LEONARDO ABBENE

Leonardo Abbene serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Chemistry - Emilio Segrè at the University of Palermo. His academic appointments include teaching responsibilities in Physics Applied to Medicine, Physics and Computer Science, Physics II, Physical Methodologies and Instrumentations in Medicine, and Radiation Detectors with Laboratory across multiple degree programs including Obstetrics, Management Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Physics. His office is located in Building 18 at Viale delle Scienze on the university campus.

Professor Abbene's research focuses on advanced radiation detector development and exotic atom spectroscopy, particularly specializing in Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) semiconductor detectors for high-precision X-ray measurements. His primary research thrust involves kaonic atom studies using the SIDDHARTA-2 experiment at the DAΦNE collider, where he investigates the strong interaction through precision X-ray spectroscopy of exotic atoms containing kaons. His detector development work spans medical physics applications, astrophysical instrumentation, and fundamental nuclear physics experiments, with particular emphasis on high-flux radiation environments and 3D position-sensitive detector systems.

His publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on advancing CZT detector technology for kaonic atom spectroscopy, with recent work concentrating on stability characterization in collider environments, precision measurements of kaonic helium transitions, and feasibility studies for extending measurements to heavier elements like lead. The SIDDHARTA-2 experiment represents the culmination of decades of development in this field, building upon previous experiments like DEAR.

Professor Abbene's technical expertise encompasses digital pulse processing systems, radiation detector physics, and the development of specialized instrumentation for challenging measurement environments. His work bridges fundamental nuclear physics with practical detector applications in medical imaging and radiation detection.