CV

Here you can find a PDF with my Curriculum Vitae, updated to January 2020.


I am a postdoctoral researcher in high energy astrophysics. I study the physics of accretion and ejection of matter around supermassive black holes, and their connection to galaxy formation and evolution. I mainly use data collected with X-ray and UV detectors onboard space telescopes, and I am especially interested in the state of the art and the future developments of spectroscopic techniques.


Address:
Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC−INTA), c/o ESAC
Camino Bajo del Castillo s/n, 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain

email: mgiustini[at]cab.inta-csic.es, margherita.giustini[at]gmail.com


After getting my B.Sc., M.Sc., and PhD in Astronomy at the University of Bologna, I worked as postdoctoral researcher in several institutes in different countries, before landing at the Centro de Astrobiología where I work these days. I also had the chance to spend several months as visiting scholar and researcher in Universities and Research Institutes abroad.

Work experience:

2018−present: Postdoctoral researcher at CAB – Centro de Astrobiología, CSICINTA (Spain).

2014−2018: Postdoctoral researcher at SRON – Netherlands Institute for Space Research (Netherlands).

2012−2014: ESA Research Fellow in Space Science at the European Space Astronomy Centre (Spain).

2012: Postdoctoral research fellow at the Center for Space Science and Technology of the University of Maryland Baltimore County (USA).

2011: Research fellow at INAF-IASF Bologna (today OAS, Italy).


Education

April 2011: Ph. D. in Astronomy, University of Bologna (Italy).

October 2007: M. Sc. in Astrophysics and Cosmology, University of Bologna (Italy).

December 2005: B. Sc. in Astronomy, University of Bologna (Italy).


Work visits

March-April 2016: Visiting scientist working within the Hitomi calibration team at the Japanese Aerospace eXploration Agency (JAXA), Tokyo (Japan).

February 2016: Visiting scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), Baltimore (USA).

March-May 2010:
Visiting short term scholar at the Department of Physics & Astronomy of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (USA).

January-December 2009: Visiting research scholar at the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics of the Pennsylvania State University (USA).


Observing experience:

In order to study phenomena happening close to supermassive black holes in distant galaxies, astronomers need UV and — especially — X-ray data. Such data can be harvested in the enormous existing archives, or new data can be obtained through new observations, to be requested in international calls open to observing time proposals.

I am the Principal Investigator of six successful proposals with XMM-Newton, Chandra, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and the Very Large Array (VLA).

Proposals accepted as PI

2021: “The puzzling X-ray Quasi-periodic Eruptions in RX J1301.9+2747”: 74 hours with XMM-Newton + 20 hours with the VLA

2019: “Revealing the pattern of X-ray Quasi-periodic Eruptions in RX J1301.9+2747”: 37 hours with XMM-Newton + 10 hours with the VLA

2015: “Exploring Positive Feedback in Action in NGC 2617”: 70 hours with Chandra

2013/2014: “Unveiling the X-ray/UV Connection in AGN Winds: the PG 1126-041 Case Study”: 16 hours with XMM-Newton + 8 orbits with HST

2008: “At the Edge of an AGN Wind: a Deep Observation of PG 1126-041”: 36 hours with XMM-Newton

2007: “Variable Absorption in BAL QSOs: Catching the Origin of AGN Winds”: 37 hours with XMM-Newton

I am the co-Investigator of further 12 successful proposals with XMM-Newton, Chandra, and NuSTAR.

Proposals accepted as Co-I

2021: “Heading into the wind: a hard X-ray NuSTAR view of PG 1126-041″: 33 hours with NuSTAR + 25 hours with XMM-Newton — PI: J. Reeves


2021: “Probing energy-driven AGN winds in the brightest, non-lensed QSO at z > 3″: 41 hours with Chandra CXC— PI: E. Bertola


2021: “Follow-up of a known source with X-ray quasi-periodic eruptions: eRO-QPE2″: 12 hours with XMM-Newton — PI: R. Arcodia


2021: “Probing the inner accretion flow of a luminous highly variable Seyfert 1”: 67 hours with XMM-Newton — PI: E. Kammoun

2020: “A deep look at an exceptionally variable Seyfert 1 galaxy”: 29 hours with XMM-Newton — PI: E. Kammoun

2020: “Magnified views of relativistic outflows in high-z mini-BAL quasars”: 32 hours with XMM-Newton — PI: G. Chartas

2020: “Follow-up observations of the quasi- periodic eruption active galaxy GSN 069”: 29 hours with XMM-Newton — PI: G. Miniutti

