PhD Physics course at Bari University (XXXVIII Cycle)

Title Signals formation in particle detectors

Proponent Marcello Abbrescia

# CFU 2
(1 CFU = 8 hours)
Schedule March-May 2023
In this course the basic principles about signal formation in particle
detectors are reviewed and discussed. It is divided into three parts,
where the first deals with the electrostatics needed to understand the
mechanisms at the base of signal formation and the relevant
Brief Summary of the theorems, in the second these concepts are applied to many
course detectors currently used in particle physics, the third deals with the
extensions of the above concepts when using resistive materials
(which is almost the basic solution nowadays, thanks to the inherent
advantages in terms of protection against sparks).
Electrostatics-Principles-Reciprocity-Induced currents-Induced
voltages-Ramo-Shockley theorem-Mean value theorem-
Capacitance matrix-Equivalent circuits

Signals formation in: -Ionization chambers-Liquid argon

calorimeters-Diamond detectors-Silicon detectors-GEMs (Gas
Electron Multiplier) -Micromegas (Micromesh gas detector) -APDs
(Avalanche Photo Diodes)-LGADs (Low Gain Avalanche Diodes)-
Programme SiPMs(Silicon Photo Multipliers) -Strip detectors-Pixel detectors-
Wire Chambers -Liquid Argon TPCs

-Media with conductivity-Quasi-static approximations-Signal

theorem extensions-Time dependent weighting fields -Resistive
plate chambers (RPCs) -Un-depleted silicon sensors -Monolithic
pixel sensors.

Walter Blum, Werner Riegler, Luigi Rolandi, Particle Detection

with Drift Chambers, Springer-Verlag 2008, ISBN: 978-3-540-
76683-4
F. Sauli: Gaseous Radiation Detectors: Fundamentals and
Recommended texts Applications, Cambridge University Press July 2014, ISBN:
9781107337701 , htpps://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107337701
H. Kolanoski and N. Wermes, Particle Detectors: Fundamentals
and Applications, Oxford University Press 2020, ISBN-13:
9780198858362, DOI:10.1093/oso/9780198858362.001.000

Assessment methods Oral report on one of the topics discussed during the course and/or
their applications
 Title Complex Networks: Big Data modelling and learning
(SSD FIS/07)

Proponent Nicola Amoroso

# CFU 2 CFU
(1 CFU = 10 hours)

Schedule 8 lessons of two hours.

Brief Summary of the The increasing availability of high dimensional and

heterogeneous data samples (big data) makes urgent
course the development of a scientific background including
data science and machine learning techniques, with
applications in many fields. This course introduces
the fundamental concepts in complex networks and
exploits this framework for learning purposes.
We will cover the most popular network models: random
graphs, small-world networks, scale-free networks;
besides, we will explore how supervised and
unsupervised learning algorithms including random
forests, artificial neural networks, support vector
machines and deep learning, can proficiently exploit
the knowledge content provided by complex networks.
After explaining the basic centrality measures for
nodal and edge characterization, we will discuss the
matrix representation of a graph and the necessary
steps for automated learning: hypothesis space,
overfitting, bias and variance, trade-offs between
representational power and learnability, evaluation
strategies and cross-validation. The course will be
accompanied by hands-on problem solving with
programming in R and some tutorial sessions.
Programme - Introduction: graph theory.
- Different graph models.
- Nodal and edge characterization.
- Local and global properties.
- Community detection.
- Learning: Basic definitions, bias, variance
and cross-validation.
- Supervised Models.
- Deep Learning.
- Unsupervised models: Clustering.
- The use of computational facilities.
Recommended texts - Latora, Vito, Vincenzo Nicosia, and Giovanni
Russo. Complex networks: principles, methods
and applications. Cambridge University Press,
2017.
- Introduction to Machine Learning - Ethem
Alpaydin - MIT Press 2010
- Deep Learning – Ian Goodfellow et al. – MIT
Press 2016
Assessment methods 80% Case study
20% Presentation of the results
 PhD Physics course at Bari University (XXXVIII Cycle)

Title Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors

Proponent Francesco Barile (UniBa), Domenico Colella (UniBa)

# CFU
2
(1 CFU = 8 hours)

Schedule February – June

Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors (MAPS) play a key role in many fields,
from medical applications to high energy physics, as well as in many
everyday consumer electronics, such as smartphones. The aim of the
course is to illustrate how these devices work and examine a few
applications.
We propose to look into the details of an analog sensor (APTS-OPAMP)
Brief Summary of the and a digital sensor (ALPIDE). Their architectures come from the
course development of tracking detectors in high energy physics, but they also
have medical applications (Proton Computed Tomography).
In the first part of the course, an introduction to the technology features
of the MAPS will be given. In the second part, a hands-on session in the
INFN Laboratory of Physics Department M. Merlin will be held. In the
latter session, students will practise with these devices.

Introduction on MAPS. The ALPIDE and APTS-OPAMP sensors.

Technology, circuitry, read-out and construction process.
Characterization and performance. Applications.
Programme
Hands-on session: characterization of electrical sensor properties.
Measurements using low radioactive sources (Fe55, Cs-137, Co60).
Data analysis.

Recommended texts Material will be provided

Assessment methods Report on results

 PhD Physics course at Bari University (XXXVIII Cycle)

Title Artificial Intelligence for Social Good (AI4SG)

Proponent Dr. Loredana Bellantuono

(Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro)

# CFU 2
(1 CFU = 8 hours)

Schedule 8 class lectures in spring 2023

Brief Summary of the Artificial Intelligence for Social Good (AI4SG) is a

course new research field, that tackles important social,
environmental, and public health challenges by using
methods of complex system analysis, such as network
models and machine learning. Using a top-down
approach, AI4SG aims at delivering positive social
impact in accordance with the priorities outlined in
the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs).
The course has an application-oriented approach and
is organized in tutorials focused on the analysis of
relevant case studies related to the achievement of
SDGs.

