Dr Daniela Iglesias

Ph.D. in Astrophysics,
Research Fellow at the University of Leeds, UK


ABOUT ME

I am a Doctor in Astrophysics, graduated from the Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile.
I have been working on the detection of gas in debris disks using high-resolution optical spectroscopy, and the detection of exocomets. Now I am a Research Fellow at the University of Leeds, working on protoplanetary and debris disks.



Fields of Interest

Exoplanets detection and characterization
Circumstellar disks
Exocomets
Star/planet formation
Astrospheres
Data mining
Astrobiology
Solar system

Languages

Spanish : Mother Tongue
English : Fluent
French : Basic Level

Nationality

Spaniard and Chilean

Education and diplomas

Since 2020

Research Fellow
University of Leeds,
Leeds, United Kingdom

2014 - 2020

Ph.D. in Astrophysics,
Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile

2016 - 2017

ESO Studentship,
European Southern Observatory,
Santiago de Chile, Chile

2007 - 2013

Bachelor with honors in Astronomy,
Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile,
Santiago de Chile, Chile

2005 - 2007

Bachelor of Science,
Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile,
Santiago de Chile, Chile

2000 - 2004

Civil industrial Engineering,
4 years of study, first cycle finished
Universidad de Tarapacá,
Arica, Chile



List of publications

Articles accepted in peer reviewed journals

Strøm, P. A., Bodewits, D., Knight, M. M., Kiefer, F., Jones, G. H., Kral, Q., Matrà, L., Bodman, E., Capria, M. T., Cleeves, I., Fitzsimmons, A., Haghighipour, N., Harrison, J. H. D., Iglesias, D., Kama, M., Linnartz, H., Majumdar, L., de Mooij, E. J. W., Milam, S. N., Opitom, C., Rebollido, I., Rogers, L. K., Snodgrass, C., Sousa-Silva, C., Xu, S., Lin, Z.-Y., & Zieba, S. (2020) "Exocomets from a Solar System Perspective", PASP, 132, 101001

Rebollido, I., Eiroa, C., Montesinos, B., Maldonado, J., Villaver, E., Absil, O., Bayo, A., Canovas, H., Carmona, A., Chen, C., Ertel, S., Henning, T., Iglesias, D. P., Launhardt, R., Liseau, R., Meeus, G., Moór, A., Mora, A., Olofsson, J., Rauw, G., & Riviere-Marichalar, P. (2020) "Exocomets: A spectroscopic survey", A\&A, 639, A11

Iglesias, D., Olofsson, J., Bayo, A., Zieba, S., Montesinos, M., Smoker, J., Kennedy, G. M., Godoy, N., Pantoja, B., Talens, G. J., Wahhaj, Z. and Zamora, C. "An unusually large gaseous transit in a debris disc". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 490, Issue 4, p.5218-5227
https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/490/4/5218/5601765

Lagrange, A. M., Meunier, N., Rubini, P., Keppler, M., Galland, F., Chapellier, E., Michel, E., Balona, L., Beust, H., Guillot, T., Grandjean, A., Borgniet, S., Mékarnia, D., Wilson, P. A., Kiefer, F., Bonnefoy, M., Lillo-Box, J., Pantoja, B., Jones, M., Iglesias, D. P., Rodet, L., Diaz, M., Zapata, A., Abe, L., and Schmider, F.-X. (2019). "Evidence for an additional planet in the β Pictoris system." Nature Astronomy , page 421.

Olofsson, J., Milli, J., Thébault, P., Kral, Q., Ménard, F., Janson, M., Augereau, J. C., Bayo, A., Beamín, J. C., Henning, T., Iglesias, D., Kennedy, G. M., Montesinos, M., Pawellek, N., Schreiber, M. R., Zamora, C., Carbillet, M., Feautrier, P., Fusco, T., Madec, F., Rabou, P., Sevin, A., Szulágyi, J., and Zurlo, A. (2019). "Dust production in the debris disk around HR 4796 A." arXiv e-prints, page arXiv:1908.10378

