Faculty members

The faculty extends over the two main establishments,

and three smaller stations at

  • Space Telescope Science Institute (Baltimore, Maryland, USA)
  • Goddard Space Flight Center (Greenbelt, Maryland, USA)
  • Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), co-located with ESAC

 

  Name Main Research Topics Project(s) Station
A Miriam Aberasturi     ESAC
  Julia Alfonso-Garzón Operation and archive exploitation for Integral/OMC; variable object light curves   CAB
  Will Alston
X-ray astronomy; time series analysis; accretion and feedback physics; strong gravity; machine learning
 Research Fellow ESAC
  Bruno Altieri Galaxy clusters; deep infrared surveys; gravitational lensing Euclid ESAC
  Nicolas Altobelli Saturn rings; infrared spectroscopy; interstellar dust; interplanetary dust; asteroids/comets; dust dynamics JUICE, Cassini, Rosetta ESAC
  Nuria Alvarez AGN; blazars; x-ray astronomy Research Fellow (XMM-Newton) ESAC
  Catarina Alves de Oliveira Brown dwarf formation; origin of the initial mass function (IMF); filamentary structure in molecular clouds JWST, SMILE ESAC
  Michele Armano Gravitational waves; effective field theory and General Relativity; black hole physics; geodesy; data analysis for experimental gravity physics; applications to hydrocarbon physics and engineering

Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES)

