Research activities

The study of stars started in Trieste with the modernization of the observatory directed by the famous Margherita Hack. About the stars, the OATs studies the chemical composition, the variability in the emission of light and the position within our Galaxy and neighboring galaxies. The astronomers of the OATs study the very hot atmospheres that surround the stars to determine the relative quantity of the various elements present on their surface. They draw theoretical models of stars with various characteristics, for example different values of their brightness or total mass, and compare them with observations obtained from terrestrial or space telescopes to deduce more detailed physical and chemical properties. The OATs studies the oldest stars in the Galaxy, which show a great scarcity of heavy chemical elements, then those that are very rich in them, for example in uranium since, thanks to its decay, the age of the Galaxy can be estimated. Numerous other stars with well-known ages and orbits are also studied to establish in which areas of the galactic environment they formed in ancient times. Another field of study is the explosions of novae stars (transients). These explosions occur in different ways depending on how these stars have evolved, how they interacted with other stars and with the surrounding environment and how their history comes to an end. By studying the stars in the different phases of their life, astronomers understand not only the Universe we live in but also how the chemical elements we are made of were formed.

OATs also examines the climatic conditions and atmospheric characteristics potentially suitable for the habitability of exoplanets orbiting stars close to us. In particular, the effects of the pressure and chemical composition of the atmosphere, the radius, the rotation period and the inclination of the planet's axis are studied.