D. Iglesias, A. Bayo, J. Olofsson, Z. Wahhaj, C. Eiroa, B. Montesinos, I. Rebollido, J. Smoker, L. Sbordone, M. R. Schreiber, Th. Henning. “Debris Discs with Multiple Absorption Features in Metallic Lines: Circumstellar or Interstellar Origin?” Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 480, no. 1 (11 October 2018): 488520. Read more
https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/sty1724

A. Bayo, J. Olofsson, L. Matra, J. C. Beamin, J. Gallardo, I. de Gregorio-Monsalvo, M. Booth, C. Zamora, D. Iglesias, Th. Henning, M.R. Schreiber, C. Caceres. “Sub-Millimeter Non-Contaminated Detection of the Disk around TWA 7 by ALMA”. Accepted to Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, (May 2019)
https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz1133

I. Rebollido, C. Eiroa, B. Montesinos, J. Maldonado, E. Villaver, O. Absil, A. Bayo, H. Canovas, A. Carmona, Ch. Chen, S. Ertel, A. Garufi, Th. Henning, D. Iglesias, R. Launhardt, R. Liseau, G. Meeus, A. Moor, A. Mora, J. Olofsson, G.Rauw, P. Riviere-Marichalar. “The Co-Existence of Hot and Cold Gas in Debris Discs”. Astronomy & Astrophysics 614 (June 2018): A3.
https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/abs/2018/06/aa32329-17/aa32329-17.html

I. Rebollido, C. Eiroa, B. Montesinos, J. Maldonado, E. Villaver, O. Absil, A. Bayo, H. Canovas, A. Carmona, Ch. Chen, S. Ertel, A. Garufi, Th. Henning, D. Iglesias, R. Launhardt, R. Liseau, G. Meeus, A. Moor, A. Mora, J. Olofsson, G. Rauw, P. Riviere-Marichalar. “The Co-Existence of Hot and Cold Gas in Debris Discs (Corrigendum)”. Astronomy & Astrophysics 625 (May 2019): C2.
https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201732329e

A.-M. Lagrange, M. Keppler, N. Meunier, J. Lannier, H. Beust, J. Milli, M. Bonnavita, M. Bonnefoy, S. Borgniet, G. Chauvin, P. Delorme, F. Galland, D. Iglesias, F. Kiefer, S. Messina, A. Vidal-Madjar, P. A. Wilson. “Full Exploration of the Giant Planet Population around β Pictoris”. Astronomy & Astrophysics 612 (April 2018): A108.
https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/abs/2018/04/aa30436-17/aa30436-17.html

C. Eiroa, I. Rebollido, B. Montesinos, E. Villaver, O. Absil, Th Henning, A. Bayo, H. Canovas, A. Carmona, Ch. Chen, S. Ertel, D. Iglesias, R. Launhardt, J. Maldonado, G. Meeus, A. Moor, A. Mora, A.J. Mustill, J. Olofsson, P. Riviere-Marichalar, A. Roberge. “Exocomet Signatures around the A-Shell Star Leonis?”. Astronomy and Astrophysics 594 (October 2016): L1.
https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201629514

B. Rojas-Ayala, D. Iglesias, D. Minniti, R. K. Saito, and F. Surot. “M Dwarfs in the B201 Tile of the VVV Survey: Colour-Based Selection, Spectral Types and Light Curves”. Astronomy & Astrophysics 571 (November 2014): A36.
https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201424066


Articles in preparation

D. Iglesias, A. Bayo, J. Olofsson, Z. Wahhaj, C. Eiroa, B. Montesinos, I. Rebollido, K. Pollard, et al. “Variable absorption features in debris disks: are they caused by exocomets?”


Articles accepted in conference proceedings

R. K. Saito, D. Minniti, M. Catelan, F. Gran, D. Iglesias, G. Muro, J. C. Beamin, and I. Dkny. “Searches for Variability in the Milky Way Bulge with the VVV Survey”. Revista Mexicana de Astronomia y Astrofisica Conference Series 44 (October 2014): 70


Meetings and workshops

June 2021

European Astronomical Society 2021 Annual Meeting, Leiden, Nederland, (virtual conference)
Contributed talk: An unbiased search for gas in debris discs

May 2019

Exocomets Workshop, Leiden, Nederland,
Poster Presentation: Searching for outgassing exocomets in debris disks

January 2019

Summer Protoplanetary Disk Workshop, ESO, Santiago, Chile,
Contribution: Short presentation of my work

October 2018

Second Binational meeting AAA-SOCHIAS, La Serena, Chile
Contributed talk: Searching for exocometary activity in debris disks

May 2018

Formation of substellar objects: Theory and observations, ESAC, Madrid, Spain
Contributed talk: Is it possible to detect exocomets in substellar objects?

