CURRICULUM VITAE OF PROF. GUIDO ZAVATTINI
Born on 17/04/1963 in Geneva, Switzerland
Resident in Ferrara, Via Val Trebba 21, 44124 Italy
Married with two sons (born 1995 and 2000)
___________________________________________________________________
PROFESSIONAL CAREER:
PRESENT POSITION: Associate Professor - FIS/01 – Experimental physics of fundamental interactions
-01/11/2018: Passage to Scientific Sector FIS/01 - Experimental physics of fundamental interactions
-29/11/2011: Confirmed Associate Professo – FIS/07 – Applied physics (to cultural heritage, environment, biology and medicine)
-29/12/2008: Hired as Associate Professor – FIS/07 – Applied physics (to cultural heritage, environment, biology and medicine)
-28/2/2008: Qualification for Associate Professor position - FIS/07 – Applied physics (to cultural heritage, environment, biology and medicine)
-15/8/2002 - 15/8/2003: On leave at University of California at Davis, CA, USA
-1/9/1994 - 29/12/2008: University Researcher (permanent position)
___________________________________________________________________
TITLES
-23/01/2014: Qualification as Full Professor - 02/A1: Experimental physics of fundamental interactions
-27/12/2013: Qualification as Full Professor - 02/B3: Applied physics
-3/1993-3/1994: Post-Doc at INFN-Trieste
-24/09/1993: Title as PhD in Physics
-03/1990-03/1993: PhD studies at the University of Bologna
-02/03/1989: Degree (Laurea) in Physics at the University of Pisa. Evaluation 110/110
___________________________________________________________________
STUDIES
-15/1993 - 05/1994: Post-Doc in Physics at the INFN section of Trieste
-03/1990 - 3/1993: PhD program in Physics, V cycle, at the University of Bologna
-11/82 - 03/1989: Studies in Physics at the University of Pisa, Italy. Degree (Laurea) in Physics at the University of Pisa. Evaluation 110/110.
-06/1982: International Baccalaureate in English: International School of Geneva, Switzerland
___________________________________________________________________
OTHER PROFESSIONAL ASSIGNMENTS
-4/2007 – 4/2013: Member of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee
(STAC) for the VIRGO project
-7/2015 – 6/2017: Member of the group II Scientific Committee representing INFN- Ferrara
-7/2004 – 7/2011: Member of the group II Scientific Committee representing INFN- Ferrara
-7/98 - 7/2002: Member of the group II Scientific Committee representing INFN- Ferrara
-Referee for various Scientific Journals: Nature Communication, Physical Review Letters, Physical Review D, European Journal of Physics D, NIM-A, MDPI
-Referee for the Spanish Research Agency (Agencia Estatal de Investigación, España)
-Referee for ongoing INFN scientific initiatives of the group II Scientific Committee: VIRGO, SABRE, Archimedes
-Referee for past INFN scientific initiatives of the group II and V Scientific Committees: MICRA, ADCOAT, RARENOISE, NUFACT, RAP, HARP
-Referee on behalf of the Czech Science Foundation for 2 proposals in Physics (related to the OSQAR experiment at CERN)
1994 - present: Associated to INFN- Ferrara
1993 - 1994: Associated to INFN- Trieste
1990 - 1993: Associated to INFN- Bologna
1988 - 1989: Associated to INFN- Pisa
___________________________________________________________________
RESEARCH RESPONSIBILITIES
-2017 – present: Spokesperson/proposer of a new project, VMB@CERN, to measure Vacuum Magnetic Birefringence using a spare LHC magnet at CERN. LoI presented to the CERN SPSC committee
-2019 – present: Spokesperson for the VMBCERN R&D financed by INFN: Optimisation of a new polarimetric scheme for a future Vacuum Magneti Birefringence experiment to be carried out a CERN
-2008 – 2018: Spokesperson for the PVLAS experiment financed by INFN: Effort to measure vacuum magnetic birefringence due to QED and physics beyond the standard model
-2003 – 2008 (interruption from 08/2002 – 08/2003): Local Ferrara spokesperson for the PVLAS experiment financed by INFN: Effort to measure vacuum magnetic birefringence due to QED and physics beyond the standard model
-2011 – 2014: PI for the PRIN2009 project financed by the Italian Ministry: Optical ellipsometry for experiments in fundamental physics
-2007 – 2009: Local PI for the Ferrara group for the PRIN2006 project financed by the Italian Ministry: Study of systematic effects in a high sensitivity ellipsometer based on a Fabry-Perot cavity due to its mirrors
-2000 – 2002: Local PI for the Ferrara group for the COFIN2000 project financed by the Italian Ministry: Development of position sensitive for applications in high resolution PET
___________________________________________________________________
MEMBER OF HIRING COMMITTEES
