Astrophysicist and astrochemist by training, in 2010 I obtained my PhD at the Leiden University (Leiden, Netherlands). In the following years, supported by prestigious fellowships, e.g. Marie Curie IOF, I applied different techniques, e.g. THz time-domain spectroscopy (Caltech, USA), and developed numerous ultrahigh vacuum systems to investigate the formation of molecules in space ice analogs from the ultraviolet to the far infrared spectral range. In 2015, I started my Royal Society URF at the Open University, where I became research leader in the Molecular Astrophysics laboratory. In 2017, I moved to Queen Mary University of London as a lecturer within the Antennas group, further developing my link to the UK THz community. Since 2022, I am an Associate Professor within the Deparment of Physics and Astronomy at Aarhus University in Denmark and a PI at the Center for Interstellar Catalysis (InterCat).
As Honorary Associate at the OU, I collaborate with Dr. Anita Dawes to employ the Portable Astrochemistry Chamber (PAC) at the Laboratory Astrophysics to investigate the 1keV electron-induced chemistry of interstellar and Solar System ice analogues by means of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.The PAC system is periodically moved to the synchrotron ASTRID2 facility in Denmark to perform complementary vacuum ultraviolet and ultraviolet-visible (VUV, UV-vis) spectroscopy of space relevant ices.
I am currently the head scientist and sole responsible for the Laboratory Ice Surface Astrophysics (LISA) end-station at FELIX Laboratory (Netherlands). In partnership with other international groups, I lead and manage the Ice Chemistry for Astrophysics (ICA) and other end-stations at ATOMKI (Hungary).
Selected Recent Publications:
TeraHertz Desorption Emission Spectroscopy (THz DES) of space relevant ices (2022-09)
Auriacombe, O.; Rea, S.; Ioppolo, S.; Oldfield, M.; Parkes, S.; Ellison, B. and Fraser, H. J.
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 515(2)
Systematic investigation of CO2 : NH3 ice mixtures using mid-IR and VUV spectroscopy – part 2: electron irradiation and thermal processing (2021-10)
James, Rachel L.; Ioppolo, Sergio; Hoffmann, Søren V.; Jones, Nykola C.; Mason, Nigel J. and Dawes, Anita
RSC Advances, 11(52) (pp. 33055-33069)
Systematic Study on the Absorption Features of Interstellar Ices in the Presence of Impurities (2020-06-18)
Gorai, Prasanta; Sil, Milan; Das, Ankan; Sivaraman, Bhalamurugan; Chakrabarti, Sandip K.; Ioppolo, Sergio; Puzzarini, Cristina; Kanuchova, Zuzana; Dawes, Anita; Mendolicchio, Marco; Mancini, Giordano; Barone, Vicenzo; Nakatani, Naoki; Shimonishi, Takashi and Mason, Nigel
ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 4(6) (pp. 920-946)
Grain Surface Models and Data for Astrochemistry (2017-10)
Cuppen, H. M.; Walsh, C.; Lamberts, T.; Semenov, D.; Garrod, R. T.; Penteado, E. M. and Ioppolo, S.
Space Science Reviews, 212(1-2) (pp. 1-58)
THz time-domain spectroscopy of mixed CO2–CH3OH interstellar ice analogs (2016-06-07)
McGuire, Brett A.; Ioppolo, Sergio; Allodi, Marco A. and Blake, Geoffrey A.
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 18(30) (pp. 20199-20207)