Programme
• Artificial Intelligence for Social Good (AI4SG):
why and how. A primer on the main approaches to
AI4SDG. The Python toolbox for big data analysis
and visualization.

• Complex systems and network science. Structure and

properties of network graphs representing complex
systems.

• Case study 1 – Towards a more equitable education

system (SDGs 4, 10). A complex network model to
measure structural inequalities and territorial
bias in the access to quality education.

• Case study 2 – Social psychiatry (SDG 3).

Investigating the impact of societal and
environmental factors on the incidence of
psychiatric disorders.

• Machine Learning: predicting continuous variables

with regression analysis.

• Case study 3 – AI for the most vulnerable:

interplay between hunger and climate change (SDGs
1, 2, 3, 13). Predicting food insecurity across
sub-Saharan Africa with multivariate regression on
data concerning prices, assets, and climate.
 • Natural Language Processing: preprocessing of text
data, topic detection and sentiment analysis.

• Case study 4 – The language of sustainability on

social media (all SDGs). Topic modelling and
sentiment analysis to unveil information from
sustainability speech on Twitter.

Recommended texts Sebastian Raschka, Vahid Mirjalili, “Python Machine

Learning” – Packt Publishing Ltd (2017).

Dmitry Zinoviev, “Complex Network Analysis in Python”

– The Pragmatic Programmers, LLC (2018).

Assessment methods Seminar on a selected topic or presentation of a

project concerning Artificial Intelligence for Social
Good (AI4SG).
 PhD Physics course at Bari University (XXXVIII Cycle)

Gamma-ray Astrophysics
Title in the Multi-messenger Context

Proponent Elisabetta Bissaldi

# CFU 2
(1 CFU = 8 hours)
Schedule Sept - Nov 2023

This course aims to provide the student with advanced

knowledge of gamma-ray astrophysics. It will explore
the main properties of high-energy gamma-ray emitting
sources, in particular Galactic sources like Pulsars
and Supernova Remnants, and Extragalactic sources,
like Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) and Gamma-Ray Bursts
(GRBs). GRBs also represent transient events, which,
like AGN flares or nearby Solar Flares emitted by our
Sun, can happen any time and require a strong
Brief Summary of the monitoring strategy by all observatories. A brief
course overview of the currently operating space- and ground-
based instruments and their operating principles will
also be given. Finally, the course will focus on the
multi-messenger aspect, including the association of
short GRBs with gravitational wave events, and the
observation of neutrino emission from the direction of
known blazars during their flaring activity.
It requires a background in basic high-energy
astrophysics.
Galactic and Extragalactic sources visible at gamma-
ray energies: temporal and spectral characteristics.
Multi-frequency studies. Transient phenomena in the
gamma-ray sky. Gamma-ray instruments, detection of
gamma radiation: scintillation detectors, pair-
production telescopes, Cherenkov telescopes. Solar
flares seen by Fermi at the dawn of the 25th Solar
Programme Cycle. The case of GRB 170817A / GW 170817 seen by
Fermi, Swift and other observatories in the context of
other LIGO/Virgo gravitational waves detections from
2015 to 2023, including the most recent results of the
observing period O4 starting March 2023. The case of
neutrino emission from the TXS 0506+056 as seen by
IceCube, Fermi and MAGIC. Other recent examples.
1. Spurio – “Probes of Multimessenger Astrophysics”
2. Longair - “High-energy astrophysics”
Recommended texts 3. De Angelis & Pimenta - “Introduction to Particle
and Astroparticle Physics”
4. Recent Publications

Assessment methods Lectures; Final presentation.

 PhD Physics course at Bari University (XXXVIII Cycle)

Title Scintillators and Silicon Photomultipliers

Elisabetta Bissaldi
Proponents Serena Loporchio

# CFU 2
(1 CFU = 8 hours)
Schedule May - June 2023

This course aims to provide the student with advanced

knowledge of radiation measurements and detection
techniques, from classic scintillation detectors to
Brief Summary Silicon Photomultiplier devices.
of the course It requires an elementary background in radiation
measurements, radiation-matter interactions and basic
electronics.

The program includes Photon-matter interactions;

Organic and Inorganic scintillators; Optical
coupling; Solid-state photodetectors: The pn
junction, the Photodiode, the SPAD, the SiPM.
Different SiPM technologies. SiPM properties: single
photoelectron resolution, gain, signal to noise
Program ratio, photo-detection efficiency. Temperature
dependence. The equivalent circuit of a SiPM. Optimal
front-end: current feedback, pole zero cancellation
network. SiPM arrays. SiPM coupled to scintillators.
SiPM applications. Part of the course will be
devoted to laboratory sessions.

1. G. Knoll – “Radiation Detection and Measurement”;

Recommended texts 2. Sedra & Smith – “Microelectronic Circuits”
3. Sze - “Physics of Semiconductor Devices”
4. Recent Publications

Assessment methods Lectures; final laboratory report.

 PhD Physics course at Bari University (XXXVIII Cycle)

Laser physics and dynamics 1

Title

Proponent Massimo Brambilla

# CFU
2
(1 CFU = 8 hours)
Schedule End February – Beginning March (e.g. 20/2-4/3)
The course introduces the Maxwell-Bloch model for the
spatiotemporal behaviour of different laser classes and
discusses the main coherent phenomena occurring in such
Brief Summary of the devices.
course

Derivation of Maxwell-Bloch model, coherent dynamics:

Rabi oscillations, photon echo, self-induced transparency
Dynamical regimes in different classes of lasers: relaxation
Programme oscillations, giant pulses, Q-switching, optical chaos, mode-
locking. Semiconductor laser modelling, applications to
Quantum Cascade Lasers.