-2012 Committee chair for a INFN III level contract for INFN-Padova (PD/T3/333)
-2011 – 2013 Committee member for INFN post-doc contracts for INFN-Ferrara
-2010 Committee member for 8 permanent INFN researcher positions INFN 13706/2010
-2008 Committee member for a University Researcher permanent position in General Physics at the University of Camerino
-2006 Committee member for a University Researcher permanent position in -General Physics at the University of Perugia
-2004 Committee member for a University Researcher permanent position in General Physics at the University of Padova
-2000 Committee member for a University Researcher permanent position in General Physics at the University of Florence
___________________________________________________________________
LANGUAGES
English: Mother tongue
Italian: Mother tongue
French: Fluent
___________________________________________________________________
TEACHING RESPONSIBILITIES/EXPERIENCE
AA 2021/22 – present
- Fisica I (General physics 1st year) for the Bachelor’s Degree in Physics at the University of Ferrara
AA 2014/15 – 2019/20 and 2021/22 – present
- Advanced Electromagnetism for the Master’s Degree in Physics at the University of Ferrara
AA 2013/2014 – 2019/20
- Electromagnetism for the Bachelor’s Degree in Physics at the University of Ferrara
AA 1997/98 – 2012/2013
- Electromagnetism for the Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics Engineering at the University of Ferrara
AA 2009/2010 – 2013/14
- Electromagnetism for the Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Ferrara
AA 1994/95 – AA 1996/97
- Exercises in Mechanics for the Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics Engineering at the Univeristy of Ferrara
- Exercises classes in Probability and Statistics for the Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics Engineering at the Univeristy of Ferrara
Students supervised by Prof. Guido Zavattini
5 Students in Medical physics
8 Students in the PVLAS experiment
2 PhD student in the PVLAS experiment
1 PhD student in small animal PET
_____________________________________________________________
PATENTS
- Detector for small animal positron emission tomography
Autors: Guido Zavattini, Nicola Sabba, Elena Moretti, Giovanni Di Domenico, Nicola Cesca. Year: 2004. Deposit number: BO2004A000277.
- Method and Apparatus for PET/SPECT tomography
Authors: A. Del Guerra; N. Belcari; A. Bartoli; S. Fabbri; G. Di Domenico; G. Zavattini. Year: 2007. Deposit number: Pisa 0001385891
_____________________________________________________________
OTHER SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES
- Deputy Program Chairman for IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium 1999, Seattle, Washington (USA), Ottobre 24-26, 1999
- Experimental referee for the VIRGO project – INFN - from 9/2004-presente per attività
- Experimental referee for other INFN experiments: MICRA, ADCOAT, RARENOISE
___________________________________________________________________
PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
Co-Author of 109 publications on peer review international journals (see attached list).
H-index: 31 (Scopus)
Book chapters:
- Guido Zavattini and Alberto Del Guerra, "Small Animal Scanners" Chapter 10 in Ionizing Radiation Detectors for Medical Imaging, Edited by Alberto Del Guerra, World Scientific Publisher, ISBN 9812386742 (2004) pp. 385-464.
- Giovanni Di Domenico and Guido Zavattini, “Advances in SPECT Insturmentation (including small animal scanners)”, Chapter 4 in Technetium 99m Radiopharmaceuticals: Status and Trends, Publisher: International Atomic Energy Agency, 2009, ISBN:978-92-0-103509-7
___________________________________________________________________
OTHER
Founding partner of a spin-off: NeM s.r.l. (Nuclear e-Mission), Ferrara, Italia
=====================================================================
MAIN PRESENTE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
THE VMB@CERN EXPERIMENT
The PVLAS experiment in Ferrara (see below) put in evidence an intrinsic limit on the sensitivity of a polarimeter based on a high finesse cavity to amplify the desired ellipticity signal (> 100000): intrinsic thermal mirror birefringence noise. In the PVLAS experiment the finesse was 700000. For this reason a new experiment VMB@CERN has been proposed using a new polarimetric scheme which allows the use of static high field superconductor magnets such as those available at CERN: In particular a spare LHC dipole magnet. This new scheme which could allow a first measurement of Vacuum Magnetic Birefringence in a few days of integration time.
