Monica Pozzo
Professore/ssa Associato/aBiografia
I am a Physicist with a background in theoretical Plasma Physics, observational/theoretical Astrophysics (star formation; supernovae), and Condensed Matter Physics (catalysis, hydrogen storage, graphene, terrestrial planetary cores). My current research interests focus on materials modelling using first-principles calculations performed with the formulation of Quantum Mechanics known as Density Functional Theory (DFT), using high performance computing. One of my research interests focuses on material design applied to graphene and hydrogen storage by combining DFT calculations and experimental techniques in collaboration with experimental groups. Among the various results published on these topics I note the discovery of the formation and growth of graphene via carbon nano-domes on an iridium substrate. I am also interested in the investigation of the properties of (terrestrial) planetary cores, with particular focus on the Earth’s core. I have calculated, using first principles computational methods, transport properties such as its thermal and electrical conductivities, ionic diffusion, viscosity. I have also been interested in chemical interactions of different alloy mixtures with mantle minerals at the extreme pressure and temperature conditions experienced by our planet during its geological history. An important finding of this research was the reopening of the debate on the thermal budget within the Earth and the generation of the magnetic field by producing the first direct calculations of the thermal and electrical conductivities of the core, which turned out to be much higher than previous estimates. These showed that, throughout the Earth’s history, it is very difficult to generate and sustain the magnetic field using thermal convection in the core, and additional possible mechanisms for the working of the geodynamo are currently being investigated.
Facoltà
Materia d'insegnamento
Fisica della Materia
Dipartimento
Docente di riferimento
Point of contact of the department for the research area “Simulation and modelling of complex systems”; Point of contact of the department for internationalization/Erasmus
Modalità di prenotazione degli uffici
Convegni Scientifici
53. M. Pozzo, D. Alfè , A systematic DFT investigation of 3d, 4d and 5d TM-doped Mg(0001) surfaces for hydrogen storage materials, communication to be presented to Pacifichem 2025, The International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies 2025, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, 15-20 December 2025.
52. Dario Alfè, Monica Pozzo, Alfred Wilson, Andrew Walker, Chris Davies, The inner core nucleation paradox, communication presented to Convegno: Quantum Mechanics applied to Earth Sciences, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Rome, Italy, 26-27 March 2025.
51. Wilson, M. Pozzo, D. Alfè, A.M. Walker, A. Pommier, S. Greenwood, and C. Davies, Thermochemical evolution of Earth's core. The effect of light element flux across the core-mantle boundary on the geodynamo, communication presented to AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, USA, 11-15 December 2023.
50. Wilson, A. Walker, D. Alfè, M. Pozzo and C. Davies, Can we solve the inner core nucleation paradox?, communication presented to AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, USA, 11-15 December 2023.
49. M. Pozzo, D. Alfè and C.J. Davies, Earth's core thermal conductivity: reconciling experimental and computational determinations, communication presented to AGU Fall Meeting, Chicago, USA, 12-16 December 2022.
48. A.J. Wilson, M. Pozzo, D. Alfè, A.M. Walker, S. Greenwood, A. Pommier and C.J. Davies, Exploring the Solubility of SiO2 in Earth's Liquid Core, communication presented at the AGU Fall Meeting, New Orleans, USA, 13-17 December 2021.
47. M.Pozzo, Materials modelling with HPC, invited keynote talk, Symposium on ``Computational sciences for the 21st Century'', University College London, London, U.K., 20 June 2019.
46. M. Pozzo, A window into the Earth's deep interior, invited talk to the evening seminar series of Birkbeck Society of Geological and Planetary Science, Birkbeck, University of London, London, U.K., 23 March 2018.
45. Monica Pozzo and Dario Alfè, Electrical resistivity saturation of solid iron at Earth's core conditions from density functional theory, communication presented to ``SEDI 2016'', Study of Earth's Deep Interior, AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, USA, 12-16 December 2016.
44. Dario Alfè and Monica Pozzo, Earth's Core-Mantle equilibrium and a heat sink at the Core Mantle Boundary, communication presented to ``SEDI 2016'', Study of Earth's Deep Interior, AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, USA, 12-16 December 2016.
