centre Ramon Padullés Rulló will be one of the speakers of the course.

Dates: July 19-23, 2021
Modalities: Face-to-face and online
Course description and online application: http://www.uimp.es/agenda-link.html?id_actividad=64YA&anyaca=2021-22
More information: https://pti-teledetect.csic.es/2021/05/11/curso-uimp-2021/