C V - P I - S: Arco Ersanelli

MARCO BERSANELLI
CURRICULUM VITAE - PART I – SUMMARY

(Update: December 2017)
Birth: 29th January 1960 at Milano, Italy.

Nationality: Italian.
Family: Married to Antonella (1962). Children: Matteo (1987); Ilaria (1988); Sofia (1993).
Current position
Full Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics
Physics Department, University of Milano
Via Celoria 16 - 20133 Milano, Italy
Tel.: +39-02-50317264
E-mail: marco.bersanelli@unimi.it
Research profile
Professor Marco Bersanelli (M.B.) works in the field of observational cosmology and has over three decades
of experience in measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), the relic radiation from the
early universe. In the past 25 years he has been playing a leading role in the ESA Planck space mission,
launched in 2009, dedicated to high-precision, high-resolution, full-sky measurements of the CMB pattern in
temperature and polarization. He is Instrument Scientist and Deputy-PI of Planck-LFI – one of the two
instruments on-board the satellite – and a member of the Planck Science Team. Since 1992, from the
beginning of the project (initially called COBRAS/SAMBA), M.B. contributed to the definition of the mission
scientific goals, satellite configuration, orbit and scanning strategy. As Instrument Scientist he led the design,
development and testing of the LFI instrument (an array of cryogenic coherent HEMT-based radiometers in
the 30-70 GHz range) and gave key contributions to the calibration and data analysis. The Planck results
released in 2013 and 2015 provided a spectacular confirmation of the ΛCDM cosmological model with
unprecedented estimates of the key cosmological parameters, including new limits on inflation scenarios.
The Planck maps also had a great impact on Galactic and extragalactic astrophysics, with the first full-sky
survey of galaxy clusters via SZ effect, the discovery of thousands of new point sources, new studies of star
formation and Galactic magnetic fields from synchrotron and interstellar dust emission. As a result of his
contribution to Planck, M.B. has co-authored over 140 refereed papers with more than 27,000 citations.
Before the onset of Planck, M.B. worked at LBNL, Berkeley, in the group of G.F. Smoot, Nobel Prize for
Physics in 2006. In the period 1986-1993, M.B. worked at a series of ground-based observations to measure
the frequency spectrum of the CMB in the range 1.5-90 GHz, with leadership on the 2.0 and 90 GHz
instruments. He participated in three field campaigns at White Mountain Station, University of California,
and in two expeditions at the Amundsen-Scott Station at the South Pole. These efforts produced new limits
to CMB spectral distortions at low frequencies, before the COBE/FIRAS data became available. Then M.B.
used the South Pole and White Mountain data to study the diffuse synchrotron and free-free emission from
the Milky Way and the microwave properties of the Earth’s atmosphere. In the 1990’s, he also participated in
new studies the Optical and Near-IR properties of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs), in particular BL-Lac
objects, based on observations at ESO, La Silla, Chile.
In the past 15 years M.B. has promoted a number mm-wave technology development projects involving
Industry, Research Institutes and Universities. In the early 2000’s he founded a new microwave laboratory at
Physics Department, University of Milano, devoted to precision free-space characterization of microwave
subsystems, as well as to the training of students and of young researchers.
Currently M.B. is involved in new efforts to search for potential inflation signatures (“B-modes”) in the CMB
polarization pattern, in coordination with other European partners and with the support of ASI (COMSOS
project). He is co-PI of LSPE, an ASI/INFN experiment combining ground-based and balloon-borne
measurements, and team Architect in the QUBIC Collaboration. He has contributed to CMB post-Planck ESA
mission studies (COrE, PRISM, COrEplus) and he is now involved in the JAXA LiteBIRD space project.
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Career
1986: Graduation in Physics, University of Milano. Supervisor: prof. Giorgio Sironi;
1986-90: Visiting Scholar at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley;
1988-99: Staff Researcher at Istituto di Fisica Cosmica e Tecnologie Relative (IFCTR), CNR, Milano;
1999-00: Senior Researcher at IFCTR, CNR, Milano;
1990-95: Visiting Researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory;
2000-06: Associate Professor of Experimental Physics, Physics Department, University of Milano;
2006-present: Full Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Physics Department, University of Milano.
Scientific responsibilities
1993-94: Assessment Study of COBRAS/SAMBA mission (ESA);
1994-96: Phase A Study of COBRAS/SAMBA mission (ESA);
1996-present: Science Team of the Planck mission (ESA), Instrument Scientist of Planck-LFI;
2010-present: Deputy PI of Planck-LFI;
2005-07: Science Committee of Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF);
2003-2013: Vice-President of Consorzio Inter-Universitario di Fisica Spaziale (CIFS);
2003-present: Science Director of Euresis (Association for the Promotion of Scientific Culture);
2005-present: Piero Caldirola International Center for the Promotion of Science and International School of Plasma
Physics;
2010-2011: Search Committee for the Directorate of the National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and
Research Institutes (ANVUR);
2009-present: Science Committee of Camplus, Excellence University Colleges Network;
2009-2015: Director of the PhD School in Physics, Astrophysics and Applied Physics, University of Milano;
2011-2014: Member of the National Scientific Committee for Research in Antarctica (CSNA);
2011-2015: Scientific Advisor of the Italian Delegation at the Science Program Committee (SPC) of ESA;
2012-present: Co-PI of LSPE and PI of the LSPE/STRIP instrument;
2016-present: Architect in the QUBIC Collaboration;
2017-present: Calibration JSG Convener and External Collaborator in the JAXA LiteBIRD space project.
M.B. participated in a number of project evaluation committees (for ASI, NASA, ERC, Agence Nationale de la
Recherche, Irish Government, Spanish Government). In Italy, he regularly takes part in National academic
committees for hiring University Professors and Research staff, and for evaluating proposals for National
Grants (PRIN, SIR, FIRB).
As Director of the PhD School in Physics at Milano University, in the period 2009-2015, M.B. has managed a
PhD program for 125 PhD students and led a Graduate Faculty Committee of about 65 professors covering
all areas of Physics, including Astrophysics and Cosmology, Particle and Nuclear Physics, Matter Physics,
Theoretical Physics, Applied Physics.
M.B. has been PI or co-PI of a number of science and technology grants. Italian ministerial (MIUR) grants
included: PRIN (2006-2008), 150k€; PRIN (2009-2012), 269k€. ASI and INFN funded projects (besides Planck-
LFI) included: mm-Wave Technology Development (2010-2014), 3M€; LSPE/STRIP (2012-2016), 1.5M€.
Regional Council (Sardinia and Lombardy) funded program on Microwave Technology Development (2012-
2016), total budget: 3.2 M€.
Publications and talks