43. D. Curcio, L. Omiciuolo, M. Pozzo, P. Lacovig, S. Lizzit, N. Jabeen, L. Petaccia,D. Alfè, A. Baraldi, Molecular lifting, twisting, and curling during metal-assisted polycyclic hydrocarbon dehydrogenation, communication presented to the APS March Meeting 2016, Baltimore, Maryland, 14-18 March 2016.
42. M. Pozzo, Transport properties of iron and iron mixtures at Earth's core conditions, invited talk to the afternoon seminar series, Bayerisches Geoinstitut, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany, 22 October 2015.
41. E. Miniussi, D. Alfè, M. Pozzo, S. Günther, P. Lacovig, S. Lizzit, R. Larciprete, B. S. Burgos, T. O. Mente\c{s}, A. Locatelli, A. Baraldi, Fine tuning of graphene-metal adhesion by surface alloying, communication presented to the 2nd joint AIC-SILS conference, Florence, 15-18 September 2014.
40. Monica Pozzo, Christopher Davies, David Gubbins and Dario Alfè, Thermal and electrical conductivity of solid iron and iron-silicon mixtures at Earth's core conditions, communication presented to ``SEDI 2013'', Study of Earth's Deep Interior, AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, USA, 9-13 December 2013.
39. Monica Pozzo, Chris Davies, David Gubbins and Dario Alfè, Transport properties of the Earth's core from first principles, invited talk as critical participant to the ``Workshop on transport properties in the Earth's core'', Kawaguchiko Lake, Japan, 15-18 October 2013.
38. Monica Pozzo, Chris Davies, David Gubbins and Dario Alfè, Thermal, electrical conductivity and transport properties of the Earth's core, communication presented to the Gordon Research Conference ``Interior of the Earth'', Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts, USA, 2-7 June 2013.
37. E. Miniussi, D. Alfè, M. Pozzo, S. Günther, P. Lacovig, S. Lizzit, R. Larciprete, B. S. Burgos, T. O. Menteş, A. Locatelli, A. Baraldi, Fine tuning of graphene-metal adhesion by surface alloying, communication presented to the ImagineNano 2013 conference, Bilbao, Spain, 23-26 April, 2013.
36. Monica Pozzo, Chris Davies, David Gubbins and Dario Alfè, Thermal and electrical conductivity of the Earth's core, communication presented to the TYC International Advisory Board, King's College London, 18th April 2013.
35. Monica Pozzo, Chris Davies, David Gubbins and Dario Alfè, Thermal and electrical conductivity of iron and iron alloys at Earth's core conditions, communication presented to the 16th International Workshop on Computational Physics and Material Science: Total Energy and Force Methods, ICTP, Trieste, Italy, 10-12 January 2013.
34. Dario Alfè, Monica Pozzo, Christopher Davies, and David Gubbins, Thermal and electrical conductivity of the Earth's outer core, communication presented to ''SEDI 2012'', Study of Earth's Deep Interior, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK, 1-6 July 2012.
33. S. Lizzit, P. Lacovig, G. Zampieri, L. Petaccia, R. Larciprete, E. D. L. Rienks, G. Bihlmayer, M. Pozzo, D. Alfè, A. Baraldi, Ph. Hofmann, Graphene on metal surfaces: growth and electronic properties by core level photoemission, communication presented to ''GraphITA'' conference, Gran Sasso National Laboratories, Assergi-L'Aquila, Italy, 15-18 May 2011.
32. P. Lacovig, M. Pozzo, D. Alfè, P. Vilmercati, A. Baraldi, S. Lizzit, Carbon nano-domes on Ir(111) as intermediate between carbidic clusters and quasi-free-standing graphene, communication presented to the 6th European Topical Conference on hard coatings, Salamanca, Spain, 20-24 September 2010.
