Dr. Josep Maria Trigo-Rodríguez, PhD

Astrophysicist, CSIC Tenured Scientist

ORCID #0000-0001-8417-702X, Web of Science Researcher ID: L-3870-2014


EDUCATION


Degree in Physics (1997), University of Valencia (Spain)

Ph.D. Cum Laude, Theoretical Physics, speciality Astrophysics (2002), University of Valencia.

METEORITES, MINOR BODIES AND PLANETARY SCIENCE GROUP LEADER, Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC-IEEC)

RESEARCH TEAM SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

Professor at the High-Energy Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology CSIC-IFAE-UAB and also in the Universidad Internacional de Valencia Masters

MAILING ADDRESS: Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC-IEEC), Campus UAB, Carrer de Can Magrans, s/n, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallés (Barcelona), Catalonia, Spain.

  • E-mail: trigo@ice.csic.es
  • Telephone: 34 + 937379788, Ext: #933069


    PARTICIPATION IN SPACE MISSIONS


  • NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission Investigation Team.
  • ESA HERA mission to Didymos system
  • Member of the Preliminary Examination Team (PET) of NASA Stardust mission
  • Member of the NASA Astrobiology Center at UCLA (IGPP) between 2003-2006.

    Interested in science outreach? My blog in The Conversation.es in Spanish , my SciLog Investigacion y Ciencia blog . and my Divulcat science blog in Catalan .

    This page was last updated Oct. 25th, 2023


    ONGOING RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS


    Search of my publications by using the Smithsonian/NASA Astrophysical Data System (ADS)

  • PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES

  • OUTREACH PUBLICATIONS

  • PUBLISHED BOOKS & BOOK CHAPTERS

  • Meteorite and Sample Return Clean Laboratory at ICE (CSIC-IEEC)

  • Ph.D. Thesis

  • Unrefereed articles

  • Astronomical Pictures from Riells del Montseny Observatory (MPC B06)


  • CURRENT RESEARCH INTERESTS


  • Solar system formation environment: water, and aqueous alteration processes in asteroids, comets, and meteorites (chondrites)

  • Cosmochemistry: Formation conditions of primitive bodies: bulk composition, and mineralogy of asteroids and comets. Applications to In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU).

  • Primordial materials preserved in primitive meteorites: cometary clasts, presolar grains, CAIs, chondrules, radioactive nuclides, etc...

  • Celestial Mechanics and dynamics of meteoroid orbits. Search for parent bodies: NEOs, MBAs, and dormant comets.

  • Photometry and spectroscopy of asteroids, comets and meteorites. Chemical abundances of cometary and asteroidal meteoroids

  • Origin and evolution of Earth's atmosphere and biosphere: atmospheric chemistry

  • If you are interested in these topics, and you like to join our research team "Meteorites, Minor Bodies and Planetary Science group at the Institute of Space Sciences, see here JOBS OPPORTUNITIES AT ICE-CSIC currently available.

    SUCCINT BIOGRAPHY

    Josep M. Trigo-Rodriguez was born in Valencia (Spain) on July 3, 1970 into a family of artists. He was the second, and last son of the famous painter Julio Trigo CAMPOY married with Maria Gloria Rodriguez Sánchez. Josep grew in an environment of great interest for the arts and sciences, and he was deeply marked by Isaac Asimov, Josep Comas Solà, Camille Flammarion, and Carl Sagan readings. In fact, together with his parents, his eleven-years older brother Xulio Ricardo Trigo , a brilliant poet and novelist, marked Josep's interest in literature, and science popularization.