- Course material provided by instructor

Other partially referenced texts:
- L.L.Lugiato, F.Prati, M.Brambilla “Nonlinear Optical
Systems”, Cambridge Un. Press (2015)
Recommended texts - W.W.Chow, S.W.Koch, “Semiconductor Laser
Fundamentals”, Springer (99)
- O.Svelto, “Principles of Lasers”, IV ed., Springer (98)

Assessment methods Oral colloquium with questions concerning the program.

 PhD Physics course at Bari University (XXXVIII Cycle)

Laser physics and dynamics 2

Title

Proponent Massimo Brambilla

# CFU
2
(1 CFU = 8 hours)
Schedule Beginning March – Mid March (e.g. 6/3-18/3)
The course is meant as a consequential advancement
flowing “Laser physics and dynamics 2” and introduces the
coherent spatiotemporal dynamics in the paraxial equations
Brief Summary of the for lasers and nonlinear optical devices. The formation of
course coherent spatial structures, patterns and solitons in the
temporal and spatial domain is discussed, along with
applications.

Programme

- Course material provided by instructor

Other referenced texts:

- L.L.Lugiato, F.Prati, M.Brambilla “Nonlinear Optical
Recommended texts Systems”, Cambridge Un. Press (2015)
- H.Haus “Waves and Fields in Optoelectronics”,
Prentice Hall (83)

Assessment methods Oral colloquium with questions concerning the program.

 PhD Physics course at Bari University ( XXXVIII Cycle)

Title Hadron Physics

Proponent Giuseppe Eugenio Bruno

# CFU 2
(1 CFU = 8 hours)

Schedule 6-17 February or 19-30 June 2023

Brief Summary of the Hadrons are the particles that feel the strong nuclear force. This force is
described by the theory of QCD, a field theory whose constituents are
course quarks (the particles) and gluons (the force carriers).
The study of Hadron Physics is part of a wide spectrum of research that
aims to describe the nature of the matter that we observe in the Universe.
It sits at the interface between particle-, or high-energy physics, and
nuclear physics. From particle physics it shares a “reductionist” philosophy
- a desire to understand everything from basic constituents. On the other
hand it involves the study of the structure of composite particles, and thus
shares a great deal of common ground with nuclear structure physics, such
as a study of effects that are “emergent properties” due to the interaction
of several constituents.

An overview of the forefronts of the broad field of hadron physics will be

given in the first half of the course. In the second half the focus will be on
two items: i) the physics of the quark gluon plasma and ii) the physics of
the proton as studied from DIS and future prospects.
Programme QCD, confinement and the structure of the hadrons.
Hadron spectroscopy: overview. Recent achievements
and state of the art in Hadron structure:
electromagnetic form factors and the proton radius
puzzle; Nucleon form factors. Parton distribution
function.
Hadronic interactions. Hadron physics at high energy
densities: the quark gluon plasma.
Future: the Electron Ion Collider

The course will be mostly phenomenological.

Recommended texts To be defined

Assessment methods Solution of numerical exercises and/or oral
examination
 PhD Physics course at Bari University ( XXXVIII Cycle)

Title Programming fundamentals using the C++ programming

language

Proponent Francesco Cafagna

# CFU 2

(1 CFU = 8 hours)

Schedule May-June (8, two hour long, lesson)

Brief Summary of the This course focuses on a basic introduction

course to the fundamental concepts founding
programming using the C++ programming
language. The C++ programming language -
thanks to its general purpose, memory
control, and strong type-check design – is a
nice candidate to introduce to the concepts
of programming native applications. The
language base grammar, along with the base
functionalities of features that make it
well suited for an advanced programming with
an object-oriented paradigm, will be
treated. The core language feature will be
interleaved with an overview of the major
novelties introduced by the more recent
standard updates.
Programme Lesson 1 and 2.

Course introduction and layout:

- Programming: an introduction.
- Programming: base concepts.
- Programming: the jargon.
- Basic introduction to the tools and techniques
used to build an executable.

Lesson 3 and 4.

The C++ base grammar:

- Base types.
- Expressions and statements.
- Functions.
- Pointer and reference.
- Function overloading.
- Examples and exercise.

Lesson 5 and 6.

C++ advanced functionalities:

- Aggregate types: Structure.
 - Namespaces.
- Template programming.
- Examples and exercises.

The STL (Standard Template Library) library:

- General overview.
- The iostream facility.
- Containers.

Lesson 7.
Class:
- An introduction and general properties.
- Class members: creator, destructors, methods
and helper functions.
- Manage access to the class members: public,
private.
- Operators and overloading.
- Modern C++. New Class design paradigm
introduced since C++11.
- Examples and exercises.

Lesson 8.
Class advanced functionalities:
- Derived class.
- Inheritance and polymorphism.
- Examples and exercises.

Recommended texts - Lecture slides and examples.

- B. Stroustrup, Programming -- Principles and
Practice Using C++, Addison -Wesley ISBN 978-
0321543721. December 2008.
- B. Stroustrup, The C++ programming language (Third
edition), Addison – Wesley
- S. Lippman et al., C++ Primer (Fifth edition),
Addison - Wesley

Assessment methods A presentation and discussion on an exercise proposed

by the student. The exercise will be related to the
student research project, and use techniques,
functionalities and tools threated during the course.
 PhD Physics course at Bari University ( XXXVIII Cycle)

Title Fundamentals in advanced programming using C++

programming language

Proponent Francesco Cafagna

# CFU 2 (8, two hours long, lessons)

(1 CFU = 8 hours)

Schedule June-July

Brief Summary of the This course focuses on an introduction to

course the fundamental concepts founding the
evolution from procedural to object-oriented
programming. The C++ programming language -
thanks to its general purpose, memory
control, strong type-check design - will be
used as a case study for such an evolution;
for this the language functionalities that
better adhere to the object-oriented
paradigm, will be treated. The focus will be
on the creation of user defined types and
the core language feature will be
interleaved with an overview of the major
novelties introduced by the more recent
standard updates.
Programme Lesson 1 and 2.

