Elena Sacchi

Dr. Elena Sacchi is a postdoctoral researcher who joined STScI in January 2018, and whose work is focused on the the formation and evolution of galaxies in the nearby Universe. One of the projects she is currently working on is led by Dr. Roeland van der Marel, and is based on HST data of Local Group galaxies to perform high-precision photometry of their resolved stellar populations, derive their color-magnitude diagrams, and interpret the results to improve our understanding of their structure, dynamics, stellar populations, formation and evolution. This work, performed within the HSTPROMO collaboration, involves both observational data analysis and theoretical star formation history derivation, as well as the comparison with related data sets from other facilities (e.g., GAIA and ground-based facilities). The other project, started during her Ph.D., is led by Dr. Alessandra Aloisi, and involves the analysis of the resolved stellar populations of star-forming galaxies in the local Universe, to investigate and connect the different scales of star formation, from young stellar clusters to galaxies, and to understand whether and how the star formation process may depend on the morphological, dynamical, and environmental properties of the galaxies.

Dr. Sacchi is also very interested in teaching and outreach, and has been involved in several projects both as a volunteer and as invited lecturer in schools and public events.

Education:

PhD in Astrophysics, Bologna University
MA in Astrophysics and Cosmology, Bologna University
BA in Astronomy, Bologna University

Research Topics: Star Formation, Histories, and Evolution, Local Group Galaxies, Stellar Populations, Resolved Stellar Populations

ORCID ID: 0000-0001-5618-0109