Ia am currently leading a feasibility study which is underway in Ferrara, financed by INFN until the end of 2022. An international Letter of Intent has been submitted to the SPSC committee at CERN. Hopefully a full scale international proposal will be submitted in the near future.
THE XENON PROJECT
Since 2019 I have joined the XENON collaboration whose goal is to detect Dark Matter directly. The detector is a dual phase Time Projection Chamber which has evolved during the last decades passing from a 100kg active mass to a few tons in the present XENONnT detector. The experiment is located at the Gran Sasso INFN underground laboratories.
The present XENONnT detector has also reduced its nuclear recoil background (for WIMP detection) to the point where radiogenic neutrons emitted from the TPC inner material is becoming the dominant source. For this reason a neutron veto detector has been designed and installed around the TPC. My past experience in neutron detectors led me to contribute to this detector.
The central cryostat is surrounded by 700m^3 of water equipped with photomultipliers to shield from external radiation and from cosmic muons. In the inner part of the water tank, at about 1.5m from the cryostat, white diffusing foils completely surrounding the TPC and also equipped with photomultipliers were installed: this is the neutron veto detector. Neutrons emitted from the TPC, which could have produced a nuclear recoil mimicking a WIMP, are then captured in the water emitting a 2.2 MeV gamma ray which is then detected using the emitted Cherenkov radiation. In the near future Gadolinium salts will be added to the water tank to increase the neutron capture rate.
At present, with only water, the XENONnT neutron veto is the most performing one ever built.
Experience:
- Study of the nVeto photomultiplier response function for optimising single photoelectron response and efficiency.
- Simulation of the photomultipliers
- Data analysis
- Shifts during science runs
RESEARCH ACTIVITY ON STAND-BY OR TERMINATE
FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS
THE PVLAS EXPERIMENT (Trieste 1993 - 1994; Ferrara 1994 - 2018)
Since 2008 I am the spokesman of the PVLAS experiment.
The PVLAS experiment, financed by INFN, aims at the first measurement of the magnetic birefringence of vacuum induced by an intense magnetic field. This effect, predicted by QED, is connected to photon-photon scattering by means of the "vacuum polarization". Furthermore the PVLAS experiment will put new laboratory limits on the mass and coupling constants of hypothetical neutral particles which couple to two photons. These hypothetical particles could contribute to dark matter. The experiment is in a phase of being upgraded in sensitivity after a long period of data taking and analysis. The best limits on the vacuum magnetic birefringence and consequently on the low energy photon-photon cross sections have been set by this experiment. Furthermore the experiment has produced new precise measurements of the Cotton-Mouton constant for various gases.
Experience:
- Design, realization and optimization of the phase locking electronics system for a Nd:YAG laser to a very high finesse cavity
- Modification of the Pound-Drever-Hall phase locking scheme to a cavity.
- Optimization of a very sensitive ellipsometer based on a Fabry-Perot cavity.
- Design and implementation of an ellipsometer with a 3.3 m long cavity with finesse F = 7e5.
- Measurement of the intrinsic birefringence of interferential mirrors.
- Sensitivity measurements with the ellipsometer.
- Use of superconducting magnet.
- Data analysis.
- Study of the consequences of the intrinsic birefringence of cavity mirrors within a sensitive ellipsometer.
__________________________________________________________________
MEDICAL PHYSICS (Ferrara, 1994 - 2014)
- PET/SPECT/CT (Positron emission tomography, Single Photon Emission Tomography, Computerised Tomography) allow ‘in vivo’ functional imaging of organs. Both allow the detection, for example, of dead cariac tissue following a heart attack, malfunctioning of cerebral activity and tumors. These pathologies are not ususally detectable using morphological diagnostics such as x-rays and magnetic resonance. Furthermore gene expression studies (molecular imaging) may be performed with these techniques. The spatial resolution and sensitivity of these systems have evolved so as to be able to image small animals, thus opening a new line in experimentation of new drugs. At the Department of Physics of the University of Ferrara an integrated high resolution PET SPECT small animal tomograph has been developed dedicated to small animal imaging. The system is based on YAP:Ce (Ytirum Aluminum Perovskite doped with Cerium) scintillator matrices coupled to position sensitive photomultiplier tubes. The capability of imaging both in PET and SPECT remains unique.
A CT scanner on the same gantry, so as to provide both functinal and morphological images simultaneously, has also been successfully integrated. The prototype has already been tested on a benchtop system with promising results. We are also in the process of designing a new PET scanner for small animals based on multilayers of silicon double sided detectors. Simulations and proof of principle measurements have shown the enormous capabilities of such a scanner both in spatial resolution as in sensitivity. Such a scanner would be limited only by the positron range of the radionuclides eliminating all other sources of error.