Course introduction and layout:

- From procedural programming languages to the
object oriented ones.
- Programming: an introduction.
- Programming: base concepts.
- Programming: the jargon.
- Basic introduction to the tools and techniques
used to build an executable.

Lesson 3, 4 and 5.
- An object oriented programming language: C++.

Class:
- Class members in depth: creator, destructors,
methods and helper functions.
- Move semantic and rvalue references.
- Operators review and advanced features: type
conversion.
- Examples and exercises.

Lesson 5, 6 and 7.

Templates:
 - Template meta-programming.

The Standard Template Library: STL.

- An introduction and general properties.
- In-depth view of the most popular STL facilities:
string, containers, functionals and algorithms.
- Modern C++ facilities: random generators, more
type traits.

Lesson 8.

Hints on Object Oriented programming: some example of

popular structural patterns.

Recommended texts - Lecture slides and examples.

- B. Stroustrup, Programming -- Principles and
Practice Using C++, Addison -Wesley ISBN 978-
0321543721. December 2008.
- B. Stroustrup, The C++ programming language (Third
edition), Addison – Wesley
- S. Lippman et al., C++ Primer (Fifth edition),
Addison - Wesley

Assessment methods A presentation and discussion on an exercise proposed

by the student. The exercise will be related to the
student research project, and use techniques,
functionalities and tools threated during the course.
 PhD Physics course at Bari University (XXXVIII Cycle)

Title Rare events Physics

Proponent Giovanni Francesco Ciani

# CFU 2
(1 CFU = 8 hours)
Schedule To be agreed with the students

In order to go beyond the standard model and to explore new research

frontiers,
(Dark matter research, double beta decay neutrinoless, nuclear physics in region
of interest of stellar evolution, exotic physics), it is mandatory to measure tiny
Brief Summary of the signals with an extremely low event counting rate with respect to background.
Therefore, it is crucial to reduce the background where possible and perform a
course correct analysis for cases with low S/N ratio.
In this course, the main experimental and statistical techniques used in this
research fields will be described.
An overview of experiments as practical examples in laboratories all over the
world (CERN, Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso) will be described.
• Main background source and background reduction methods in
low and high energy physics.
• Dark matter research: experimental techniques used in direct
research (dual-phase argon Time Projection Chamber, cryogenic
scintillators, dark photon research).
• Double beta decay neutrinoless: basic theoretical aspects
Programme and experimental techniques used in Underground
Laboratories (HPGe detectors, Bolometric Scintillators)
• Exotics particle and rare decay research
• Nuclear Astrophysics experiment
• Data Analysis Tools in Rare Events Physics (e.g. Pulse Shape
Discrimination, Feldman Cousin Approach)
Papers and review manuscripts; slides
Recommended texts
Presentation and discussion of a case of study
Assessment methods
 PhD Physics course at Bari University (XXXVIII Cycle)

Title Big questions have many answers

Proponent Maurizio Dabbicco

# CFU 1
(1 CFU = 8 hours)
Schedule 1h Introduction + 2h every 2 weeks, start to be agreed
“Humans think in stories rather than in facts, numbers
or equations, and the simpler the story, the better”
Y.N. Harari, 21 lessons for the 21st century, 2016.

It is useful, if not necessary, for any scientist to

keep eyes, ears and minds open to stories even far
from their academic discipline, to think of "big
questions", whose answers are never obvious or
definitive.
Brief Summary of the
course The course adopts the flipped classroom method,
addressing general issues that are instrumental to the
dialogue among people with different points of view.
While brainstorming is encouraged, fact-based
argumentation is required.

The course is open to researchers in any field. The

total expected workload is about 30h. The course
starts if there are at least four participants.
The four big questions of this year:

1 – One-Health. What does it mean to be one?

2 - Happiness. Several formulas have been proposed,

what is yours?
Programme
3 - Freedom. Harari’s equation is B x C x D = AHH. How
does free will contribute to freedom?

4 – Peace. Is it conceivable a world in peace without

a peaceful self?

21 lessons for the 21st century, Y.N. Harari +

Recommended texts online resources

2/3 for active participation, 1/3 for leading

Assessment methods discussion
 PhD Physics course at Bari University (XXXVIII Cycle)

Title The peer review workshop

Proponent Maurizio Dabbicco

# CFU 1
(1 CFU = 8 hours)
Schedule 2h every 2 weeks, start to be agreed
“Preprint review should form part of PhD programmes
and postdoc training” R. Sever in Nature/world view
17.1.2023

The course is essentially a laboratory on the peer

review process: from reading and discussing
Brief Summary of the publishers' guidelines to writing and comparing
course reports and notes to the editor. ‘Samples’ are pre-
prints made public online.

The course is open to researchers in any field. The

total expected workload is about 20h. The course
starts if there are at least four participants.

1 – The peer review procedure and the debate on blind

or visible referees’ identity.
Dialogue: different journals have different
guidelines, what are the common principles?

2 – The reviewer’s dilemma: reject or not reject a

not-so-bad manuscript? The case of mainstream
research. Discussion.
Homework: write a review report.
Programme 3 - The editor’s dilemma: to publish or not to
publish? Famous rejected papers that became seminal.
Dialogue: compare different reports and make the final
decision.
Homework: write a rebuttal letter.

4 – The author’s perspective: answer to the review

report. Take the chance to learn from the peers.
Discussion.
Homework: write a reply to the editor.

Recommended texts Online resources.

