Chemist
Chemist

Biography

Maria Laura di Vacri is an analytical chemist in the National Security Directorate at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Her research focuses on the identification and mitigation of material radioactive backgrounds in ultra-sensitive detectors. di Vacri has over a decade of experience in low-background detectors. She specializes in developing low-background techniques and ultra-sensitive analytical methods in the field of inorganic mass spectrometry. Her work applies across a variety of basic and applied research and development at PNNL. di Vacri is part of international collaborations investigating the nature of neutrinos and dark matter.                                          

Disciplines and Skills

  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)
  • Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS)
  • Chemical Separation
  • Radioactive Background Mitigation Techniques
  • Ultra-Sensitive Detectors
  • Low-Background Materials Sourcing and Development

Education

  • Doctor of Philosophy, physics, Università degli Studi dell'Aquila
  • Master of Science, chemistry, Università degli Studi dell'Aquila
  • Bachelor of Science, chemistry, Università degli Studi dell'Aquila

Publications

2023

  • French A.D., S. Alcantar Anguiano, M. Bliss, J.W. Christ, M. di Vacri, R.L. Erikson, and K. Harouaka, et al. 2023. "Mass spectrometric investigations into 3D printed parts to assess radiopurity as ultralow background materials for rare event physics detectors." Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment 1047. PNNL-SA-176029. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2022.167830
  • Nagorny, S. S., F. Bellini, B. Broerman, L. Cardani, N. Casali, I. Dafinei, M. L. Di Vacri et al. "Performance of the Li6Eu (BO3) 3 crystal as a scintillating bolometer for studies of rare processes." Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment 1045 (2023): 167549.

2022

  • Gallina G., Y. Guan, F. Retiere, G. Cao, A. Bolotnikov, I. Kotov, and S. Rescia, et al. 2022. "Performance of novel VUV-sensitive Silicon Photo-Multipliers for nEXO." European Physical Journal C 82, no. 12:Art. No. 1125. PNNL-SA-179827. doi:10.1140/epjc/s10052-022-11072-8
  • di Vacri M.L., I.J. Arnquist, H.O. Back, M. Bliss, M.G. Bronikowski, E.R. Edwards, and B.R. Hackett, et al. 2022. "Identification of background limitations to ultra-sensitive LSC counting through ICP-MS assay of LSC cocktails." Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry. PNNL-SA-172823. doi:10.1007/s10967-022-08591-9
  • Lenardo B.G., C. Hardy, R. Tsang, J. Nzobadila Ondze, A. Piepke, S. Triambak, and A. Jamil, et al. 2022. "Development of a 127Xe calibration source for nEXO." Journal of Instrumentation 17, no. 7:Art. No. 07028. PNNL-SA-178273. doi:10.1088/1748-0221/17/07/P07028
  • Albakry M.F., I. Alkhatib, D.W. Amaral, T. Aralis, T. Aramaki, I.J. Arnquist, and I. Ataee Langroudy, et al. 2022. "Investigating the sources of low-energy events in a SuperCDMS-HVeV detector." Physical Review D 105, no. 11:Art. No. 112006. PNNL-SA-172447. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.105.112006
  • Albakry M.F., I. Alkhatib, D.W. Amaral, T. Aralis, T. Aramaki, I.J. Arnquist, and I. Ataee Langroudy, et al. 2022. "Ionization yield measurement in a germanium CDMSlite detector using photo-neutron sources." Physical Review D 105, no. 12:Art. No. 122002. PNNL-SA-172120. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.105.122002
  • Adhikari G., S. Al Kharusi, E. Angelico, G. Anton, I.J. Arnquist, I. Badhrees, and J. Bane, et al. 2022. "nEXO: Neutrinoless double beta decay search beyond 1028 year half-life sensitivity." Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physics 49, no. 1:Art. No. 015104. PNNL-SA-172476. doi:10.1088/1361-6471/ac3631
  • Albakry M.F., I. Alkhatib, D.W. Amaral, T. Aralis, T. Aramaki, I.J. Arnquist, and I. Ataee Langroudy, et al. 2022. "Effective Field Theory Analysis of CDMSlite Run 2 Data." Physical Review D. PNNL-SA-174128.