March 2018

Diversis Mundi Workshop (OPS2018), ESO, Santiago de Chile, Chile
Contributed talk: Searching for gas in debris disks

February 2018

IX Taller de Ciencias Planetarias, La Plata, Argentina
Contributed talk: Buscando exocometas en discos de escombros
Read more

November 2017

Astrobiology meeting 2017, Coyhaique, Chile
Contributed talk: Searching for exocometary activity in debris disks
Watch the talk

January 2017

SOCHIAS (Sociedad Chilena de Astronomía) IX Annual meeting, Maitencillo, Chile
Contributed talk: Debris disks with multiple absorption features in metallic lines

September 2016

Linking exoplanet and disk composition workshop, John Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA
Poster presentation: Debris disks with multiple absorption features in metallic lines

May 2016

Resolving planet formation in the era of ALMA and extreme AO, ESO, Santiago de Chile, Chile
Poster presentation: Searching for gas in debris disks

March 2016

SOCHIAS XIII Annual meeting, Antofagasta, Chile
Contributed talk: Where gas not expected

November 2015

“Jóvenes ConSciencia” seminar, Concón, Chile

October 2014

ADELA “Astronomía Dinámica en Latino-América” meeting and workshop, Santiago de Chile, Chile

August 2014

First MAS (Millennium Institute of Astrophysics) workshop, Olmué, Chile

April 2014

5th VVV Science Meeting, Concón, Chile
Poster presentation: The search for exoplanetary transit candidates around M dwarf stars using VVV survey data

March 2013

4th VVV Science Meeting, Viña del Mar, Chile

April 2011

Astrobiology Seminar at Santa Martina Observatory , Santiago de Chile, Chile



Schools

October 2018

II International Astrochemistry School, Santiago de Chile, Chile

April 2016

Scientific Writing for Young Astronomers, Puerto Varas, Chile

April 2016

Tutorial Session: Astrostatistics and R, Santiago de Chile, Chile

August 2015

School of Protoplanetary Disks and Planet Formation at NBIA, Copenhagen, Denmark

October 2014

First VLTI School In Chile (and part of the LOC), Valparaíso, Chile

July 2014

La Serena School for Data Science, La Serena / Santiago de Chile, Chile



Awards and honours

2016-2017

Studentship for one year at ESO Santiago de Chile, Chile

2000

Full scholarship to study at Universidad de Tarapacá for one year due to having applied with the highest selection score, Arica, Chile

1999

National score in the Mathematics PAA (Prueba de Aptitud Académica)
National exam to apply for Universities, i.e. 820 points (perfect score)



Research Experience

June 2017

Observatory project

Observatory project at Paranal, observation of faint stars with SPHERE to test the contrast obtained with or without the choronograph. The results of this projects are included in the SPHERE user manual.

March/July 2014

Research project

Modeling of the possible observed trajectory on the sky of the system V471 Tau by combining a code designed for orbital motion, Hipparcos data, LTT analysis and some orbital parameters from previous research in order to confirm that with the high precision of Gaia’s astrometric measurements we would be able to find the missing pieces of V471 Tau, under supervision of Dr. Schreiber

March/July 2013

Research practice “The search for exoplanetary transit candidates around M dwarf stars using VVV survey data”

Performing a colour-based selection of M dwarfs in the VVV b201 tile, estimating their subtypes using VISTA multi-band photometry and searching for transit-like light curves from the first 26 epochs of the survey, under supervision of Dr. Minniti and Dr. Rojas (Rojas-Ayala, Iglesias, et al. 2014)

Relevant Experience

Observing Experience

I have professional observing experience with different high-resolution spectrographs covering the UV-optical wavelength range. My experience includes:

  • 9 nights observing with FEROS echelle spectrograph mounted at the MPG/ESO-2.20m telescope at La Silla Observatory
  • 4 nights with MIKE echelle spectrograph mounted at the Clay telescope at Las Campanas Observatory
  • 10 nights wit HARPS echelle spectrograph mounted at the 3.6m telescope at La Silla Observatory
  • 2 hours observing with SPHERE instrument at Paranal Observatory on imaging mode.