1/3 for active participation, 2/3 for

Assessment methods homework
 PhD Physics course at Bari University (XXXVIII Cycle)

Title Quantum Imaging

Proponent Milena D’Angelo

# CFU 2
(1 CFU = 8 hours)
Schedule Eight two-hour lectures between June and July 2022
The course introduces the concept of quantum
correlation, presents some typical correlated light
sources, and discuss their role within several quantum
imaging protocols.
Brief Summary of the
course

Quantum entanglement. SPDC as a source of entangled photons.

From classical to quantum imaging: Ghost imaging and diffraction
with SPDC photons (Klyshko advanced wave model), and with
classical light. Sub-shot-noise imaging. Quantum metrology e
Programme super-resolution [CL]. Imaging by undetected photons. Single-pixel
imaging. Imaging through turbulence and scattering media, imaging
around corners. Correlation plenoptic imaging: from principles to
applications.

Scientific papers, PhD thesis, slides,

Recommended texts
ppt presentation on a topic related with the course.
Assessment methods
 PhD Physics course at Bari University ( XXXVIII Cycle)

Title Physics Future Colliders

Patrizia Azzi (INFN Padova),

Proponent Nicola De Filippis (Politecnico di Bari)

# CFU
3
(1 CFU = 8 hours)
Schedule January - March

This course covers the physics prospects of the proposed future collides
machines currently under discussion and presented as part of the last Eu-
ropean Strategy Update for Particle Physics.
The projects discussed span from electron-positron colliders (linear and
circular, at different center of mass energies from 90GeV to 3TeV),
future hadron colliders (proton-proton but also considering the heavy-ion
opportunities), electron-proton collider,
muon collider and very high energy lepton colliders options.
The course is organized exploring the physics measurement capabilities
Brief Summary of the and sensitivity to new physics searches proposed by each project and their
course interpretation for the different type of particles colliding and center of
mass energies.
At the end of the course the student will be able to critically compare the
pros and cons of the different projects from the physics reach standpoint.
The course requires only a basic knowledge of the Standard Model. The
course is appropriate, beyond particle physics students, also for theory,
neutrino, nuclear physics and cosmology students that want to understand
the future of the high energy particle physics field.
The material is constantly updated every year with the most recent devel-
opments in the field.
The course is organized with 6 hours of lectures over 4 weeks, for a total of
24 hours/3 CFU. The initial introduction covers the current status of the latest
measurement from LHC and the prospects for the HL-LHC, and the
motivations behind the planning of future colliders machines. The course will
start with the electron-positron colliders, exploring the opportunities given by
the possibilities of having different center of mass energies from 90GeV up
to 3TeV. It will cover the physics of electroweak processes at the Z pole and
the WW threshold, then Higgs physics, top physics and the sensitivities for
Programme new physics searches. The physics at high energy hadron colliders will follow
(√s=27TeV or 100TeV) also considering the possibility of colliding heavy
ions. The physics opportunities at electron-proton colliders will also be
described, and finally the prospects for the physics at muon collider and very
high energy lepton colliders. The course will conclude with some
considerations about the processes that the community of physicists employs
to inform the future choices (European Strategy Update for Europe, or
Snowmass for the USA).
No specific texts are suggested. Sections of the the European Strategy
Recommended texts Briefing Book and the Snowmass report can be useful to prepare the final
exam.
 A presentation of about 20 min analyzing in a critical way the
Assessment methods possibilities of studying a specific process at the various machines
followed by a discussion.
 PhD Physics course at Bari University (XXXVIII Cycle)

Title Weak decays and effective Hamiltonians in the Standard Model

and beyond

Proponent Fulvia De Fazio

# CFU 2CFU
(1 CFU = 8 hours)
Schedule Spring-Summer 2023
I describe in detail the effective Hamiltonians for weak decays of
mesons constructed using the operator product expansion and the
renormalization group methods.
Brief Summary of the Applications to rare decays in the Standard Model and beyond will
course be considered.

Construction of effective hamiltonians

Renormalization group methods
Programme Weak decays: examples
SMEFT

A.~Buras,
“Gauge Theory of Weak Decays''
Recommended texts Cambridge University Press, 2020,

oral exam
Assessment methods
 PhD Physics course at Bari University (XXXVIII Cycle)

Title
Machine Learning Techniques for (High Energy) Physics

Proponent Dott. Adriano Di Florio

# CFU 2
(1 CFU = 8 hours)

Schedule Spring 2023

Brief Summary of the The course will cover the use of machine learning
techniques especially in the field of High Energy
course Physics research. This course will provide students
with a comprehensive introduction to Multivariate
Analysis, Neural Networks, and Classification
techniques, and how they can be applied to solve
problems such as online data selection and offline
data analysis in HEP. Students will be provided the
necessary theoretical foundation and will gain
practical experience through hands-on tutorials,
which will include topics such as designing,
training and evaluating decision trees,
convolutional neural network and graph neural
networks, and hyperparameter optimization.

Programme 1. Introduction to machine learning and its

application in Physics
2. Supervised and unsupervised machine learning
techniques
3. Boosted Decision Trees and usage of XGBoost
4. Convolutional Neural Networks and usage of
Keras
5. Graph Neural Networks and usage of Pytorch

Recommended texts Material provided by the lecturer (slides and notebooks).

