Domenico LO PRESTI

Associate Professor of Experimental physics [FIS/01]
Office: DFA 350
Email: domenico.lopresti@unict.it domenico.lopresti@ct.infn.it
Phone: 5413
Mobile: 347 4975203
domenico.lo.presti
Office Hours: Tuesday from 10:00 to 10:10 | Thursday from 16:00 to 16:10


Prof. Lo Presti has always been committed to studying and applying the most modern technologies, electronic data acquisition systems and light and particle detectors. His teaching activity regards the Elements of Electronics course in the Three-year Degree Course in Physics, the Electronics and Applications course in the Master's Degree Course, and the Physics Module of the Fundamentals of Physics and Machines course in the Three-year Degree Course in Science and Technology Food. Prof Lo Presti is actively engaged and leading research in the design and development of detectors and front-end and read-out electronics, data acquisition systems and automatic test platforms for experiments in various fields of Physics. He is the author of international patents on innovative particle detectors.

Professional Experiences: Microelectronic Design; Design and Test of Particle Detectors. Front-end and Read-out Electronics Design and Testing; Development of data acquisition and analysis systems, Development of Monte Carlo data analysis and simulation codes. Teaching in Master's Degree in Physics.

Career:

1989 - 1995 Degree in Physics, 110/110, University of Catania

1997 - 1999 Graduate scholarship, National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN)

1999 - 2001 Contract (Article 36), INFN 2001 - 2003 PhD in Physics, University of Catania

2003 - 2007 Research grant, University of Catania co-funded by INFN

5/2008 Researcher at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Catania

10/2021 Associate Professor in experimental Physics, University of Catania

Areas of interest: Particle astrophysics: Galactic neutrinos detection by submarine telescopes Cherenkov. Medical imaging: Radiography and tomography with charged particles for medical applications. Diagnostic of cyclotron or laser accelerated particles beams. Design and development of innovative particle detectors. Radiography and tomography by tracking of cosmic rays and its applications. Design and development of electronic chains associated with detectors. Design and development of systems for testing and characterization of detectors and associated electronics. Monte Carlo simulation and modeling of detectors and associated electronics.

Publications: 168 papers, peer reviewed, with 351 citations,

2 international patents.

Link to Orcid profile: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4540-2885

Link to ResearchID profile: http://www.researcherid.com/rid/G-2709-2013

Research Projects

• 2009 – INFN CSN V OFFSET (Responsabile Nazionale)

• 2011 –INFN CSN V RDH-WP5 (Responsabile Nazionale)

• 2013 – MIUR PON Università di Catania (Responsabile Elettronica)

• 2014 – Progetto premiale INFN IRPT-M5 (Responsabile Nazionale)

• 2016 – MIUR FIR (Futuro in ricerca) (Principal investigator)

• 2016 –INFN CSN III NUMEN (Responsabile Nazionale Elettronica e locale CSN III)

Teaching activity

Teaching in the Master Degree Course:

2008 - 2009 Electronics Technologies (48 h)

2009 - 2012 Electronics Laboratory (60 h)

2012 - 2013 Physics of electronic devices (48 h)

2012 - 2013 Applied Physics Electronics Laboratory (60 h)

2012 - today- Electronics and applications (42h)

2018 - today Elementi di Elettronica (42h)

2018 - oggi Fondamenti di Fisica e Macchine - Modulo di Fisica (56h)

Teaching in the PhD Program in Physics:

2014-Today "Analog and Digital Electronics for Modern Detectors"

Managing activity

Prof. Lo Presti organizes and coordinates the scientific and teaching activities of the Microelectronics Research Group of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Catania, actively participating in the design of research projects, fund management. Prof. Lo Presti has always been involved in the study and application of state-of-the-art technology and electronic instrumentation.

 

Catania, 14/02/2023

Prof. Domenico Lo Presti is author of about 300 scientific papers and 2 international patents.

