Contacts : Email: g.savini (at) ucl.ac.uk (preferred) Tel(s): Office: +44 (0)20 3549 5805 Observatory: +44 (0)20 8238 8877 (with answering machine) Office location: 220 2nd Floor (Pearson Building) Gower St. Laboratory location: F13 - Mezzanine level - Physics & Astronomy Dept. Gower Place Postal Address: Dep. of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK Background : My core research spans from optical design for optical to THz and Sub-mm Astronomy Instrumentation for astrophysics in a variety of fields: exo-planets, star formation and cosmology. I am a member of the Optical Science Laboratory (OSL) in the Astrophysics Group within UCL's Department of Physics and Astronomy. I am also the Facilities and Instrumentation Supervisor at the UCL Observatory. Brief Curriculum Vitae : Laurea (Master) in Physics and PhD in Astronomy, Universita' di Roma "La Sapienza", 2001 & 2005 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cardiff University, 2004-2008 Lecturer (2009), Reader (2013) and then Professor (2018) @ UCL, Physics and Astronomy Director of the UCL Observatory (2015-2023) Current Research: ARIEL (ESA) Payload Scientist. Litebird (JAXA) Calibration UK convener Payload design, optical and thermal modelling of astronomical instruments. Design of next-generation optical components with artificially engineered materials. Design of next generation instrument concepts (spectrometry, polarimetry, spectro-spatial interferometry Member of Professional Bodies (past and present): IEEE, SPIE, Optical Society of America, Royal Astronomical Society Member of the STFC PPRP panel (2015-16) Editor for Nature Scientific Reports (2016-present)

Current Research Activities, Experiments and Collaborations.

Payload Scientist for the ARIEL (ESA) satellite. (UKSA funding) 2021-Present

UK Calibration convener for the Litebird satellite. (UKSA/JAXA bilateral funding) 2022-present.

BISOU (CMB spectral distortions) Previous incarnations of this experiment: PRISTINE FOSSIL

Sub-mm Polarimetry and Spectroscopy

Far-Infrared Space Interferometry (spectro-spatial Fourier Modulation)

sub-THZ metamaterial optical design

Blue Skies Space Limited I act as instrument and science advisor for a company that aims to democratize access to space science.

Click on the pictures to be re-directed to the projects in which I am involved. (As this website is not always up to date I apologize for any broken link)

Past Collaborations and other Research :

Planck Probe ESA Mission Herschel Space Observatory BETTII Pilot Blast-Pol KEYSTONE (LOCUS) FIRSPEX

Current and Past Teaching :

Director of the University College London Observatory (UCLO) - October 2015-2023

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2015-2023 : Director of the UCL Observatory.
UCL's observatory on Mill Hill in North London is an astronomical observatory dedicated primarily to the training of the next generation of astrophysicists.
Visit the Observatory website for more information on the many activities and facility information. The observatory currently caters for 6 undergraduate modules, research projexts as well as school trips, public and private tours and many more outreach and public engagement activities. Objects of research undertaken by undegraduate students coordinated by postgraduate students and staff includes exo-planet TTVs, variable stars, occultations, Supernovae hunting, asteroid and comet rotation period adopting the most modern techniques in photometry and spectroscopy!

Teaching Roles in reverse chronological order:

2009/12: A mix of 1st, and 2nd Yr labs responsibilities (including IDL programming for Astronomy students).

2012-2018: 3rd Yr Physics Group Project supervisor

2013/15: 3rd Yr Electromagnetic Theory

2013-2016: 3rd Yr Experimental Physics Lab

2014-2019: 2nd Yr Python for Astronomers (Computing element of PHAS2130)

2016-2023: Director of the UCL Observatory (Strand lead for Astrophysics - Practical modules

2019-present: 2nd Yr Practical Computing for Astrophysics (Computing -python- and labs PHAS0020)

2023-present: Strand lead for Astrophysics - Theory modules

UGrad and MSc Student Projects (Ongoing - No links):

Current Graduate Students:

• (2025- ): Available project on the ARIEL Commissioning Phase plannning.

Past Graduate Students:

• Dr Roser Juanola-Parramon : "An Instrument Simulator for the Far InfraRed Interferometer." (NASA Fellow, NASA Goddard, US)
• Dr Paul Moseley : "Modelling techniques for Novel optical components in the sub-THz domain." (Antenna & Sub-Millimetre Waves Engineer - ESTEC, ESA)
• Dr Nicola Baccichet : "Next Generation calibration sources for future infrared satellites." (Ad Maiorem Consulting, Italy)
• Dr Claudio Arena: "Design of a Low-Earth Orbit Fine Guidance System for an Exoplanet Spectroscopy mission" (Camera System MAIV engineer for PLATO (ESA), INAF, Italy)
• Dr Vinooja Thurairethinam : "Optical and Physical Modelling of Dichroic Filters for the Ariel Exoplanet Spectroscopy Mission." (UK-ATC, Edinburgh, UK)

Publications:
You can find all co-authored pubblications (refereed or not) for the last 5 years here.

Last General Update: 10th November 2024 by G. Savini

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