Luciano Rezzolla is an Italian theoretical astrophysicist. His main research topics are black holes and neutron stars, which he studies both analytically and with advanced numerical simulations. He has written more than 300 articles, a well-known textbook and a public-outreach book. He has received numerous prizes including the Karl Schwarzschild Prize, the Frankfurt Physics Prize, the Golden Seal of the University of Bari, the 2020 Breakthrough Prize for Fundamental Physics, the Einstein Medal, the Bruno Rossi Prize (with the EHT) and the PRACE HPC Excellence Award. He is presently the Andrews Professor in Astronomy at Trinity College, Dublin and the Claus Wilhelm Fueck Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics. He was awarded an ERC Synergy Grant (2014) and an ERC Advanced Grant (2021).
A brief overview of merging binary neutron stars
I will discuss how neutron-star binaries represent fantastic tools to explore fundamental aspects of gravitational and particle physics. In particular, I will provide a few examples of the ways in which neutron stars can be used to explore fundamental physics, ranging from their spectral properties, the possibility of phase transition to quark matter, and the amplification of super-strong magnetic fields.
Professor in Nuclear Physics at University of Trieste since 2024.
Research Interests: Silicon sensors, microelectronics, radiation-hard CMOS technologies.
Solid-state detectors for experimental physics
The talk will introduce the role of solid-state detectors in High-Energy Physics (HEP) experiments and neighbouring scientific fields. The key components and technological challenges involved in developing silicon detectors for such applications will be discussed, with focus on the tracking detectors used in HEP experiments. Examples will include innovative developments for next-generation, high-precision experiments—such as the ALICE upgrades and the ePIC detector. Finally, the talk will present the advanced facilities being established at the Department of Physics of the University of Trieste, part of the Department of Excellence initiative, which aim to enhance interdisciplinary detector development, and support advanced teaching in the field of instrumentation in the various curricula of the Master's Degree in Physics.
Professor in Theoretical Physics at University of Trieste since 2024.
Research Interests: Nonequilibrium Statistical Mechanics, Quantum Statistical Mechanics, Stochastic and Quantum Thermodynamics.
Second law of thermodynamics and Fluctuation Theorems
In microscopic systems in contact with external baths the size of the thermal fluctuations can be as large as the average system energy. Thus, as an example, microscopic engines are not simple rescaled versions of their macroscopic counterparts, and a statistical thermodynamic description is needed, if one wants to characterize properly the relevant thermodynamical quantities.
In this respect stochastic thermodynamics provides a framework for extending the notions of classical thermodynamic quantities such as work, heat and entropy to the level of individual trajectories for microscopic systems both at equilibrium and out-of-equilibrium.
In this framework work, heat and entropy become fluctuating quantities, and the fluctuation theorems describe the constraints on such fluctuations, extending the second law of thermodynamics to microscopic out-of-equilibrium systems.
In my lecture I will review the recent extension of the second law to the microscopic realm and discuss a few examples of microscopic out-of-equilibrium systems.
Matteo Marinelli received his Ph.D. in 2020 from ETH Zurich, where he conducted quantum information experiments with trapped ions. From 2020 to 2022, he served as the trapped-ion experimental lead scientist at the ETH-PSI Quantum Computing Hub, where he led the design and construction of the Hub's first experimental setup. He then joined JILA as a postdoctoral fellow, working on neutral atoms trapped in optical tweezers within a cryogenic environment. In October 2024, he joined the University of Trieste as a tenure-track professor, where he is now building a novel experimental platform to address the scalability challenges of neutral-atom quantum computing.
Quantum computing with atoms
Quantum computers hold the promise of solving problems that are intractable with classical resources, and atoms—nature's ideal qubits—are at the forefront of this revolution.
In this talk, we will explore how individual atoms can be isolated, manipulated, and entangled to perform quantum computations. I will introduce the main experimental platforms based on neutral atoms and trapped ions, highlighting the physics that enables precise qubit control, logic operations, and scalability. We'll also take a look inside the lab: what does a quantum computer built from atoms actually look like? From optical tweezers and ultra-high vacuum chambers to laser systems and control electronics, I'll guide you through the key components and challenges of this cutting-edge technology. Finally, we will discuss the future directions and open questions on the path toward building large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum machines.