A complete list can be found in the official IRIS catalogue of University of Catania: link: http://www.iris.unict.it/browse?type=author&authority=rp09672&sort_by=2&order=ASC&rpp=100&etal=0&submit_browse=Update

A selection of 15 papers representative of the whole research career of Dr. Lo Presti is listed below:

1. Multi-messenger Observations of a Binary Neutron Star Merger By: Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T. D.; et al. Group Author(s): LIGO Sci. Collaboration & Virgo; Fermi GBM; INTERGRAL; et al. ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL LETTERS   Volume: 848   Issue: 2     Article Number: L12   Published: OCT 20 2017 

2. ANTARES: The first undersea neutrino telescope By: Ageron, M.; Aguilar, J. A.; Al Samarai, I.; et al. NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION A-ACCELERATORS SPECTROMETERS DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT   Volume: 656   Issue: 1   Pages: 11-38   Published: NOV 11 2011 (Cit. 238)

3. Letter of intent for KM3NeT 2.0 By: Adrian-Martinez, S.; Ageron, M.; Aharonian, F.; et al. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS G-NUCLEAR AND PARTICLE PHYSICS   Volume: 43   Issue: 8     Article Number: 084001   Published: AUG 2016 

4. The ANTARES optical module By: Amram, P; Anghinolfi, M; Anvar, S; et al. NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION A-ACCELERATORS SPECTROMETERS DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT   Volume: 484   Issue: 1-3   Pages: 369-383   Article Number: PII S0168-9002(01)02026-5   Published: MAY 21 2002

5. The data acquisition system for the ANTARES neutrino telescope By: Aguilar, J. A.; Albert, A.; Ameli, F.; et al. NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION A-ACCELERATORS SPECTROMETERS DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT   Volume: 570   Issue: 1   Pages: 107-116   Published: JAN 1 2007

6. First results of the instrumentation line for the deep-sea ANTARES neutrino telescope By: Aguilar, J. A.; Albert, A.; Ameli, F.; et al. ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS   Volume: 26   Issue: 4-5   Pages: 314-324   Published: NOV-DEC 2006

7. Transmission of light in deep sea water at the site of the ANTARES neutrino telescope By: Aguilar, JA; Albert, A; Amram, P; et al. Group Author(s): ANTARES Collaboration ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS   Volume: 23   Issue: 1   Pages: 131-155   Published: FEB 2005

8. Search for Cosmic Neutrino Point Sources with Four Year Data of the ANTARES Telescope By: Adrian-Martinez, S.; Al Samarai, I.; Albert, A.; et al. ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL   Volume: 760   Issue: 1     Article Number: 53   Published: NOV 20 2012

9. Time calibration of the ANTARES neutrino telescope By: Aguilar, J. A.; Al Samarai, I.; Albert, A.; et al. Group Author(s): Antares Collaboration ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS   Volume: 34   Issue: 7   Pages: 539-549   Published: FEB 2011

10. Observation of a large-scale anisotropy in the arrival directions of cosmic rays above 8×1018 eV By: The Pierre Auger Collaboration, Science 22 Sep 2017: Vol. 357, Issue 6357, pp. 1266-1270 DOI: 10.1126/science.aan4338

11. The NUMEN project: NUclear Matrix Elements for Neutrinoless double beta decay By: F. Cappuzzello, C. Agodi, M. Cavallaro, D. Carbone, S. Tudisco, D. Lo Presti et al. Eur. Phys. J. A (2018) 54: 72 DOI 10.1140/epja/i2018-12509-3

12. The MEV project: Design and testing of a new high-resolution telescope for muography of Etna Volcano By: D. Lo Presti et al. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment Volume 904, 1 October 2018, Pages 195-201 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2018.07.048

13. Design and characterisation of a real time proton and carbon ion radiography system based on scintillating optical fibres By: D. Lo Presti et al. Physica Medica Volume 32, Issue 9, September 2016, Pages 1124-1134

14. Long term monitoring of the optical background in the Capo Passero deep-sea site with the NEMO tower prototype By: Adrián-Martínez, S., Aiello, S., Ameli, F. et al. Eur. Phys. J. C (2016) 76: 68. https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-016-3908-0