I also have quite some experience preparing Observing Blocks via P2PP (ESO software) and the new P2 online tool for large amounts of targets. In addition, I have a succesful proposal record with 13 observing proposals accepted as PI; 6 ESO proposals, 6 CNTAC and 1 ALMA proposals, adding a total of 206 hours of granted telescope time in service mode and 6 nights in visitor mode. I have already published results from some of those programs in Iglesias et al. (2018).


Computer Skills

I mostly code in Python (and i-Python), but in the past I have coded in Supermongo, Java, C++ and Basics. I manage all my spectroscopic data using my own Python scripts, which read all different kinds of data products (1D spectra, 2D spectra, multispec, etc.), apply barycentric radial velocity corrections, read and use information from the header, apply normalization to the continuum, combine several observations, fit spectral lines, analyze variability from different observations, fit residual absorptions, compute radial velocities, etc., all these automatized for large amounts of data from different objects.

I am also familiar with different astronomical and science related Python packages and use them to manage my data, compute statistics, perform queries to databases, build my own SQL database, etc.
I manage several astronomical packages and tools such as IRAF, ds9 and MESA, I use VO-tools like TOPCAT, Aladin, VOSA and the Dunes “VO-discovery tool”, and I frequently query databases like ESO, Simbad, Vizier, Gaia and SDSS to search for data, catalogs, stellar parameters, etc.

In addition, I am familiar with software related to spectroscopy such as Molecfit, a tool developed at ESO (Kausch et al. 2015; Smette et al. 2015) to perform telluric lines corrections, and the spectral synthesis codes SYNTHE and ATLAS 9 (Sbordone et al. 2004) to obtain synthetic spectra from Kurucz models (Castelli et al. 1997). I have automatized the use of these tools using python to, for instance, perform telluric corrections for large amounts of spectra from several instruments (having different spectral resolution and header keywords), and compute grids of Kurucz models with diverse combinations of parameters to find the best fitting spectral model for each object.

Outreach experience

October-December 2020

Una escuela un astronom@: serie of astronomy workshops and talks for the school "Altas Cumbres" to prepare and accompany the students for the 2020 solar eclipse, Villarrica, Chile.

May 2020

Astronomía en tu casa: Public talk and online conversation on Youtube about exo-comets, organized by Proyecto Anillo de Agujeros Negros Supermasivos, Valparaíso, Chile

March 2019

Día de la Astronomía: activity for all public, but targeted to blind people, to learn about planet formation and the Sun at Parque Cultural, Valparaíso, Chile

March 2018

Día de la Astronomía: activity for all public, but targeted to blind people, to learn about planet formation at Parque Cultural , Valparaíso, Chile - Read more - Read more

October 2017

Feria de la Ciencia: activity targeted to blind people, to learn about planet formation at Jardín Botánico, Viña del Mar, Chile - Read more

March 2017

Astronomy day: activity for all public to learn about comets at ESO, Santiago de Chile, Chile

March 2017

Día de la Astronomía: ctivity for teenagers to learn about telescopes at Parque Cultural, Valparaíso, Chile

September 2016

Career Day: talk to students about pursuing Astronomy at a school in San Carlos, Chile

March 2016

Día de la Astronomía: activity for children to learn about the Solar System at Parque Cultural, Valparaíso, Chile



Additional Formation

March-July 2011

French course (level I) at Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago de Chile, Chile

February 2004

Advanced English course at University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, U.S.A.

1991-2001

Studies of classical ballet, member of the Municipality of Arica Chamber Ballet, Arica, Chile



Contact

Email: d.p.iglesias (at) leeds.ac.uk
Online Presence

My page at Leeds University
My page at ResearchGate
Member of the Núcleo Milenio de Formación Planetaria NPF