Assessment methods Final exercise session with the implementation of an ad hoc

Network for one or more chosen applications.
 PhD Physics course at Bari University (XXXVIII Cycle)

Title LabVIEW: introduction and data acquisition

Proponent Leonardo Di Venere

Fabio Gargano

# CFU 2
(1 CFU = 8 hours)
Schedule September – October 2023

Brief Summary The course aims to provide the students basic

knowledge of LabVIEW fundamentals. This software is
of the course widely used both in research and industrial
environments, especially in applications where
communication with one or more instruments and fast
and on-line analysis are required. In addition, the
native parallelization of all the operations
performed makes this software ideal to fully exploit
the computing power.
This course includes an introduction to LabVIEW
environment, from the basic
principles of programming to the typical
structure of data acquisition. The course will
include several practical sessions dedicated to
exercises and data acquisition.
A basic knowledge of the programming principles is
required.
Program 1. General introduction to LabVIEW: front panel,
block diagram, VIs, project, error handling.
2. Basic structures: while and for loops, case
structures.
3. Arrays: 1D and multidimensional arrays,
vectorized functions
4. Events, event-driven programming
5. Sub VIs: connector pane and icon editing.
6. File I/O: accessing and writing files
7. Hardware data acquisition: communication
protocols, data acquisition
8. Introduction to state machine programming

Recommended texts Lecture notes. National Instruments tutorial.

Assessment methods Lessons, exercise sessions, development of a simple

project on a case of interest
 PhD Physics course at Bari University (XXXVIII Cycle)

Title Nuclear physics for Charged Particle Therapy

Proponent Giuliana Galati

# CFU
2
(1 CFU = 8 hours)
Schedule To be agreed with interested students

Charged particle therapy (ofter referred to as hadron theraphy) is a

type of cancer treatment that uses high-energy beams of charged
particles, such as protons or ions, to destroy cancer cells. Nuclear
physics plays a crucial role in this type of therapy, as it helps to
understand the interactions between the charged particles and the
matter they pass through, as well as the mechanisms of energy loss
and the beam/target fragmentation in the patient's body.
Brief Summary of the In this PhD course, students will learn about the fundamentals of
course nuclear physics applied to charged particle therapy. The course
will also cover practical aspects of charged particle therapy, as
well as the clinical applications and current research in this field.
Overall, this PhD course is designed to provide students with a
comprehensive understanding of the role of nuclear physics in
charged particle therapy, and to equip them with the knowledge
and skills needed to contribute to the development and
advancement of this important area of cancer treatment.
• Principles of Proton Therapy Microdosimetry LET (Linear
Energy Transfer) and RBE (Relative Biological Effectiveness)
• Proton Therapy facilities
• Treatment plans and quality control
• Principles of Ion-Beam therapy
Programme
• Biological motivations for the clinical use of light ions
• Dosimetry
• Structures for Ion-Beam therapy
• Treatment plans and quality control
• Analysis of some open issues in hadrontherapy
• Review “Charged-particle therapy in cancer: clinical uses and
future perspectives” (M. Durante et al)
Recommended texts
• ICRU 78
• ICRU 93
 Oral examination. The students should demonstrate their ability to
Assessment methods recall and describe key concepts, theories, and principles using
proper language.
 PhD Physics course at Bari University (XXXVIII Cycle)

Hollow-core Fiber Optics

Title

Proponent Marilena Giglio

# CFU 2
(1 CFU = 8 hours)
Schedule March/April 2023
Circular hollow-core fibers (HCFs) are the most common
laser guides today, enjoying the inherent advantage of
their air core, low insertion losses, no end
reflection, ruggedness, single-mode small-divergence
beam output. This course provides a description of
wave propagation in an HCF and a detailed study of the
coupling conditions between a laser beam and the
optical modes of the fiber. In chapter 1 "step-index"
fibers are introduced and propagation modes are
Brief Summary of the determined by solving the wave equation in cylindrical
course coordinates. In chapter 2, hollow-core fibers composed
of a hollow capillary tube with a metallic/dielectric
coating on the inner wall are studied. A theoretical
discussion of laser-HCF mode coupling as well as
propagation losses is provided when the lowest order
hybrid mode is excited within the HCF. Then the
optical coupling of a mid-IR laser beam with a
cylindrical Ag/AgI HCF is experimentally studied
during a laboratory activity.
1. Step-Index Fibers. Scalar Helmholtz equation.
Homogeneous equation in Cylindrical Coordinates.
Electric and Magnetic Field Distribution.
Boundary Conditions. Hybrid Modes HE and EH.
Linearly Polarized Modes LP. Fundamental HE11
Mode.
2. Hollow-Core Fibers. Mode Analysis of a straight
circular HCF. Metallic/Dielectric HCF.
Programme Attenuation Coefficient. Launch conditions and
mode coupling. Propagation Losses. Single-mode
output conditions.
3. Laboratory activity. Low-loss coupling of a
Gaussian-like mid-infrared laser beam with a
silver/silver iodide HCF using a proper focusing
lens. Measurement of propagation losses and
analysis of the output beam.
-Clifford R. Pollock, Michal Lipson - Integrated
Photonics (2003, Springer)
-Xingcun Colin Tong - Advanced Materials for
Recommended texts Integrated Optical Waveguides (2014, Springer)
-James A. Harrington – Infrared Fibers and Their
Applications (2003, SPIE Press)
Report on laboratory activity
Assessment methods
Listening, communication and creativity
Title
Lecturer Silvana Kuhtz

Planned hours 16 (8+8)

Planned schedule Eight two-hour lectures between April and September 2023
Prerequisites none
Goal These lectures introduce students to the meaning of listening, creative and
critical thinking, to verbal and body expression, and what they have to
do with research purposes.
Description This programme is meant to enable the participants to investigate
their personal skills, creativity and innovative thinking, the quality of
their behaviour and cognitive processes. Also, at a broader level it
aims to combine theory with sensory based initiatives, self-awareness
exercises, leadership development and relationship skills. This course
aims at the development of critical, independent and creative
thinking.