2019: “Quasi- periodic Eruptions (QPEs) in GSN 069”: 148 hours with XMM-Newton + 2 HST orbits — PI: G. Miniutti

2019: “Exploring Changing-Look AGNs through the QPE analogy: the case of Mrk 590”: 14 hours with XMM-Newton — PI: G. Miniutti

2018: “Shedding X-ray light on supermassive black hole winds” : 440 hours with XMM-Newton — PI: M. Brusa

2016: “A pathfinder X-ray spectral study of outflows in the X-ray brightest QSOs at z ≈ 2” : 123 hours with XMM-Newton — PI: M. Cappi

2015: “Constraining X-ray Absorption in Emergent BAL Quasars” : 10 hours with Chandra — PI: P. Rodríguez Hidalgo

2015: “The wide-angle outflow of the lensed z=1.51 AGN HS 0810+2554” : 28 hours with Chandra + 33 hours with NuSTAR — PI: G. Chartas

2013: “The Ultrafast Outflow of the Lensed z=1.51 AGN HS 0810+2554” : 28 hours with Chandra + 14 hours with XMM-Newton — PI: G. Chartas

2013: “Constraining X-ray Absorption in Emergent BAL Quasars” : 26 hours with XMM-Newton — PI: P. Rodríguez Hidalgo

2013: “SDSS J1159+0112, an Intriguing high-z, X-ray bright BAL QSO” : 19 hours with XMM-Newton — PI: G. Lanzuisi

2013: “Magnified Views of Relativistic Outflows in Gravitationally Lensed mini-BAL Quasars” : 39 hours with XMM-Newton — PI: G. Chartas

2013: “An X-ray Study of Distant QSO with the Aid of Gravitational Lensing” : 43 hours with XMM-Newton — PI: M. Dadina

2012: “Probing the Variable, Relativistic Wind in the high-z QSO HS 1700+6416” : 33 hours with XMM-Newton — PI: G. Lanzuisi


The data collected through space telescopes are analyzed and the results of the analysis are published in refereed scientific journals. During the process of elaboration of the results, preliminary parts of the studies are usually presented and discussed in seminars and colloquia given at Universities, Research Centers, conferences and meetings. This implies a lot of traveling.

Articles published in refereed journals

I am the first author of 8 scientific articles, and co-author of 32 scientific articles, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A), Nature, the Astrophysical Journal (ApJ), Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS), Astronomische Nachrichten (AN), and Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan (PASJ).

First author articles

X-ray quasi-periodic eruptions from the galactic nucleus of RX J1301.9+2747“, by M. Giustini, G. Miniutti & R. D. Saxton, 2020, A&A, in press (arXiv:2002.08967)

A global view of the inner accretion and ejection flow around super massive black holes. Radiation-driven accretion disk winds in a physical context“, by M. Giustini & D. Proga, 2019, A&A, 630, 94

Direct probe of the inner accretion flow around the supermassive black hole in NGC 2617“, by M. Giustini, E. Costantini, B. De Marco, J. Svoboda, S. E. Motta, D. Proga, R. D. Saxton, C. Ferrigno, A. L. Longinotti, G. Miniutti, D. Grupe, S. Mathur, B. J. Shappee, J. L. Prieto & K. Stanek, 2017, A&A, 597, 66

Unveiling the X-ray/UV properties of disk winds in active galactic nuclei using broad and mini-broad absorption line quasars“, by M. Giustini, 2016, AN, 337, 459

Revealing a hard X-ray spectral component that reverberates within one light hour of the central supermassive black hole in Ark 564“, by M. Giustini, T. J. Turner, J. N. Reeves, L. Miller, E. Legg, S. B. Kraemer, & I. M. George, 2015, A&A, 577, 8

On the Diversity and Complexity of Absorption Line Profiles Produced by Outflows in Active Galactic Nuclei“, by M. Giustini & D. Proga, 2012, ApJ, 758, 70

Variable X-ray absorption in the mini-BAL QSO PG 1126-041“, by M. Giustini, M. Cappi, G. Chartas, M. Dadina, M. Eracleous, G. Ponti, D. Proga, F. Tombesi, C. Vignali, & G. G. C. Palumbo, 2011, A&A, 536, 49

On the absorption of X-ray bright broad absorption line quasars“, by M. Giustini, M. Cappi, & C. Vignali, 2008, A&A, 491, 425