31. P. Lacovig, M. Pozzo, D. Alfè, P. Vilmercati, A. Baraldi, and S. Lizzit, Graphene Growth on Ir(111): A Fast XPS Study, communication presented to the CINF-DTU Summer School on Reactivity of nanoparticles for more efficient and sustainable energy production, Sandbjerg Gods, Denmark, 22-27 August 2009.
30. M. Pozzo, Type II SNe and dust, invited talk to the Dark Dust Day meeting, DARK Cosmology centre at the Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark, 14 March 2006.
29. M. Pozzo, SN 2002hh: the dust obscured twin of SN 1987A, invited talk to the afternoon seminar series, Imperial College London, 19 October 2005.
28. R.D. Oudmaijer, D. Baines, J.M. Porter, M. Pozzo, Spectro-astrometry of Herbig Ae/Be stars, communication presented to ``Stars with the B[e] phenomenon'', Island of Vlieland, The Netherlands, 1-16 July 2005.
27. M. Pozzo, W.P.S. Meikle, A. Fassia, T. Geballe, P. Lundqvist, N.N. Chugai, J. Sollerman, Dust signatures from late-time infrared and optical observations of SN 1998S, communication presented to ``1604 -2004: Supernovae as Cosmological Lighthouses'', Padua, Italy, 16-19 June 2004.
26. M. Pozzo, R.D. Jeffries, T. Naylor, Interpreting the low-mass PMS stars in Cep OB3b, communication presented to the 198th AAS Meeting, Pasadena, California, USA, June 3-7, 2001.
25. M. Pozzo, R.D. Jeffries, T. Naylor, Is there an age spread in Cep OB3b?, communication presented to NAM2001, Cambridge, UK, April 2-6, 2001.
24. R.D. Jeffries, M. Pozzo, T. Naylor, S. Harmer, F.M. Walter, X-ray Emission from a Low-Mass Association around Gamma Velorum, communication presented to ``X-ray Astronomy 2000'', Mondello, Sicily, Italy, September 4-9, 2000.
23. M. Pozzo, R.D. Jeffries, T. Naylor, E.J. Totten, S. Harmer, M. Kenyon, The discovery of a low mass, pre-main sequence stellar association around Gamma 2 Velorum, communication presented to the 3rd Three-Island Euroconference on clusters and associations: ``From Darkness to Light: Origin and Evolution of Young Stellar Clusters'', Cargese, Corsica, France, April 2-8, 2000.
22. T. Naylor, M. Pozzo and R.D. Jeffries, The age spread of Cepheus OB3b, communication presented to the 3rd Three-Island Euroconference on clusters and associations: ``From Darkness to Light: Origin and Evolution of Young Stellar Clusters'', Cargese, Corsica, France, April 2-8, 2000.
21. M. Pozzo, A. Beklemishev and M. Tessarotto, Relativistic gyrodynamics in the presence of strong gravitational fields, communication presented to the APS "1999 Centennial Meeting", Atlanta, Georgia, USA, March 20-26, 1999.
20. M. Tessarotto, P. Nicolini, L. Faoro and M. Pozzo, Propagation of perturbations in relativistic kinetic theory, communication presented to the XXth Iupap International Conference on Statistical Physics, Paris, France, July 20-24, 1998.
19. M. Pozzo, M. Tessarotto, R. Zorat and R.B. White, Variational approach to non-Hamiltonian particle gyrokinetic theory, communication presented to the 39th APS-Annual Meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics, Pittsburgh (PA), USA, November 17-21, 1997.
18. Monica Pozzo and Massimo Tessarotto, Analisi delle teorie girocinetiche relativistiche, communication presented to the LXXXIII Congresso Nazionale Società Italiana di Fisica, Como, Italy, October 27-31, 1997.
17. M. Pozzo, M. Tessarotto, and R. Zorat, Direct perturbative gyrokinetic approach for non Hamiltonian systems, communication presented to the 7th European Fusion Theory Conference, Juelich, Germany, October 8-10, 1997.
16. M. Tessarotto, M. Pozzo, R.B. White and R. Zorat, New approach to non-Hamiltonian particle gyrokinetic theory, communication presented to the International Sherwood Fusion Theory Conference, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, April 28-30, 1997.
