Luisa Ottolini

Luisa Ottolini (born July 10, 1954 in Tortona, province of Alessandria, Italy) is an Italian physicist.

Her research activities are concerned mainly with the development, set up and optimisation of microanalytical procedures for the quantitative determination of elements present at low concentrations (trace), light (Li, Be and B) and volatile elements (H, F, Cl, C) in samples of mineralogical, petrologic and geochemical interest.

Biography

In 1978 Luisa Ottolini graduated in Physics "cum Laude" at the University of Pavia.

From 1982 to 1986 she was the Head of the Structuristic Section at the Istituto Sperimentale dei Metalli Leggeri (I.S.M.L.) in Novara.

In 1987 she activated the Strategic Project of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) "An Ion Microprobe for Advanced Researches in the Earth Sciences" with the installation at the “Centro di Studio per la Cristallografia Strutturale” in Pavia of the first, and so far, the only one National Laboratory of Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) in the Earth Sciences. Since that time she has been the Head of the SIMS Lab.

Starting from 1989 she activated the National SIMS service for University and CNR Institutions affering the Earth Science Committee (05), following more than 90 research projects.

In 2002-2005 she coordinated a research Unit in Pavia, sponsored by the European Framework Project EUROMELT [ [http://www.open.ac.uk/earth-research/euromelt/index.html EUROMELT] ] (European Community’s Human Potential Programme, contract HPRN-CT-2002-00211).

Since December, 19 (2005) she has been the Head of CNR-Institute of Geosciences and Geo-resources (IGG)-Section of Pavia.

She is coauthor of more than 120 international ISI publications, of which 5 on Nature; more than 200 Abstracts at International and National Meetings, 35 monographs and inner reports.

Main scientific interests

Investigation of the physical/chemical processes underlying the production of secondary ions in the SIMS technique. Aim at overcoming the limitations of the technique in the quantitative analysis of geological samples: corrections for interferences and non-linear effects (“matrix effects”).

Development and optimization of SIMS procedures for the quantitative analysis of trace elements: REE, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Sr, Zr, Y, Ba, Cs, Nb, Rb, Hf, U, Th; light and volatile elements: Li, Be, B, H, F, Cl, C, and ultra-trace elements (ppb level) in the frame of petrologic, geochemical and crystal-chemical studies, with particular reference to the investigation of:

* Melt inclusions
* Silicate minerals
* Artificial glasses
* Chemically-complex silicate and non-silicate matrixes
* Experimental charges

Awards and honors

* 2004 - Awards from CNR in the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the foundation of CNR, as one of the 12 CNR female researchers who contributed to the development of the scientific progress of Italy. [ [http://www.cpo.cnr.it/settimana04/settimana_eng.htm History of the Women in the CNR] ]

* 2004 - The name of Ferri-ottoliniite to a new amphibole end-member (IMA-CNMMN 2001-67A) to acknowledge the “fundamental contribution of L. Ottolini to the advancement of ion-probe analysis of minerals, with particular reference to light elements”. [ [http://ammin.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/89/5-6/888 Abstract on Ferri-ottoliniite from "American Mineralogist", May 2004] ]

* Since 2006, inclusion of L. Ottolini in Who’s Who in the World (23rd Edition by Marquis, Who’s Who, Philadelphia, PA, USA) and in "Who's Who in Science and Engineering".

References

External links

* [http://www.cnr.it CNR - National Research Council of Italy]
* [http://www_crystal.unipv.it/ CNR - Institute of Geosciences and Geo-resources (IGG)-Section of Pavia]