Claudia Soriano: "Going to Mars? I see it as feasible."

BarcelonaClaudia Soriano (Esplugues, 1997) has always been passionate about space and planets and has ended up dedicating herself to studying one of the most distant: exoplanets. She is currently doing her postdoctoral research from Southampton, in the United Kingdom, although she is clear that she wants to return to Catalonia to continue researching and bring these distant galaxies closer to our world.

Where did your interest in astrophysics come from?

— Ever since I was little, I've been fascinated by space. Every Christmas or Three Kings' Day, I always asked for space-related things, like a planetarium or games about planets or the solar system. I'm a very curious person, and over the years I've enjoyed many different things, but space has always been a constant. So, my studies led me in this direction. I did a science-focused high school diploma, a degree in physics, a master's in astrophysics... and I'm still at it today.

Are they scientists in your family?

— No, no. My father worked in public administration and management, and my mother is a teacher. Nothing to do with science. The only one with a more technical background was my grandfather, who worked in electricity. He was a very curious person, born in 1944, and didn't have the opportunity to study beyond school because he had to start working, but he always had that thirst for knowledge, and he passed that on to me in some way.

Did your family encourage you to pursue a scientific career?

— Yes. In my family, we've always had the freedom to choose what we truly enjoy. There are three of us sisters, all with very different professional backgrounds, but we received the same education. My middle sister studied audiovisual communication, and my youngest studied business administration.

Did you have any female role models, any female scientists who inspired you?

— When I was little, my role models were generally all male. Neil Armstrong, Albert Einstein, the usual suspects. The only woman with a scientific background was Marie Curie, the most well-known. But everyone else was a man.

You can now be a role model for new generations.

— Yes. I'm someone who always tries to do a lot of outreach and teach people what we do because, ultimately, if the research stays within the research center, it doesn't reach the wider community. And if it helps encourage more girls and young women, fantastic.

You started working while you were studying.

— In the case of research, especially public research, you have to move as quickly as possible from the very beginning to try to get internships and research stays, because they count for a lot when applying for grants. When I was in my third year of undergraduate studies, I signed up for an external internship with the radiation group at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Then I did my official external internship at the Institute of Space Sciences, and afterwards I did my final year project, which was more focused on particle physics, at the Institute of High Energy Physics. And then I did my master's degree at the University of Barcelona in astrophysics, particle physics, and cosmology. I did my PhD at the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC), located on the campus of the Autonomous University of Barcelona. I've been here for four years, and on November 17th I defended my thesis.

You haven't stopped. What now?

— I am starting my postdoc at the University of Southampton, in the United Kingdom.

And what are you going to do there?

— It's related to what I've been doing up until now. The research I did before my doctorate focused on galaxies, and I also touched on physics topics in my final year project. particles like the Higgs bosonAnd now, during my doctorate, my main focus has been on exoplanets, that is, planets outside our solar system. Specifically, I've focused on the hot Jupiters.

What are 'hot Jupiters'?

— To date, 6,000 exoplanets have been discovered. Although we know there are many more—millions and millions—with the technology we've developed over the last 30 years, we've discovered 6,000, and these can be classified into four main groups. Terrestrial planets—which resemble Earth or Mercury—super-Earths—which, in terms of composition, are quite similar to terrestrial planets but larger—Neptune-like planets—which are similar to Neptune, for example, to draw an analogy with those in our solar system—and, finally, gas giants—which are similar to Junctor. But, of course, within each category there are thousands. And within the gas giant category are those known as hot JupitersThese planets are unique in that they are very close to their star. For example, while it takes us 365 days to orbit the Sun, these planets are so close that they complete an orbit in just 3 days. Therefore, they have extremely high temperatures that always exceed 700 degrees Celsius. They are very violent.

Because?

— They are so turbulent because they are very hot, with highly dynamic atmospheres and a lot of movement, in which magnetic effects have a significant impact. What I do are local simulations of their atmospheres. hot Jupiters to study how this magnetic part interacts with the atmosphere.

I find it fascinating.

— It is.

And does this have anything to do with what you have to do in Southampton?

— So far I have focused on local simulations of these Hot Jupiters. Now we're going to work with a team that has a global climatology code. That is, I'll no longer focus on small regions of the atmosphere, but will work with global dynamics, as if we were studying the entire dynamics of Earth's climate, how hurricanes move, winds, and so on. And the advantage is that one of the goals is to try to adapt it so that it's applicable to as many cases as possible. That is, not just to the hot Jupitersbut also to other exoplanets.

In other words, you broaden the search a bit.

— The focus broadens slightly. It's still about climate and atmosphere, but with different applications.

And was going to Southampton a goal you had clearly set for yourself?

— No. Unfortunately, given how public research policy is structured here, most research opportunities require international experience as a condition of admission. This means having spent at least two years abroad after completing your doctorate. If you don't have that, 95% of the doors are closed to you. People are forced into this voluntary exile.

How have you experienced it?

— I'll try to make the most of this experience and take advantage of it, but I think we have to acknowledge that leaving the country has a very strong impact, especially on women's lives. We usually have to leave when most women are having children—their late 20s, early 30s. And this has very significant consequences for our personal lives. I might already be a mother if I didn't have to leave, but I have to postpone it for at least two years. I'm leaving, and my partner is staying here. But some people don't accept this, and that leads some women to leave the industry because they prioritize family life. And others either never become mothers, or if they do, it's too late, which can lead to fertility problems, and so on.

Do we have to go abroad because the research done in Europe is better than what we're doing here in Catalonia?

— No. We're doing a lot of very good work here, and there are more and more people dedicated to it. Especially in Catalonia, lately, the issue of new space It has skyrocketed, because the private sector is also getting more involved, but in general the space sector is growing exponentially.

So, don't we have much to envy in Europe?

— No, not at all.

Your research is about space, about distant worlds, about fascinating planets, but it's a theoretical search. Wouldn't you like to go and see it?

— Of course! I wish, but with the technology we have today, we can't reach exoplanets. But I would really like to because, ultimately, that yearning or desire that human beings have to discover—not necessarily to conquer, but to see what lies beyond—I think is innate.

Do you think we'll make progress in the space race? There's a lot of talk about Mars.

— The great goal of the 21st century, or more Specifically, from the first half of the 21st century, it is going to Mars.

Do you see it as feasible?

— I think so. The difference we have compared to the other major milestone, which was Reaching the Moon means that, at that moment, Russia and the United States used to compete, and they were countries, public entities. Now, however, to get there All these private entities participate in the Mars project. that have appeared over these decades. And once we arrive, I think we'll establish a settlement, to try and gain experience. in situ and to investigate.

When you study planets so far away, what is the practical use?

— I would say there are two: First, knowledge. Human beings are curious, and knowledge stems from the desire to go further and discover what's out there. But there's a second lesson, which is that the technology we develop to investigate and answer the questions that arise with exoplanets often has applications in our daily lives. This has happened many times with telecommunications. For example, when the first space missions were carried out, much of the communications technology developed was later applied to Earth. The materials used in spacesuits have also had subsequent applications. Or satellites. Much of the technology we have today originated from an initial space application.

Last year you received the DonaTIC Award.

— Yes, it was very exciting. Every award you receive is like a little boost. It's like a message telling you that the work you're doing is good and that someone has taken the time to appreciate it.