Research

My main interests in astrophysics and cosmology rely on theoretical astrophysics of galaxy clusters, simulations and the role of galaxy clusters to do cosmology. I am interested in the dark matter characterisation, distribution in the large-scale structure of the Universe both on simulations and observations.
In the cosmological field, I am particularly interested in large-scale structures and their role in putting tighten constraints on cosmological parameters and the effect of the cosmic web in the growth of non-linear structures.



[image credits: Cosmic Web Millennium Simulation]

Projects

The main focus of my PhD project with supervisor Prof. Ian G. McCarthy and Dr. Rob Crain is to improve the actual halo model using cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. We are working with the BAHAMAS simulations, a suite of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations calibrated on the stellar and baryons content and with AGN's feedback.
My studies will be implemented in a cosmological "emulator" that will be used to determine the effect of various set of cosmological parameters on real LSS observables without the need of re-running the simulations.
Here there is the poster, available from my Researchgate (page), that I have presented at the Sexten Workshop ("Tracing cosmic evolution with clusters of galaxies") that summarizes a bit what I have been doing and the future developments. [(Poster)]
And here the poster I have presented at Kavli 10 years Symposium in Cambridge in September 2019 [(Poster)]

I did my master thesis in collaboration with professor Carlo Nipoti (UNIBO) and Dr. Stefano Ettori (OABO) with the title "Gas rotation in massive galaxy clusters with axisymmetric potential: models and perspectives for X-ray observations". This project was based on the characterization of a non spherical gravitational potential starting from a Navarro-Frenk-White profile for small deviation from symmetry. This axisymmetric potential was then used to evaluate the joint effects of gas rotation from X-ray observations (both from line shift - pure ICM rotation effect, measured with mock performances from ATHENA X-ray telescope - and from the shapes of the X-ray brightness isophotes - measure of joint gravitational flattening and rotation effect.) This project is under development in the work of Andrea Lorini's master thesys (2019).

[Image Credits: before and after. Simulated mock thermal Sunyaev-Zel'Dovich map.]


I am one of the PhD in the Liverpool big data science cohort`. This is a joint project between the Liverpool John Moores University and University of Liverpool created to train the students in big data analysis with focused schools and course modules. The Liv.DAT is the one of the biggest group of students in the CDT scheme of the STFC and it covers a wide range of topics from cosmology, dark matter, galaxy formation, neutrino physics, particle physics and medical physics.

[Image Credits: LivDAT]

Alberto Acuto's CV

Education:


  • 2017 - ongoing: Msc in Astrophysics at LJMU;
  • 2014 - 2017: Master degree in Astrophysics and Cosmology at University of Bologna, Bologna Italy, 105/110, GPA 4.0;
  • 2011 - 2014: Bachelor degree in Astronomy at University of Bologna, Bologna Italy, 107/110, GPA 3.62;
  • 2011: High School at Liceo Scientifico Galileo Galilei Alessandria;

  • Computing skills:


  • C++, IDL, Python, Fortran 90, HTML, LaTeX
  • MPI, Machine Learning, Neural Networks

  • Language:


  • Italian, mother language
  • English, working proficiency, IELTS score band 7 (2017)

  • Schools and seminars:


  • "KICC10, Kavli Institute for Cosmology 10th years Symposium" Cambridge, UK 2019 (Poster);
  • "Tracing cosmic evolution with cluster of galaxies" Sexten, Italy 2019 (Poster);
  • National Astronomy meeting (NAM), Lancaster University 2019 (Talk in the Galaxy Cluster session);
  • 3i's training, LJMU 2018: Training required for teaching in UK;
  • STFC summer school in Machine learning and Artificial intellingence, UCL London 2018 (Poster);
  • School in Montecarlo methods for medical application, Munich 2017.
  • PhD School of Astrophysics “Francesco Lucchin”, Bertinoro (FC), September 18-23, 2016 [lectures by Prof. Eugene Churazov about X-ray Astrophysics of Galaxy clusters]
  • News

    Latest news I am involved:

    Outreach

  • February 2021: Article report on Virgo Consortium Meeting Talk:(link)

  • October 2020: Article report on LivDat Placement at IQBlade (link)

  • September 2019: "KICC10, Kavli Institute for Cosmology 10th Year Symposium" article report. Click here for the article (link)

  • July 2019: "Tracing cosmic evolution with clusters of galaxies" article report. Click here for the article (link)

  • June 2019: Importance of data science symposium organized by the cohort of Liv.DAT students,OMA and AVA fellows in Liverpool. Click here for the article (link)

  • March 2019: Liverpool Science Park community news for the report "Liverpool's Sky at Night". Click here for the article (link)

  • March 2019: Took part at a video project for "diversity and inclusion" in Physics with my colleague Selina Dhinsey (University of Liverpool) for the Institute of Physics (IOP). Click here for the video.

  • March 2019: Poster session at University of Liverpool organised by the Faculty of Science and Engineering. Click here for the article (link).


  • Papers and posters

  • September 2019: Poster session at the Symposium "Kavli 10 years symposium, Cosmology: the end of the beginning" in Cambridge UK ( poster link)

  • July 2019: Poster session at the workshop "Tracing cosmic evolution with cluster of Galaxies" in Sexten Italy (poster link)

  • July 2018: Poster session at University College London during the STFC summer school in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (poster link)

  • About myself


    I was born in Alessadria (Italy), the 4th of March 1992.
    I did my undergraduate and Master at the Alma Mater Studiorum, Bologna, Italy.
    I have some experience as physics tutor (on my Linkedin page there is a more detailed profile).
    During the university years, I ran some project in collaboration with other students. We managed an online blog and a bi-monthly journal, we made a weekly radio podcast (unfortunately the records have been deleted from the website) and finally I have organized and directed a series of videos and articles (publicly available, in Italian) regarding what is like studying at the university in order to help the future students to make a more aware choice.
    I am really interested in technology, sports (mainly football, even if I am not such a good player), music, social and environmental rights.

    [Image Credit: photo by Alessandra Di Vanna, (very small) part of the journal staff, Camplus Day, April 2014, Bologna]
    Contacts

    If you are interested in getting in touch with me here are some of my public socials page: Twitter, Linkedin, Github and Research Gate. If you want to contact me personally there is also the email address!


    STFC Summer School poster

    Here is the poster I have presented at the STFC summer school, London UCL July 2018.

    Bachelor Degree

    Master Degree

    PhD

    Welcome!

    If you are here, thanks for having scanned the QR code wherever this poster ended up.

    So wherever is it, keep on doing well and strong! here is a pic of kitten just to give you strenght! (also a simulation box gif)
    Please enjoy the little video of the simulations I'm using!
    Go back to the main page: link

    BAHAMAS SIMULATIONS

    Dimension L100N256 (Box of dimension (100 Mpc/h)^3 and 256^3 particles (of dark matter and gas particles) the colors show the mass of the haloes and the temperature.

    [Credits: video made by myself, Alberto Acuto. Simulations ran by Ian G. McCarthy, shown for pure demonstrative reasons.]

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