15. A VLSI ASIC front end for the optical module of the NEMO underwater neutrino detector By D. Lo Presti, N. Randazzo, L. Caponetto: IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science 07/2006; 53(3-53):709 -714., DOI:10.1109/TNS.2006.875048

ACADEMIC YEAR 2022/2023

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Areas of interest:

Particle astrophysics: Galactic neutrinos detection by submarine telescopes Cherenkov. Medical imaging: Radiography and tomography with charged particles for medical applications. Diagnostic of cyclotron or laser accelerated particles beams. Design and development of innovative particle detectors. Radiography and tomography by tracking of cosmic rays and its applications. Design and development of electronic chains associated with detectors. Design and development of systems for testing and characterization of detectors and associated electronics. Monte Carlo simulation and modeling of detectors and associated electronics.

CONTRIBUTION OF PROF. LO PRESTI TO RESEARCH

• ANTARES: Design and development of the test and mass characterization system for the Catania integration site of Local Control Module (LCM) and MLCM (Master Local Control Module) of the strings of the ANTARE neutrino submarine telescope. Participation in local and remote measurements. Participation as a speaker at international conferences and meetings.

• NEMO: Design and development of high-dynamic range low-power front-end electronics for the optical modules of the NEMO submarine neutrino telescope. Monte Carlo Analysis of Optical Module Response. Design and development of the accelerated aging test system for the photomultipliers of the optical modules of the NEMO telescope. Participation in the design and development of DEEP (Deep WAter Scatter Meter) scatterometer for the measurement of optical sea depth properties. Participation in deployment and testing campaigns. Participation in local and remote measurements. Participation as a speaker at international conferences and meetings.

• KM3NET: Spokesperson for the NEMO Collaboration in the kick-off phase of the KM3NET collaboration. Participation in the definition of the KM3NET neutrino telescope. Participation as a speaker at international conferences and meetings.

• PRIMA (PRoton IMAging): Design and development of YAGce calorimeter readout electronics. Participation in measurement campaigns and beam characterization and analysis of data acquired by the proton tomography system PRIMA.

• RDH / IRPT, OFFSET, PREDATE, QBERT: Design and development of innovative detectors based on scintillating fibers (Patent) for on-line monitoring and qualification of particle beam in hadrontherapy. Participation as a speaker at international conferences and meetings.

• MUON Portal: Design and development of the front-end and read-out electronics for a scanning portal of containers by cosmic ray tracking. Participation in the definition and implementation of scintillating modules. Implementation of the online data acquisition and analysis system.

• NUMEN: Design and development of the Front End and Read-Out Electronic as the national responsible for the upgrade of the MAGNEX Detector, as well as the new Detector's slow control and house-keeping system. Participation in the design of the new segmented gas detector and the Particle Identification System. Participation as a speaker at international conferences and meetings.

• AUGER PRIME: Design and development of the characterization and mass test facility for the photomultipliers of the upgrade of the AUGER array. Design and development of the front-end and read-out electronics as well as data acquisition and analysis software. Participation as a speaker at international conferences and meetings.

• MUOGRAPHY OF ETNA VOLCANO: Proponent and leader of a collaboration between the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology aimed at the realization of an innovative telescope for the real-time acquisition of a radiograph by tracing high-definition cosmic rays of the Etna volcano. Member, as Principal Investigator of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, of the European Muography Network. 

Dr. Lo Presti is PI of a project aimed at the the realization of the muography of volcanoes. This research activity is perromed within an international collaboration  with 'Univesity of Tokyo (Japan), WIGNER research centre for physics (Ungary) and University ofAtacama (Chile).

In the last 10 years dr. Lo Presti was the principal investigator of different INFN projects aimed at the development of innovative particle detectors for the beam monitoring in Hadrontherapy. In the context of these research activities an international patent was registered and many activities regarding technology transfer were conduced.

Dr. Lo Presti is member of the advisory board of the Department of Physics and Astronomy " Ettore Majorana" from 2019.