Maria Letizia PUMO

Maria Letizia Piera PUMO graduated in Physics with full marks and honours from the University of Catania in 2003 and was awarded a PhD in Physics with honours from the same University in 2007. She has carried out her research activities at several institutions in Italy and abroad, including the Istitut d'Astronomie et d'Astrophysique dell'Université Libre de Bruxelles (IAA-ULB), the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), and the University of Padua. Since 2018, she has worked at the University of Catania in the Department of Physics and Astronomy “Ettore Majorana”, where she is currently an Associate Professor in the Academic Recruitment Field 02/C1, now included in Scientific Disciplinary Group 02/PHYS-05 “Astrophysics and Cosmology, Space, Earth and Climate Physics” and in Scientific Disciplinary Sector PHYS-05/A “Astrophysics, Cosmology and Space Science” (formerly FIS/05, Astronomy and Astrophysics). Since 2022, she has held the Italian National Scientific Qualification for the position of Full Professor in Academic Recruitment Field 02/C1.

Her research interests range from stellar evolution and the associated nucleosynthesis processes to computational astrophysics and multimessenger astronomy. In particular, since 2008, her research has focused on core-collapse supernovae.

She has also carried out (and/or continues to carry out) teaching activities at the University of Catania within the Department of Physics and Astronomy “Ettore Majorana”, the Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, and the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering. She has been (and is currently) supervisor/co-supervisor of several research theses and has served as a tutor for students enrolled in the PhD Programme in Physics. Since 2019, she has also been a member of the Academic Board of the PhD Programme in Physics and, since 2023, has served as the designated faculty advisor for PhD students in the "Astrophysics" curriculum.

She has authored more than 100 scientific publications, 25 of which are first-author and/or invited papers, with more than 8,900 citations to date (h-index = 34, g-index = 85, m-index = 1.6; source: SAO/NASA ADS). She has personally presented approximately 50 scientific contributions at national and international conferences and scientific meetings, including several invited talks.

She has participated (and/or continues to participate) in numerous national and international research projects. These include the PNRR-CN HPC project, for which she has served as Principal Investigator and University of Catania representative for activities related to the University’s participation as an affiliate of Spoke 3 “Astrophysics and Cosmos Observations”; the PESSTO, ePESSTO and ePESSTO+ projects of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), which include the participation of 2011 Nobel Laureate in Physics B. P. Schmidt; and the international ICARUS collaboration led by 1984 Nobel Laureate in Physics C. Rubbia.

She has received several national and international awards and distinctions for her scientific activity, including the “Pietro Tacchini” Prize in 2007, the international “Padova Città delle Stelle” Prize in 2008, the “XXXII Concorso” of the Bonino-Pulejo Foundation in 2010, the international “Young BPW Europe” Award in 2011, and the “Aquila d’Argento” Award in 2012. She has been recognised as a “Top Italian Scientist in Astrophysics” since 2022.

P.S. last update: October 2026

Author/co-author of over 100 scientific publications (a complete list of publications by Dr. Pumo can be found in the official IRIS catalogue of University of Catania and at the link http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/abs_connect?author=Pumo,+M.L.&nr_to_return=9999 or https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/search/q=*%3A*%20author%3A%22Pumo%2Cm.l.%22&sort=date%20desc%2C%20bibcode%20desc&p_=0).

Some of the most recent and representative publications by Dr. Pumo are listed below:

- Grassia, M., Cosentino, S.P., Mangioni, G, Pumo, M.L. (2026).Unveiling core-collapse supernova progenitors: characterization and physical insights through explainable artificial intelligence. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, vol. 16, Article number 32393, doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-60907-x;

- Cosentino, S.P., Inserra, C., Pumo, M.L. (2026). Physical properties of long-rising type II supernovae: Bayesian analytic modeling and spectrophotometric correlations.  ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, vol. 707, id.A324, 18 pp,   ISSN: 0004-6361, doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202557860;

- Cosentino, S.P., Pumo, M.L., Cherubini, S., (2025). High-energy neutrinos by hydrogen-rich supernovae interacting with low-massive circumstellar medium: the case of SN 2023ixf. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, vol. 540, p. 2894-2913, ISSN: 0035-8711, doi:10.1093/mnras/staf861;

- Cosentino, S.P., Pumo, M.L., Cherubini, S., (2025). High-energy neutrinos by hydrogen-rich supernovae interacting with low-massive circumstellar medium: the case of SN 2023ixf. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, vol. 540, p. 2894-2913, ISSN: 0035-8711, doi:10.1093/mnras/staf861;

- Pumo, M.L., Cosentino, S.P., (2025). Long-rising Type II supernovae resembling supernova 1987A - II. A new analytical model to describe these events. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, vol. 538, p. 223-242, ISSN: 0035-8711, doi:10.1093/mnras/stad288;

- Pumo, M.L., Cosentino, S.P., Pastorello, A., et al. (2023). Long-rising Type II supernovae resembling supernova 1987A - I. A comparative study through scaling relations. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, vol. 521, p. 4801-4818, ISSN: 0035-8711, doi:10.1093/mnras/stad861;

- Valerin, G., Pumo, M.L., Pastorello, A., et al. (2022). Low luminosity Type II supernovae - IV. SN 2020cxd and SN 2021aai, at the edges of the sub-luminous supernovae class. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, vol. 513, p. 4983-4999, ISSN: 0035-8711, doi:10.1093/mnras/stac1182;

