Maria Letizia SERGI
I am a researcher in experimental physics (RTDB-FIS/01) and my research activity is focused on Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics applied to several astrophysical scenarios: primordial nucleosynthesis, stellar evolution and explosive nucleosynthesis. I began to work on Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics field in 2004 during the realization of my degree thesis. In particular, I worked and I’m still working on determination of astrophysically relevant reaction cross sections through the indirect Trojan Horse Method (THM). I was appointed for a 3 years postdoc position at INFN-LNS (Catania), for a 1 year postdoc position at Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia of University of Catania and for a 4 years fixed-term researcher position (type A) at Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia of University of Catania. Further, I was appointed for a postdoc positions, at the JRCIRMM (Geel, Belgium) institute of the European Commission for neutron metrology studies.
Sept. 2006-today Spokesperson of 3 experiments (including preparation, organization of the experiment and its financial plan). These experiments have been performed in collaboration with scientists coming from national and international institutions. Participation at about 30 experiments;
Sept. 2006-today First author of 5 publications, co-author of more than 170 publications, h-index=29 (source ISIWEB of Knowledge, May. 2024);
September 2005-today Participation to national conferences (4 talks), international conferences (7 talks), 3 posters, 8 invited lecturers to international schools/conferences or workshops;
Sept. 2004-today International Collaborations with the groups Rez (Czech Academy of Science, Czech Rep.), ATOMKI (Hungary), Orsay (IPN, France), CIAE (Beijing, China), RIKEN (Japan), National Collaborations with the groups of the University of Pisa, University Federico II, INFN-LNL Legnaro, University of Padova.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Name, family name: Maria Letizia Sergi
Date and place of birth: 20/09/1979, Catania, ITALY
EDUCATION
February 2009 PhD in Physics, University of Catania, Italy
July 2005 Degree in Physics, University of Catania, Italy
POSITIONS (PRESENT/PAST)
May 2024 - today - Researcher on experimental physics (RTDB, art. 24, comma 3a, L. 240/10);
January 2020 - Dicember 2023 - Researcher on experimental physics (RTDA, art. 24, comma 3a, L. 240/10);
Febr.2016- Jul.2017 INFN - Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Catania (Italy) - Post-Doctoral Position: “Measurements of cross sections of nuclear reactions in massive stars through the Trojan Horse Method";
Jan.2014- Jan.2016 INFN - Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Catania (Italy) - Post-Doctoral Position: “Cross sections measurements at energies of astrophysical interest by means of indirect Methods”;
Febr.2012 - Dic.2013 University of Catania, Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia (Italy): “Misure di sezioni d’urto nucleari a bassa energia per la determinazione dei potenziali di screening elettronico in reazioni di fusione tramite progettazione, realizzazione e analisi dati dei relativi esperimenti”;
November 2014 MIUR- Italian Ministry of University and Research (Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale alle funzioni di professore di II fascia 02/A1, ASN);
Jan.2010-Nov.2010 European Commission JRC-IRMM institute, Geel, Belgium- Post-Doctoral Position: “Neutron metrology";
July 2009 INFN-Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare Judgment of Eligibility for a Research Position.
PRIZES AND AWARDS
February 2010: INFN National Prize “Premio Villi” (2009) for the best Phd thesis on nuclear Physics
ORGANIZATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS
Jabuary 2024 -today Local Organizing Committee of the XII European Summer School on Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics, Aci Trezza (Italy);
November 2021 - June 2022 Scientific secretary of the XI European Summer School on Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics, Catania (Italy);
June 2022 Local Organizing Committee of the XI European Summer School on Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics, Catania (Italy);
July 20121- April 2022 Convener of the working group “Nuclear astrophysics: s and r process” al Nuclear Physics Mid Term Plan in Italy- LNS section
September 2017 Local Organizing Committee of the IX European Summer School on Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics, St. Tecla (Italy);
September 2015 Local Organizing Committee of the VIII European Summer School on Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics, St. Tecla (Italy);
2104-2015 Scientific Divulgation for “Settimana della Cultura Scientifica e Tecnologica (MIUR)”, LNS-INFN, Catania;
September 2014 Scientific Divulgation for "Notte Europea dei Ricercatori” Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Catania (Italy)
September 2013 Local Organizing Committee of the VII European Summer School on Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics, St. Tecla (Italy);
2004 -2008 Scientific Divulgation for “Settimana della Cultura Scientifica e Tecnologica (MIUR)”, LNS-INFN, Catania;
September 2005 Scientific Divulgation for "La fisica su Ruote” , Laboratori nazionali del Sud, Catania (Italy)
EDITOR, REFEREE
1) April 2023 – today --Associate Editor in “FRONTIERS in Physics and Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences: sezione Nuclear Physics”
2) March 2023 - today -- Member of the editorial board of UNIVERSE, section: “High Energy Nuclear and Particle Physisc”, (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/universe/sectioneditors/high_energy_nuclear_and_particle_physics?page_no=2)
3) Febraury 2023 -- Editor for "11th European Summer School on Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics”, proceedings of the 11th European Summer School on Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics”, EpJ-Web of Conferences, Vol. 275 (2023), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202327500001
4) October 2022 -- Referee in “Chinese Physics C”;
5) March 2021 - April 2023 -- Review Editor in “FRONTIERS in Physics and Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences: section Nuclear Physics”;
6) Sept. 2017-- Editor for “The Nineth European Summer School on Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics”, proceedings of the 9th European Summer School on Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics”, EpJ-Web of Conferences, Vol. 184 (2018), ISBN: 9781510865952
7) Sept. 2015-- Referee for “The Eight European Summer School on Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics”, proceedings of the 8th European Summer School on Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics”, Journal of Physics-Conference Series, ISSN 1742-6588.
