Zaira Modroño Berdiñas

Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía - CSIC
Glorieta de la Astronomía, s/n 18008 - Granada, Spain
B zaira@iaa.es
Zaira Modroño Berdiñas
Education
2010 – 2012 Master in Astrophysics - Specialized in Instrumentation, University of La
Laguna, Canary Island (Spain).
Master thesis : "Testing Robotic Fibre Positioners for Use in Next Generation Astronomical
Instruments", distinguished with 10 (grading range: 0 - 10), University of Oxford, UK.
2008 – 2010 Physics Degree - Astrophysics specialization, University of La Laguna, Canary
Islands (Spain).
2004 – 2008 First cycle of Physics Degree, University of Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña
(Spain).
PhD
Oct 2011 – FPI fellowship, Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC), Granada (Spain),
Title: "Radial Velocity fiber-fed spectrographs towards the discovery of compact planets
and pulsations on M stars".
Supervisor: Pedro J. Amado (IAA-CSIC) and Guillem Anglada-Escudé (QMUL)
My PhD is focused on the study of short period exoplanets and stellar pulsation on M stars using the
radial velocity technique. As a CARMENES member I am also actively involved in instrumentation.
In particular, I am involved in the developing of RadiCa2D: The Radiance Characterizer in 2D; an
alternative to the scrambling methods for fiber-fed high-precision RV spectrographs.
Stays
May – Jul University of Hertfordshire, 60 days, Science and Technology Research Institute,
2015 Hatfield, UK.
Collaborate in the developing of a new high-resolution spectrograph concept which intent
to have the similar resolution than the HARPS spectrographs, but being several orders of
magnitudes smaller. First prototype tests were performed. Work on HARPS-N and HARPSESO systematics detected on the "Cool Tiny Beats: Smalls Planets, Activity and Pulsations
on M dwarfs" data. Supervised by Guillem Anglada-Escudé and Hugh Jones.
Aug – Oct Queen Mary University of London, 72 days, School of Physics & Astronomy,
2014 London, UK.
Work on data of the program "Cool Tiny Beats: Smalls Planets, Activity and Pulsations on M
dwarfs". Study of the instrumental systematics detected in HARPS-N. Supervised by Guillem
Anglada-Escudé.
Oct – Nov Queen Mary University of London, 60 days, School of Physics & Astronomy,
2013 London, UK.
Work on GJ 725A HARPS-N high-cadence spectra observed with the "Cool Tiny Beats:
Smalls Planets, Activity and Pulsations on M dwarfs" collaboration. Supervised by Guillem
Anglada-Escudé.
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Other Fellowships
17-28 – Nov Santander Universities program in Astronomical Instrumentation in Chile,
2014 Funding for the Summer School: "Reaching the Limits of the Sky: Astronomical
Instrumentation in the 21st Century", Santiago de Chile, Chile.
Scientific directors of the Summer School: Prof. Andreas Quirrenbach (Universität Heidelberg),
Prof. Thomas Henning and Dr. Roland Gredel (Max-Planck Institute for Astronomy), Prof.
Dr. Leopoldo Infante and Prof. Andrés Guesalaga (Pontificia Universidad Católica of Santiago
de Chile)
Feb – Jun "Mobility of students in official university Master’s Degree", spanish Educa2011 tion and Science Ministry funding, for the completion of the master thesis: "Testing
Robotic Fibre Positioners for Use in Next Generation Astronomical Instruments",
University of Oxford, UK.
Supervisors: Dr. Gavin Dalton (Oxford University) and Dr. Ramón García López (Instituto
de Astrofísica de Canarias, IAC).
Project consisted in (i) a hardware section: precision and resistance testing of optical fiber positioners
designed for the future instruments WEAVE (William Herschel Telescope) and OPTIMOS-EVE
(E-ELT); and (ii) a software section, which consisted in the development of a Python code to control
the OPTIMOS-EVE positioner arm and his gripper from a single interface.
Complementary Education
Oct - Dec English Advance Course, CL Academy, Granada (Spain), 100h.
2015
Oct 2015 Course in Adobe Illustrator CS5, CSIC, online, 60h.
Oct 2015 Course of Shell Programming, CSIC, Granada (Spain), 20h.
Nov 2014 Optical System Design with Zemax, Greenlight Solutions S.L., Madrid (Spain),
32h.
Jun 2014 Labor and Handling of Liquid Nitrogen, Al Air Liquide España S.A., Granada
(Spain), 5h.