- Reguitti, A., Pumo, M.L., Mazzali, P.A., et al. (2021). Low luminosity Type II supernovae - III. SN 2018hwm, a faint event with an unusually long plateau. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY,  vol. 501, p. 1059-1071, ISSN: 0035-8711, doi:10.1093/mnras/staa3730;

-  Tomasella, L., Cappellaro, E., Pumo, M.L., et al. (2018). SNe 2013K and 2013am: Observed and physical properties of two slow, normal Type IIP events. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, vol. 475, p. 1937-1959, ISSN: 0035-8711, doi: 10.1093/mnras/stx3220;

- Smartt, S. J., Chen, T. -W., Jerkstrand, A., [...], Pumo, M.L., et al. (2017). A kilonova as the electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational-wave source. NATURE, vol. 551, p. 75-79, ISSN: 0028-0836, doi: 10.1038/nature24303;

- Terreran, G., Pumo, M.L., Chen, T. -W., et al. (2017). Hydrogen-rich supernovae beyond the neutrino-driven core-collapse paradigm. NATURE ASTRONOMY, vol. 1, p. 713-720, ISSN: 2397-3366, doi: 10.1038/s41550-017-0228-8;

- Pumo M.L., Zampieri L, Spiro S, et al. (2017). Radiation-hydrodynamical modelling of underluminous Type II plateau supernovae. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, vol. 464, p. 3013-3020, ISSN: 0035-8711, doi: 10.1093/mnras/stw2625;

- Orlando S., Miceli M., Pumo M.L., Bocchino F. (2016). Modeling SNR Cassiopeia A from the Supernova Explosion to its Current Age: The role of post-explosion anisotropies of ejecta. THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, vol. 822, ISSN: 0004-637X, doi: 10.3847/0004-637X/822/1/22;

- Takats K., Pignata G., Pumo M.L., et al. (2015). SN 2009ib: A Type II-P Supernova with an Unusually Long Plateau. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, vol. 450, ISSN: 0035-8711, doi: 10.1093/mnras/stv857;

- Orlando S., Miceli M., Pumo M.L., Bocchino F. (2015). Supernova 1987A: a Template to Link Supernovae to Their Remnants. THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, vol. 810, ISSN: 0004-637X, doi: 10.1088/0004-637X/810/2/168;

- Takats K., Pumo M.L., Elias-Rosa N., et al.  (2014). SN 2009N: Linking normal and subluminous type II-P SNe. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, vol. 438, ISSN: 1365-2966, doi: 10.1093/mnras/stt2203;

- Dall'Ora M., Botticella M. T., Pumo M.L., et al. (2014). The Type IIP Supernova 2012aw in M95: hydrodynamical modelling of the photospheric phase from accurate spectrophotometric monitoring. THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, vol. 787, ISSN: 0004-637X, doi: 10.1088/0004-637X/787/2/139;

- Spiro S., Pastorello A., Pumo M.L., et al. (2014). Underluminous Type II Plateau Supernovae: II. Pointing towards moderate mass precursors. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, vol. 439, p. 2873-2892, ISSN: 1365-2966, doi: 10.1093/mnras/stu156;

- Pumo M.L., Zampieri L (2013). Calibration relations for Core-Collapse Supernovae. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, vol. 434, ISSN: 1365-2966, doi: 10.1093/mnras/stt1256;

-  Pastorello A, Pumo M.L., Navasardyan H, et al.  (2012). SN 2009E: a faint clone of SN 1987A. ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, vol. 537, ISSN: 0004-6361, doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/201118112;

-  Pumo M.L., Zampieri L. (2011). Radiation-hydrodynamical Modeling of Core-collapse Supernovae: Light Curves and the Evolution of Photospheric Velocity and Temperature. THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, vol. 741, ISSN: 0004-637X, doi: 10.1088/0004-637X/741/1/41;

- Pumo M.L., Contino G, Bonanno A, Zappalà R.A (2010). Convective overshooting and production of s-nuclei in massive stars during their core He-burning phase,. ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, vol. 524, ISSN: 0004-6361, doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/201015518;

- Pumo M.L., Turatto M, Botticella M. T, et al. (2009). EC-SNe from Super-Asymptotic Giant Branch Progenitors: Theoretical Models Versus Observations. THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, vol. 705, p. L138-L142, ISSN: 0004-637X, doi: 10.1088/0004-637X/705/2/L138;

- Pumo M.L., D'Antona F, Ventura P (2008). Self-Enrichment in Globular Clusters: Is There a Role for the Super-Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars?. THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, vol. 672, p. L25-L28, ISSN: 0004-637X.

• supernova events, with emphasis on core-collapse events

• stellar evolution and correlated nucleosynthesis, with emphasis on Super-AGB and massive stars

• nuclear astrophysics, with emphasis on nucleosynthesis processes of trans-iron nuclei

• computational astrophysics, with emphasis on numerical modelling of astrophysical phenomena using also high performance computing and artificial intelligence methods

• neutrino astronomy, with emphasis on high-energy neutrinos from interacting Supernovae

• multimessenger astronomy, with emphasis on signals received from “stellar-origin” sources

• speaker at and/or member of the organizing committee of national and international congresses

• pricipal investigator and/or co-investigator of national and international research projects

• dissemination activities