Homepage
Welcome to my webpage! (Version française au bout de ce lien.)
I am a research scientist at ONERA — the main French aerospace research center, where I work in the Information Processing and Systems Department in astronautics and astronomy, in the team Measurement, Images and Codesign.
My research focuses on detecting and characterizing space objects using electromagnetic signals, developing data processing algorithms through electromagnetic field propagation models, and celestial mechanics models. This work aims to develop new satellite observation systems, design space missions, and image exoplanets.
On this webpage, you can find the list of my publications, the courses that I teach, my participation to various organization committees, and a few points about my education and former positions.
You can click here to contact me by email.
This page was last updated on July 27th 2024
List of publications
Articles in peer-reviewed journals
Gutierrez, Yann,
Mazoyer, Johan,
Mugnier, Laurent M.,
Herscovici-Schiller, Olivier et
Abeloos, Baptiste, 2024, « Image-based wavefront correction using model-free Reinforcement Learning », accepted for publication in Optics Express,
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2406.18143.
Herscovici-Schiller, Olivier,
Gachet, Fabien,
Couetdic, Jocelyn,
Meyer, Luc et
Reynaud, Sébastien, 2022, « A Simple Ionospheric Correction Method for Radar-Based Space Surveillance Systems, with Performance Assessment on GRAVES Data »,
Advances in Space Research, mai,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2022.05.036.
Labriji, H.,
Herscovici-Schiller, O. et
Cassaing, F., 2022, « Computation of the Lateral Shift Due to Atmospheric Refraction »,
Astronomy & Astrophysics 662 (juin) p. A61,
https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202142338.
Herscovici-Schiller, Olivier,
Mugnier, Laurent,
Baudoz, Pierre,
Galicher, Raphaël,
Sauvage, Jean-François et
Paul, Baptiste, 2018, « Experimental validation of joint phase and amplitude wave-front sensing with coronagraphic phase diversity for high-contrast imaging »,
Astronomy & Astrophysics 614 (juin) p. A142,
https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201732439.
Herscovici-Schiller, Olivier,
Mugnier, Laurent M. et
Sauvage, Jean-François, 2017, « An analytic expression for coronagraphic imaging through turbulence. Application to on-sky coronagraphic phase diversity »,
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters 467 (1) p. L105‑9,
https://doi.org/10.1093/mnrasl/slx009.
Herscovici-Schiller, Olivier,
Sauvage, Jean-François,
Mugnier, Laurent M,
Dohlen, Kjetil et
Vigan, Arthur, 2019, « Coronagraphic phase diversity through residual turbulence: performance study and experimental validation »,
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 488 (3) p. 4307‑16,
https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz1986.
Vaughan, Sophia R, Gebhard, Timothy D, Bott, Kimberly, Casewell, Sarah L, Cowan, Nicolas B, Doelman, David S, Kenworthy, Matthew, et al., 2023, « Chasing rainbows and ocean glints: Inner working angle constraints for the Habitable Worlds Observatory »,
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 524 (4) p. 5477‑85,
https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad2127.
Articles in proceedings of international conferences
Cantalloube, Faustine,
Ygouf, Marie,
Mugnier, Laurent,
Mouillet, David,
Herscovici-Schiller, Olivier et
Brandner, Wolfgang, 2017, « Status of the MEDUSAE post-processing method to detect circumstellar objects in high-contrast multispectral images. », In
Proceedings of the Adaptive Optics for Extremely Large Telescopes 5, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC),
https://doi.org/10.26698/AO4ELT5.0136.
Desai, Niyati, König, Lorenzo, Por, Emiel, Juanola-Parramon, Roser, Belikov, Ruslan, Laginja, Iva, Guyon, Olivier, et al., 2023, « Integrated photonic-based coronagraphic systems for future space telescopes », In
Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets XI, 12680:585‑93, SPIE,
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2677210.
Fowler, J., Haffert, Sebastiaan Y., Kooten, Maaike A. M. van, Landman, Rico, Bidot, Alexis, Hours, Adrien, N’Diaye, Mamadou, et al., 2023, « Visible extreme adaptive optics on extremely large telescopes: towards detecting oxygen in Proxima Centauri b and analogs », In
Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets XI, 12680:594‑604, SPIE,
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2677503.
Herscovici-Schiller, Oliver,
Mugnier, Laurent M.,
Baudoz, Pierre,
Galicher, Raphaël,
Sauvage, Jean-François et
Paul, Baptiste, 2017, « Focal plane complex wavefront sensing with coronagraphic phase diversity on the THD2 bench », In
Proceedings of the Adaptive Optics for Extremely Large Telescopes 5, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC),
https://doi.org/10.26698/AO4ELT5.0063.
Herscovici-Schiller, Olivier, Mugnier, Laurent M., Baudoz, Pierre, Galicher, Raphaël, Sauvage, Jean-François, Patru, Fabien, Leboulleux, Lucie, et al., 2018, « Towards the experimental validation of the non-linear dark hole on the THD bench », In
Adaptive Optics Systems VI, 10703:738‑51, SPIE,
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2314100.
Herscovici-Schiller, Olivier,
Mugnier, Laurent M.,
Sauvage, Jean-François,
Duigou, Jean-Michel Le et
Cantalloube, Faustine, 2016, « Analytical expression of a long exposure coronagraphic point spread function », In
Adaptive Optics Systems V, 9909:1967‑74, SPIE,
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2234140.