 ESTEC
  Christophe Arviset   Division Head SCI-SA ESAC
B Deborah Baines Pre-main sequence stars (Herbig Ae/Be; T Tauri); Be stars; binaries; proto-planetary discs; spectro-astrometry; virtual observatory (VO) Science archives; VO ESAC
  Lucia Ballo   XMM-Newton ESAC
  Sebastià Barceló Forteza Asteroseismology; variable stars, oscillations (including pulsations); solar-type stars   CAB
  David Barrado y Navascués Brown dwarfs; low-mass stars   CAB
  Guillaume Belanger Galactic Centre; Sgr A*; molecular clouds Integral ESAC
  Ines Belgacem Icy moons; photometry; remote sensing; image processing Research Fellow ESAC
  Johannes Benkhoff Computational modelling of the physics and chemistry of sublimation processes of pourous, dusty, multi-component ices in the Solar System; Mercury. BepiColombo ESTEC
  Mark Bentley Space weathering; comets and asteroids; cometary dust; instrumentation BepiColombo; Rosetta ESAC
  Sebastien Besse Formation and evolution of the Solar System Archives; Rosetta ESAC
  Rachana Bhatawdekar High-z galaxies, galaxy evolution, galaxy clusters, gravitational lensing Research Fellow (JWST) ESTEC
  Stephan Birkmann   JWST STScI
  Jose Manuel Blanco   SMOS ESAC
  Torsten Boeker   JWST STScI
  Michel Breitfellner     ESAC
C Isabel Caballero Accreting X-ray pulsars; cyclotron lines; pulse profiles Integral ESAC
  José Antonio Caballero Stars: binaries: visual; stars: brown dwarfs; stars: low-mass; Galaxy: open clusters and associations   CAB
  Luigi Cacciapuoti Space-based tests of general relativity and quantum mechanics with atomic clocks; matter-wave interferometers; space-to-ground links relying on classical and entangled states of light ACES ESTEC
  Ignacio de la Calle AGN; blazars; TeV astronomy XMM-Newton ESAC
  Hector Canovas Pre-Main Sequence (T Tauri, Herbig Ae/Be) stars; protoplanetary disks; planet-disk interactions; high contrast imaging; imaging polarimetry; sub-mm interferometry Research Fellow (Gaia) ESAC
  Alejandro Cardesin Moinelo Terrestrial Planets: Mars and Venus, Planetary Atmospheres, Remote Sensing, Spectroscopy, Spacecraft and Planetary Geometry VEX, MEX, ExoMars and JUICE ESAC
  Miguel Cerviño Synthetic modelling of stellar populations; massive stars; Virtual Observatory   CAB
  Daniela Coia Galaxy clusters ExoMars ESAC
  Luigi Colangeli   Coordination ESTEC
  Thomas Cornet Planetary surface processes; thermodynamics; landscape evolution; icy moons BepiColombo ESAC
  Miriam Cortés Contreras     CAB
  Marc Costa i Sitjà Solar system science operations development; planetary data; orbital mechanics; atmosphere dynamics VEX ESAC
  Nicolas Crouzet Exoplanets: detection by transits, observation of atmospheres, Photometric surveys, instrumentation, Astronomy & Astrophysics from Antarctica JWST ESTEC
  Cian Crowley     ESAC
  Maria Angeles Cuevas Planetary geology; comets; planetary science operations Rosetta ESAC
D Arancha Delgado Álvarez     CAB
  Albert Domingo Garau INTEGRAL/OMC; detectors; photometric techniques; variable stars   CAB
  Jos de Bruijne Young stellar groups, astrometry, dynamical modelling Gaia ESTEC
  Guido De Marchi Star formation, stellar populations, interstellar medium JWST , Archives ESTEC
  Xavier Dupac Observational cosmology; interstellar medium; cosmic microwave background Planck ESAC
E Jacobo Ebrero Carrero AGN; warm absorbers and cosmic feedback processes; evolution and large-scale structure of AGN XMM-Newton ESAC
  Matthias Ehle Environment of galaxies; galactic halos; cosmic magnetic fields; interstellar and intergalactic medium; galaxy clusters XMM-Newton ESAC
  Philippe Escoubet Space plasma physics, Sun-Earth connection, ion spectrometry and spacecraft potential Cluster/ Double Star ESTEC
  Pilar Esquej Tidal disruption of stars by supermassive BHs; XMM-Newton Slew Survey Herschel ESAC
F Pierre Ferruit Galaxy formation and evolution; instrumentation & data processing JWST ESTEC
  Bernhard Fleck Waves in the Solar atmosphere Soho GSFC
  Rune Floberghagen   Division Head SCI-SO ESAC
  Bernard Foing Moon, Mars, planetary, astrobiology, solar-stellar, exoplanets, techniques & instruments SMART-1 ESTEC
  Andrew Fox Milky Way; Interstellar medium; Intergalactic medium; Galaxy evolution; Magellanic Clouds HST STScI
  Diego Fraga Planetary data archiving; data formats, data processing and calibration; software development for space applications; optical instruments. Rosetta ESAC
  Emilio Fraile Earth Observation, Remote Sensing; Fundamental Physics, Gravitational Waves, Black Hole Physics; Fermi Paradox; Earth-like Planets Gaia ESAC
  David Frew   Rosetta ESAC
  Felix Fürst   XMM-Newton ESAC
G Julio Gallegos Alvarado     ESAC
  Pedro Garcia Lario Stellar evolution; AGB to PNe evolution; IR observations Herschel ESAC
  Macarena Garcia Marin   JWST STScI
  Bernhard Geiger Statistical and numerical techniques for scientific data analysis MEX; VEX; Rosetta ESAC
  Giovanna Giardino   JWST ESTEC
  Margherita Giustini X-rays; accretion disks; active galaxies; super massive blach holes and quasars   CAB
  Pedro Gomez Gravitational-lensed QSOs Euclid ESAC
  Philippe Gondoin Cool stars; stellar activity and open clusters PLATO ESTEC
  Beatriz Gonzalez Garcia   XMM-Newton ESAC
  Juan González-Núñez Astronomical data archive and exploitation; advanced data visualisation techniques Gaia ESAC
  Rosario Gonzalez Riestra Cataclysmic variables; classical novae; recurrent novae; symbiotic stars XMM-Newton ESAC
  Charlotte Götz Plasma physics Rosetta, Comet Interceptor ESTEC
  Georgina Graham Heliophysics; solar wind; plasma physics Research Fellow (Solar Orbiter) ESAC
  Björn Grieger Planetary surfaces Rosetta ESAC
  Anik de Groof Solar physics; EUV coronal heating; coronal loops; space weather in EUV imaging; solar EUV instrumentation PROBA2, Solar Orbiter ESAC
  Matteo Guainazzi AGN; Seyfert galaxies; narrow line regions; radio galaxies; General Relativity; accretion disks Athena ESTEC
H Oliver Hall

