My name is Gianluca Castignani, I am a project scientist (fixed term researcher) at the Observatory of Bologna (INAF-OAS) in Italy.
My research spans a wide range of topics in extra-galactic and high-energy astrophysics, and observational cosmology including:
Distant galaxy clusters. Detection and characterization of distant galaxy clusters, for both cosmological and galaxy evolution studies, mainly for the exploitation of the forthcoming Euclid mission.
Cosmic Web. Development of several methods, based on solid physical and mathematical basis to detect galaxy clusters, their galaxy population, and cosmological filaments in astronomical surveys.
Environmental (pre-)processing. Study of the impact of Mpc-scale environments on processing gas of galaxies as they evolve within the cosmic web, from the outskirts down to the cores of clusters.
Star forming BCGs and mm-astronomy. Search and characterization of the rare sub-population of distant BCGs, the most massive and brightest galaxies in clusters, mainly exploiting mm facilities (single dish and interferometry).
AGN co-evolution with their super massive black holes, host galaxies, and Mpc-scale environments.
Black holes. Multi wavelength study, from low-radio frequencies to gamma-rays, of the physics of accretion and emission of radio-loud AGNs and GRBs.
Here you can find my CV and publication list.
Please visit this page for more details on my Research
*** Research highlights 2024 ***
I have been appointed builder of the Euclid consortium, for "extraordinary efforts on activity critical to the success of Euclid" . Link here.
Organizer and chair of the first international conference in the region of Marche (Italy), on "AGN feedback and star formation" . Link here.
*** Research highlights 2023 ***
New study on the processing of gas in distant brightest cluster galaxies in the Kilo Degree Survey (Castignani et al. 2023)
Black-hole and galaxy co-evolution in distant radio loud AGN (Poitevineau, Castignani & Combes. 2023)
First systematic study of the proto-cluster environments of distant sub-millimeter galaxies (Calvi, Castignani & Dannerbauer 2023)
Press Releases: INAF, UNIBO MAGAZINE, IAC