Experience in PET (Positron Emission Tomography)
- Use of a matrix of new scintillator (YAP:Ce) coupled to a position sensitive photomultiplier.
- Measurement of the scintillation characteristics of the YAP:Ce scintillator.
- Development of position sensitive detectors for PET.
- Design and realization of a small animal PET scanner.
- Validation and characterization ot the tomograph at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan.
- Study of the possibile use of multilayer silicon double sided detectors for ultra high resolution PET and high sensitivity (> 5%).
Experience in SPECT (Single photon emission comupterized tomography)
- Modification of the Ferrara PET small animal scanner for SPECT applications.
- SPECT measurements with phantoms for characterization.
- Validation and experimentation with radiopharmaceuticals of the tomograph in SPECT mode.
- Quantitative activity measurements with rats in SPECT mode.
- Spatial resolution improvement in SPECT mode using oversampling during data acquisition.
Integrated PET-SPECT scanner
- Simultaneous data acquisition in both PET and SPECT mode with the Ferrara YAP-(S)PET.
- OPTICAL FLUORESCENCE TOMOGRAPHY
At the University of California at Davis, we began a new in-vivo imaging technique for small animals based on the fluorescent light emitted by fluorophores which can be bound to biological molecules.
In fact light with wavelength longer than 600 nm is principally diffused by biological tissues and not absorbed. This technique has the advantage of using fluorophores which do not decay in time, as do radionuclides used in PET and SPECT. Processes can therefore be monitored for longer periods of time.
Experience
- Study of the actual possibility of the technique.
- Design and realization of the apparatus
- Hyperspectral measurements and spectral deconvolution to obtain multi-fluorophore images.
===============================================================Previous research activity
___________________________________________________________________
GAL Experiment (Pisa 1988-1989, Thesis work)
Experiment on the equivalence between gravitational and inertial mass.
The aim of the experiment was to measure the relative difference in free-fall gravity for different materials to a level of ∆g/g < 1e-10
- Development at Pisa of a collimator capable of measuring parallelism between beams to a level 1e-6 rad.
- Development at CERN of an interferometer with parallel, vertical arms, each 7 m long.
- Precesion optics and mechanics.
___________________________________________________________________
INTERMEDIATE ENERGIES (Bologna 1990 - 1993, PhD program)
Cold Fusion (1990 - 1993)
The aim of the measurements undertaken at the Gran Sasso National Laboratories were to detect fast neutrons (2.5 MeV) emitted by metal composite metal samples loaded with deuterium both via electrolysis and pressure.
Experience:
- Development of fast neutron spectrometer based on liquid scintillator and Li6 doped glass with a double pulse shape discrimination.
- Calibration of the spectrometer by means of the time of flight technique.
- Monte Carlo simulation of the detector.
- Optimization of a neutron detection system for detecting burst and continuous emission of fast neutrons.
- Measurement of the fast neutron flux of Hall C at the Gran Sasso National Laboratories of INFN.
- Search for emission of neutron following the adsorption of deuterium in metal samples at the Gran Sasso National Labs of INFN.
Obelix (1990 - 1993)
The program of the Obelix experiment, at CERN, was the study of the annichilation mecchanism of antiprotons and antineutrons on nuclei, spectroscopy of 'ordinary' and 'exotic' meson emitted during annichilation, and the verification of fundamental simmetries.
- Design and construction of the electromagnetic calorimeter for the Obelix experiment.
___________________________________________________________________
X-RAY ASTRONOMY
BeppoSAX (Ferrara 1990 - 1999)
The BeppoSAX satellite, launched on April 1996, was a satellite dedicated to X-ray astronomy, in the energy band 0.1 - 300 keV, capable of producing both images and energy spectra.
Furthermore it was implemented with a gamma ray burst monitor (20 - 600 keV) which opened the way to the dicovery of the gamma ray burst X-ray counterpart.
PDS (1990 - 1999)
The PDS (Phoswich Detector System) detector on board BeppoSAX is the narrow field high energy detector (15 - 300 keV). The active shielding surrounding the PDS detector constitutes the gamma ray burst monitor (20 - 600 keV).
Experience:
- Energy calibration of the detector at LABEN.
- Monte Carlo calculation of the response matrix for the PDS detector.
- Energy and angular calibration of the gamma ray burst monitor at ESTEC, The Netherlands.
Gamma ray bursts (1996 - 1999)
- Participation to the measurements, analysis and discovery of the X-ray counterpart of the gamma ray bursts.
