Julia Martikainen

My research focuses on asteroid and meteorite compositional studies using advanced light-scattering methods. I obtained my PhD from the University of Helsinki in 2021 for my thesis on this topic, where I developed techniques to analyze spectroscopic, photometric, and polarimetric observations of Solar System minor bodies.

During my doctoral studies, I contributed to the GAIA mission by upgrading a light-curve inversion method and developing a model framework to retrieve material complex refractive indices, particularly for Martian dust.

I gained practical experience supporting operations on the 2.5m Nordic Optical Telescope at the Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos in La Palma. My technical expertise includes operating telescopes and instruments like ALFOSC, FIES, NOTCam, and STANCam. Additionally, I have mentored PhD students and supervised Master’s theses, fostering the next generation of astrophysicists.

Recently, I have been selected as a Management Committee Member of the COST action CA22133: Birth of solar systems (PLANETS). I am also a Co-guest editor for a topical issue in the Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer. Outside academia, I am committed to outreach activities, including coordinating the International Asteroid Day and creating educational videos about science on Mars for secondary school students.