Programa de Pós Graduação em Física (PPGF)

Iara Tosta e Melo

Possui doutorado pela Universidade La Sapienza Tor Vergata (programa conjunto com a Universidade La Sapienza), atuando na área de Astrofísica Extragalactica. Atualmente é professor assistente na universidade de Catania e professor do programa de pos-graduaçao da Unifal. Atua principalmente na área de astrofísica multimessenger envolvendo GW, neutrinos e outros fenômenos de alta energia. Foi professor visitante na Unifei em 2022 e na Unifal nos anos de 2023 e 2024. Participou de mais de 20 congressos internacionais (desde 2010) e organizou 7 conferencias internacionais. Participou de bancas de mestrado e doutorado de alunos do INPE, UNESP e Unifal. Atualmente orienta 3 alunos de doutorado e 3 de mestrado de universidade brasileiras. Participou da banca de comissao examinadora para seleçao de um pesquisador do INPE (PQ29 - Multimessenger Astronomy) e para um professor de ingles cientifico na Universidade de Catania. É leader do grupo VirgoBR e um dos leaders de analises multimensageira dentro a colaboração LVK. É coordenadora das analises GWHEN dentro de LVK representando o telescópio de neutrino KM3Net. Faz parte de uma colaboraçao que venceu o premio Nobel e é co-autora de um paper na Nature sobre a observação do neutrino de maior energia observado até então. Ganhou 1 prêmio internacional para internazionaliação, ERAMUS +, e 2 prêmios nacionais de internazionalização. É PI dos telescópios brasileiros na colaboração GRANDMA e realizou campanhas observacionais de follow-ups. Busca consolidar a pesquisa multimessenger no Brasil. (Texto informado pelo autor)

  • http://lattes.cnpq.br/7286059807128292 (13/11/2025)
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  • Endereço: Università degli Studi di Catania, UniCT. via santa sofia 62 cittadella Catania, - Itália Telefone: (35) 999602359
  • Grande área: Ciências Exatas e da Terra
  • Área: Astronomia
  • Citações: Google Acadêmico

