Paul I. Cristofari

Paul I. Cristofari | stellar astrophysicist

I am an astrophysicist currently carrying out a Humboldt Research Fellowship at Institute for Astrophysics and Geophysics (IAG) in Göttingen.

Previously, I was at a post-doctoral researcher at Leiden Observatory after having completed a fellowship at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. I completed my PhD in December 2022 at the Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Toulouse, France.

When I am not doing science, you will find me playing music, reading, fixing my bike or running.

On this page you will find up-to-date information related to my research, publications and contact, along with useful links to external resources.

Research

My research leverages the last generation of high-resolution spectrometers to study stars. I develop models and analyses for their characterization, and to study their magnetic fields.

⬘ I have relied on near-infrared spectroscopy to derive the properties of M dwarfs. These stars are the most numerous around us, and are key targets to study our local Universe and to search for habitable exoplanets.

⬗ I have developed new models to study magnetic fields in low-mass stars. Their study is essential to understand the processes at the origin of stellar magnetic fields and constrain stellar cycles.

⬙ I have leveraged multi-fiber spectroscopic observations, allowing us to record simultaneous spectra for dozens of stars in young globular clusters to study the properties of Be stars.

Contact

If you are interested in my research, feel free to drop me a line. I am always happy to discuss ideas, projects and/or collaborations!

Paul I. Cristofari
Institut für Astrophysik und Geophysik (IAG)
Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany

Publications

Key publications. Stay tuned for more on NASA ADS
I will try to keep a complete list of publications on a NASA ADS library

New Paper ! P. I. Cristofari, S. H. Saar, A. A. Vidotto, et al., A fast method for deriving relative small-scale magnetic field variations from high-resolution spectroscopy, 2026, accepted for publication in A&A
A. K. Dupree, P. I. Cristofari, M. MacLeod, et al., Betelgeuse: Detection of the Expanding Wake of the Companion Star, 2026, ApJ, 998, 50
S. Bellotti, P. I. Cristofari, J. R. Callingham, et al., A magnetic field study of two fast-rotating, radio-bright M dwarfs: StKM 1-1262 and V374 Peg, 2025, A&A, 704, A298
P. I. Cristofari , J.-F. Donati, S. Bellotti, et al., Rotational modulation and long-term evolution of the small-scale magnetic fields of M dwarfs observed with SPIRou, 2025, A&A, 702, A111
P. I. Cristofari , A. K. Dupree, A. P. Milone, et al., Spectroscopic Confirmation: Fast rotators in the young clusters NGC 1856 and NGC 1953, 2025, ApJ, 991, 165
P. I. Cristofari , A. K. Dupree, A. P. Milone, et al., Rotation and Hα emission in a young SMC cluster: a spectroscopic view of NGC 330, 2024, ApJ, 972, 72
P. I. Cristofari , J. -F. Donati , C. Moutou, et al., Measuring small-scale magnetic fields of 44 M dwarfs from SPIRou spectra with ZeeTurbo, 2023, MNRAS, 526, 5648
P. I. Cristofari , J. -F. Donati , C. P. Folsom, et al., Constraining atmospheric parameters and surface magnetic fields with ZeeTurbo: an application to SPIRou spectra, 2023, MNRAS, 522, 1342
P. I. Cristofari , J. -F. Donati , T. Masseron, et al., Estimating the atmospheric properties of 44 M dwarfs from SPIRou spectra, 2022, MNRAS, 516, 3802
P. I. Cristofari , J. -F. Donati , T. Masseron, et al., Estimating fundamental parameters of nearby M dwarfs from SPIRou spectra, 2022, MNRAS, 511, 1893

Contributions

Bfields conference, Constraining magnetic fields of M dwarfs from high resolution spectra [Talk]
AAS meeting, A spectroscopic view of NGC 330 [Poster]
PLATO PSM WP12 meeting, Characterizing atmospheric parameters from high-resolution spectra [Talk]
ExoSystèmes III, Constraining atmospehric parameters and magnetic fields with ZeeTurbo [Talk]
International SPIRou Science Meeting, Using ZeeTurbo to constrain magnetic fields and atmospheric parameters from SPIRou spectra [Talk]
Cool Stars 21 conference, Deriving atmospheric parameters of M dwarfs with SPIRou [poster]
PhD days 2022, Modeling SPIRou spectra of M dwarfs: status and challenges [Talk + Poster]
PS2E group meeting 2021, Deriving fundamental parameters of M dwarfs from SPIRou spectra [Talk]
ExoSystèmes II conference, On the characterization of 12 M dwarfs observed in the context of the SLS [Talk]
International SPIRou Science Meeting 2021, Advances on the characterization of M dwarfs observed in the context of the SLS [Talk]
International SPIRou Science Meeting 2020, Telluric line correction and analysis of Gl 699 [Talk]

Teaching

I regularly take on teaching duties, and supervise research projects. Most recently, I have been a teaching assistant at Harvard College, and supervisor several undergaduate and master's students at Leiden Observatory.

My research leverages the last generation of high-resolution spectrometers to study stars. I develop models and analyses for their characterization, and to study their magnetic fields.

Contributions

Teaching

External links