Feb - Jun English Language Course, British Study Centre, Oxford (UK), 180h.
2011
2010 –2011 English Language Course, Fundación Canaria Empresa, Canary Islands (Spain),
50h.
Certificate B1.4 by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
2005 – 2006 4th edition of the program "Cultural extension in Astronomy", University
of Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña (Spain), 12h.
2003 Initiation course in Astronomy, Amateur astronomers association, IO, A Coruña
(Spain), 10h.
Publications
Refereed
. Z. M. Berdiñas, P. J. Amado, G. Anglada-Escudé, C. Rodríguez-López.
(2016). "High-cadence observations of M-dwarfs with HARPS. I. Analysis of systematic
effects in line profile measurements on the bright binary GJ 725A+B". MNRAS,
accepted.
2/7
. E. Rodríguez, C. Rodríguez-López, M.J. López-González, P.J. Amado, S.
Ocando, Z. M. Berdiñas. (2016). "Search for pulsations in M dwarfs in the Kepler
short-cadence data base". MNRAS, 457, 1851.
. G. Anglada-Escudé, P. Arraigada, M. Tuomi, M. Zechmeister, J. Jenkins,
A. Ofir, S. Dreizler, E. Gerlach, C. J. Marvin, A. Reiners, S. V. Jeffers, P.
R. Butler, S. S. Vogt, P. J. Amado, C. Rodríguez-López, Z. M. Berdiñas et
al. (2014). "Two planets around Kapteyn’s star : a cold and a temperate super-Earth
orbiting the nearest halo red-dwarf". MNRAS, 443, L89.
Submitted
. G. Anglada-Escudé, M. Tuomi, P. Arraigada, M. Zechmeister, J. Jenkins,
A. Ofir, S. Dreizler, E. Gerlach, C. J. Marvin, A. Reiners, S. V. Jeffers, P.
R. Butler, S. S. Vogt, P. J. Amado, C. Rodríguez-López, Z. M. Berdiñas et
al. (2015). "No evidence for activity correlations in the radial velocities of Kapteyn’s
star". astro-ph:1506.09072
In preparation
. Z. M. Berdiñas, C. Rodríguez-López, P. J. Amado, G. Anglada-Escudé.
(2016). "HARPS stellar pulsations detection threshold for M stars high-cadence
observations: The GJ 588 and GJ 699 benchmarks". MNRAS, in prep.
. Z. M. Berdiñas, G. Anglada-Escudé, P. J. Amado, et al. (2016). "A radial
velocity search for rocky companions orbiting Luyten’s star". In prep.
Proceedings
. Z. M. Berdiñas, P. J. Amado, G. Anglada-Escudé. (2015). "The Cool Tiny
Beats Project - A High-cadence HARPS Survey Searching for Short-period Planets,
Pulsations and Activity Signatures in M stars". Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars,
Stellar Systems, and the Sun, 18, 723.
. F. J. Alonso-Floriano, D. Montes, J. A. Caballero, A. Klutsch, S. Jeffers,
A. Reiners, M. Zechmeister, A. Lamert, V. M. Passegger, R. Mundt, P. J.
Amado, Z. M. Berdiñas, E. Casal, M. Cortés-Contreras, J. C. Morales,
I. Ribas, C. Rodríguez-López, A. Quirrenbach. (2015). "Preparation of the
CARMENES Input Catalogue: Low- and High-resolution Spectroscopy of M dwarfs".
Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems, and the Sun, 18, 796.
. P. J. Amado & CARMENES Consortium (2015). "CARMENES: searching for
exoplanets and much more". Highlights of Spanish Astrophysics VIII, 701.
. C.
Rodríguez-López,
G.
Anglada-Escudé
et
al.
&
CARMENES Consortium (2015).
"KARMENES, the K2+CARMENES alliance". Highlights of Spanish Astrophysics VIII, 613.
. D. Montes, J. A. Caballero et al. & CARMENES Consortium (2015).
"CARMENES science preparation. High-resolution spectroscopy of M dwarfs". Highlights of Spanish Astrophysics VIII, 605.
. M. Cortés-Contreras, V. S. Béjar et al. & CARMENES Consortium
(2015). "CARMENES. Multiplicity of M dwarfs from tenths of arcseconds to hundreds
of arcminutes". Highlights of Spanish Astrophysics VIII, 597.
