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PEOPLE
A TU PER TU CON L’UNIVERSO DI/BY ALBERTA VOLTOLINI
I L F A S C I N O E I L M I S T E R O D E L L’ U N I V E R S O N O N H A N N O C O N F I N I . O G N I C O N O S C E N Z A A C Q U I S I TA A P R E I L PA S S O A N U O V E D O M A N D E . N E PA R L I A M O C O N M AT T E O M AT U R I , C A M P I G L I A N O C H E D I P R O F E S S I O N E FA I L C O S M O L O G O . C U O R E N E L L E D O L O M I T I D I B R E N TA , L A C A S A M A I D I M E N T I C ATA , E M E N T E I N G E R M A N I A , A L L’ U N I V E R S I T À D I H E I D E L B E R G , D O V E S T U D I A L A M A T E R I A O S C U R A .
C
ome è nata la sua passione
per la cosmologia e come è diventata un lavoro?
Da bambino ero attratto da ogni tipo di oggetto che smontavo o rompevo per capirne il funzionamento. Poi, alla fine delle Scuole Medie, ho ricevuto in regalo un libro di astronomia e da lì è iniziato tutto. Poco dopo, con un piccolo telescopio, ho cominciato a osservare l’Universo dal balcone di casa, passando ore con lo sguardo verso l’alto, anche d’inverno, al freddo. Il cielo di Madonna di Campiglio aiuta, è un bel cielo. Le Scuole Superiori le ho svolte in Veneto, in collegio, mentre l’Università l’ho frequentata a Padova dove ho studiato astronomia e conseguito il dottorato di ricerca collaborando con l’Istituto di Astrofisica Max Planck di Monaco. Poi ho continuato il mio percorso all’Università di Heidelberg-Istituto di Astrofisica Teoretica dove oggi faccio il ricercatore e insegno. Vivo in Germania da quindici anni.
Quali sono le principali attività che svolge nella sua professione di cosmologo? Una parte è dedicata all’insegnamento, sono un professore associato e i corsi che solitamente tengo sono astrofisica teorica e cosmologia. Contemporaneamente mi occupo di ricerca all’interno di vari progetti: alcuni condotti insieme a pochi altri colleghi, altri in grosse collaborazioni internazionali. L’osservatorio astronomico presso il Carlo Magno Hotel Spa Resort a Madonna di Campiglio. The astronomical observatory installed at Madonna di Campiglio’s Carlo Magno Hotel Spa Resort.
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Face to Face with the Universe
where I teach and conduct research. I’ve
The mystery and allure of the Universe
I usually teach are theoretical astrophysics
the door to new questions. We spoke
research for various projects, some together
from Campiglio, whose heart is here,
large international partnerships. Now, for
at Heidelberg University, where he
space telescope of the European Space
lived in Germany for 15 years now.
What are the main things you do in your work as a cosmologist? Part of my work is dedicated to teaching. I’m an associate professor, and the courses
has no limits. All new knowledge opens
and cosmology. At the same time, I conduct
with Matteo Maturi, a cosmologist
with just a few colleagues and others on
but body and mind are in Germany,
example, I’m working on Euclid, the new
studies dark matter.
Agency (ESA) to be launched in 2022, which
Where did you get your passion for cosmology? And how did it become a career?
beyond our galaxy, observing galaxies and
As a child, I was drawn to all sorts of objects, which I’d take apart or break in order to figure out how they work. Then at the end of middle school, I was given an astronomy book as a gift, and that’s when it all began. Soon after, with a small telescope, I began to observe the Universe from home on the balcony, spending hours looking upward, even in the cold of
will be used to map out everything that lies other celestial objects enormous distances away. Once the position of these galaxies is mapped out, it will be my job to identify and study those that are attracted by their gravity into large groupings, known as galaxy clusters. These are the most massive objects we know about, and they tell us everything about the evolution of the Universe, including at what speed it’s expanding and what types of matter and energy fill it. They also enable us to determine, on a large scale,
winter. The Madonna di Campiglio sky
the laws of physics that govern the force
helped; it’s a beautiful sky. I did secondary
of gravity, such as the theory of general
school in a boarding school in the Veneto
relativity.
region, then went to the University
in Munich at the Max Planck Institute
Over the course of time, humanity has made a great many discoveries concerning the Universe. How much is left to be discovered?
for Astrophysics. I then continued
We’re getting more and more into the
my pursuits at Heidelberg University’s
details. Every time we solve one problem,
Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics,
ten new ones present themselves.
of Padua, where I studied astronomy, followed by doctorate research working
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