Born on 17/04/1963 in Geneva, Switzerland
Resident in Ferrara, Via Val Trebba 21, 44124 Italy
Married with two sons (born 1995 and 2000)
___________________________________________________________________
PROFESSIONAL CAREER:
PRESENT POSITION: Associate Professor - FIS/01 – Experimental physics of fundamental interactions
-01/11/2018: Passage to Scientific Sector FIS/01 - Experimental physics of fundamental interactions
-29/11/2011: Confirmed Associate Professo – FIS/07 – Applied physics (to cultural heritage, environment, biology and medicine)
-29/12/2008: Hired as Associate Professor – FIS/07 – Applied physics (to cultural heritage, environment, biology and medicine)
-28/2/2008: Qualification for Associate Professor position - FIS/07 – Applied physics (to cultural heritage, environment, biology and medicine)
-15/8/2002 - 15/8/2003: On leave at University of California at Davis, CA, USA
-1/9/1994 - 29/12/2008: University Researcher (permanent position)
___________________________________________________________________
TITLES
-23/01/2014: Qualification as Full Professor - 02/A1: Experimental physics of fundamental interactions
-27/12/2013: Qualification as Full Professor - 02/B3: Applied physics
-3/1993-3/1994: Post-Doc at INFN-Trieste
-24/09/1993: Title as PhD in Physics
-03/1990-03/1993: PhD studies at the University of Bologna
-02/03/1989: Degree (Laurea) in Physics at the University of Pisa. Evaluation 110/110
___________________________________________________________________
STUDIES
-15/1993 - 05/1994: Post-Doc in Physics at the INFN section of Trieste
-03/1990 - 3/1993: PhD program in Physics, V cycle, at the University of Bologna
-11/82 - 03/1989: Studies in Physics at the University of Pisa, Italy. Degree (Laurea) in Physics at the University of Pisa. Evaluation 110/110.
-06/1982: International Baccalaureate in English: International School of Geneva, Switzerland
___________________________________________________________________
OTHER PROFESSIONAL ASSIGNMENTS
-4/2007 – 4/2013: Member of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee
(STAC) for the VIRGO project
-7/2015 – 6/2017: Member of the group II Scientific Committee representing INFN- Ferrara
-7/2004 – 7/2011: Member of the group II Scientific Committee representing INFN- Ferrara
-7/98 - 7/2002: Member of the group II Scientific Committee representing INFN- Ferrara
-Referee for various Scientific Journals: Nature Communication, Physical Review Letters, Physical Review D, European Journal of Physics D, NIM-A, MDPI
-Referee for the Spanish Research Agency (Agencia Estatal de Investigación, España)
-Referee for ongoing INFN scientific initiatives of the group II Scientific Committee: VIRGO, SABRE, Archimedes
-Referee for past INFN scientific initiatives of the group II and V Scientific Committees: MICRA, ADCOAT, RARENOISE, NUFACT, RAP, HARP
-Referee on behalf of the Czech Science Foundation for 2 proposals in Physics (related to the OSQAR experiment at CERN)
1994 - present: Associated to INFN- Ferrara
1993 - 1994: Associated to INFN- Trieste
1990 - 1993: Associated to INFN- Bologna
1988 - 1989: Associated to INFN- Pisa
___________________________________________________________________
RESEARCH RESPONSIBILITIES
-2017 – present: Spokesperson/proposer of a new project, VMB@CERN, to measure Vacuum Magnetic Birefringence using a spare LHC magnet at CERN. LoI presented to the CERN SPSC committee
-2019 – present: Spokesperson for the VMBCERN R&D financed by INFN: Optimisation of a new polarimetric scheme for a future Vacuum Magneti Birefringence experiment to be carried out a CERN
-2008 – 2018: Spokesperson for the PVLAS experiment financed by INFN: Effort to measure vacuum magnetic birefringence due to QED and physics beyond the standard model
-2003 – 2008 (interruption from 08/2002 – 08/2003): Local Ferrara spokesperson for the PVLAS experiment financed by INFN: Effort to measure vacuum magnetic birefringence due to QED and physics beyond the standard model
-2011 – 2014: PI for the PRIN2009 project financed by the Italian Ministry: Optical ellipsometry for experiments in fundamental physics
-2007 – 2009: Local PI for the Ferrara group for the PRIN2006 project financed by the Italian Ministry: Study of systematic effects in a high sensitivity ellipsometer based on a Fabry-Perot cavity due to its mirrors
-2000 – 2002: Local PI for the Ferrara group for the COFIN2000 project financed by the Italian Ministry: Development of position sensitive for applications in high resolution PET
___________________________________________________________________
MEMBER OF HIRING COMMITTEES
-2012 Committee chair for a INFN III level contract for INFN-Padova (PD/T3/333)
-2011 – 2013 Committee member for INFN post-doc contracts for INFN-Ferrara
