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) Lab: +44 (0)20 7679 7691 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 THz and Sub-mm Astronomy Instrumentation for cosmology and star-formation to instrument/paylod design for exoplanet spectroscopy. As Director of the UCL Observatory I am now involved in the optimization of networks of small telescopes for teaching and citizen science. I am a member of the Optical Science Laboratory (OSL) in the Astrophysics Group within UCL's Department of Physics and Astronomy. 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-present) Current Research: Payload design, optical and thermal modelling of astronomical instruments. Design of next-generation optical components with artificially engineered materials. Design of future far infrared satellite instrumentation concepts (spectrometry, polarimetry, interferometry, double Fourier Modulation) Data flow, coordination logic and network hierarchy for distributed astronomical observations with multi-telescope platforms. (Industrial collaboration) 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)

Past and Current Activities, Experiments and Collaborations.

Director of the University College London Observatory (UCLO) - October 2015-Present FrameWork Programme 7 Collaborative Project: Definition and Technology Development for the Next Generation THz Space Interferometer (2013-2015) - Ended ESA/NASA efforts on developing a Space-based Far-Infrared Interferometer (page in deseparate need of update)

Telescope Live Distributed Robotic Telescopes Example Images of Cen A and NGC253

TWINKLE Litebird BETTII Planck Probe ESA Mission Pilot Ariel PRISTINE FIRSPEX Herschel Space Observatory Blast-Pol

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

Current and Past Teaching :

2015-Current : Director of the UCL Observatory. Visit the Observatory website for more information on the many activities and facility information. The observatory currently caters for 6 undergraduate modules, 2 astronomy certificate modules, 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 and many more!

2016/18 [Term 1]: 3rd Yr Electromagnetic Theory

2012-present [Term 2]: 3rd Yr Group Project supervisor (PHAS3441)

2014/16 [Term 1]: 3rd Yr Experimental Physics Lab, 2nd Yr E.M. Problem Solving Tutorials

2014/15 [Term 2]: 2nd Yr Python for Astronomers (Computing element of PHAS2130)

2012/13 [Term 2]: 2nd Yr IDL for Astronomers (Computing element of PHAS2130)

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

• An Instrument Simulator for the PRISTINE polarised FTS.
• Fine Guidance System simulator for the TWINKLE mission.
• Design of a meta-material Fresnel lens for a CMB ultra-lightweight telescope.
• Precision photometry of Boyajian's star (KIC8462852).

Current Graduate Students:

• (2018-2021): Hamish Caines : "Telescope Connect: a distributed network of robotic telescopes"
• (2016-2019): Claudio Arena : "Design of a Low-Earth Orbit Fine Guidance System for an Exoplanet Spectroscopy mission"

Past Graduate Students:

• Dr Roser Juanola-Parramon : "An Instrument Simulator for the Far InfraRed Interferometer." (NASA PD Fellow, NASA Goddard, US)
• Dr Paul Moseley : "Modelling techniques for Novel optical components in the sub-THz domain." (PDRA - Cardiff University, UK)
• Dr Nicola Baccichet : "Next Generation calibration sources for future infrared satellites. (PDRA - Kolne University, Germany)

Publications:
You can find all co-authored pubblications (refereed or not) for the last 5 years here (the search unfortunately includes pubblications on graphite from homonymous researcher).

Last General Update: 30th October 2018 by G. Savini

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