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The reactor antineutrino anomaly and sterile neutrinos
No full textFrom the discovery of the neutrino to the measurement of the last of the neutrino mixing parameters, nuclear reactors have proved indispensable in the study of these particles, of which much remains to be unveiled. Recent and past
measurements using reactor neutrinos rely on the prediction of their spectrum, a non-trivial exercise involving ad hoc methods and carefully selected assumptions. A discrepancy between predicted and measured fluxes at a short distance from reactors, known as reactor antineutrino anomaly, arose in 2011, prompting the birth of new experiments aiming to study neutrino oscillation at a very short baseline. Such
anomaly can be in fact explained invoking the existence of a new sterile neutrino at the eV mass scale that participate in the neutrino mixing, an enticing hypothesis that ties to other anomalies already observed in the neutrino sector and opens a door for physics beyond the Standard Model. This article presents an overview of the most recent experimental results on the search for reactor neutrino oscillation at very short baseline, and their implication in our current understanding of the reactor antineutrino anomaly and the sterile neutrino hypothesis
Report on adoption, customization and implementation D 5.1
Get PDFThis report discusses the adoption and customization strategy and its implementation, following a design thinking logic. The adoption and customization strategy aims to make the Decision Support System (DSS) ready to be adopted by the target groups. In the context of the OptFor-EU project, D.4.1 defines Decision Support Systems (DSS) as computer-based tools which provide support to solve ill-structured decision problems by integrating database management systems with analytical and operational research models, graphic display, tabular reporting capabilities, and the expert knowledge of scientists, managers, and decision makers to assist in specific decision-making activities. This task supports the customization of the DSS to cover different needs and regional differences identified by forest managers from the Case study area (CSA, see deliverable 3.1). Using a Lean Startup approach we address requirements from a variety of forests, including managed, unmanaged, forest types, climate, production, etc. These requirements will provide input for the design and development of the DSS (WP4), in the form of a set of scenario templates. The forest managers will co-create these templates in cooperation with WP4. Lean Startup relies on the early involvement of users, in this case, forest managers.
This deliverable has two parts, one theoretical (sections 2 and 3), forming a background for the activities and contributing towards a common theoretical basis for adoption and user-involvement in OptFor-EU, and as theoretical input to academic papers from OptFor-EU related to user involvement, co-creation and adoption of the DSS. Part two (section 4) is more practical, with a set of activities that will contribute to development of the front-end of the DSS in T4.4 (the dashboard visual interface), and also provide input for T4.2 and T4.3. Part one (Sections 2 and 3) present the theoretical background for user involvement and adoption processes in systems development projects. Section 2 describes the lean startup methodology and design thinking, as the foundation for co-creation of the DSS. This section describes relevant concepts and steps of user-centered systems development projects. Section 3 focuses on adoption of technological systems and provides a theoretical overview and background for the user involvement plan. Section 4 presents the strategy for user involvement activities in the case studies. Here we outline user-involvement and adoption activities to be conducted at various stages of the DSS development process, activities which will provide input for WP4 when developing the DSS. This deliverable complements deliverable 3.1 (stakeholder engagement plan) by focusing on systems development and user engagement activities relevant for design and implementation of the decision-support system (DSS). These user involvement activities build on deliverable 4.1 (DSS system architecture) and provide input to DSS design activities. The output of the activities presented in section 4 will inform task 4.4 (dashboard visual interface)
Digital technologies and the archaeological topography of Castellito (Sicily): the reconstruction of a Roman villa
Get PDFThis paper presents the results of the research undertaken through a series of on-site surveys and studies (2019-2022) of the site of Castellito di Ramacca (Catania, Sicily). The site, located on the top of a low hill (106 msl), was partly excavated in the late 20th century and interpreted as a Roman rural building, possibly with a special function (road station). Its name is also attested in ancient sources (Capitoniana). The site was re-evaluated using various non-destructive prospecting methods (aerial photogrammetry, fieldwalking survey, architectural recording), precise location with RTK GNSS and integration of the legacy data in GIS. This approach confirmed a new addition to the already known villa complex and contextualized it as a focal point of the rural settlement system. Based on the topographical data obtained from the survey campaign, conducted by integrating of different techniques, we propose a reconstruction of the villa's elevation at its peak in Late Antiquity. This study illustrates the great potential of applying digital technologies for a new understanding of Roman villa remains
Legacy imagery, continuous satellite monitoring and targeted drone surveys for the study of deserted medieval fortified settlements in the hinterland of Ravenna, Italy
Get PDFThe nucleation of the rural population was a widespread phenomenon during the Middle Ages that interested many areas of Western Europe. However, many of these sites are now deserted with the underlying phenomena causing these abandonments not always easy to reconstruct. Archaeologists have been interested in these medieval settlements since the middle of the 19th century, and remote sensing has played a decisive role in mapping hundreds of them. This also applies to many parts of the Po Valley but not the Romagna plain, where hundreds of medieval sites are known but almost exclusively based on written sources. However, the increasing availability of aerial and satellite images offers a valuable opportunity to bridge this knowledge gap. The systematic study of legacy images allowed the mapping of new defensive elements and reconstruction of the general plan of six deserted medieval fortified settlements in the broader hinterland of Ravenna. PlanetScope 3m resolution images were later exploited to continuously monitor these sites during periods prone to crop marks formation to detect the presence of wide crop/soil marks (e.g. ditches). Six successful field verifications demonstrate that these coarse images are sufficient to plan drone surveys that can allow the mapping of additional smaller features
Verso la tecnologia 6G per i luoghi della cultura
Get PDFConsidering the remarkable historical,
artistic, monumental, demoethno-
anthropological, archaeological,
archival and national library
heritage, in order to improve the
management and safety of places of
culture, it becomes essential to focus
attention on the new 6G technology
which will allow the fusion of digital
world with the physical world capable
of transmitting huge amounts
of data and information in seconds.