-2010 Committee member for 8 permanent INFN researcher positions INFN 13706/2010
-2008 Committee member for a University Researcher permanent position in General Physics at the University of Camerino
-2006 Committee member for a University Researcher permanent position in -General Physics at the University of Perugia
-2004 Committee member for a University Researcher permanent position in General Physics at the University of Padova
-2000 Committee member for a University Researcher permanent position in General Physics at the University of Florence
___________________________________________________________________
LANGUAGES
English: Mother tongue
Italian: Mother tongue
French: Fluent
___________________________________________________________________
TEACHING RESPONSIBILITIES/EXPERIENCE
AA 2021/22 – present
- Fisica I (General physics 1st year) for the Bachelor’s Degree in Physics at the University of Ferrara
AA 2014/15 – 2019/20 and 2021/22 – present
- Advanced Electromagnetism for the Master’s Degree in Physics at the University of Ferrara
AA 2013/2014 – 2019/20
- Electromagnetism for the Bachelor’s Degree in Physics at the University of Ferrara
AA 1997/98 – 2012/2013
- Electromagnetism for the Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics Engineering at the University of Ferrara
AA 2009/2010 – 2013/14
- Electromagnetism for the Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Ferrara
AA 1994/95 – AA 1996/97
- Exercises in Mechanics for the Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics Engineering at the Univeristy of Ferrara
- Exercises classes in Probability and Statistics for the Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics Engineering at the Univeristy of Ferrara
Students supervised by Prof. Guido Zavattini
5 Students in Medical physics
8 Students in the PVLAS experiment
2 PhD student in the PVLAS experiment
1 PhD student in small animal PET
_____________________________________________________________
PATENTS
- Detector for small animal positron emission tomography
Autors: Guido Zavattini, Nicola Sabba, Elena Moretti, Giovanni Di Domenico, Nicola Cesca. Year: 2004. Deposit number: BO2004A000277.
- Method and Apparatus for PET/SPECT tomography
Authors: A. Del Guerra; N. Belcari; A. Bartoli; S. Fabbri; G. Di Domenico; G. Zavattini. Year: 2007. Deposit number: Pisa 0001385891
_____________________________________________________________
OTHER SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES
- Deputy Program Chairman for IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium 1999, Seattle, Washington (USA), Ottobre 24-26, 1999
- Experimental referee for the VIRGO project – INFN - from 9/2004-presente per attività
- Experimental referee for other INFN experiments: MICRA, ADCOAT, RARENOISE
___________________________________________________________________
PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
Co-Author of 109 publications on peer review international journals (see attached list).
H-index: 31 (Scopus)
Book chapters:
- Guido Zavattini and Alberto Del Guerra, "Small Animal Scanners" Chapter 10 in Ionizing Radiation Detectors for Medical Imaging, Edited by Alberto Del Guerra, World Scientific Publisher, ISBN 9812386742 (2004) pp. 385-464.
- Giovanni Di Domenico and Guido Zavattini, “Advances in SPECT Insturmentation (including small animal scanners)”, Chapter 4 in Technetium 99m Radiopharmaceuticals: Status and Trends, Publisher: International Atomic Energy Agency, 2009, ISBN:978-92-0-103509-7
___________________________________________________________________
OTHER
Founding partner of a spin-off: NeM s.r.l. (Nuclear e-Mission), Ferrara, Italia
=====================================================================
MAIN PRESENTE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
THE VMB@CERN EXPERIMENT
The PVLAS experiment in Ferrara (see below) put in evidence an intrinsic limit on the sensitivity of a polarimeter based on a high finesse cavity to amplify the desired ellipticity signal (> 100000): intrinsic thermal mirror birefringence noise. In the PVLAS experiment the finesse was 700000. For this reason a new experiment VMB@CERN has been proposed using a new polarimetric scheme which allows the use of static high field superconductor magnets such as those available at CERN: In particular a spare LHC dipole magnet. This new scheme which could allow a first measurement of Vacuum Magnetic Birefringence in a few days of integration time.
Ia am currently leading a feasibility study which is underway in Ferrara, financed by INFN until the end of 2022. An international Letter of Intent has been submitted to the SPSC committee at CERN. Hopefully a full scale international proposal will be submitted in the near future.