Produção bibliográfica

Produção técnica

Produção artística

Orientações em andamento

Supervisões e orientações concluídas

Projetos de pesquisa

Prêmios e títulos

Participação em eventos

Organização de eventos

Lista de colaborações

Produção bibliográfica

Produção técnica

Produção artística

Orientações em andamento

Supervisões e orientações concluídas

Projetos de pesquisa

  • Total de projetos de pesquisa (11)
    1. 2024-Atual. VirgoBR
      Descrição: Since I joined the LVK collaboration, I established contacts in my home country to form a group focused on experimental GWs astronomy. Through different collaborations, I was able to put together a group whose members are from 5 different Universities in Brazil (UNESP, ITA, UNIFEI, UNIFAL, and UFRN) and myself. The group was approved by the Virgo Scientific Committee August this year with me as its leader: the first non-European group to join Virgo collaboration. The group brings together my experience in GW multi-messenger astronomy and other members' backgrounds in theoretical astrophysics (from formalisms to probe gravity to alternative theories of gravity).. Situação: Em andamento; Natureza: Pesquisa. Integrantes: Iara Tosta e Melo - Coordenador / cassius de melo - Integrante / Marcio Alves - Integrante / eduardo bittencourt - Integrante / Leo Medeiros - Integrante / Pedro Pompeia - Integrante / Rodrigo Cuzinatto - Integrante.
      Membro: Iara Tosta e Melo.
    2. 2023-Atual. KM3Net - multimessenger studies
      Descrição: Searches for neutrinos associated with GW signals from compact binary mergers have already been performed with neutrino telescopes such as ANTARES (Adrian-Martinez et al. 2016), and its successor, the KM3Net telescope is currently under construction. Recently, an exceptionally high-energy event was observed by KM3NeT, which is associated with cosmic neutrino detection: muon with an estimated energy of about 12 petaelectronvolts (PeV) (Nature 2025, here figure 4), the first one of its kind. KM3Net infrastructures are composed of two detectors: ARCA detector is located offshore Portopalo di Capo Passero, Sicily, Italy, at a depth of about 3,450#8201;m and its geometry is optimized for the study of high-energy cosmic neutrinos. The ORCA detector is located at a depth of about 2,450#8201;m, offshore Toulon, France, and is optimized for the study of neutrino oscillations. Both detectors are under construction but already operational, and once completed, they will comprise 345 (230 for ARCA and 115 for ORCA) vertical detection lines, each holding 18 optical modules. Both detectors can identify all flavours of neutrino interactions: long-lived muons, denominated tracks, and those denominated showers.. Situação: Em andamento; Natureza: Pesquisa. Integrantes: Iara Tosta e Melo - Coordenador / cassius de melo - Integrante / Marcio Alves - Integrante.
      Membro: Iara Tosta e Melo.
    3. 2022-2025. Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility Action (KA171)
      Descrição: Funding awarded for international mobility between UNISS and UNIFEI (Brazil). The projecthas a duration of 3 year. Situação: Concluído; Natureza: Pesquisa. Integrantes: Iara Tosta e Melo - Coordenador / eduardo bittencourt - Integrante.
      Membro: Iara Tosta e Melo.
    4. 2021-Atual. Virgo, ET, SarGrav
      Descrição: Virgo and EGO is scientific forum - the VESF - for astrophysicists and theorists, dedicated specifically to the furthering of scientific knowledge related to Virgo. Virgo is an interferometric gravitational-wave antenna. It consists of two 3-kilometre-long arms, which house the various machinery required to form a laser interferometer. The Einstein Telescope (ET), on the other hand, project is dedicated to the development of a critical research infrastructure for a third-generation gravitational-wave interferometer. The surroundings of Sos Enattos mine in Sardinia is being considered as a possible location for ET due to its very low seismic and anthropogenic noise. Such local characteristics allowed the construction of the Sar-Grav laboratory which aims to host underground experiments including low seismic noise experiments, cryogenic payloads, low frequency, and cryogenic sensor development. Nonetheless, a fundamental physics experiment, Archimedes, is the first experiment already under installation in the surface area.. Situação: Em andamento; Natureza: Pesquisa. Integrantes: Iara Tosta e Melo - Integrante / Domenico D'Urso - Coordenador / Annalisa alloca - Integrante / Enrico Calloni - Integrante / Davide Rozza - Integrante.
      Membro: Iara Tosta e Melo.
    5. 2021-Atual. GRANDMA
      Descrição: Since the first detection of gravitational waves (GWs) in 2015, physics and astronomy have entered a new era in which diverse messengers ? photons, neutrinos, cosmic rays and gravitational waves ? provide a new picture of the Universe. On 17 August 2017, multi-messenger observations of the coalescence of two neutron stars demonstrated the potential to test different astrophys- ical scenarios, collect information on the dynamics of the astrophysical system with GWs, provide a new way to measure the expansion rate of the Universe and study the properties of matter under extreme conditions1. Multi-messenger astronomy is a rapidly growing field thanks to the increasing sensitivity of GW detectors, the emergence of the next generation of neutrino detec- tors and the new electromagnetic surveys boosting the