M.B. is author of about 350 papers, more than 250 of which are published in main Refereed Journals in the
field of Astrophysics and Cosmology (Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Astrophysical Journal, The Astronomical
Journal, JCAP, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astron. Soc., Astrophysical Letters & Comm.) and Experimental
Refereed Journals (IEEE, Experimental Astronomy, JINST). H-index: 77; Citations: > 31400 (for details see plots
below – Source: NASA/ADS). M.B. is author of many Conference Proceedings and Technical Notes, some of
which were key for the development of hardware for the Planck mission. M.B. has been referee for several
International Journals. Since 2013 he is part of the Editorial Board of Journal of Instrumentation (JINST).
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In the past 10 years M.B. gave over 35 invited talks and lectures, mostly presenting Planck results, in several
Universities and Research Centres, including: Heidelberg University (30 May 2008), Copenhagen Niels Bohr
Institute (3 June 2008, 9 June 2009), ESA/ESTEC (27 October 2008, 4 April 2013), Varenna/IDAPP (17 June
2009), Barcelona University (10 September 2010), Pars/IAP (10 January 2011, 25 June 2012), Padua/INFN (18
May 2011), Chicago, Fermilab (7 March 2012), South Dakota/PPC2013 (12 July 2013), Como/ICATPP (23
September 2013), Pavia University (25 September 2014, 23 June 2016), Ferrara University (1 December 2014),
University of Milano-Bicocca (12 December 2014), Princeton University (June 2015), Rome La
Sapienza/MGXIV (July 2015), Milano Politecnico (11 April 2016), Turin Observatory (27 April 2016), CERN,
Geneva (18 May 2016), James Madison University (1 November 2016).
In the past 10 years M.B. has been in the Scientific Organizing Committee of 14 International Conferences on
Astrophysics, Cosmology and Cosmic Microwave Background.
Honors
NATO Advanced Grant, 1990;
NSF Medal for Research in Antarctica, 1991;
FEST (Fiera Internazionale Editoria Scientifica), 1st ranking, Trieste, 2007;
ASI Award for contribution to Planck, 2010;
ESA Award for achievements in Planck (to Planck Collaboration), 2010;
Istituto Lombardo Accademia di Scienze e Lettere, 2012;
NERSC Award for High Impact Scientific Achievement (to Planck Collaboration), 2014.
Teaching and Research Training