Angelo Bassi received his PhD in Physics in 2001 from the University of Trieste. Subsequently he was Post-Doctoral Fellow and Visiting Scientist at the ICTP of Trieste, and Marie-Curie Fellow at the Ludwig-Maximillian University of Munich. He is now full professor at the Physics Department of the University of Trieste. His research concerns the foundations of quantum mechanics. He is the author of over 150 publications, invited speaker at over 70 international conferences, organizer of 30 conferences. He has been invited to present his research in the most important institutes worldwide (including MIT, Harvard, Columbia University, NYU, Princeton). He is the winner and coordinator of numerous national and international research projects, raising over 7 M€. He was interviewed by New York Time Magazine with a dedicated profile (June 2020), and by several other international scientific magazines. He is collaborator of La Repubblica, for which he writes about Quantum Physics and Quantum Technologies.
100 Years of Quantum Mechanics: A History of Understanding What Cannot Be Seen
This talk traces the extraordinary journey of quantum mechanics over the past century, from the earliest atomic models to the profound conceptual revolutions that reshaped our understanding of reality. Beginning with Dalton's atomic hypothesis and culminating in Schrödinger's wave mechanics, the presentation highlights the progressive realization that matter exhibits both particle and wave-like behaviors. It then explores the deep philosophical and physical implications of quantum theory, focusing on the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox and Bell's theorem, culminating in the experimental confirmation of quantum nonlocality. The final part of the talk addresses modern quantum technologies—including quantum computing, communication, and sensing—emphasizing how the fragility of quantum states is being harnessed for transformative technological applications. As we celebrate the International Year of Quantum in 2025, this retrospective not only honors a century of discovery but also looks ahead to a quantum-enabled future.
Lorenzo Carta is a PhD student in Applied Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Trieste. He has a background in Philosophy and a postgraduate degree in Science Communication from SISSA. His research focuses on AI technologies through the lens of Science and Technology Studies (STS) and the governance of emerging technologies. He collaborates with SISSA Medialab and the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival on science communication initiatives. He has developed a discussion game on open access publishing for SISSA Medialab.
Emanuele Panizon is a permanent AI researcher at the Laboratory of Data Engineering at the AREA Science Park, Trieste. His scientific career began in computational condensed matter physics, studying the structural properties of nanoalloys under both equilibrium and non-equilibrium conditions.
After earning his Ph.D. in Genoa, he became a postdoctoral fellow, first at SISSA (Trieste) and then at the University of Konstanz. There, he gradually transitioned from solid-state physics to delve into the complexity of biological systems, which led him to a postdoctoral position in the Life Science Group at ICTP in Trieste. At ICTP, his work focuses on Machine Learning in general and Reinforcement Learning in particular. He is fascinated by the new research directions that combine Reinforcement Learning with the capabilities of Large Language Models.
Director of INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste
>35 years of experience in space science and extragalactic astrophysics. Scientific coordinator of several space projects including the HERMES - Pathfinder project. Many active collaborations with ASI, ESA, NASA. Co-author of >400 scientific publications. I write about science on my blog www.lascienzainutile.it. I have prepared many outreach presentations, which I have given on >100 occasions.
Daniele Tavagnacco is a data scientist researcher at the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) - Trieste Astronomical Observatory, specialized in the collection, processing, and analysis of data from space missions. He worked for the Planck ESA mission Science Ground Segment (SGS) developing data processing and quality control software, and he is currently leading the software integration team for the spectroscopic data analysis pipeline in the ongoing ESA Euclid mission. His expertise in end-to-end data solutions from raw telemetry to science-ready products, ranges from data engineering, processing and calibration of cosmic datasets, to the creation of scalable workflows for managing large volumes of data from space-based observations.