Bayesian Asteroseismology of solar-like oscillators using space-based photometry and Gaia astrometry

 Research Fellow (Gaia, CHEOPS) ESTEC
  Günther Hasinger

Compact objects; X-ray background and cosmology

 Director SCI ESAC
  David Heather Lunar remote sensing; geological mapping, morphology, volcanism and volcanic history; impact cratering and lunar stratigraphy; lunar volatiles, habitability, and ISRU PROSPECT, Science Archives ESTEC
  Ana Heras Detection and characterisation of exoplanets; stellar activity and exoplanets; debris disks Plato ESTEC
  Svea Hernandez Galaxy evolution; chemical enrichment in nearby galaxies; ISM; stellar populations   STScI
  Raymond Hoofs Planetary science operations; experiment operations; Venus; comets VEX ESAC
  Nuria Huélamo Young stellar objects; brown dwarfs; exosolar planets; proto-planetary disks   CAB
  Hans Huybrighs Galilean moons: atmospheres and magnetospheric interactions JUICE ESTEC
I Aitor Ibarra Ibaibarriaga Highly obscured sources; IGR J16318-4848 XMM-Newton ESAC
  Nick Indriolo Cosmic rays; interstellar medium; astrochemistry; massive star formation; submillimeter galaxies HST STScI
  Kate Isaak   CHEOPS ESTEC
J Alexander James The Sun; Coronal Mass Ejection (CME); space weather Research Fellow (Solar Orbiter) ESAC
  Nils Janitzek Space plasma in-situ measurements; solar wind; solar energetic particles; space weather Research Fellow (Solar Orbiter) ESAC
  Fred Jansen   Acting Division Head SCI-SC ESTEC
  Emilia Järvelä AGN; narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies; multiwavelength observations Research Fellow (Herschel) ESAC
  Oliver Jennrich Gravitational Waves, precision metrology, gravitational physics LISA Pathfinder, L3 theme "The gravitational Universe", Suzaku ESTEC
  Francisco Jiménez-Esteban Stellar evolution; AGB; post-AGB; LBV; Virtual Observatory   CAB
  Tereza Jerabkova Star-formation; stellar populations; star clusters; galaxy evolution; cosmic star-formation history Research Fellow (Gaia; JWST) ESTEC
K Sarah Kendrew High-mass star formation in the Milky Way; stellar feedback; galaxy evolution at high z; citizen science JWST STScI
  Mark Kidger Photometric calibration; comets; blazars Herschel ESAC
  Markus Kissler-Patig Exoplanets; astrobiology; optical/near-infrared telescopes and instrumentation Department Head SCI-S ESAC
  Ralf Kohley Optical and SWIR imaging detectors and instrumentation Euclid ESAC
  Detlef Koschny Meteors, asteroids Phobus Sample Return, SSA ESTEC
  Peter Kretschmar Accreting X-ray pulsars; High-Mass X-ray Binaries; Stellar winds of massive stars; accretion physics XMM-Newton, Integral ESAC
  Sandor Kruk Galaxy morphology Euclid ESTEC
  Michael Kueppers Cometary Physics; asteroids Rosetta, HERA ESAC
  Nimisha Kumari     STScI
  Erik Kuulkers X-ray binaries; Galactic bulge monitoring; X-ray bursts Integral, Einstein Probe ESTEC
L Harri Laakso   Cluster ESAC
  Álvaro Labiano James Webb Space Telescope; AGN   CAB
  Uwe Lammers Astrometry; Gaia self-calibration; general relativity in the context of Gaia Gaia ESAC
  Rene Laureijs Interstellar Medium; Cosmology with Euclid Euclid ESTEC
  Tanya Lim   ExoMars ESAC
  Andrew Lobban Ultra-fast outflows from AGN; Spectroscopy and timing analysis of black hole systems; Multiwavelength variability studies of AGN Research Fellow (XMM-Newton) ESAC