1986-87, University of California, Berkeley: Teaching Assistant, Course 7C (Physics for Engineers);
1996-99, S.I.S.S.A., Trieste: Observational tests in Cosmology, graduate course;
1999-01, University of Milano: Physics for Computer Science; Laurea in Computer science;
2000-06, University of Milano: Laboratory of Space Instrumentation, Laurea Magistrale in Physics;
2003-05, University of Milano: Introduction to Astrophysics, Laurea Triennale in Physics;
2004-06, University of Milano: Cosmologia, Laurea Magistrale in Physics;
2006-present, University of Milano: Astronomy (Part I and Part II), Laurea Magistrale in Physics;
2009-present, University of Milano: Physics 1 (Mechanics) Laurea Triennale in Physics.
M.B. has been Supervisor/Referee of 15 PhD students (eight in Italy, and one each from Doctorat Astronomie
et Astrophysique, Ecole Doctorale d’Astronomie et d’Astrophysique d’Ile-de-France, Observatoire de Paris, Open
University, Danish Space Researh Institute of Copenhagen, Manchester University) and Supervisor of more than
50 Thesis of Laurea Magistrale (Master Degree) and several Thesis of Laurea Triennale at University of Milano.
Over his career at Physics Department at Milano University, he has built a research group of about 12
people, most of whom where M.B.’s former students. The group is active in observational cosmology, radio
and mm-wave astrophysics, microwave technology development. His group currently includes two
Associate Professors (prof. Davide Maino, prof. Aniello Mennella), one Staff Researcher (dr. Maurizio
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Tomasi), five Research Associates, one Technician, three PhD Students. A number of former students of
M.B.’s are continuing their career in high level astrophysics groups in Europe and USA.
Outreach & Science Education

M.B. regularly gives public outreach and interdisciplinary conferences (on average 6-7 per year in the past 10
years) on science and cosmology, in Italy and abroad. A few recent examples include: Krakow, October 2017,
On the observability of the Early Universe; Amsterdam, October 2013, World Science Festival, Our Universe
Exposed: Planck's Perfect Echo of the Past; Bologna, 27 September 2013, Origins; Milano, 10 April 2013, Missione
Planck. L’universo come non lo avete mai visto, with Malcom Longair; Krakow, May 2014, Exploring the limits of
space-time; DePaul University, Chicago, 7 March 2012, At the Origin of the Universe.
M.B. has published essays, books and book chapters cosmology, astronomy, science education, and
exploring the links between science and humanities (including From Galileo to Gell-Mann, Templeton Press,
2009; Infinity and the Nostalgia of the Stars, in «Infinity. New Research Frontiers», Cambridge University Press,
2011; Light in the Beginning, in «Light from light», Eerdmans, 2011; Il grande spettacolo delo cielo, Sperling &
Kupfer 2016). He wrote several articles for some of the leading newspapers in Italy, participated in TV and
radio interviews and press releases.
In the context of the yearly Rimini Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples, since 1997 M.B. has organized
and chaired a number of large-scale science-related conferences and debates involving top-level scientists
(including John Barrow, Enrico Bombieri, Noam Chomsky, Yves Coppens, Paul Davies, George Ellis, Owen
Gingerich, Laurent Lafforgue, Jean-Marie Lehn, John Mather, Ed Nelson, John Polkinghorne, Carlo Rubbia,
George Smoot, Ian Tattersall, Charles Townes) each attended by several thousands of people. From 2007 to
2015 M.B. has promoted a series of yearly academic interdisciplinary symposia on frontier topics in science,
held in the Summer at the University of San Marino (the “San Marino Symposia”), involving world-class
scientists and scholars. These were also connected to large-scale popular lectures at the Rimini Meeting.
He co-authored a dozen of scientific exhibitions, visited by tens of thousands of people in Italy, some of
which were translated into English, Spanish, German, Arabic. Since 2003 M.B. is Scientific Director of the
scientific association Euresis. Since 2012 he is President of the Sacro Cuore Foundation for the Education of the
Young, managing a set of schools in Milano ranging from kindergarten to high school levels.

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MARCO BERSANELLI

CURRICULUM VITAE - PART I – SUMMARY

Birth: 29th January 1960 at Milano, Italy.

Publications and talks

Teaching and Research Training

Outreach & Science Education

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