The teaching methodology applied consists of group conversations;

development of new vocabulary/language; theatrical Exercises,
simulations, presentations, moving bodies.
 PhD Physics course at Bari University ( XXXVIII Cycle)

Title Introduction to Machine Learning Techniques and Deep Neural

Networks with Python

Proponent Giorgia Miniello, Ph. D. (I.N.F.N. Bari)

# CFU
3
(1 CFU = 8 hrs)
Schedule January-May

The course is intended to enable the participants to use ML in their graduate

research and to expose them to the state-of-the-art of ML. Explanation of,
actual use of and limits of decision trees and neural networks will be
emphasized.
Brief Summary of the The course content comprises a short introduction to Python language and its
course main libraries used for ML methods, then an introduction to different types
of learning in ML, fundamental type of ML models, starting from
Perceptrons and evolving to Deep Neural Networks, along with enough
learning theory to enable judicious use of ML.

The course includes a first part covering Python language and libraries
used for ML methods, principles of machine learning and the flow of
the machine learning pipeline.

In the second part, the classification as a supervised machine learning

technique to predict discrete variable from a set of features or regression
to predict continuous variables from a set of other variables will be ex-
plored. The student will discover how these methods and ensemble
learning methods are applied to improve the accuracy of a prediction.

The third part is an introduction to neural networks so to

Programme understand what neural networks are, its most successful applications,
and how it can be used within a scientific context. The last step will in-
clude the exploration of the process of unsupervised machine learning
techniques of clustering and dimension reduction as a means of learning
from unlabelled data.

The format will be two to 2&1/2 hours per week of seminar

lecture/participation, but will be kept somewhat flexible so as to allow for
development of the topic. Each student will pick a project to work on
(presumably, but not required, to be a dissertation topic), and will present
results to the class when requested. It is assumed that participants will bring
their laptops to class and be prepared to download ML related software.

Recommended texts We will use available Python-based software, supplemented by lecture

notes.

Assessment methods A project report will be the final written product of the seminar.
 PhD Physics course at Bari University (XXXVIII Cycle)

Dalitz plot techniques

Title

Proponent Marco Pappagallo

# CFU 2
(1 CFU = 8 hours)
Schedule October–December 2023
The Dalitz plot is a tool introduced into 1953 to
solve the tau/theta puzzle. Since then, the technique
has been extensively used in particle physics tosearch
for new particles (such as pentaquarks), CP violation,
Brief Summary of the and effects beyond standard model.
course The course is intended to provide the basic knowledge
of Dalitz plot techniques. Dalitz plot of charmed
mesons will be studied by using data collected by the
LHC experiments at CERN.A basicknowledge of the
programming principles is required.

 Tau/theta puzzle
 The birth of the Dalitz plot tool
 How to fit a Dalitz plot
 Isobar model
 Breit-wigner, K-matrix, Flatte’ formula
Programme  Barriers factors and angular distributions
 Search for new resonances in Dalitz plots
 Search for CP violation in Dalitz plots
 Measurement of the angle gamma of the CKM matrix
 Laboratory: Fit ofDalitz plots

Lecture notes andslides

Recommended texts
Seminar on a publishedDalitz plot analysis

Assessment methods
 PhD Physics course at Bari University (XXXVIII Cycle)

Title Atom-photon interactions

Proponent Dr. Francesco Vincenzo Pepe (Università di Bari)

# CFU 2
(1 CFU = 8 hours)

Schedule 8 class lectures between April and June

Brief Summary of the The course will provide the basic concepts, results
course and mathematical tools of low-energy Quantum
Electrodynamics. The first part will be review of QED,
its elementary processes and the perturbative
computation of transition rates. In the second part,
non-perturbative analysis methods will be introduced,
and a fully quantum theory of atom-laser interaction
will be presented, also focusing on its relevance for
optical trapping and atom manipulation.

Programme 1. Electrodynamics in Coulomb gauge.

Constants of motion. Transverse and longitudinal
fields. Quantization. Gauge invariance and minimal
coupling. Dipolar approximation.

2. Processes.
Review of the basic processes of atom-photon
interactions. Feynman diagrams. Perturbative estimate
of transition rates.

3. Non-perturbative methods.
Properties of the resolvent. Self energy and partial
resummation. Lifetimes and energy shifts. The Lamb
transition.

4. Resonance fluorescence.
Quantum treatment of the atom-laser interaction.
Dressed states. Fluorescence triplet. Master equation
for the dressed atom. Dipolar forces.

Recommended texts C. Cohen-Tannoudji, J. Dupont-Roc, G. Grynberg

“Atom-Photon Interaction: Basic Processes and
Applications” WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co (2004)

Assessment methods Final seminar

 PhD Physics course at Bari University (XXXVIII Cycle)

Simulation of optical photon propagation for generic

Title scintillator-based detectors

Davide Serini (INFN)

Proponent Corrado Altomare (INFN)

# CFU 2
(1 CFU = 8 hours)
Schedule May-June
Scintillator materials are widely used in particle
physics for ion identification and energy
measurements. Next-generation experiment both at
particle accelerators and in space will employ
scintillator detectors and Silicon Photomultipliers
(SiPMs) to read out the scintillator light emission.
Scintillator based detectors are also widely used for
radiation monitoring for environmental or industrial
purposes.
Brief Summary of the This course aims to provide the student with knowledge
course of radiation measurements and detection techniques
with scintillators. It will also provide the student
the capability to implement a dedicated Monte Carlo
(MC) simulation of the performances of a generic
scintillator-based detector using the GEANT 4 toolkit
with hands-on sessions.
Basic knowledge of C++ programming language is
recommended. Basic knowledge of GEANT4 and ROOT CERN
toolkit is recommended.
Part 1 (Theoretical): Absorption of radiation in
scintillation materials. Light yield, organic and
inorganic scintillators. Quenching effect and Birks’
Law. Optical coupling. Solid state photodetectors: the
Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPMs). Scintillator-based
detectors applications for space missions and for
radiation environmental monitoring.

