Monsignor Luigi Biraghi e i falsi di Cernusco

We present here some reflections on an inscription from Cernusco sul Naviglio (Milan) discovered by Monsignor Luigi Biraghi in 1849 and published by Mommsen among the falsae in CIL V 664*. This paper stems from the discovery of some private and unpublished letters by Biraghi that we consulted at the Archive of the Quadronno Institute of the Sisters of St. Marcellina in Milan. This correspondence informs us of Biraghi\u2019s personal and professional relationships with other mid-19th century classical scholars. The analysis of these documents will shed some light on the harsh judgment that Mommsen (along with others) expressed on Biraghi regarding some inscriptions that he had discovered in the Ager Mediolanensis

Super-heavy fermion material as metallic refrigerant for adiabatic demagnetization cooling

Low-temperature refrigeration is of crucial importance in fundamental research of condensed matter physics, as the investigations of fascinating quantum phenomena, such as superconductivity, superfluidity and quantum criticality, often require refrigeration down to very low temperatures. Currently, cryogenic refrigerators with $^3$He gas are widely used for cooling below 1 Kelvin. However, usage of the gas is being increasingly difficult due to the current world-wide shortage. Therefore, it is important to consider alternative methods of refrigeration. Here, we show that a new type of refrigerant, super-heavy electron metal, YbCo$_2$Zn$_{20}$, can be used for adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration, which does not require 3He gas. A number of advantages includes much better metallic thermal conductivity compared to the conventional insulating refrigerants. We also demonstrate that the cooling performance is optimized in Yb$_{1-x}$Sc$_x$Co$_2$Zn$_{20}$ by partial Sc substitution with $x\sim$0.19. The substitution induces chemical pressure which drives the materials close to a zero-field quantum critical point. This leads to an additional enhancement of the magnetocaloric effect in low fields and low temperatures enabling final temperatures well below 100 mK. Such performance has up to now been restricted to insulators. Since nearly a century the same principle of using local magnetic moments has been applied for adiabatic demagnetization cooling. This study opens new possibilities of using itinerant magnetic moments for the cryogen-free refrigeration

Lineamenti per una storia della critica della falsificazione epigrafica

This article offers the first comprehensive investigation of the history of scholarship related to epigraphic forgeries. Fake inscriptions were already produced in Antiquity and throughout the Middle Ages, but their number began to rise dramatically from the Renaissance onwards. By the mid-1500s, scholars became attentive of the risks of using fake sources for antiquarian purposes, while in the 17th and 18th centuries they started isolating forged or suspect texts within specific sections of their new epigraphic corpora. Tentative sets of criteria for isolating non-genuine inscriptions were first identified by Scipione Maffei around 1720, but an actual epistemology for epigraphic criticism was only developed by Theodor Mommsen and his collaborators in the mid-1800s. Since then, most corpora and critical editions have, often implicitly, followed their scientific principles. Current scholars should be well aware of them, because they can present both considerable rewards and serious shortcomings

Neither amateurs nor professionals: The status of Greek Athletes

The aim of this chapter is to question whether it is reasonable to apply the labels "amateurs" or "professionals" to Ancient Olympics, whether they fit the specific features of ancient athletics, and whether they are useful tools or mere obstacles for an understanding of the ancient phenomena. This article argues that neither of the two terms helps in understanding the social reality of ancient athletes

Examples of Medieval Construction Techniques in the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano

Il saggio affronta due distinte fasi della basilica di S. Giovanni, l'aggiunta del portico di Sergio II nel IX secolo e le trasformazioni del transetto e delle sue testate alla fine del XIII secolo dal punto di vista delle tecniche costruttive impiegate. I risultati permettono di ricostruire meglio la prima, oggi distrutta, e di datare con maggior precisione la seconda, attribuibile al pontificato di Nicola IV