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. A. Quirrenbach, P. J. Amado, J.A. Caballero, R. Mundt, A. Reiners,
I. Ribas, W. Seifert, M. Abril, J. Aceituno, F. J. Alonso-Floriano, M.
Ammler-von Eiff, R. Antonia Jiménez, H. Anwand-Heerwart, M. Azzaro, F.
Bauer, D. Barrado, S. Becerril, V.J.S. Béjar, Z. M. Berdiñas et al. (2014).
"CARMENES. Instrument Overview". SPIE Proceedings, vol. 9147, id. 91471F 12 pp.
doi:10.1117/12.2056453
. A. Quirrenbach, P. J. Amado, et al. & CARMENES Consortium (2014).
"The CARMENES Survey: A Search for Terrestrial Planets in the Habitable Zones of
M Dwarfs". IAU Symposium, 293, 177
. F. J. Alonso-Floriano, D. Montes, S. Jeffers, J. A. Caballero, M.
Zechmeister, R. Mundt, A. Reiners, P. J. Amado, E. Casal, M. CortésContreras, Z. Modroño, et al. (2013). "CARMENES at PPVI. High-Resolution
Spectroscopy of M Dwarfs with FEROS, CAFE and HRS". Protostars and Planets VI,
Posters Proceedings, p.21.
&
. A. Quirrenbach, P.J. Amado, J.A. Caballero et al.
CARMENES Consortium (2013). "CARMENES: Blue planets orbiting red
dwarfs". EPJ Web of Conferences, vol. 47, 05006.
. A. Quirrenbach, P.J. Amado, J.A. Caballero et al.
&
CARMENES Consortium (2013).
"CARMENES: A radial-velocity survey
for terrestrial planets in the habitable zones of M dwarfs. A historical overview".
Proceedings of the X Scientific Meeting of the Spanish Astronomical Society (SEA),
pp. 842-847.
. J. C. Morales, I. Ribas, J.A. Caballero et al. & CARMENES Consortium
(2013). "CARMENES. II. Science case and M-dwarf sample". Proceedings of the X
Scientific Meeting of the Spanish Astronomical Society (SEA), pp. 664-664.
. J.A. Caballero, M. Cortés-Contreras, J. López-Santiago et al. &
CARMENES Consortium (2013). "CARMENES. III. CARMENCITA, the input
cataloge". Proceedings of the X Scientific Meeting of the Spanish Astronomical Society
(SEA), pp. 645-645.
&
. F. J. Alonso-Floriano, D. Montes, J.A. Caballero et al.
CARMENES Consortium (2013). "CARMENES. IV. Prelimilary low-resolution
spectroscopic characterisation". Proceedings of the X Scientific Meeting of the Spanish
Astronomical Society (SEA), pp. 431-431.
. M. Cortés-Contreras, J.A. Caballero, F. J. Alonso-Floriano et al. &
CARMENES Consortium (2013). "CARMENES. V. M dwarfs in multiple systems".
Proceedings of the X Scientific Meeting of the Spanish Astronomical Society (SEA),
pp. 646-646.
Conferences
Jul 2015 Extreme Precision Radial Velocities (EPRV), Yale University, New Haven,
Connecticut (USA), Yale School of Management.
Talk: "High cadence of M-stars with HARPS". Poster: "High cadence observations with
HARPS-N: noise caused by line profile variability"
May 2015 ExoSEP meeting, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK.
Talk: "Radial velocity fibre-fed spectrographs towards the discovery of compact planets and
pulsations on M stars".
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Jan 2015 II IAA-PhD workshop, IAA, Granada (Spain).
Talk: "Radial velocity fibre-fed spectrographs towards the discovery of compact planets and
pulsations on M stars".
Sep 2014 Planet Formation Theory and Dynamics in the PLATO Era, Queen Mary
University of London, London, UK.
Jun 2014 Cool Stars XVIII: "18th Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems, and the Sun", Lowell Observatory+Northern Arizona University+NSO+NExScI+USNO, Flagstaff, Arizona (USA), High Country Conference
Center in Flagstaff.
Poster: "Cool Tiny Beats Project".
Feb 2014 CARMENES 1st Ñ-school. PhD and new Postdocs CARMENES scientific meeting, CARMENES-IAA+UCM+CAB, Barcelona (Spain), Residència
d’investigadors (CSIC).
Talk: "Reduction and Analysis of High-Resolution HARPS-North Spectra".
Oct 2013 CARMENES Scientific Meeting and 1st School, Georg-August-Iniversität Göttingen, Göttingen (Germany).
Talk: "Disentangling high-cadence M-dwarfs radial-velocity signals in search for pulsations and
short-period planets".
