Matteo Alvaro, PhD

Principal investigator, Research scientist at the Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (University of Pavia).

I am a mineral physicist specialized in high-pressure and high-temperature single-crystal diffraction methods mostly applied to minerals. Recently, the focus of my research has moved to the development of elastic geobarometry methods on host-inclusion systems applied to Ultra High-Pressure Metamorphic (UHPM) Rocks which is the main objective of the MILE DEEp project.
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Mattia Gilio, PhD (a.k.a. The capitain)

Field Petrology. Postdoctoral research scientist at the Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (University of Pavia) funded by the ERC-TRUE DEPTHS

I am a metamorphic petrologist specialized on petrology, mineralogy, geochemistry and structural geology of subducted oceanic crust. After a PhD project focussed on petrology and geochemistry of subducted oceanic crust, the focus of my research moved to the application of elastic geobarometry of host-inclusion mineral pairs on natural samples from HP and UHP terranes.

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Dr. Mattia L. Mazzucchelli (a.k.a. Teddy-the-bear)

Elasticity theory. PhD student at the Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (University of Pavia).

I am a PhD student at the University of Pavia. My main project is focused on the investigation elastic response of host-inclusion pairs as a function of several parameters such as the shape, the proximity to the surface, the anisotropy etc… by using Finite Elements Modelling (FEM).

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Mara Murri (a.k.a. The-organizer)

Raman under deviatoric stresses. PhD student at the Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (University of Pavia).

I took part to this project during my BSc thesis, that was mainly focused on the determination a reliable set of thermoelastic parameters for diamond to be used in elastic geobarometry calculations involving diamonds.

Currently, I am working on the investigation of the behavior of raman spectra shifts under non hydrous conditions (e.g. under deviatoric stresses).

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Mattia Bonazzi

Experimental petrology. PhD student at the Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (University of Pavia).

Gabriele Zaffiro (a.k.a. Mr. Paccio)

Instrument development. PhD student at the Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (University of Pavia).

I took part to this project during my BSc thesis, that was mainly focused on the development of a new micro-furnace for in situ high-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments. The newly designed furnace has been then tested on several material with well-known thermal expansion behavior (e.g. silicon, quartz, etc..).

Currently, in my PhD thesis I am working on the development of the instruments necessary for the stress measurements on host inclusion systems. My projects is aimed to develop new concept instruments to carry out measurements on both synthetic an natural samples minimizing the uncertainties in determining the lattice parameters of inclusions entrapped in optically opaque minerals.

Nicola Campomenosi (a.k.a. Bimbo Mix)

Field petrology. PhD student at the Dept. Of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (University of Genoa).

I am currently a PhD student at the University of Genoa. My main project is focused on the application of elastic geobarometry of host-inclusion mineral pairs to the structural-petrologic field relationships in UHP metamorphic terrains with a comparison to classical barometric method and pseudosections.
During my MSc thesis I developed a field and a petrologic study about metasomatic reactions involving COH fluids at HP condition between serpentinites and marbles (Voltri Massif, Western Alps) with implication to C cycling in subduction zones. The theoretical study was also focused on the thermodynamic modeling trough phase diagram computation (i.e. Pseudosections) in order to define the P-T-X metamorphic conditions of the process.

Prof. Chiara M. Domeneghetti

Mineralogy professor at the Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (University of Pavia).

I am a mineralogist and my field of interest developed in the crystal-chemistry of rock-forming minerals, mainly pyroxenes. In particular I studied, by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, both thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of order-disorder reactions.

For this project I am investigating the thermal expansion behavior of natural minerals that frequently occur as inclusions in diamonds, and their synthetic analogues.

Greta Rustioni (a.k.a. Great)

Now: PhD Students at BGI – Bayerisches Geoinstitut, University of Bayreuth.

Previously: Master student (MSc) at the Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (University of Pavia).

I was MSc student at University of Pavia. I took part to this project during my BSc thesis, that was mainly focused on the determination of the effect of brittle failure (i.e. cracks) on the residual pressure at the inclusion.

In my MSc thesis I have been working on the quantification of the amount of residual pressure released upon brittle failure and the contribution of such pressure release for the calculation of the final entrapment conditions. My project is mainly carried out by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction combined with synchrotron X-ray micro-tomography (SXRMT).

Matteo Di Prima (a.k.a. Matteò)

Now At ENI (Italian Oil company).

Previously: BSc Student at the Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (University of Pavia).

During my BSc thesis I studied the high-temperature behaviour of almandine by single-crystal diffraction methods, using different oxygen fugacity buffers to the aim of testing the efficiency of the different buffers.

The thermal expansion behaviour of this kind of garnets, often occurring as inclusions in diamonds, has been used for the determination of the pressure of formation of the inclusion-host pair using elastic geobarometry.

Dr. Lorenzo Scandolo (a.k.a. Berto-marmitta)

High temperature mineral physics. PhD student Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (University of Pavia).

I am phd student at the University of Pavia. During my MSc thesis I have studied the high-pressure behaviour of sulphates by single-crystal diffraction methods.

For this project I am determining the thermoelastic properties of synthetic garnets which are analogues of those occur host in Ultra-High-Pressure (UHP) Metamorphic rocks. The aim of the project is to calculate the T-EoS and P-EoS in order to extrapolate the thermoelastic properties of host and inclusion at entrapment conditions.