15. M. Pozzo and M. Tessarotto, Theoretical features of relativistic particle gyrokinetic dynamics, communication presented to the International Sherwood Fusion Theory Conference, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, April 28-30, 1997.
14. M. Tessarotto and M. Pozzo, Green function method in weak turbulence theory for toroidal plasmas, communication presented to the 38th APS-Annual Meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics, Denver, Colorado, USA, November 11-15, 1996.
13. M. Pozzo and M. Tessarotto, Covariant relativistic gyrokinetic dynamics of magnetoplasmas, communication presented to the 38th APS-Annual Meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics, Denver, Colorado, USA, November 11-15, 1996.
12. Massimo Tessarotto and Monica Pozzo, Speed of propagation problem in relativistic plasmas, communication presented to the 38th APS-Annual Meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics, Denver, Colorado, USA, November 11-15, 1996.
11. M. Tessarotto and M. Pozzo, Relativistic gyrokinetic equation in the presence of shear flows, communication presented to the 6th European Conference on Fusion Theory, Utrecht, The Netherlands, October 2-4, 1996.
10. M. Pozzo and M. Tessarotto, Weakly relativistic corrections to the Fokker-Planck collision operator, communication presented to the 6th European Conference on Fusion Theory, Utrecht, The Netherlands, October 2-4, 1996.
9. M. Pozzo and M. Tessarotto, Covariant approach to relativistic gyrokinetic dynamics in plasmas, communication presented to the LXXXII Congresso Nazionale Società Italiana di Fisica, Verona, Italy, September 23-28, 1996.
8. M. Pozzo and M. Tessarotto, Speed of propagation of disturbances in relativistic plasmas, communication presented to the LXXXII Congresso Nazionale Società Italiana di Fisica, Verona, Italy, September 23-28, 1996.
7. M. Pozzo and M. Tessarotto, Theoretical features of weakly relativistic electron dynamics in fusion plasmas, communication presented to the Joint Varenna-Lausanne International Workshop on ``Theory of Fusion Plasmas'', Villa Monastero, Varenna, Italy, August 26-30, 1996.
6. M. Pozzo, M. Tessarotto and R. Zorat, Linear and nonlinear dynamics in the presence of strong drifts: formulation and applications, communication presented to the Joint Varenna-Lausanne International Workshop on ``Theory of Fusion Plasmas'', Villa Monastero, Varenna, Italy, August 26-30, 1996.
5. M. Tessarotto and M. Pozzo, Unified Green function approach to ballooning perturbations in toroidal plasmas, communication presented to the Joint Varenna-Lausanne International Workshop on ``Theory of Fusion Plasmas'', Villa Monastero, Varenna, Italy, August 26-30, 1996.
4. M. Pozzo and M. Tessarotto, Relativistic gyrokinetic equation in the presence of strong drifts, communication presented to the International Sherwood Fusion Theory Conference, Philadelphia (PA), USA, March 18-20, 1996.
3. M. Pozzo and M. Tessarotto, Kinetic theory of weakly relativistic plasmas, communication presented to the 37th APS-Annual Meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics, Louisville (KT), USA, November 6-10, 1995.
2. M. Pozzo and M. Tessarotto, Statistical mechanics of the Darwin system, communication presented to the LXXXI Congresso Nazionale Società Italiana di Fisica, Perugia, Italy, October 2-7, 1995.
1. M. Pozzo and M. Tessarotto, Relativistic gyrokinetic equation in the presence of shear flows, communication presented to the LXXXI Congresso Nazionale Società Italiana di Fisica, Perugia, Italy, October 2-7, 1995.
Le Principali aree di ricerca in ambito accademico riguardano:
My research focuses on studying thermo-physical properties of materials, using computational methods based on the formulation of Quantum Mechanics known as Density Functional Theory (DFT), using high performance computers. Amongst the materials I am interested in, I have studied iron and iron alloys at the extreme conditions found in the Earth’s core, materials relevant for the chemical storage of hydrogen, and advanced materials such as graphene, focussing in particular on its growth on the surface of metallic substrates.