THE XENON PROJECT
Since 2019 I have joined the XENON collaboration whose goal is to detect Dark Matter directly. The detector is a dual phase Time Projection Chamber which has evolved during the last decades passing from a 100kg active mass to a few tons in the present XENONnT detector. The experiment is located at the Gran Sasso INFN underground laboratories.
The present XENONnT detector has also reduced its nuclear recoil background (for WIMP detection) to the point where radiogenic neutrons emitted from the TPC inner material is becoming the dominant source. For this reason a neutron veto detector has been designed and installed around the TPC. My past experience in neutron detectors led me to contribute to this detector.
The central cryostat is surrounded by 700m^3 of water equipped with photomultipliers to shield from external radiation and from cosmic muons. In the inner part of the water tank, at about 1.5m from the cryostat, white diffusing foils completely surrounding the TPC and also equipped with photomultipliers were installed: this is the neutron veto detector. Neutrons emitted from the TPC, which could have produced a nuclear recoil mimicking a WIMP, are then captured in the water emitting a 2.2 MeV gamma ray which is then detected using the emitted Cherenkov radiation. In the near future Gadolinium salts will be added to the water tank to increase the neutron capture rate.
At present, with only water, the XENONnT neutron veto is the most performing one ever built.
Experience:
- Study of the nVeto photomultiplier response function for optimising single photoelectron response and efficiency.
- Simulation of the photomultipliers
- Data analysis
- Shifts during science runs
RESEARCH ACTIVITY ON STAND-BY OR TERMINATE
FUNDAMENTAL PHYSICS
THE PVLAS EXPERIMENT (Trieste 1993 - 1994; Ferrara 1994 - 2018)
Since 2008 I am the spokesman of the PVLAS experiment.
The PVLAS experiment, financed by INFN, aims at the first measurement of the magnetic birefringence of vacuum induced by an intense magnetic field. This effect, predicted by QED, is connected to photon-photon scattering by means of the "vacuum polarization". Furthermore the PVLAS experiment will put new laboratory limits on the mass and coupling constants of hypothetical neutral particles which couple to two photons. These hypothetical particles could contribute to dark matter. The experiment is in a phase of being upgraded in sensitivity after a long period of data taking and analysis. The best limits on the vacuum magnetic birefringence and consequently on the low energy photon-photon cross sections have been set by this experiment. Furthermore the experiment has produced new precise measurements of the Cotton-Mouton constant for various gases.
Experience:
- Design, realization and optimization of the phase locking electronics system for a Nd:YAG laser to a very high finesse cavity
- Modification of the Pound-Drever-Hall phase locking scheme to a cavity.
- Optimization of a very sensitive ellipsometer based on a Fabry-Perot cavity.
- Design and implementation of an ellipsometer with a 3.3 m long cavity with finesse F = 7e5.
- Measurement of the intrinsic birefringence of interferential mirrors.
- Sensitivity measurements with the ellipsometer.
- Use of superconducting magnet.
- Data analysis.
- Study of the consequences of the intrinsic birefringence of cavity mirrors within a sensitive ellipsometer.
__________________________________________________________________
MEDICAL PHYSICS (Ferrara, 1994 - 2014)
- PET/SPECT/CT (Positron emission tomography, Single Photon Emission Tomography, Computerised Tomography) allow ‘in vivo’ functional imaging of organs. Both allow the detection, for example, of dead cariac tissue following a heart attack, malfunctioning of cerebral activity and tumors. These pathologies are not ususally detectable using morphological diagnostics such as x-rays and magnetic resonance. Furthermore gene expression studies (molecular imaging) may be performed with these techniques. The spatial resolution and sensitivity of these systems have evolved so as to be able to image small animals, thus opening a new line in experimentation of new drugs. At the Department of Physics of the University of Ferrara an integrated high resolution PET SPECT small animal tomograph has been developed dedicated to small animal imaging. The system is based on YAP:Ce (Ytirum Aluminum Perovskite doped with Cerium) scintillator matrices coupled to position sensitive photomultiplier tubes. The capability of imaging both in PET and SPECT remains unique.
A CT scanner on the same gantry, so as to provide both functinal and morphological images simultaneously, has also been successfully integrated. The prototype has already been tested on a benchtop system with promising results. We are also in the process of designing a new PET scanner for small animals based on multilayers of silicon double sided detectors. Simulations and proof of principle measurements have shown the enormous capabilities of such a scanner both in spatial resolution as in sensitivity. Such a scanner would be limited only by the positron range of the radionuclides eliminating all other sources of error.