The places of culture (archaeological
areas, archaeological parks, museums,
monuments, archives, libraries),
like other built places, thanks
to 6G technology and its flexibility,
versatility, sustainability, reliability,
will be able to become completely
interconnected
Progetto CELAVIE: la stazione agrometeorologica
Get PDFScopo del presente report tecnico è la presentazione della stazione agrometeorologica allestita nell’ambito del progetto CELAVIE, programma di Cooperazione transfrontaliera Italia-Tunisia e ubicata presso il centro di sperimentazione della “cellula per la vita”. La stazione acquisisce dati utili allo studio dell’ambiente esterno, del terreno circostante e dell’ambiente interno alla cellula.
Oltre alcune informazioni tecniche della strumentazione e le coordinate geografiche è descritta la configurazione scelta, le caratteristiche dei sensori delle grandezze misurate e i parametri derivati dagli stessi
Le mafie italiane nel cyberspazio: nuova frontiera o terreno di sperimentazione?
Get PDFLo studio e l’interesse per il fenomeno mafioso sono all’origine di questo contributo, che nasce dalla curiosità di approfondire la diffusione a livello mediatico e istituzionale di informazioni non sempre corroborate da prove incontrovertibili sulla presenza online delle mafie italiane. L’interesse è pertanto motivato dalla volontà di comprendere se la capacità di adattamento al mutamento sociale delle mafie endogene si riverberi e con quali effetti nel cyberspazio. Questa breve riflessione sul tema, che si avvale del contributo della letteratura e dell’apporto di alcune recenti indagini, non vuole né
può certamente essere esaustiva anche per la natura stessa dei fenomeni presi in esame, ma intende rappresentare
un’istantanea in vista di ulteriori approfondimenti
Virtual RTI application on 3D model for documentation of ancient graffiti: proposal of a methodology for complex archaeological sites
Get PDFIn the field of Cultural Heritage, the technological advances of recent years have enriched and optimised the possibility of documenting and studying ancient graffiti with a wide range of low-cost and non-invasive methodologies. The most popular are digital photogrammetry SfM (Structure from Motion) and RTI (Reflectance Transformation Imaging) methodologies. The RTI is a powerful tool that, through the use of open source software, enables the documentation of data that are difficult to visualise, facilitating the recognition of traces and marks on the surface of objects. On the other hand, the SfM 3D models are increasingly replacing documentation with traditional photographs. This almost excessive production of three-dimensional models is not often accompanied by an adequate exploitation of all their potential uses. This research aims to investigate the possibility of using a high-resolution 3D model for the implementation of virtual RTI processing, a hybrid method that combines 3D, virtual manipulation and 2D technologies in a fast and intuitive workflow suitable for the documentation of a wide range of archaeological monuments. The process sees the 3D model from the SfM survey being illuminated and photographed in a virtual dome in the open source Blender environment; therefore, the images generated are processed with RTI Builder software
Entangled research methods for the building of coherent conceptual thematic learning paths and connecting research with praxis
Get PDFIn this work we present our content-research studies aimed at identifying conceptual learning pathways in physics for students of different ages and for teacher education in the 30 years of research of the Udine Physics Education Research Unit (UPERU). They are based on the Model of Educational Reconstruction (MER) revisited by focusing on disciplinary fundamental concepts of the selected topic, aiming at conceptual change with respect to the knots that differentiate common sense from scientific ideas. Learning trajectories are sought in the pathways, with tools, strategies and methods studied for the purpose. The research involves analysis of learning processes using mixed methods. Contexts are scholastic and university ones, as well as formal and non-formal, like the Games Experiments Ideas (GEI) exhibition or theaters. Attention is paid to the disciplinary content and methods that establish physics, in epistemological terms, within a basic culture and in teacher education, with specific studies on the guidance and construction of active citizenship and university teaching innovation. The topics covered are classical physics, quantum mechanics, optical, atomic, nuclear and gamma spectroscopy, relativistic dynamics and superconductivity. For teacher education, the Metacultural-Experiential-Design-Situated (MEDS) model was developed with 20 years of experimentation
The Italian National Repository and Technology Park
Get PDFItaly has produced electricity from nuclear source for several years starting from the first half of the 1960s, with 4 Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) based on 4 different technologies. These plants phased out for a political decision after a referendum held in 1987. After an initial indecision on how to find the best solutions for decommissioning and disposals, between the end of the 90s and the early 2000s Italy adopted an institutional framework for these tasks, with the strategies of immediate dismantling and realisation of a near-surface repository for Very Low Level Waste (VLLW) and Low and Intermediate Level Waste (LILW). In 2010, a law was approved (Legislative Decree 31/2010) which foresees a decision-making process with a mixed-mode approach, based on expressions of interest within a map of suitable areas, and the decision to realise the National Repository together with a Technological Park. The latter is intended to host activities necessary for both the Repository and the complementary ones. These procedures, which confirm a general European evolution to favour shared decisions and projects that foster added value for concerned territories, represent an opportunity both in involving a wide range of stakeholders and in promoting development of technological research. Indeed, the Technology Park will be able to attract public and private investments, with the aim of developing activities with a high and innovative technological content, able of creating a centre of national excellence in this field, open to international cooperation