The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
Support Our Science

Sandro Tacchella

Center for Astrophysics
CfA Postdoctoral Fellow
Share this Page
Research Topics
Science Fields
Divisions
My Workspace
Sandro Tacchella
sandro.tacchella@cfa.harvard.edu

About

I am a CfA Fellow at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. I have completed my Ph. D. thesis at ETH Zurich in 2017. My research focuses on the formation and evolution of galaxies across cosmic time. I’m studying the physical mechanisms that govern the formation of the first galaxies in the early universe, the buildup of the bulge and disk component in galaxies, and the cessation of star formation in massive galaxies. I’m using both observational and theoretical tools. In particular, I use the Hubble Space Telescope, the Very Large Telescope and the MMT Observatory to take images and spectra of galaxies at the peak of cosmic star formation activity, when the universe was only 3 billion years old. On the theory side, I use cosmological simulations (VELA and IllustrisTNG) and empirical models to interpret observations and make predictions for upcoming instruments. I’m excited to be part of the James Webb Space Telescope NIRCam GTO team: we will gather unique and unprecedented images of the first galaxies in 2021.

Ph.D. in Physics from ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Telescopes and Instruments

Magellan Telescopes

The twin Magellan Telescopes in Chile are each 6.5 meter optical telescopes. These telescopes are both equipped with instruments to take images and spectra of light from a wide variety of astronomical sources, including exoplanet systems, star-forming regions, supernova remnants, and interacting galaxies. The Magellan Telescopes — named Baade and Clay —  are hosted at the Las Campanas Observatory and are operated by a consortium of institutions, including the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, Carnegie Institution for Science, University of Arizona, the University of Michigan, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In addition, CfA scientists and engineers provided a wide field f/5 focal system (including secondary mirror and corrective optics), and a powerful astronomical camera for use at the Clay telescope.

Visit the Magellan Telescopes Website
1

MMT Observatory

The MMT Observatory is the premier visible-light and infrared telescope jointly managed by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, part of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and the University of Arizona. Located at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory (FLWO) in southern Arizona, this 6.5-meter (21 foot) telescope is used to study objects across the field of astronomy, from the Solar System to distant galaxies. The MMT has provided a testbed for new telescope technologies developed by scientists and engineers at the CfA and the University of Arizona.

Visit the MMT Website
2