Programme Part 2 (Hands-on sessions) : An introduction to GEANT4

simulation toolkit. Make your own optical simulation
project: the geometry, the physic list and the optical
processes. Sensitive detector and optical photon hit.
An introduction to ROOT toolkit: how to read the
simulation results.
Each topic will be correlated to progressive exercises
aimed to make the student able to implement a complete
simulation tool.
- G. F. Knoll, “Radiation Detection and
Measurement”, ed. Wiley
Recommended texts - Lecture notes.
- Geant4 User's Documents page.
- Root User's manual.

Exercise sessions. Development of a basic project and

Assessment methods discussion with an oral presentation.
 PhD Physics course at Bari University ( XXXVIII Cycle)

Title
FPGA programming with LabVIEW

Proponent
Giuseppe Tagliente
# CFU
(1 CFU = 8 hours) 2

Schedule
May - June
Brief Summary of the The purpose of the course is to broaden the knowledge of
course LabVIEW to program the field-programmable gate array
(FPGA).
A knowledge of LabVIEW is required

Programme Lesson 1. Concepts of FPGA

Lesson 2. Programming FPGA with LabVIEW

Lesson 3. Applications of FPGAs

Lesson 4. Laboratory, implementation of a code to

control a DAC

Recommended texts Material will be provided by the lecturer

Assessment methods
The students have to present a code based on FPGA
 PhD Physics course at Bari University ( XXXVIII Cycle)

Title
Nuclear Astrophysics

Proponent
Giuseppe Tagliente

# CFU
(1 CFU = 8 hours) 2

Schedule
February - April
Brief Summary of the The nuclear processes generate the energy that makes
course stars shine. The same processes in stars are responsible
for the synthesis of the element present in the universe.
Nucleosynthesis, energy production in the stars, and
other topics overlapping astrophysics and nuclear
physics makeup the science of nuclear astrophysics.
Like most fields of physics, it involves both theoretical
and experimental activities. The purpose of this course is
to explain these concepts with special emphasis on
nuclear processes and their interplay in the stars

Programme Lesson 1. Aspects of nuclear physics and astrophysics.

Lessons 2-3. Nuclear and thermonuclear reactions

Lessons 4-6. Processes of Nucleosynthesis

Lessons 7-8. Nuclear physics experiment for

astrophysics

Recommended texts Material will be provided by the lecturer

Assessment methods
Seminar on an agreed topic
 PhD Physics course at Bari University ( XXXVIII Cycle)

Title Laser Physics and Applications

Dr. Annalisa Volpe

Proponent

# CFU 2
(1 CFU = 8 hours)
Schedule
Lasers are nowcommonplacethroughoutmanyaspects of everyday
life, e.g. optical communication, industrial processing, spectroscopy
and manybioscienceapplications. The course starts with a review of
the basicphysics of optical cavities and the
Brief Summary of the spontaneous/stimulatedemission from materialsleading to laser
course amplifiers and oscillators. Examples of lasers are
presentedincluding systems for continuouswave and
pulsedbeamoperation. The final component of thiscourseis a short
review on laser applications, with a focus on ultrashort laser
applications.

Interaction of electromagneticradiation with matter (absorption,

spontaneous and stimulatedemission). Elements of a laser system:
opticalcavity, active medium, laser gain conditions.Laser modes
(transversal and longitudinal). Characteristics of Laser Light.
Programme Generation of short and ultra-short laser pulses: Q-switching and
mode-locking.Gas andsolid statestate laser, fiber and
semiconductorlasers.
Laser Applications. Focus onultrashort laser pulsesapplicationsin
industrial and research fields.

M. Csele, Fundamentals of light sources and lasers, Wiley 2004

Recommended texts Elijah Kannatey-Asibu, Jr., Principles of lasersmaterials
processing,Wiley 2009

Individual report on a laser system and application.

Assessment methods
 PhD Physics course at Bari University (XXXVIII Cycle)
proposal for English Language Course

Title Preparing a scientific presentation in English

Proponent Dott.sa Carmela M. White
# CFU (1 CFU = 8 hours) 2
Schedule To be agreed, preferably two hour weekly lessons, to be
completed by the end of May 2023
Brief Summary of the course Course Objectives: guiding students in the re-elaboration of their
acquired knowledge of English for a more effective communicative
competence in a scientific and academic setting, reinforcing their
English language skills and blending them with their scientific and
communication skills through
 pronunciation exercises and guided oral practice to improve
pronunciation and acquire greater confidence speaking in
English
 functional- rhetorical, syntactic-morphological and lexical
analysis of authentic specialist field texts chosen individually
by participants
 syntactic-morphological exercises on specific problem points
 preparation of a 10’ slide-supported presentation of research
work
Programme  brief introduction to the phonetic system of English and IPA
 reading numbers and equations aloud in English
 brief review of tenses, passive voice & impersonal ‘it’
 some difficult verb patterns
 use of -ed and -ing forms
 use of articles
 reducing sentences to bullet points and vice versa
 brief review of logical and time connectors
 describing devices
 presenting and discussing results
 brief analysis of scientific article organisation
 presentations: organisation
 presentations: creating good visual aids
 presentations: delivery
 presentations: dealing with questions
Recommended texts  handout materials provided in lessons
 grammar reference text (optional)
 at least two research articles in English, to be chosen by
participants for scientific interest and approved for suitability
by the instructor
Assessment methods  class participation and self-study exercises
 preparation of personal vocabulary booklet or file
 functional, grammatical, and lexical analysis of 2 or more
specialist articles from the literature
 preparation of slides (visual support) and script (discursive)
for a 10’ presentation on a research topic
 subsequent performance of presentation

Bari, 15 dicembre 2022 Carmela M. White