number of alerts and discovery opportunities. However, the complexity of these instruments (in particular that of GW interferometers and neutrino detectors) brings observational challenges, leading to a time race to use telescopes and requiring simulation and data analysis tools from distinct fields of physics and astron- omy in order to enable scientific discovery. Based on experience from the second observing run of LIGO and Virgo, there are three main issues that require immediate attention: the coordination of rapid obser- vations of large sky localizations from GWs and γ-ray observatories, the computational resources for online data analysis of telescope signals and images, and a community effort to share reports and data releases on longer timescales. GRANDMA aims to overcome these observational, operational and data analysis challenges by harnessing resources from professional and amateur telescope networks and bringing together experts from different fields.. Situação: Em andamento; Natureza: Pesquisa. Integrantes: Iara Tosta e Melo - Coordenador / Sarah Antier - Integrante.
      Membro: Iara Tosta e Melo.
    6. 2020-Atual. High energy multi-messenger astrophysics
      Descrição: Today we are in a historically exciting period for the study of the Universe as we can observe the whole spectrum of cosmic messengers and explore the Universe with cosmic rays, neutrinos, and GWs. The first observations from the inspiral and merger of a BBH system by the advanced LIGO interferometers marked the onset of GW astronomy (GW150914, Abbott et al. 2016). On 17 August 2017, multi-messenger (MM) astronomy related to GWs had its breakthrough: the LIGO-Virgo network observed a GW signal of two low-mass neutron stars (NS) associated with a gamma-ray burst detected by Fermi-GBM (GW170817, GRB170817A, Abbott et al. 2017a,b). This was a phenomena of rare violence (Figure 1): the matter was expelled in all directions and at velocities close to the speed of light. New heavy atomic nuclei were synthesized by the rapid capture of neutrons and their disintegration heated the ejecta. Its cooling producing radiation, lead to the emission of a kilonova (KN-AT2017gfo, (Andreoni et al. 2017)), observable in detail for the first time. Almost simultaneously, an accretion disk, resulting from the debris of the neutron stars, was formed around the new compact object. In a still unknown mechanism, a jet of matter pointing towards the Earth was emitted and detected by space-based gamma-ray detectors in the form of a gamma-ray burst (GRB170817A). The slowing down of the jet by the interstellar medium produced photons at all wavelengths.. Situação: Em andamento; Natureza: Pesquisa. Alunos envolvidos: Mestrado acadêmico: (3) Doutorado: (4) . Integrantes: Iara Tosta e Melo - Coordenador / cassius de melo - Integrante.
      Membro: Iara Tosta e Melo.
    7. 2019-2021. Virgo and EGO/ET.
      Descrição: Virgo and EGO is scientific forum - the VESF - for astrophysicists and theorists, dedicated specifically to the furthering of scientific knowledge related to Virgo.Virgo is an interferometric gravitational-wave antenna. It consists of two 3-kilometre-long arms, which house the various machinery required to form a laser interferometer.The Einstein Telescope (ET), on the other hand, project is dedicated to the development of a critical research infrastructure for a third-generation gravitational-wave interferometer. Situação: Concluído; Natureza: Pesquisa. Integrantes: Iara Tosta e Melo - Integrante / Domenico D'Urso - Coordenador.
      Membro: Iara Tosta e Melo.
    8. 2015-2019. Stellar Black Hole Binary Mergers in Open Clusters
      Descrição: A study of the evolution of a primordial black hole binary (BHB) in a sample of over 1500 direct-summation N-body simulations of small-and intermediate-size isolated star clusters as proxies of galactic open clusters. The BHBs have masses in the range of the first LIGO/Virgo detections. Some of our models show a significant hardening of the BHB in a relatively short time. Some of them merge within the cluster, while ejected binaries, typically, have exceedingly long merger timescales. The perturbation of stars around BHB systems is key to induce their coalescence. The BHBs which merge in the cluster could be detected with a delay of a few years between space detectors, as future LISA, and ground-based ones, due to their relatively high eccentricity. We estimate a BHB merger rate of about 2 yr^-1 Gpc^-3. We also noticed that in many cases the BHB triggers tidal disruption events which, however, are not linked to the GW emission. Open cluster-like systems are, hence, a promising environment for GWs from BHBs and tidal disruptions.. Situação: Concluído; Natureza: Pesquisa. Alunos envolvidos: Doutorado: (5) . Integrantes: Iara Tosta e Melo - Integrante / Sara Rastello - Integrante / Manuel Arca-Sedda - Integrante / GIACOMO FRAGIONE - Integrante / CAPUZZO-DOLCETTA, R - Coordenador / Pau Amaro-Seoane - Integrante.
      Membro: Iara Tosta e Melo.
    9. 2014-2018. CMOs and their host galaxies