Experience in PET (Positron Emission Tomography)
- Use of a matrix of new scintillator (YAP:Ce) coupled to a position sensitive photomultiplier.
- Measurement of the scintillation characteristics of the YAP:Ce scintillator.
- Development of position sensitive detectors for PET.
- Design and realization of a small animal PET scanner.
- Validation and characterization ot the tomograph at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan.
- Study of the possibile use of multilayer silicon double sided detectors for ultra high resolution PET and high sensitivity (> 5%).
Experience in SPECT (Single photon emission comupterized tomography)
- Modification of the Ferrara PET small animal scanner for SPECT applications.
- SPECT measurements with phantoms for characterization.
- Validation and experimentation with radiopharmaceuticals of the tomograph in SPECT mode.
- Quantitative activity measurements with rats in SPECT mode.
- Spatial resolution improvement in SPECT mode using oversampling during data acquisition.
Integrated PET-SPECT scanner
- Simultaneous data acquisition in both PET and SPECT mode with the Ferrara YAP-(S)PET.
- OPTICAL FLUORESCENCE TOMOGRAPHY
At the University of California at Davis, we began a new in-vivo imaging technique for small animals based on the fluorescent light emitted by fluorophores which can be bound to biological molecules.
In fact light with wavelength longer than 600 nm is principally diffused by biological tissues and not absorbed. This technique has the advantage of using fluorophores which do not decay in time, as do radionuclides used in PET and SPECT. Processes can therefore be monitored for longer periods of time.
Experience
- Study of the actual possibility of the technique.
- Design and realization of the apparatus
- Hyperspectral measurements and spectral deconvolution to obtain multi-fluorophore images.
===============================================================Previous research activity
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GAL Experiment (Pisa 1988-1989, Thesis work)
Experiment on the equivalence between gravitational and inertial mass.
The aim of the experiment was to measure the relative difference in free-fall gravity for different materials to a level of ∆g/g < 1e-10
- Development at Pisa of a collimator capable of measuring parallelism between beams to a level 1e-6 rad.
- Development at CERN of an interferometer with parallel, vertical arms, each 7 m long.
- Precesion optics and mechanics.
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INTERMEDIATE ENERGIES (Bologna 1990 - 1993, PhD program)
Cold Fusion (1990 - 1993)
The aim of the measurements undertaken at the Gran Sasso National Laboratories were to detect fast neutrons (2.5 MeV) emitted by metal composite metal samples loaded with deuterium both via electrolysis and pressure.
Experience:
- Development of fast neutron spectrometer based on liquid scintillator and Li6 doped glass with a double pulse shape discrimination.
- Calibration of the spectrometer by means of the time of flight technique.
- Monte Carlo simulation of the detector.
- Optimization of a neutron detection system for detecting burst and continuous emission of fast neutrons.
- Measurement of the fast neutron flux of Hall C at the Gran Sasso National Laboratories of INFN.
- Search for emission of neutron following the adsorption of deuterium in metal samples at the Gran Sasso National Labs of INFN.
Obelix (1990 - 1993)
The program of the Obelix experiment, at CERN, was the study of the annichilation mecchanism of antiprotons and antineutrons on nuclei, spectroscopy of 'ordinary' and 'exotic' meson emitted during annichilation, and the verification of fundamental simmetries.
- Design and construction of the electromagnetic calorimeter for the Obelix experiment.
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X-RAY ASTRONOMY
BeppoSAX (Ferrara 1990 - 1999)
The BeppoSAX satellite, launched on April 1996, was a satellite dedicated to X-ray astronomy, in the energy band 0.1 - 300 keV, capable of producing both images and energy spectra.
Furthermore it was implemented with a gamma ray burst monitor (20 - 600 keV) which opened the way to the dicovery of the gamma ray burst X-ray counterpart.
PDS (1990 - 1999)
The PDS (Phoswich Detector System) detector on board BeppoSAX is the narrow field high energy detector (15 - 300 keV). The active shielding surrounding the PDS detector constitutes the gamma ray burst monitor (20 - 600 keV).
Experience:
- Energy calibration of the detector at LABEN.
- Monte Carlo calculation of the response matrix for the PDS detector.
- Energy and angular calibration of the gamma ray burst monitor at ESTEC, The Netherlands.
Gamma ray bursts (1996 - 1999)
- Participation to the measurements, analysis and discovery of the X-ray counterpart of the gamma ray bursts.