  Crispin Logan Galaxy Clusters; cosmology; large Scale Structure; machine Learning Research Fellow ESAC
  Nora Loiseau Interacting galaxies XMM-Newton ESAC
  Belen Lopez Low-mass stars and brown dwarfs; star formation; extrasolar planets; optical and infrared astronomy; space astronomy   ESAC
  Marcos López-Caniego Cosmology, cosmic microwave background; gravitational lensing; radio and sub-mm sources; compact sources Planck ESAC
  Rosario Lorente Magnetic activity in late type stars   ESAC
  Alvaro Llorente   SMOS ESAC
  Nora Luetzgendorf   JWST, LISA STScI
M Alan Macfarlane Planetary science; data visualisation and modelling BepiColombo ESAC
  Jesús Maíz Apellániz Massive stars; massive young clusters; interstellar lines and extinction; surveys; photometric calibration   CAB
  Julia Marín-Yaseli de la Parra Cometary science; coma dust particles MEX ESAC
  Anthony Marston Evolved massive stars; Wolf-Rayet stars; interaction with environment XMM-Newton, JWST ESAC
  Patrick Martin Mars; planetary surface composition; remote sensing; mineralogy MEX; VEX ESAC
  Raul Martin Lesma Astronomical electronics and instrumentation Gaia ESAC
  Fernando Martin Porqueras     ESAC
  Santa Martinez Planetary data; science archives BepiColombo ESAC
  Juan-Manuel Martin-Fleitas Astronomical instrumentation Gaia ESAC
  J. Miguel Mas-Hesse Astronomical instrumentation, methods and techniques; astrobiology; starburst galaxies; high redshift galaxies   CAB
  Arnaud Masson Space plasma physics, Sun-Earth connection, natural plasma waves Cluster ESAC
  Gabriele Matzeu AGN; X-ray spectroscopy; Ultra Fast Outflows; AGN feedback; accretion physics Research Fellow (XMM-Newton) ESAC
  Mark McCaughrean     ESTEC
  Paul McNamara Gravitational waves, data analysis, instrument characterisation, interferometry design and operation LISA Pathfinder ESTEC
  Luis Mendes Cosmic microwave background; sosmological isotropy; gravitational waves Planck ESAC
  Ignacio Mendigutía Star and planet formation; protoplanetary disks; star-disk-planet interactions; Herbig Ae/Be stars; high spatial resolution techniques   CAB
  Bruno Merín Star formation; protoplanetary disks and planet formation; IR astronomy ESDC ESAC
  François Mernier Galaxy clusters, chemical enrichment, AGN feedback, X-ray spectroscopy XMM-Newton ESTEC
  Donald Merritt Systems engineering; geology; planetary astronomy; spacecraft operations VEX ESAC
  Leo Metcalfe Gravitational lensing; Deep galaxy surveys in IR; Clusters of galaxies Herschel, ExoMars ESAC
  Harold Metselaar Mathematician; spectrometers   ESTEC
  Daniel Michalik Astrometry; Bayesian inference; Gaia; TGAS Gaia ESTEC
  Helen Middleton Planetary atmospheres and ionospheres BepiColombo ESAC
  Simone Migliari   XMM-Newton ESAC
  Matteo Miluzio   Euclid ESAC
  Giovanni Miniutti X-ray astronomy; AGN; X-ray binaries; black holes; neutron stars; accretion discs; general relativity   CAB
  Richard Moissl     ESAC
  Benjamin Montesinos Proto-planetary disks; activity cycles in late-type stars; hydrodynamics of gas in the penumbra of sunspots   CAB
  Alcione Mora Astronomical instrumentation; star formation Gaia ESAC
  María Morales Calderón     CAB