May 2013 6th Iberian Meeting on Asteroseismology, VIU, Aras de los Olmos, Valencia
(Spain).
Talk: "Pulsations and Planets on M dwarfs through Radial Velocity Technique".
Mar 2013 I Workshop on Scientific Divulgation: beyond Papers, CEIA3, Córdoba
(Spain).
Dec 2012 I IAA-PhD workshop, IAA, Granada (Spain).
Talk: "Planetary System on M stars. Improving the high-precision Radial Velocity technique".
Jul 2012 X Scientific Meeting of the Spanish Society of Astronomy, SEA, Valencia
(Spain).
Jun 2012 IAA CCD Conferences, IAA, Granada (Spain).
Talk: "Testing Robotic Fibre Positioners for Use in Next Generation Astronomical Instruments".
May 2012 5th Iberian Meeting on Asteroseismology, IAC, Canary Islands (Spain).
Talk: "Analysis of Planetary Transits. CoRoT multi-color photometry provided by the
exo-channel".
Mar 2010 III Conference of Physics Students (COEFFIS), University of La Laguna, Canary Islands (Spain).
Conference Organization
Feb 2013 "CARMENES Final Design Review", IAA, Granada (Spain), Local Organizing
Committee, LOC.
Invited Talks
May 2015 Weekly seminar, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK.
Talk: "Radial velocity fibre-fed spectrographs towards the discovery of compact planets and
pulsations on M stars".
Oct 2014 Exoplanet group meeting, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
Talk: "The Cool Tiny Beats Survey: Observations from the North Hemisphere".
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Observing Experience
Mar 2013 - 22 nights at TNG 3.6 m telescope (Roque de los Muchachos, La Palma). HARPS-N
Mar 2015 instrument.
Apr 2013 - 6 nights at CAHA 2.2 m telescope (Calar Alto, Almería). CAFE instrument.
May 2014
2010 2 nights at INT 2.5 m telescope (Roque de los Muchachos, La Palma). Observer
companion as part of the master practices.
2009 1 night at TNG 3.6 m telescope and MAGIC Cherenkov telescopes, (Roque de los
Muchachos, La Palma). Observer companion as part of the university practices.
2008 - 2010 Several nights at IAC80 telescope, (El Teide Observatory, Tenerife). University
practices.
Successful proposals as PI
2016 HARPS-N@TNG (period 16A): "Cool Tiny Beats V: Small planets, activity and
pulsation in M dwarfs" (5 nights).
2015 HARPS@La Silla (period 95A): "Disentangling the HARPS intra-night systematics"
(1night).
2014 HARPS-N@TNG (period 14B): Cool tiny beats IV: Small planets, activity and pulsation in M dwarfs (3 nights).
Astronomical Instrumentation Experience
2012 – Development of the RadiCa2D prototype.
Sep 2013 CARMENES NIR Echelle Cosmetics. In collaboration with the Instrumental and
Technological Development Unit (UDIT) optical team.
Sep 2013 Cleaning of the mirrors of the 1.5 and 0.9 m telescopes of Sierra Nevada Observatory.
In collaboration with the UDIT optical team.
Sep 2011 Testing the robotic fibre positioners of WEAVE (William Hershel Telescope) and
OPTIMOS-EVE (E-ELT).
Outreach
Jan 2015 Manuel Félix Herrera Gómez sessions, IAA, Granada (Spain).
Talk: "The traveler photon: A walk along the planets".
Mar 2015 Science Divulgation for Rural Schools, IES la Zafra, Motril (Spain), Spectroscopy
workshop for high school students.
Sep 2012 Science on the Street, Granada (Spain), Organizer of the scientific experiments
section.
Languages
Spanish
Galician
English
French
native
native
fluent
beginner
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Computer skills
OS GNU/Linux, MacOS X, Windows.
Mathematics Mathematica, MatLab.
Office suites Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, iWork.
Optical Zemax
Design
Languages Python, Shell, C/C++, IDL, Fortran.
Astronomy IRAF, DS9, Period04, SigSpec,
Phoebe, Systemic.
Others LATEX, Emacs.
Areas of interest
{ Astronomical Instrumentation.
{ Asteroseismology.
{ Planetary Systems.
{ Cool stars.
{ Radial Velocity Technique.
Other relevant information
2013 –
2010 –
Member of the CARMENES Consortium.
Member of the Spanish Society of Astronomy (SEA).
Jul -Sep 2010 Private tutoring for the university access exam.
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