Domenico LO PRESTI

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)

• 2020 – Linea 2  - PIACERI - NEXT-MEV (Principal investigator)
• 2021– Progetto PO-FESR 3DLAB-SICILIA - use case MONRAD (Responsabile)

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, 30/10/2023

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.

• APPLICATIONS OF MUON TRACKING

Muography of the North-East Crater of the ETNA volcano: Proponent and leader of a collaboration between the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology aimed at the creation of an innovative telescope for the real-time acquisition of an x-ray by tracking High definition cosmic rays of Etna volcano. Member, as principal investigator of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, of the European Muography Network.

Muography of the Manfredonico Castle of Mussoneli (CL): Responsible for the MONRAD use case of the 3DLAB-Sicilia project. The objective of the research was the Mioni tracing x-ray of the rock promontory on which the medieval Manfredonico castle was built in search of cavities or water infiltrations.

Building stability monitoring using muon tracking. Responsible for the MONRAD use case of the 3DLAB-Sicilia project. The objective of the research was to develop a proactive monitoring system for the stability of historic buildings using an innovative muon tracking system. A non-invasive technique capable of locating the critical points of a structure over time with millimetric resolution. It was applied to the Church of S. Maria la Vetere in Militello (CT).

Prof. 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.

Prof. Lo Presti is always involved in dissemination and promotion activities among the scientific community and citizens.