  Daniel Müller Solar physics: numerical modelling, data visualisation, spectropolarimetry Solar Orbiter ESTEC
  Carlos Muniz Solaz     ESAC
  Michela Muñoz Fernández   ExoMars ESAC
N Vicente Navarro Computational methods ESDC ESAC
  Federico Nespoli VIRTIS; PFS; spectroscopy VEX ESAC
  Jan-Uwe Ness Supersoft X-ray binary sources; Classical Novae; stellar coronae; high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy XMM-Newton, Integral ESAC
  Antonella Nota Star clusters and nebulae HST STScI
O Francisco Ocaña González Astronomical instrumentation; site characterisation and light pollution; meteor physics; inner planets and small bodies BepiColombo ESAC
  Eduardo Ojero Pascual Software development for astronomical data XMM-Newton ESAC
  Lyndsay Old Galaxy clusters; galaxy evolution; cosmology; large-scale structure Research Fellow ESAC
  Csilla Orgel Planetary remote sensing geology and geospatial science Research Fellow (ExoMars, PROSPECT and Mars Sample Return) ESTEC
  Larry O'Rourke   PLATO ESAC
  Iñaki Ortiz de Landaluce   BepiColombo ESAC
  Pedro Osuna Alcalaya Heliophysics; Exospheric Solar Wind acceleration; Plasma Physics Solar Orbiter ESAC
P Jose Vicente Perea Calderon Stellar Evolution; AGB to PNe evolution; IR observations XMM-Newton ESAC
  Miguel Perez Ayucar Solar observatory; Venus; Titan; bistatic radar; interplanetary media scintillation VEX ESAC
  Ana Pérez García     CAB
  Ricardo Perez Martinez Gravitational lensing; galaxy clusters; deep IR surveys XMM-Newton ESAC
  Göran Pilbratt   Herschel ESTEC
  Timo Prusti Young Stars; Disks; Clusters and Clouds in Gould Belt Gaia ESTEC
  Elena Puga Formation of high-mass stars   ESAC
R Elena Racero AGN; blazars; multiwavelength variability in AGN; asteroids   ESAC
  Mercedes Ramos   Gaia ESAC
  Theresa Rank-Lüftinger   Ariel ESTEC
  Tim Rawle Galaxy clusters; gravitational lensing; high redshift galaxies; Herschel surveys JWST STScI
  Stefan Remus Remote sensing   ESTEC
  Emily Rickman Exoplanets; brown dwarfs; direct imaging; emission spectroscopy; atmospheric characterisation Research Fellow STScI
  Carlos Rodrigo Virtual observatory standards, theoretical models, applications   CAB
  Pedro Rodriguez Pascual AGN; line emitting gas; star forming processes; solar system bodies in X-rays XMM-Newton ESAC
  Kate Rowlands Galaxy evolution and transformation; post-starburst galaxies; dust and gas in galaxies; multi-wavelength surveys; IFU spectroscopy; SED fitting codes HST STScI
S Johannes Sahlmann Exoplanets; brown dwarfs: instrumentation; astrometry Gaia ESAC
  Emilio Salazar Artificial Intelligence in astronomy; high energy physics   ESAC
  Luis Sanchez Solar physics; helioseismology; solar cycle Solar Orbiter ESAC
  Carmen Sánchez Contreras AGB stars; pre-planetary nebulae; planetary nebulae   CAB
  Celia Sanchez Fernandez Low-mass X-ray binaries; X-ray bursts Integral ESAC
  Maria Santos Lleo AGN; multi-wavelength spectroscopy of Seyfert 1 galaxies XMM-Newton ESAC
  Jorge Sanz Forcada Stellar coronae; X-rays from hot stars; effects of X-rays in planetary atmospheres   CAB
  Richard Saxton AGN; X-ray flaring galaxies; tidal disruption of stars by supermassive BHs; XMM-Newton Slew Survey XMM-Newton ESAC
