Giulia Golini

Research Associate | Exploring the faint Universe
Galaxy formation and evolution; dwarf galaxies; globular clusters; intracluster light; low surface brightness imaging; astronomical surveys; dark matter models; data analysis.
University of New South Wales (UNSW)
ORCID logo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8016-7534

About me

I completed my PhD in Astrophysics at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias and the Universidad de La Laguna, Spain. My doctoral thesis, "The Low Surface Brightness Universe: From Faint Dwarfs to Galaxy Edges", investigated the challenges and opportunities involved in detecting and measuring extremely faint astronomical structures. Before moving to Spain, I studied at the University of Padua and the University of Bologna in Italy. I am now based at UNSW, where I work with Professor Sarah Brough on galaxy evolution and low-surface-brightness science. My work combines deep optical imaging, astronomical surveys, advanced data-reduction techniques, and quantitative analysis. I am particularly interested in making reliable measurements of structures that are easily hidden by instrumental effects, foreground objects, and inaccurate background subtraction.

Research

My research interests include: -- low surface brightness imaging and galaxy outskirts; -- galaxy formation and evolution; -- dwarf galaxies and almost-dark galaxies; -- stellar halos and tidal streams; -- intracluster light; -- astronomical surveys, including Rubin-LSST; -- astronomical data analysis and image processing. I am a co-PI of the LIGHTS survey, the LBT Imaging of Galactic Halos and Tidal Structures project, which uses ultra-deep imaging to study the faint structures around nearby galaxies. I am also a member and LSST Data Rights Holder within the Rubin-LSST Galaxies Science Collaboration. Faint diffuse structures are particularly sensitive to choices made during image reduction and sky subtraction. Developing robust techniques is therefore essential if we want to recover galaxy edges, stellar streams, intragroup light, and intracluster light. I am the author or co-author of refereed publications in Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Astronomical Journal, and The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Have a look here at my publications :)

Outreach and public engagement

Astronomy should be accessible, engaging, and connected to the wider community. My outreach work includes public talks, planetarium tours, stargazing events, school activities, online events, and science communication articles. At UNSW, I contribute to the Physics Outreach Committee and have participated in activities including UNSW Open Day, planetarium tours, National Science Week stargazing events, Science in the Swamp, and Science in the Scrub. I have also delivered talks about the night sky to general audiences and previously contributed to astronomy outreach activities in Italy and Spain. I am a member of the steering committee of the Australian Astronomical Society Early Career Researcher Chapter. I run the ASA ECR Histories and Mysteries series, which explores both the history behind important astronomical ideas and the outstanding mysteries that remain unsolved. I have also written outreach articles about low surface brightness galaxies and aurorae for the Italian Giornale di Astronomia.