      Descrição: Galaxies belonging to the entire Hubble sequence show the presence of MBH and/or very dense stellar clusters, commonly referred as NSC, in their centers. NSC and MBH have a long study history, and significant progress has been made regarding their understanding. Many fundamental problems, however, are still open and new physical studies are needed for this matter. Both objects seem to follow similar host-galaxy correlations, suggesting that they are 'faces of the same coin': the family of compact massive objects (CMOs). In this context, I dedicated our attention to the investigation of scaling relations behind the largest set of data published so far with an astrophysical context involving CMOs and their host galaxy properties. Such correlations may indicate a direct link between large galactic spatial scales and the much smaller scales of the nuclear environment. Such study was possible due to the growing quantity of high-resolution data, in the last few years, focused on the central region of galaxies. Thanks to the images provided by the Hubble Space Telescope and Advanced Camera Survey, it is clear now that the nuclei of the majority of both elliptical and spiral galaxies (M > 10^10 solar masses) harbour a massive or a supermassive black hole (SMBH), with mass between M > 10^6 - 10^10 solar masses. NSCs on the other hand, are most common in fainter galaxies than in brighter ones in a wide galaxy mass range. It is also well known that both types can be found in the intermediate mass galaxies range where the central MBH is surrounded by the NSC. In an attempt to shed light on this astrophysical open question, I have collected here the most extensive data set containing NSCs and MBHs, with a total amount of more than 700 objects. In particular, the attention was directed to some differences between the correlations of NSC and MBH as subsets of CMOs with hosting galaxies making an analytical discussion between them on various different relations: M_CMO-M_B, M_CMO-M_g and M_CMO-sigma. Also, a thorough comparison of NSC and MBH relations was made and there was found a significant difference between the 2 sets. In this context, the slopes found for the M_NSC vs. M_B relation are very similar to those already obtained in previous similar studies, but with a much greater number of objects. Also, the slopes of the relation CMO mass vs. host galaxy B magnitude of the two types of CMOs are indistinguishable within the errors. On the other hand, the relation NSC mass-host galaxy mass relation is significantly smaller than for MBHs, the first stop being b_NSC = 0.66 against a slope of b_{MBH} = 1.04, suggesting that they do not share the same evolutionary path. It appears that the NSC formation in early-type galaxies is consistent with the GC dry-merger scenario, despite the fact that the GC accretion model still fails to explain why the nucleation fraction goes down at the faint end where dynamical friction should be more efficient. The mass-velocity dispersion relation plays a relevant role because it seems to be the one that better shows a clearer difference between the MBHs and NSCs. The M_MBH vs. sigma has a slope of 5.19 while M_NSC vs. sigma has the much smaller slope, 1.84. A small slope for the NSC - sigma relation in the regime of dynamical friction dominated infall process is expected than that one presented by the MBH} - sigma relation. In fact, the small slope found in my studies of over the various sets of data gave strong support to the GC infall-merger scenario of NSC formation.. Situação: Concluído; Natureza: Pesquisa. Alunos envolvidos: Graduação: (0) / Especialização: (0) / Mestrado acadêmico: (0) / Mestrado profissional: (0) / Doutorado: (1) . Integrantes: Iara Tosta e Melo - Integrante / CAPUZZO-DOLCETTA, R - Coordenador.
      Membro: Iara Tosta e Melo.
    10. 2011-2013. Kinematic study of the parsec-scale jet of the quasar PKS 1741-03
      Descrição: the quasar PKS 1741-03 (OT 068) exhibits strong flux density fluctuations at radio wavelengths, and those that occur at shorter time-scales have been attributed to refractive interstellar scintillation phenomena. Located at redshift z ∼ 1.054, PKS 1741-03 shows a core-like radio morphology at kiloparsec scales, meaning that its brightness distribution is compatible with an unresolved source. An inconspicuous jet, in which a few discrete components, have been identified on PKS 1741-03 as well. In this matter, I analysed the jet of 1741-03 using a statistical technique known as cross-entropy. Such approach indicated the presence of a central component, identified as the core region (the most strong component in terms of flux density in all the 21 epochs and respon- sible for 56?95 percent of the total flux density of PKS 1741-03), and two to five (usually two) jet components per image.. Situação: Concluído; Natureza: Pesquisa. Alunos envolvidos: Mestrado acadêmico: (1) . Integrantes: Iara Tosta e Melo - Integrante / CAPRONI, A. - Coordenador.
      Membro: Iara Tosta e Melo.
    11. 2009-2011. O centro galáctico
      Descrição: O Centro da Nossa Galáxia possui um comportamento semelhante ao dos quasares, que são objetos que estão à distâncias colossais da Terra. Acredita-se que tanto nos quasares distantes como no Centro de Nossa Galáxia (que se encontra muito mais próxima), exista um buraco-negro super-massivo. No caso dos quasares, o buraco- negro deve ter bilhões de massas solares, enquanto que a Nossa Galáxia, possui cerca de milhões de massas solares. Foi realizado um estudo comparativo desses dois objetos para entender melhor os Núcleos Galácticos Ativos (AGN).. Situação: Concluído; Natureza: Pesquisa. Alunos envolvidos: Graduação: (2) . Integrantes: Iara Tosta e Melo - Integrante / Henrique Giannini - Integrante / Luiz Claudio Lima Botti - Coordenador.
      Membro: Iara Tosta e Melo.