Technology and instruments projects at INAF - Trieste Astronomical Observatory
Observational astronomy is constantly evolving, requiring the creation of increasingly sophisticated and cutting-edge hardware and software tools. Technology must cope with the increasingly pressing and detailed demands posed by the analysis of results obtained with previous-generation instruments. At INAF, technological research is intrinsically multidisciplinary and diversified, ranging from the continuous development of innovative technologies and materials, to the creation of complex numerical simulations and software for data analysis and instrumentation control, to the management and preservation of its data and services, according to the Open Science and FAIR-ness scenarios.
Research Interests: Astrobiology and Planetary habitability; Chemical evolution of galaxies; Radiative transfer through dust.
Stars, Elements, and Planets: The Archaeology of Our Galaxy
Stellar generations continuously recycle baryonic matter in galaxies, forging all elements heavier than helium. This process enriches the gas and dust from which planets, and ultimately, life may emerge. Characterizing stellar properties and tracing the chemical evolution of the Milky Way shows how stellar physics, galactic archaeology, and the study of habitable worlds are closely connected.
Francesco Camilli is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP). He earned a joint PhD in Mathematics from the University of Bologna and in Physics from the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, under the supervision of Pierluigi Contucci and Marc Mézard. He was awarded the INdAM-UMI-SIMAI national prize for the best thesis in Applied Mathematics defended in an Italian institution. Prior to joining ICTP, he was a pre-doctoral visiting scientist at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria.
His research interests range from statistical mechanics of disordered systems, to learning theory, high-dimensional probability, and statistical inference. Camilli is also strongly committed to teaching and science communication. Together with P. Contucci, he co-authored the textbook Lezioni di Meccanica Elementare, e oltre, which is used in undergraduate courses in Mathematical Physics.
The Phases of Nature: Emergence and Universality
“More is different,” as P. W. Anderson famously remarked. The collective behavior of many elementary objects, whether particles, atoms, molecules, people, or even bits of information, can be profoundly different from the behavior of each one in isolation. These emergent properties manifest themselves in the physical world through phase transitions separating two or more phases. In some phases, the elementary components act independently without producing a macroscopic change; in others, they cooperate to generate new, collective behavior. A familiar example is the transition of water into ice as the temperature drops: below freezing, water molecules align to form a crystalline structure. This paradigm extends far beyond traditional physical systems. Comparable mechanisms underlie a wide range of phenomena in physics, information science, and even social dynamics. Phase transitions arise as a natural consequence of the interaction among large numbers of components, where the specific details of each element often become irrelevant. Phase transitions thus illustrate how the richness of nature emerges from cooperation at scale, demonstrating that the whole can indeed be more than the sum of its parts.
Pierluigi Masai is currently a PhD student in Applied Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Trieste. His research investigates the ethics and governance of AI. His approach is rooted in Science and Technology Studies (STS). His work is informed by a mixed background. In 2018 he earned a Master's Degree in Physics at the University of Trieste. From 2018 to 2020 he studied Filmmaking at an academy in Bologna and in the Summer of 2019 he attended a Master in Filmmaking at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television in Los Angeles. In 2023 he earned a Postgraduate Degree in Science Communication at the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) in Trieste. In 2023 he spent an internship at RAI FVG working on radio programs. His interests range from the philosophy and history of science to communication processes and media studies. He worked for Zanichelli and Mondadori, two Italian publishing companies, reviewing Mathematics and Physics textbooks. He has been moderator for many public talks about science and currently collaborates with the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival.
The Link Between Research and Innovation: A Lesson From the History of Physics
Dott. Pierluigi Masai will talk about his own educational journey and the testimonies of the people he has met, using them as a starting point to briefly illustrate the richness of the Trieste ecosystem, outlining its historical development. The talk aims to encourage critical reflection on the dynamics of the research world, highlighting the importance of recognizing the structural elements that shape, constrain, and enable it. By acknowledging the role of science in society, the session seeks to spark interest in the foundations and ethics of research. In particular, it will emphasize the importance of studying the history of research and the need to deconstruct its myths.