Herscovici-Schiller, Olivier,
Sauvage, Jean-François,
Mugnier, Laurent M.,
Vigan, Arthur et
Dohlen, Kjetil, 2017, « Towards on-sky coronagraphic wave-front sensing: Preliminary validation of coronagraphic phase diversity in the presence of residual turbulence », In
Proceedings of the Adaptive Optics for Extremely Large Telescopes 5, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC),
https://doi.org/10.26698/AO4ELT5.0062.
Labriji, Hanae,
Herscovici-Schiller, Olivier et
Cassaing, Frédéric, 2022a, « Shadow Imaging of Geostationary Satellites: silhouette reconstruction from accurate polychromatic modelling of diffraction and atmospheric disturbances », In
9TH EUROPEAN CONFERENCE FOR AERONAUTICS AND AEROSPACE SCIENCES EUCASS-3AF 2022, Lille, France,
https://hal.science/hal-03771475.
———, 2022b, « Shadow imaging of geostationary satellites: experimental demonstration with accurate polychromatic modelling of diffraction and atmospheric disturbances », In
Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference (AMOS), MAUI, United States,
https://hal.science/hal-03882891.
Mugnier, L. M.,
Sauvage, J.-F.,
Herscovici-Schiller, O.,
Baudoz, P.,
Galicher, R. et
Duigou, J.-M. Le, 2016, « Coronagraphic wavefront sensing with COFFEE: high spatial-frequency diversity and other news », In
Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2016: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave, 9904:1089‑98, SPIE,
https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2233726.
PhD thesis
O. Herscovici-Schiller, Analyse et correction de surface d’onde post-coronographique pour l’imagerie d’exoplanètes, Thèse de doctorat, Observatoire de Paris (Université Paris Sciences et Lettres), 2018.
The title means “Post-coronagraphic wavefront sensing and control for exoplanet imaging”
Internships and Theses
Internships and Thesis Proposals
I offer an internship on reinforcement learning for wavefront control in exoplanet imaging. Following this, a thesis opportunity is available. Contact me for more details.
I regularly offer internships on satellite detection or exoplanet imaging. If you're interested in astronomy or astronautics and looking for an internship, contact me to discuss a project.
For other internship and thesis opportunities at ONERA, visit the ONERA page.
Current Supervisions
I co-supervise (~30%) Yann Gutierrez's thesis on AI for post-coronagraphic wavefront control, with defense in autumn 2025.
I also supervise Major Thomas P. Hart's work at ONERA (2022-2024) under a bilateral exchange program.
Past PhD students
I co-supervised (~50%) Hanae Labriji's thesis on satellite shadow imaging, defended on November 7, 2023. The manuscript is available at theses.fr.
Past master’s students interns
Internship on the mathematical properties of propagation operators in coronagraphic imaging (Florent Dupont, École des mines de Paris, M1 level, July to August 2021).
Internship on data processing of a telescope dedicated to space surveillance (Iwan Quemada, University of Paris, M2 level, March to September 2021). Co-supervision with Frédéric Cassaing.
Internship on the creation of a Python program for wavefront sensing for exoplanet imagers (Sandrine Juillard, ENSEIRB-MATMECA, M2 level, February to July 2021).
Internship on satellite shadow imaging (Sacha Redel, Sorbonne University, M2 level, March to July 2020).
Internship on the processing of data acquired on the SPHERE instrument of the Very Large Telescope to compare two wave surface analysis methods (Stéphane Son, Denis Diderot engineering school, M1 level, June and July 2019).
Courses taught and organizations
Teaching
- Wavefront Reconstruction: second-year master’s in Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Space Engineering at Observatoire de Paris, Sorbonne University, University of Paris-Saclay, and University of Paris (8 hours/year since 2020).
- Signal Processing: ENSTA, third-year undergraduate (24 hours/year, 2019-2023); harmonizing signal processing knowledge for international students (8 hours/year, 2020-2022).
- Statistical Estimation: ENSTA, first-year master’s (12 hours/year, autumn 2022).
- Kalman Filtering and Control: first-year master’s at University Paris VII – Denis Diderot (24 hours/year, 2017-2023).
- Control Theory Tutorials: University Paris VII – Denis Diderot (30 hours in third-year undergraduate).
I was a mathematics teacher in high school for a year.
Organization
I am an occasional reviewer for Astronomy and Astrophysics, IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, and Scientific Reports.
I participate annually in the Déclics outreach program for high school students since 2019; I participated in Maths en Jeans in 2021-2022.
I was a member of the organizing committee of the 2017 Elbereth conference, which is a yearly conference for young researchers in the astrophysics laboratories of the Paris area.
I participated in the 2018 evaluation of the école doctorale d’astronomie et astrophysique d’Île-de-France (graduate school of astrophysics of the Paris area) HCERES (evaluation institution of the ministry of research).
I have organized the weekly seminar of my laboratory during one year.
While I was a student, I was a member of the board of directors of the Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace as the representative of Supaéro students. I also had various responsibilities in student societies.
Education and former positions
I graduated in 2013 from Supaéro with an engineer’s degree, with a major in astrophysics & design of space systems and a minor in applied mathematics. I also graduated in 2013 with a master’s degree in pure and applied mathematics from the Institut de mathématiques de Toulouse at Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier, with a major in analysis of partial differential equations, numerical analysis, and optimization.
I taught mathematics for a year at lycée Maurice Ravel de Paris.
I did my PhD in astronomy with Laurent Mugnier (ONERA) and Jean-François Sauvage (ONERA & laboratoire d’astrophysique de Marseille, CNRS/AMU).
In 2018, I got a permanent position as a junior engineer in the Information Processing and Systems Department of ONERA, in the team Space Defence Surveillance systems. There, I worked a lot on satellite detection. I was promoted to senior engineer, then to research scientist, and moved to the team Measurement, Images and Codesign.