"I didn't expect how beautiful Cracow is," says Professor Sabrina Casanova, of the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, in our May interview. The professor also talks about what a galactic disk is, what discovery modern astronomy is waiting for, and which scientific figure inspires her. Read on for a good start to the week!

Professor, please describe for us the beginnings of your cooperation with the Polish Academy of Sciences. Where did you get the idea to come to Krakow?

Since 2009, I have been a member of the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) Collaboration, which also includes my Polish colleagues from the Krakow Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Astronomical Observatory of the Jagiellonian University. For many years we worked together on various topics. It was Prof. Ostrowski from the UJ Astronomical Observatory who offered me to participate in the recruitment for an assistant professor position at the PAS Institute of Nuclear Physics in 2013. I managed to get the position in December 2013. In 2016 I received my habilitation, and since 2019 I have been a professor at IFJ PAN.

What do you think of the Polish grant system? Is it difficult to get a grant in Poland? You are implementing OPUS from NCN.

In 2014 and 2017, I won two OPUS grants for a total of about PLN 2 million to hire a PhD student and several post-docs working on another project in which I was also involved. We are talking about the High Altitude Water Cherenkov(HAWC) project, in which I am the Polish P.I. (that is, principal investigator). In 2019, I and my collaborator, Dr. Salesa Greuss, wrote another OPUS grant proposal, which was accepted. Unfortunately, I have since failed to secure a grant again, leaving me without funding for the HAWC project.

What is the Galactic Drive?

The Galactic disk is the "thin" part of the galaxy, located both below and above the Galactic plane. It is a thin disk with a height of about 100-200 Parsecs and a radius of 20,000 Parsecs. Most astrophysical objects (stars, star clusters, etc.) are located within this disk.

What would you like to share from the scope of your research? What impact can they have on the development of science?

The Earth is immersed in a kind of "sea" of high-energy nuclei and electrons known as cosmic rays. The origin of these ultra-relativistic particles, the mechanisms of their acceleration and the physics of the extreme environments in which they are accelerated are the subject of our research. Among the most extreme phenomena in the Galaxy are pulsar nebulae, microquasars, supernova remnants and star-forming regions. We study these phenomena using high-energy photons, called gamma rays, emitted by accelerating particles in the presence of the aforementioned astrophysical sources. The discovery of the exact source of cosmic rays would be a breakthrough in the field of astronomy.

Does your research involve frequent trips abroad? How are your collaborations with foreign research centers?

I work very intensively with researchers from the US, Germany and France. While my work involves frequent trips abroad, it is worth noting here the intensity of the use of online meetings these days. They help to collaborate without having to leave the home institution.

Can we expect a new scientific publication in the near future?

Together with scientists from the United States, I am currently working on two important publications on microquasars. They will be presented soon in the journal Nature Astronomy.

Have you met with Italian scientists working in Poland?

Yes, I have met many Italian professors active in Cracow and in Warsaw.

What scientific figures inspire you?

One of the leading physicists of all time, Marie Skłodowska-Curie is an inspiration to many women and men in science. I would also add at this point that in 2007 I received a European Commission research award just named after Marie Skłodowska-Curie (Marie Curie IEF).

What did Poland surprise you with?

What I didn't expect was how beautiful Cracow is. I was also surprised by the speed at which Poland has changed since my first visit in 2013.