ZTF Faces

Ana Sagues Carracedo

PhD student at the University of Stockholm, Sweden

Where was your starting point and how did you discover astronomy?

I come from a pretty city in the South of Spain called Cordoba, famous for delicious local recipes, the smell of orange blossom during Spring, the courtyard festival, and traces from ancient civilizations and powerful dynasties, among other things, like the dry heat in the summer. I grew up and lived there until my bachelor's. I was always a curious kid and enjoyed observing and trying to understand the world. As stereotypical as it sounds, I was always fascinated by the Universe, stars, and extreme events in the cosmos. Therefore, from a very young age, I knew what I liked. Someone told me that astronomy is better as a hobby than a full-time job and that I should study something more practical, but I didn't want to give up before trying, and I am happy that I didn't.

I completed my bachelor's degree in physics at a university in my hometown. During this period, I was delighted to enjoy two exchange programs abroad, at a university in Poznan, Poland, and Córdoba, Argentina. After that, I moved to Granada, Spain, to study for a Master's with a specialization in Astrophysics and Cosmology, with my first actual research experience in observational astronomy in the IAA-CSIC. I found myself enjoying hours of coding and working with supernova data, model fitting, etc., and I knew that this was something that I wanted to continue doing as a Ph.D.

How did you discover ZTF?

While searching for Ph.D. positions in transient astronomy, I got a studentship contract for a whole year to work as a support astronomer at the Nordic Optical Telescope in La Palma, Spain. Apart from the beach volley, great food, and the "ron miel", I learned the value of what's behind the data we see on our computers and the threat of cloud and other atmospheric conditions in the middle of the night. During that year, I learned about ZTF as one of the leading supernovae providers for the community. Then I got very interested in a Ph.D. position in Stockholm involved with ZTF that I luckily got, and this is how I ended up part of the ZTF collaboration.

What are you playing with in the ZTF playground?

Within ZTF, I am a part of the multimessenger astronomy and the supernova cosmology working groups. I am involved in the effort of searching for kilonovae with ZTF and the outcome of finding or not such events with the combined analysis of our survey performance and the theoretical state-of-the-art of kilonovae modeling. Within the supernovae cosmology group, I contribute to the effort to characterize and identify Strongly lensed supernovae with ZTF and how to distinguish them from other transients. My work is based a lot on survey simulations using tools like simsurvey.

Where do you want to steer your rocket in the future?

I am currently at the end of my Ph.D., and like many young scientists, I am questioning and exploring my possibilities to continue in academia. I am hoping to continue to do research in transient astronomy and/or observational cosmology.

If you were not an astronomer, what would you be?

I love astronomy, but it is not the only thing I am passionate about. If I were not an astronomer, I would try to contribute to matters like the environmental problems related to climate change and energy resources, either from a scientific profile or more socially oriented. I believe in the power of education, proper communication, and social support, and I could probably enjoy being a social worker.

A book that shook your worldview?

I typically prefer books written with a first-person perspective. I generally enjoy either realistic situations that elaborate on the psychological progress of a character under life circumstances or dystopia that relate to a social criticism or concern. I can't choose one book, but I will mention the last books that impacted me. "My Brilliant Friend" novels by Elena Ferrante, about a complex friendship between two south Italian girls in the cultural and historical context of the 20th century. I enjoyed a dystopia novel that made me think a lot about our society: "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley.

If you’ve had a bad day at work, you will….

When I have a bad day, my approach is that a better one will come and that there is not much to do than relax and take some space from whatever is not working that day. Sometimes I meet friends to disconnect and have some fun. Other times a good meal and a movie at home work pretty well.