Selection of articles where I have been a co-author

The WISSH quasars project. VII. The impact of extreme radiative field in the accretion disc and X-ray corona interplay
by L. Zappacosta, E. Piconcelli, M. Giustini, G. Vietri, F. Duras, G. Miniutti, M. Bischetti, A. Bongiorno, M. Brusa, M. Chiaberge, A. Comastri, C. Feruglio, A. Luminari, A. Marconi, C. Ricci, C. Vignali, & F. Fiore, 2020, A&A, 635, 5

Nine-hour X-ray quasi-periodic eruptions from a low-mass black hole galactic nucleus
by G. Miniutti, R. D. Saxton, M. Giustini, K. D. Alexander, R. P. Fender, I. Heywood, I. Monageng, M. Coriat, A. K. Tzioumis, A. M. Read, C. Knigge, P. Gandhi, M. L. Pretorius, & B. Agís-González, 2019, Nature, 573, 381

The variability of the warm absorber in I Zwicky 1 as seen by XMM-Newton
by C. V. Silva, E. Costantini, M. Giustini, G. A. Kriss, W. N. Brandt, L. C. Gallo, & D. R. Wilkins, 2018, MNRAS, 480, 2334

Restframe UV-to-optical spectroscopy of APM 08279+5255. BAL classification and black hole mass estimates
by F. G. Saturni, M. Bischetti, E. Piconcelli, A. Bongiorno, C. Cicone, C. Feruglio, F. Fiore, S. Gallerani, M. Giustini, S. Piranomonte, G. Vietri, & C. Vignali, 2018, A&A, 617, 118

Hitomi (ASTRO-H) X-ray Astronomy Satellite
the Hitomi Collaboration, 2018, JATIS, 4b, 1402

Hitomi observation of radio galaxy NGC 1275: The first X-ray microcalorimeter spectroscopy of Fe-Kα line emission from an active galactic nucleus
the Hitomi Collaboration, 2018, PASJ, 70, 13

Atomic data and spectral modeling constraints from high-resolution X-ray observations of the Perseus cluster with Hitomi
the Hitomi Collaboration, 2018, PASJ, 70, 12

Temperature structure in the Perseus cluster core observed with Hitomi
the Hitomi Collaboration, 2018, PASJ, 70, 11

Yet another UFO in the X-ray spectrum of a high-z lensed QSO
by M. Dadina, C. Vignali, M. Cappi, G. Lanzuisi, G. Ponti, E. Torresi, B. De Marco, G. Chartas, & M. Giustini, 2018, A&A, 26, 610

Solar abundance ratios of the iron-peak elements in the Perseus cluster
the Hitomi Collaboration, 2017, Nature, 551, 478

Swift observations of V404 Cyg during the 2015 outburst: X-ray outflows from super-Eddington accretion
by S. E. Motta, J. J. E. Kajava, C. Sánchez-Fernández, A. P. Beardmore, A. Sanna, K. L. Page, R. Fender, D. Altamirano, P. Charles, M. Giustini, C. Knigge, E. Kuulkers, S. Oates, & J. P. Osborne, 2017, MNRAS, 471, 1797

The black hole binary V404 Cygni: a highly accreting obscured AGN analogue
by S. E. Motta, J. J. E. Kajava, C. Sánchez-Fernández, M. Giustini, & E. Kuulkers, 2017, MNRAS, 468, 981

Hitomi Constraints on the 3.5 keV Line in the Perseus Galaxy Cluster
the Hitomi Collaboration, 2017, ApJ, 837, 15

XMM-Newton reveals a Seyfert-like X-ray spectrum in the z = 3.6 QSO B1422+231
by M. Dadina, C. Vignali, M. Cappi, G. Lanzuisi, G. Ponti, B. De Marco, G. Chartas, & M. Giustini, 2016, A&A, 592, 104

The quiescent intracluster medium in the core of the Perseus cluster
the Hitomi Collaboration, 2016, Nature, 535, 117

The Wide-angle Outflow of the Lensed z = 1.51 AGN HS 0810+2554
by G. Chartas, M. Cappi, F. Hamann, M. Eracleous, S. Strickland, M. Giustini, & T. Misawa, 2016, ApJ, 824, 53