- More than 120 publications (Web of Science updated to 07/01/2020)
Selection of publications
1) Improvement of the high-accuracy 17O(p,α)14N reaction-rate measurement via the Trojan Horse method for application to 17O nucleosynthesis
M. L. Sergi, C. Spitaleri, M. La Cognata, L. Lamia, R. G. Pizzone, G. G. Rapisarda, X. D. Tang, B. Bucher, M. Couder, P. Davies, R. deBoer, X. Fang, L. Lamm, C. Ma, M. Notani, S. O'Brien, D. Roberson, W. Tan, M. Wiescher, B. Irgaziev, A. Mukhamedzhanov, J. Mrazek, and V. Kroha
PHYSICAL REVIEW C , Volume: 91 Issue: 6 Article Number: 065803 Published: JUN 30 2015
2) New high accuracy measurement of the 17O(p,alpha)14N reaction rate at astrophysical temperatures
Sergi, M.L., Spitaleri, C., La Cognata, M., Coc, A., Mukhamedzhanov, A., Burjan, S.V., Cherubini, S., Crucilla, V., Gulino, M., Hammache, F., Hons, Z., Irgaziev, B., Kiss, G.G., Kroha, V., Lamia, L., Pizzone, R.G., Puglia, S.M.R., Rapisarda, G.G., Romano, S., De Séréville, N., Somorjai, E., Tudisco, S. and Tumino, A.
PHYSICAL REVIEW C Volume: 82 Issue: 3 Article Number: 032801 Published: SEP 8 2010
3) The RGB and AGB star nucleosynthesis in light of the recent 17O(p,α)14N and the 18O(p,α)15N reaction-rate determinations
S. Palmerini, M.L. Sergi, M. La Cognata, L. Lamia, R.G. Pizzone and C. Spitaleri
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, Volume: 764 Issue: 2 Article Number: 128 Published: FEB 20 2013
4) An increase in the 12C+12C fusion rate from resonance at astrophysical energies
By: A. Tumino, C. Spitaleri, M. La Cognata, S. Cherubini, G.L. Guardo, M. Gulino, S. Hayakawa, I. Indelicato, L. Lamia, H. Petrascu, R.G. Pizzone, S.M.R. Puglia, G.G. Rapisarda, S. Romano, M.L. Sergi, R. Spartà, L. Trache
NATURE Volume: 557 Pages: 687-690 Published: MAY 31 2018
5) Validity test of the Trojan Horse Method applied to the 7Li+p->a+a reaction via the 3He break-up.
A. Tumino, C.Spitaleri, M.L. Sergi, V. Kroha, V. Burjan, S. Cherubini, Zs. Fulop, M. La Cognata, L. Lamia, A. Musumarra, J. Novak, R.G. Pizzone, S. Romano, E. Somorjai, S. Tudisco, J. Vincour.
EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL A, Volume: 27 Supplement: 1 Pages: 243-248 Published: MAR 2006
6) Assessing the near threshold cross section of the 17O(n,α)14C reaction by means of the Trojan horse method
G. L. Guardo, C. Spitaleri, L. Lamia, M. Gulino, M. La Cognata, X. Tang, R. deBoer, X. Fang, V. Goldberg, J. Mrazek, A. Mukhamedzhanov, M. Notani, R. G. Pizzone, G. G. Rapisarda, M. L. Sergi and M. Wiescher
PHYSICAL REVIEW C, Volume: 95 Issue: 2 Article Number: 025807 Published: FEB 21 2017
7) Cross-section Measurement of the Cosmologically Relevant Be-7(n, alpha)He-4 Reaction over a Broad Energy Range in a Single Experiment
L. Lamia, M. Mazzocco, R.G. Pizzone, S. Hayakawa, M. La Cognata, C. Spitaleri, C.A. Bertulani, A. Boiano, C. Boiano, C. Broggini, A. Caciolli, S. Cherubini, G. D'Agata, H. da Silva, R. Depalo, F. Galtarossa, G.L. Guardo, M. Gulino, I. Indelicato, M. La Commara, G. La Rana, R. Menegazzo, J. Mrazek, A. Pakou, C. Parascandolo, D. Piatti, D. Pierroutsakou, S.M.R. Puglia, S. Romano, G.G. Rapisarda, A.M. Sanchez-Benitez, M.L. Sergi, O. Sgouros, F. Soramel, F. V. Soukeras, R. Sparta, E. Strano, D. Torresi, A. Tumino, H. Yamaguchi, G.L. Zhang.
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, Volume: 879 Issue: 1 Published: JUL 1 2019
8) The 19F(α,p)22Ne reaction at energies of astrophysical relevance by means of the Trojan Horse Method and its implication in AGB stars
G. D’Agata, R.G. Pizzone, M. La Cognata, I. Indelicato, C. Spitaleri, S. Palmerini, O. Trippella, D. Vescovi, S. Blagus, S. Cherubini, P. Figuera, L. Grassi, G.L. Guardo, M. Gulino, S. Hayakawa, R. Kshetri, L. Lamia, M. Lattuada, T. Mijatovic, M. Milin, D. Miljanic, L. Prepolec, G.G. Rapisarda, S. Romano, M.L. Sergi, N. Skukan, N. Soic, V. Tokic, A. Tumino and M. Uroic
THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, Volume: 860 Issue 1 Published: JUN 12 2018
9) A novel approach to measure the cross section of the 18O(p,α)15N resonant reaction in the 0-200 keV energy range.
By: M. La Cognata, C. Spitaleri, A. Mukhamedzhanov, A. Banu, S. Cherubini, A. Coc, V. Crucillà, V. Goldberg, M. Gulino, B. Irgaziev, G.G. Kiss, L. Lamia, J. Mrazek, R.G. Pizzone, S.M.R. Puglia, G.G. Rapisarda, S. Romano, M.L. Sergi, G. Tabacaru, L. Trache, R.E. Tribble, W. Trzaska, A. Tumino
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, Volume: 708 Issue: 1 Pages: 796-811 Published: JAN 1 2010
10) Experimental Response Functions of a Single-Crystal Diamond Detector for 5-20.5 MeV Neutrons
M. Pillon, M. Angelone, A. Krása, A.J. Plompen, P. Schillebeeckx and M.L. Sergi
NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS AND METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH A, Volume: 640 Issue: 1 Pages: 185–191 Published: JUN 1 2011
11) Indirect measurements of n- and p- induced reactions of astrophysical interest on oxygen isotopes
M.L. Sergi, Guardo G.L., La Cognata M. et al.
FRONTIERS IN ASTRONOMY AND SPACE SCIENCES, Volume: 7, Article Number: 60, Published: Nov. 2020
Academic Year 2021/2022
- DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE
Bachelor's Degree in Civil, Environmental and Management Engineering - 1st Year
FISICA - DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL AND SURGICAL SCIENCES AND ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
Bachelor's Degree in Nursing - 1st Year
FISICA STATISTICA E INFORMATICA - canale 3
Academic Year 2020/2021
- DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE
Bachelor's Degree in Civil, Environmental and Management Engineering - 1st Year
FISICA
Academic Year 2019/2020
- DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT
Bachelor's Degree in Food Science and Technology - 1st Year
FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICS AND MACHINERY
2004 -2008 Scientific Divulgation for “Settimana della Cultura Scientifica e Tecnologica (MIUR)”, LNS-INFN, Catania;
September 2005 Scientific Divulgation for "La fisica su Ruote” , Laboratori nazionali del Sud, Catania (Italy)
April 2020 Coordination for ITALY of the ChETEC (COST ACTION) project "Calendar of Women who made nuclear astrophysics" (italian version, http://www.chetec.eu/news/calendar-of-women-scientists-who-made-nuclear-astrophysics-many-language-versions-available)