معرفی
Mara VOLPI is a Research Fellow at the University of Namur specializing in exoplanetary dynamics and celestial mechanics, with a focus on orbital stability analysis of multi-planetary systems detected via radial velocity methods. Her work bridges theoretical astrophysics and observational exoplanet science, addressing critical challenges in determining 3D configurations and long-term evolutionary behavior of extrasolar systems.
Her educational foundation includes a Doctor of Sciences degree awarded in 2019 by the University of Namur. The doctoral thesis, Stability of non-coplanar extrasolar system, was supervised by Professor Anne-Sophie Libert and examined by a committee comprising Professor Alessandra Lemaitre (President), Professor Ugo Locatelli, Professor Christos Efthymiopoulos, and Professor Marco Sansottera.
Dr. VOLPI's research centers on the complex dynamics of exoplanetary systems, particularly investigating how mutual inclinations, general relativity effects, and secular evolution impact orbital stability. She employs advanced mathematical frameworks including KAM theory and Hamiltonian mechanics to model multi-body gravitational interactions, with significant contributions to understanding radial-velocity-detected systems where full 3D orbital architecture remains partially obscured. Her work provides crucial insights for interpreting observational data and predicting long-term system behavior.
Analysis of her publication trajectory from 2018-2024 reveals escalating sophistication in modeling techniques, with recent work incorporating general relativity effects into stability analyses of close-in exoplanetary systems. Her research consistently addresses the fundamental challenge of reconstructing complete 3D orbital configurations from radial velocity data, demonstrating increasing integration of relativistic physics with classical celestial mechanics approaches.
Dr. VOLPI has secured significant research funding as Principal Investigator for the STAB_EXTRA project (2018-2019), which analyzed long-term stability in multi-planetary extrasolar systems. She maintains active collaborations with leading researchers including Anne-Sophie Libert (University of Namur), Arnaud Roisin, Ugo Locatelli, and Marco Sansottera, with her work presented at major conferences such as the European Planetary Science Congress and Extreme Solar Systems 4. Her research group participates in international networks studying exoplanet dynamics through both theoretical modeling and observational data interpretation.