The Man behind the Curtain: X-Rays Drive the UV through NIR Variability in the 2013 Active Galactic Nucleus Outburst in NGC 2617
by B. J. Shappee, J. L. Prieto, D. Grupe, C. S. Kochanek, K. Z. Stanek, G. De Rosa, S. Mathur, Y. Zu, B. M. Peterson, R. W. Pogge, S. Komossa, M. Im, J. Jencson, T. W. -S. Holoien, U. Basu, J. F. Beacom, D. M. Szczygieł, J. Brimacombe, S. Adams, A. Campillay, C. Choi, C. Contreras, M. Dietrich, M. Dubberley, M. Elphick, S. Foale, M. Giustini, C. Gonzalez, E. Hawkins, D. A. Howell, E. Y. Hsiao, M. Koss, K. M. Leighly, N. Morrell, D. Mudd, D. Mullins, J. M. Nugent, J. Parrent, M. M. Phillips, G. Pojmanski, W. Rosing, R. Ross, D. Sand, D. M. Terndrup, S. Valenti, Z. Walker, Z., & Y. Yoon, 2014, ApJ, 788, 48

Magnified Views of the Ultrafast Outflow of the z = 1.51 Active Galactic Nucleus HS 0810+2554
by G. Chartas, F. Hamann, M. Eracleous, T. Misawa, M. Cappi, M. Giustini, J. C. Charlton, & M. Marvin, 2014, ApJ, 783, 57

Direct Measurement of the X-Ray Time-delay Transfer Function in Active Galactic Nuclei
by E. Legg, L. Miller, T. J. Turner, M. Giustini, J. N. Reeves, & S. B. Kraemer, 2012, ApJ, 760, 63

HS 1700+6416: the first high-redshift unlensed narrow absorption line-QSO showing variable high-velocity outflows
by G. Lanzuisi, M. Giustini, M. Cappi, M. Dadina, G. Malaguti, C. Vignali, & G. Chartas, 2012, A&A, 544, 2

Confirmation of and Variable Energy Injection by a Near-Relativistic Outflow in APM 08279+5255
by G. Chartas, C. Saez, W. N. Brandt, M. Giustini, & G. P. Garmire, 2009, ApJ, 706, 644

X-ray evidence for a mildly relativistic and variable outflow in the luminous Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 509“,
by M. Cappi, F. Tombesi, S. Bianchi, M. Dadina, M. Giustini, G. Malaguti, L. Maraschi, G. G. C. Palumbo, P.-O. Petrucci, G. Ponti, C. Vignali, & T. Yaqoob, 2009, A&A, 504, 401

High velocity outflows in narrow absorption line quasars“,
by G. Chartas, J. Charlton, M. Eracleous, M. Giustini, P. Rodríguez Hidalgo, R. Ganguly, F. Hamann, T. Misawa, & D. Tytler, 2009, NewAR, 53, 128

X-ray spectral variability in PG 1535+547: the changing look of a “soft X-ray weak” AGN“,
by L. Ballo, M. Giustini, N. Schartel, M. Cappi, E. Jiménez-Bailón, E. Piconcelli, M. Santos-Lleó, & C. Vignali, 2008, A&A 483, 137

Selection of conference proceedings

The role of failed accretion disk winds in active galactic nuclei“,
by M. Giustini & D. Proga, proceedings of the International Astronomical Union Symposium No. 356, “Nuclear Activity in Galaxies Across Cosmic Time” (Addis Ababa, October 2019) — Cambridge University Press Conference Proceedings, in press (arXiv:2002.07564)

Variable X-ray Absorption in the Mini-broad Absorption Line Quasar PG 1126-041“,
by M. Giustini, M. Cappi, G. Chartas, M. Dadina, M. Eracleous, G. Ponti, D. Proga, F. Tombesi, C. Vignali, & G. G. C. Palumbo, proceedings of the conference “AGN winds in Charleston” (Charleston, October 2011). Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series, Volume 460, p. 23-27

Variable X-ray Absorption in Mini-BAL QSOs“,
by M. Giustini, M. Cappi, G. Chartas, M. Eracleous, G. G. C. Palumbo, & C. Vignali, proceedings of the conference “Accretion and Ejection in AGN: a global view” (Como, June 2009). American Society of the Pacific Conference Series, Volume 427, p. 108-109

Complex X-Ray Spectral Variability in Mini-BAL QSOs“,
by M. Giustini, M. Cappi, G. Chartas, M. Eracleous, G. G. C. Palumbo, & C. Vignali, proceedings of the International Astronomical Union Symposium No. 267, “Co-Evolution of Central Black Holes and Galaxies” (Rio de Janeiro, August 2009). Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, Volume 267, p. 397-397

The Simbol-X Perspective on the Physics of Quasar Outflows“,
by M. Giustini, M. Cappi, C. Vignali, G. G. C. Palumbo, F. Fiore, & G. Malaguti, proceedings of the 2nd International Simbol-X Symposium (Paris, December 2008). AIP Conference Proceedings, Volume 1126, pp. 245-247 (2009).


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