Prêmios e títulos

  • Total de prêmios e títulos (0)

    Participação em eventos

    • Total de participação em eventos (19)
      1. XVI Seminar on Software for Nuclear, Subnuclear and Applied Physics. 2019. (Outra).
      2. 12th Astro-GR event. Stellar Black Hole Binary Mergers in Open Clusters. 2017. (Congresso).
      3. Gravitational Waves Workshop. 2017. (Oficina).
      4. New Frontiers in Gravitation-Waves Astrophysics. 2017. (Congresso).
      5. The 2017 edition of the Workshop of the Ph.D. students in Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Space Science.Massive objects in their multiple environments. 2017. (Simpósio).
      6. 631. Wilhelm und Else Heraeus-Seminar: Stellar aggregates over mass and spatial scales..Stellar Black Hole Binary Merging in Open Clusters. 2016. (Seminário).
      7. 631. Wilhelm und Else Heraeus-Seminar: Stellar aggregates over mass and spatial scales..Compact Massive Objects and the Scaling Correlations with their Host Galaxies. 2016. (Seminário).
      8. Perspectives of GPU Computing in Science. 2016. (Seminário).
      9. PhD program in Astronomy, astrophysics and space science workshop..CMO in Galaxies. 2016. (Seminário).
      10. Star Cluster as Cosmic Laboratories for Astrophysics, Dynamics and Fundamental Physics ? MODEST 16. Compact Massive Objects in Galaxies. 2016. (Congresso).
      11. Marcel Grossmann Meeting MG14. 2015. (Seminário).
      12. YRM ? Young Researcher Meeting. Scaling Correlations Among Central Massive Objects and Their Host Galaxies. 2015. (Congresso).
      13. International Workshop. 2014. (Congresso).
      14. The Alajar Meeting. 2014. (Encontro).
      15. Conferência e workshop em homenagem a Professora Dra. Miriani G. Patoriza, Galactic Nuclei and their connection with stars and the environment..Kinematic analysis of 15 GHz interferometric images of the quasar PSK-1741-038. 2012. (Outra).
      16. I NAT Lectures on Astrophysics Collapsing or Colliding Systems: Solving the Galactic Puzzle.. 2012. (Congresso).
      17. SAB 2012 - Sociedade Astronômica Brasileira -. Estudando a cinemática do Jato do Quasar PKS 1741-03 em escalas de Parsec. 2012. (Congresso).
      18. XVI Advanced School on Astrophysic. 2012. (Congresso).
      19. SICINPE 2010.Morofologia de rádio fontes que apresentam jatos. 2010. (Simpósio).

    Organização de eventos

    • Total de organização de eventos (7)
      1. TOSTA E MELO, I. MAYORANA (Multi-Aspect Young ORiented Advanced Neutrino Academy) School&Workshops II edition - in preparation. 2025. (Congresso).. . 0.
      2. TOSTA E MELO, I. South American Gravitational Waves Conference: 10 Years 1st Since GW Detection - in preparation. 2025. (Congresso).. . 0.
      3. TOSTA E MELO, I. PPGF UNIFAL-MG/UFSJ International Conference on Multimessenger Astrophysics. 2024. (Congresso).. . 0.
      4. TOSTA E MELO, I. 1st Astrophysics in the New Era of Multi Messenger Astronomy International Conference. 2023. (Congresso).. . 0.
      5. TOSTA E MELO, I. ET - Site Studies and Characterization workshop. 2021. (Congresso).. . 0.
      6. TOSTA E MELO, I.; DURSO, D. ; Sipala, V.. 10th Einstein Telescope Symposium. 2019. Congresso
      7. DURSO, D. ; TOSTA E MELO, I. ; Sipala, V.. Vacuum Fluctuations at Nanoscale and Gravitation: theory and experiments. 2019. Congresso

    Lista de colaborações

    • Colaborações endôgenas (0)



      (*) Relatório criado com produções desde 1914 até 2114
      Data de processamento: 17/11/2025 17:27:23