    After several years collaborating as science journalist, in 1990 Josep got a job in the Castelló Planetarium, where he spent thirteen years working in the development of programs, and public outreach. Between 2000 and 2003 he also became Associated Professor of the University Jaume I, giving lectures on applied thermodynamics, laboratory techniques and Physics. In 1995 he met Prof. J. Oró who exerted in him a profound influence to continue his professional carrier, and keep learning on the origin of stars, planetary systems, meteorites and cosmochemistry. Finally, Dr. Trigo-Rodríguez obtained his degree in Physics for the University of Valencia in 1997, and his Ph.D. degree in Theoretical Physics (Astrophysics) in 2002 under the direction of Prof. Jordi Llorca (UPC) and Prof. Juan Fabregat (UV), and also wrote several books to popularize astronomy. In 2003 he obtained a MEC Spanish grant that allowed him to continue his carrier in a postdoctoral position at the Institute of Geophysics & Planetary Physics of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) where he was recommended by Joan Oró, working under the supervision of Prof. John Wasson, and Dr. Alan Rubin on Meteoritica. After almost three years working on primitive meteorites (carbonaceous chondrites) he returned in 2006 to Spain with a JdC grant in order to join the Institute of Space Sciences (ICE, CSIC-IEEC) in Barcelona. On 2009 he won his position as Tenured Scientist (Científico Titular) of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) at that research institute. Since 2010 Dr. Trigo-Rodriguez is the leader of the Meteorite, Minor Bodies and Planetary Sciences Group at ICE (CSIC-IEEC) . His current research focuses in the formation of primitive solar system minor bodies (comets and asteroids), the study of their fragments in space (dust, meteoroids) and the analysis and characterization of their surviving rocks arrived to the Earth (meteorites). These “minor bodies” provide clues on the origin of the solar system because were retentive of the protoplanetary disc components that retained clues on the chemical and isotopic conditions prevailing in the early Solar System, and forming the primeval planetary atmospheres.


    PARTICIPATION IN SPACE MISSIONS


  • Dr. Trigo-Rodriguez forms part of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) NASA Mission that will achieve the first in-situ demonstration to deflect with a kinetic impactor the satellite of near-Earth asteroid (65803) Didymos.
  • Dr. Trigo-Rodriguez is one of the team members of Hera ESA mission , a mission selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to perform a close-up investigation of the result of DART's impact: the sole object in the Solar System to have had its orbit shifted by humankind in a measurable way.

  • Dr. Trigo-Rodriguez formed part of the Preliminary Examination Team of the Stardust (NASA) mission that collected and brought back to Earth the first solid materials from a solar system object different to the Moon. The method used for collecting particles from the coma of comet 81P/Wild 2 is nicely explained in the Stardust homepage


    EDITORIAL AND REVIEW TASKS IN SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS


  • Chief Editor of Advances in Astronomy (Hindawi).
  • Associate Editor of Wiley's journal Meteoritics & Planetary Science.
  • Associate Editor for Planetary Science and Astrobiology of Frontiers in Astronomy & Space Sciences. Also as Review Editor in the field of Astrobiology.
  • Associate Editor of the Springer's journal Astrophysics and Space Science.
  • Associate Editor of the MDPI journal Galaxies.

  • REVIEWER TASKS: Dr. Trigo-Rodríguez has been reviewer of the following peer-reviewed international journals: Acta Astronautica, Advances in Space Research, Astronomical Journal, Astrophysical Journal, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Earth, Moon and Planets, Frontiers in Astronomy & Space Sciences, Galaxies, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Icarus, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Life, Meteoritics and Planetary Science, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Planetary & Space Science, Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan, NATURE, Nature Astronomy, Planetary and Space Science, Science, and Sensors. More details in my Publons profile.

    RESEARCH PROJECTS


  • Physico-chemical properties of hazardous asteroids and comets from remote observations and the laboratory study of their meteorites. Code: AYA PID2021-128062NB-I00, Plan Nacional I+D+I, Periodo: 2022-2024. (P.I. Dr. Josep M. Trigo-Rodríguez and Jordi Ibáñez)

  • Physico-chemical properties of primordial asteroids and comets from laboratory studies of Meteorites and Asteroid returned samples (PHYSMASTER). Code: AYA PGC2018-097374-B-I00, Plan Nacional I+D+I, Periodo: 2019-2022. (P.I. Dr. Josep M. Trigo-Rodríguez)

  • Physical properties and reflectance of primitive chondrites: filling the gap between undifferentiated asteroids and comets. Code: AYA2015-67175-P, Plan Nacional I+D+I, 2016-2018. (P.I. Dr. Josep M. Trigo-Rodríguez)

  • The astrophysical environment of solar system formation from the study of primitive materials host in chondrites and comets. Code: AYA2011-26522, Plan Nacional I+D+I 2012-2014. (P.I. Dr. Josep M. Trigo-Rodríguez)

  • Gamma ray astrophysics in the MeV range: a challenge for instrumentation and an essential window for nuclear astrophysics. Code: AYA2008-01839, Plan Nacional I+D+I 2008-2011. (P.I. Dra. Margarida Hernanz)

  • Preparation of the Spanish Participation in the Gamma Ray Imager mission: Gamma astronomy of high precision. Code: ESP2007-61593. Plan Nacional I+D+I 2007-2008. (P.I. Dra. Margarida Hernanz)