  Norbert Schartel X-ray emission of AGNs; X-ray weak quasars; relativistically broad iron line around black holes; ionized absorbers XMM-Newton ESAC
  Rita Schulz Cometary Science and minor bodies   ESTEC
  Elliot Sefton-Nash Planetary geology & remote sensing: surface properties (thermophysical, morphological, mineralogical), surface-atmosphere interaction, volatiles, habitability, computational methods, planetary GIS ExoMars ESTEC
  Marco Sirianni JWST calibration; optical and IR detectors JWST STScI
  Linda Smith Massive stars; super star clusters; stellar feedback HST STScI
  Michael Smith X-ray and radio observations; supernova remnants XMM-Newton ESAC
  Enrique Solano Astronomical databases; virtual observatory tools; asteroids; brown dwarfs   CAB
  Anezina Solomonidou Geology of icy moons; surface evolution; interior dynamics Research Fellow (JUICE) ESAC
  Paule Sonnentrucker Molecular astrophysics and ices in space; interstellar medium and dust; star formation HST STScI
  Anamarija Stankov Asterosismology; stellar interiors; stellar oscillations BepiColombo ESTEC
  Martin Stuhlinger AGN; X-ray variability of quasars; 3C 273; X-ray Binaries; Vela X-1 XMM-Newton ESAC
  Håkan Svedhem   ExoMars, Venus Express ESTEC
T Jan Tauber Structure and composition of the diffuse Galactic Interstellar Medium using data from Planck and/or balloon-based observatories. CMB cosmology using Planck data products Planck ESTEC
  Matt Taylor Space plasma physics, predominently magnetospheric boundary layers using multi-spacecraft and multi-mission data sets Rosetta, Cluster ESTEC
  Damien Texier   Division Head SCI-SD ESAC
  David Teyssier Massive star formation; astro-chemistry of the interstellar medium Herschel, Gaia ESAC
  Dmitriy Titov Planetary atmospheres and surfaces, remote sensing Mars Express, Venus Express ESTEC
  Laura Tomas Cosmic X-ray background; AGN XMM-Newton ESAC
V Jorge Vago   Exomars ESTEC
  Claire Vallat Cometary science Rosetta ESAC
  Ivan Valtchanov Galaxy clusters and groups; large-scale structure; cosmology; multi-wavelength observations Herschel, XMM-Newton ESAC
  Roland Vavrek Interstellar medium; molecular clouds; wavelet image analysis Euclid ESAC
  Javier Ventura-Traveset Scientific aspects of GNSS / Satellite Navigation, including General relativity, relativistic positioning, ionosphere / space weather, metrology, etc Galileo, EGNOS, NAVISP ESAC
  Eva Verdugo Rodrigo A-type supergiants; T Tauri stars Herschel ESAC
  Martin Voelker Planetary geology; planetary surface processes; remote sensing; geography Research Fellow (Exomars) ESAC
W Andrew Walsh Space plasma physics; terrestrial magnetosphere; magnetotail structure and dynamics; solar wind Solar Orbiter ESAC
  Laura Watkins Astrometry; dynamical modelling; globular clusters; local group galaxies; proper motions; stellar kinematics HST STScI
  Dave Williams Solar and heliospheric physics Solar Orbiter ESAC
  Olivier Witasse Planetary atmospheres JUICE ESTEC
Z Peter Zeidler Young star clusters; HII regions; stellar and gas kinematics; feedback; photometry; (integral field) spectroscopy JWST STScI
  Joe Zender Solar physics, terrestrial planets, metor physics (spectral analysis) Proba, BepiColombo ESTEC
  Yannis Zouganelis Solar and heliospheric physics Solar Orbiter ESAC