2021

  • Arnquist I.J., S. Alcantar, M. di Vacri, K. Harouaka, R.L. Erikson, M. Bliss, and J.F. Christ, et al. 03/18/2021. "Low Background 3-D Printed Parts: Investigations into Producing Radiopure Polymer Materials Using Additive Manufacturing." Online Conference, United States. PNNL-SA-160718.
  • Baxter D.S., R.A. Bunker, S. Shaw, S. Westerdale, I.J. Arnquist, D.S. Akerib, and R. Calkins, et al. 2022. "Snowmass 2021 Cosmic Frontier White Paper: Calibrations and backgrounds for dark matter direct detection." PNNL-SA-174037. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
  • Grate J.W., I.J. Arnquist, E.W. Hoppe, M. Bliss, K. Harouaka, M. di Vacri, and S. Alcantar. 2021. "Mass spectrometric analyses of high performance polymers to assess their radiopurity as ultra low background materials for rare event physics detectors." Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment 985. PNNL-SA-148192. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2020.164685
  • Balogh L., C. Beaufort, R.A. Bunker, A. Brossard, J. Caron, M. Chapellier, and E.C. Corcoran, et al. 2021. "Copper Electroplating for Background Suppression in the NEWS-G Experiment." Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment 988. PNNL-SA-154978. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2020.164844
  • di Vacri M., I.J. Arnquist, S. Scorza, E.W. Hoppe, and J. Hall. 2021. "Direct method for the quantitative analysis of surface contamination on ultra-low background materials from exposure to dust." Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment 994. PNNL-SA-153509. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2021.165051
  • Wagenpfeil M., T. Ziegler, J. Schneider, A. Fieguth, M. Murra, D. Schulte, and L. Althueser, et al. 2021. "Reflectivity of VUV-sensitive silicon photomultipliers in liquid Xenon." Journal of Instrumentation 16, no. 8:Art. No. P08002. PNNL-SA-168659. doi:10.1088/1748-0221/16/08/P08002
  • Alkhatib I., D.W. Amaral, T. Aralis, T. Aramaki, I.J. Arnquist, I. Ataee Langroudy, and E. Azadbakht, et al. 2021. "Light Dark Matter Search with a High-Resolution Athermal Phonon Detector Operated Above Ground." Physical Review Letters 127, no. 6:061801. PNNL-SA-155137. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.061801
  • Alkhatib I., D.W. Amaral, T. Aralis, T. Aramaki, I.J. Arnquist, I. Ataee Langroudy, and E. Azadbakht, et al. 2021. "Constraints on Lightly Ionizing Particles from CDMSlite." Physical Review Letters 127, no. 8:081802. PNNL-SA-157645. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.081802
  • Harouaka K., C.J. Allen, E.J. Bylaska, R.M. Cox, G.C. Eiden, M. di Vacri, and E.W. Hoppe, et al. 2021. "Gas-phase ion-molecule interactions in a collision reaction cell with triple quadrupole-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry:: Investigations with N2O as the reaction gas." Spectrochimica Acta. Part B, Atomic Spectroscopy 186. PNNL-SA-158777. doi:10.1016/j.sab.2021.106309

2020

  • Lv P., G.F. Cao, L.J. Wen, S. Al Kharusi, G. Anton, I.J. Arnquist, and I. Badhrees, et al. 2020. "Reflectance of Silicon Photomultipliers at Vacuum Ultraviolet Wavelengths." IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science 67, no. 12:2501 - 2510. PNNL-SA-161071. doi:10.1109/TNS.2020.3035172
  • Amaral D.W., T. Aralis, T. Aramaki, I.J. Arnquist, E. Azadbakht, S. Banik, and D. Barker, et al. 2020. "Constraints on low-mass, relic dark matter candidates from a surface-operated SuperCDMS single-charge sensitive detector." Physical Review D 102, no. 9:091101(R). PNNL-SA-153681. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.102.091101
  • Njoya O., T. Tsang, M. Tarka, W. Fairbank, K.S. Kumar, T. Rao, and T. Wager, et al. 2020. "Measurements of electron transport in liquid and gas Xenon using a laser-driven photocathode." Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment 972. PNNL-SA-161070. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2020.163965
  • Arnquist I.J., M. di Vacri, and E.W. Hoppe. 2020. "An Automated Ultraclean Ion Exchange Separation Method for the Determinations of 232Th and 238U in Copper using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry." Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment 965. PNNL-SA-147955. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2020.163761
  • Arnquist I.J., C.L. Beck, M. di Vacri, K. Harouaka, and R.N. Saldanha. 2020. "Ultra-low radioactivity Kapton and copper-Kapton laminates." Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment 959. PNNL-SA-148130. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2020.163573
  • Aralis T., T. Aramaki, I.J. Arnquist, E. Azadbakht, W. Baker, S. Banik, and D. Barker, et al. 2020. "Constraints on dark photons and axionlike particles from the SuperCDMS Soudan experiment." Physical Review D 101, no. 5:Article No. 052008. PNNL-SA-150072. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.101.052008
  • Nakarmi P., I. Ostrovskiy, A.K. Soma, F. Retiere, S. Al Kharusi, M. Alfaris, and G. Anton, et al. 2020. "Reflectivity and PDE of VUV4 Hamamatsu SiPMs in liquid xenon." Journal of Instrumentation 15, no. 1:Art. No. P01019. PNNL-SA-172451. doi:10.1088/1748-0221/15/01/P01019

2019

  • Li Z., W.R. Cen, A. Robinson, D.C. Moore, L.J. Wen, A. Odian, and S. Al Kharusi, et al. 2019. "Simulation of charge readout with segmented tiles in nEXO." Journal of Instrumentation 14, no. 9:Art. No. P09020. PNNL-SA-173589. doi:10.1088/1748-0221/14/09/P09020
  • Arnquist I.J., E.W. Hoppe, M. Bliss, K. Harouaka, M. di Vacri, and J.W. Grate. 2019. "Mass Spectrometric Assay of High Radiopurity Solid Polymer Materials for Parts in Radiation and Rare Event Physics Detectors." Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. Section A, Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment 943. PNNL-SA-144425. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2019.162443
  • D’Archivio A.A., Di Vacri M.L., Ferrante M., Maggi M.A., Nisi S, Ruggieri F., “Geographical discrimination of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) using ICP-MS elemental data and class modeling of PDO Zafferano dell’Aquila produced in Abruzzo (Italy)” Food Analytical Methods (2019), 1-10

2018

  • CUORE collaboration, “First Results from CUORE: A Search for Lepton Number Violation via 0nbb Decay of 130Te” Physical review Letters 120, 132501 (2018)

2017

  • S. Nisi et al., “ICP-MS measurement of natural radioactivity at LNGS” International Journal of Modern Physics A, Vol. 32, No. 30 (2017) 1743003
  • M. Clemenza et al., “Development of a multi-analytical approach for the characterization of ancient Roman lead ingots” J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. (2017) 311:1495-1501