  • Scientific exploitation of BOOTES y BOOTES-IR. The discovery and study of the farest objects in the Universe with robotic instruments in the near-IR. Programa Nacional de Astronomía y Astrofísica, Plan Nacional de Investigación Científica, AYA 2004-01515. Duration: 2004-2007. (PI: Dr. Alberto J. Castro Tirado )

  • The discovery and study of the farest objects in the Universe with robotic instruments in the near-IR. Development of the Burst Observer and Optical Transient Exploring System in the near-Infrared (BOOTES-IR). Programa Nacional de Astronomía y Astrofísica, Plan Nacional de Investigación Científica. Duration: 2002-2004. (P.I. Dr. Alberto J. Castro Tirado)

  • He is also coordinating the scientific exploitation of the Spanish Fireball Network


  • REVIEWER OF INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCILS


    Member of the "Stars and Planets" Panel of the Time Allocation Committee (CAT), Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC). Assessment of Astronomy observing proposals to get observing time in IAC observatories.

    NASA AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA). Referee evaluation of NASA's Cosmochemistry Program proposals.

    United Kingdom Research Council. Assessment of Astronomy and Cosmochemistry funding applications.

    National Research Council Canada. Assessment of Astronomy & Space Sciences funding applications.

    The academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. Assessment of Astronomy funding applications.

    The Danish Council for Independent Research. Danish Agency for Science. Assessment of Astronomy funding applications.

    MICINN. Plan Nacional, Spain.

    Proyectos Junta de Andalucia, Spain. Assessment of Astronomy funding grants.


    SCIENTIFIC AFFILIATIONS


    Member of:
    "International Astronomical Union (IAU)"
    "The Meteoritical Society"
    International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life and Astrobiology (ISSOL) .
    "Sociedad Española de Astronomía (SEA)"
    "Societat Catalana de Física (SCF/IEC)"
    "Real Sociedad Española de Física (RSEF)"
    Founding member of the International Meteor Organization (IMO)


    PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH TEAMS


  • Stardust Preliminary Examination Team (NASA): study of 81P/Wild 2 particles, and interstellar particles preserved in aerogel collectors on board the Stardust spacecraft

  • International Space Science Institute (ISSI) project: Interaction of large bolides with the Earth's atmosphere

  • Participation in Leonid MAC missions (NASA)


  • AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS


  • Xarxa Vives of Universities Best 2023 Science and Technology book for "La Terra en Perill"
  • Revista QUO and CSIC selected him as member of the: Selección Española de la Ciencia 2017
  • Asteroid 8325 Trigo-Rodriguez was named after him in 2008 to distinguish his research trajectory

  • RSEF-BBVA Foundation 2009 Prize to the best Physics article published on 2008: "The Stardust mission: astrophysical implications of the analyzed samples of comet 81P/Wild 2"
  • 2005 Universitary Edition National Prize under the category of best electronic edition for his book and DVD entitled: "The solar system: our small corner in the Milky Way" (2004) published by the Univ. Jaume I (in Spanish). Book in coauthory with Dr. Jordi Llorca (inclosed DVD with J. Llorca, Jose V. Casado and Pablo Biazzi).

  • III Scientific Award REAL SOCIEDAD ESPAÑOLA DE FÍSICA in the popularization of science section (2002). Honorary mention for his work “The colossal death of Supernovas" for the quality of the article and the author's trajectory in the field of science's popularization. Paper published in MUNDO CIENTIFICO (Spanish translation of La Recherche).

  • XIII Scientific Award “Casa de las Ciencias de La Coruña” for popularizing Science in Spain (2000). Special mention to his paper “A control over pseudoscience” published in MUNDO CIENTIFICO (Spanish translation of La Recherche) due to its originality.

    OTHER TASKS PROMOTING ASTRONOMY


  • Member of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) since 2005.
  • Member of Observing Time Allocation Commitee (CAT) for Canary Islands (2010-2012) IAC telescopes (Stars and planets panel).
  • Member of the General Council of the Liga Iberoamericana de Astronomia (LIADA) since December 2004.
  • Coordinator Meteor Section of the Liga Iberoamericana de Astronomia (LIADA).
  • Founding member of the International Meteor Organization (IMO) .
  • Founding member and President of the Spanish Society of Meteor and Cometary Observers (SOMYCE) over the period 1988-1992.
  • Meteor Section Coordinator of the Valencia Astronomical Association (AVA) over the period 1985-1993.

  • E-mail:Ph.D. Josep M. Trigo (CSIC-IEEC).