During the years 2021 and 2022 I had the privilege and honor of working as a Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) PIFI Postdoctoral Fellow, a very prestigious and renowned national level grant in China. Specifically, I was doing research in astrophysics at CAS’s Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO) in Nanjing, a beautiful city in East China’s Jiangsu Province. It is hard to explain with just a few words how much this experience has meant to me, in terms of both my professional and personal growth.

PMO, or as we usually call it “the Observatory”, has a long tradition of astronomical research work and its pivotal role in contributing to modern Chinese astronomy is undoubted. This is reflected in the large variety of research lines that the Observatory currently hosts. My main field has been observational cosmology, with particular focus on galaxy clusters and radio foregrounds for cosmic microwave background studies. If I ever needed help, I just had to cross the corridor, or take a brief walk to the building in front, to meet colleagues working on galaxy evolution, or astro-particle physics, or solar physics. The new, modern PMO campus, located in the newly developing area of Xianlin, has state-of-the-art infrastructure for research. I could really take advantage of this common area to meet other talented researchers with whom to exchange ideas and start long-term collaborations.

In this sense, a special thought goes to the master and PhD students in my research group. I have been guiding many of them in their research, periodically discussing their work and providing advice. However, it is safe to say that I have learned from them as much as they learned from me. Not only have they provided invaluable assistance in many technical aspects of my research, but they were also a great source of information and suggestions on any topic related to daily life in China. Chatting with students coming from different provinces has helped me learn many fascinating facts about this country as a whole. I will be forever grateful to them for their tireless efforts and constant availability to help me make the best out of my time in Nanjing.

A very grateful thought also goes to my supervisor and all the senior researchers that have provided me with guidance and encouragement to explore different research lines. Aside from publications and talks, the best outcome of this fellowship lies in the joy of exploring and discovering new concepts, with the awareness that our work provides a little contribution in humanity’s effort to push the boundaries of our understanding of the Universe.

As my Fellowship has come to a conclusion, I can safely say that this experience as a PIFI Postdoctoral Fellow at the PMO has endowed me with the sufficient maturity to pursue my independent research, and has considerably boosted my involvement in the academic world. And surely, as I am now moving on to work elsewhere in China, I remain eager to discover many new things that this beautiful country has to offer.

Source: Denis Tramonte,

Purple Mountain Observatory,

Chinese Academy of Sciences