1,864 research outputs found
Experimental Characterization of Ionic Polymer Metal Composite as a Novel Fractional Order Element
Ionic polymer metal composites (IPMCs) are electroactive materials made of ionic polymer thin membranes with platinum metallization on their surfaces. They are interesting materials due to not only their electromechanical applications as transducers but also to their electrochemical features and the relationship between the ionic/solvent current and the potential field. Their electrochemical properties thus suggest the possibility for exploiting them as compact fractional-order elements (FOEs) with a view of defining fabrication processes and production strategies that assure the desired performances. In this paper, the experimental electrical characterization of a brand new IPMC setup in a fixed sandwich configuration is proposed. Two IPMC devices with different platinum absorption times (5 h and 20 h) are characterized through experimental data: first, a preliminary linearity study is performed for a fixed input voltage amplitude in order to determine the frequency region where IPMC can be approximated as linear; then, a frequency analysis is carried out in order to identify a coherent fractional-order dynamics in the bode diagrams. Such analyses take the first steps towards a simplified model of IPMC as a compact electronic FOE for which the fractional exponent value depends on fabrication parameters as the absorption time
On-going and future research at the Sulcis site in Sardinia, Italy. Characterization and experimentation at a possible future CCS pilot
National Italian funding has recently been allocated for the construction of a 350 MWe coal-fired power plant / CCS
demonstration plant in the Sulcis area of SW Sardinia, Italy. In addition, the recently approved EC-funded ENOS project
(ENabling Onshore CO2 Storage in Europe) will use the Sulcis site as one of its main field research laboratories. Site
characterization is already ongoing, and work has begun to design gas injection experiments at 100-200 m depth in a fault. This
article gives an overview of results to date and plans for the future from the Sapienza University of Rome research group
Preliminary results of geological characterization and geochemical monitoring of Sulcis Basin (Sardinia), as a potential CCS site
The Sulcis Basin is an area situated in SW Sardinia (Italy) and is a potential site for the development of CCS in Italy. This paper illustrates the preliminary results of geological characterization of fractured carbonate reservoir (Miliolitico Fm.) and the sealing sequence, composed by clay, marl and volcanic rocks, with a total thickness of more than 900 m. To characterize the reservoircaprock system an extensive structural-geological survey at the outcrop was conducted. It was also performed a study of the geochemical monitoring, to define the baseline conditions, measuring CO2 concentrations and flux in the study site
Neutron irradiation test on ATLAS MDT chambers
Abstract The Monitored Drift Tubes (MDT) chambers of the ATLAS muon spectrometer are crucial for the identification of high-momentum final-state muons, which represent very promising and robust signatures of physics at the LHC. They will operate in a high rate and high background environment and therefore their performances should not significantly degrade for the whole ATLAS data taking. The maximum expected total flux, mainly consisting of neutrons and photons in the MeV range, is of the order of 5 kHz/cm 2 for the barrel MDTs, while at SLHC, with machine working at higher luminosity, fluxes can be 10 times higher. To test detector robustness, a MDT test chamber was exposed to intensive neutron irradiation at the TAPIRO ENEA-Casaccia Research Center facility
Continuous monitoring of natural CO2 emissions near Rome: lessons for low-level CO2 leakage detection
Continuous monitoring has been carried out at a fluvial flood-plain site near Rome for over a year. There is a mix of biogenic CO2 and deep geogenic CO2 at the site at relatively low concentrations and fluxes compared with other natural CO2 seepage sites studied previously. Factors such as temperature and soil moisture clearly affect the CO2 concentration and flux and seasonal and diurnal influences are apparent. Statistical approaches are being used to try to define these relationships and separate out the two gas components, which would be necessary in any quantification of leakage from CO2 storage
Frequency and type of domestic injuries among children during COVID-19 lockdown: what changes from the past? An Italian multicentre cohort study
: Accidents are the main cause of injury in children, more than half events happen at home. Aims of this study were to assess if SARS-CoV-2 lockdown influence emergency department (ED) visits due to children domestic accident (DAs) and to identify factors associated with hospitalization. This was a multicentre, observational, and retrospective cohort study involving 16 EDs in Italy and enrolling children (3-13 years) receiving a visit in ED during March-June 2019 and March-June 2020. Risk factors for hospitalization were identified by logistic regression models. In total, 8860 ED visits due to domestic accidents in children occurred before (4380) and during (4480) lockdown, with a mean incidence of DA of 5.6% in 2019 and 17.9% in 2020 (p < 0.001) (IRR: 3.16; p < 0.001). The risk of hospitalization was influenced by the type of occurred accident, with fourfold higher for poisoning and twofold lower risk for stab-wound ones. In addition, a higher risk was reported for lockdown period vs 2019 (OR: 1.9; p < 0.001), males (OR: 1.4; p < 0.001), and it increased with age (OR: 1.1; p < 0.001). Conclusions: The main limitation of this study is the retrospective collection of data, available only for patients who presented at the hospital. This does highlight possible differences in the total number of incidents that truly occurred. In any case, the COVID-19 lockdown had a high impact on the frequency of DAs and on hospitalization. A public health campaign aimed at caregivers would be necessary to minimize possible risks at home. What is Known: • In Italy, domestic accidents are the second leading cause of paediatric mortality after cancer. • During the first SARS-CoV-2 lockdown in 2020, a sharp decrease in the total number of Emergency Departments visits for all causes was observed, both in children and in adults. What is New: • During the first SARS-CoV-2 lockdown in 2020, domestic accidents involving children increased threefold from the previous year. • Higher risk of hospitalization was showed in minors accessing during 2020 vs 2019, in males than in females and it increased with advancing age. Considering the type of injury, a significant higher risk of hospitalization for poisoning was observed
The Italian Earthquakes and Tsunami Monitoring and Surveillance Systems
The Osservatorio Nazionale Terremoti (ONT) is the Italian seismic operational centre for monitoring earthquake, it is part of Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) the largest Italian research institution, with focus in Earth Sciences.
INGV runs the Italian National Seismic Network (network code IV) and other networks at national scale for monitoring earthquakes and tsunami. INGV is a primary node of European Integrated Data Archive (EIDA) for archiving and distributing, continuous, quality checked seismic waveforms (strong motion and weak motion recordings). ONT designed the data acquisition system to accomplish, in near-real-time, automatic earthquake detection, hypocentre and magnitude determination and evaluation of moment tensors, shake maps and other products. Database archiving of all parametric results are closely linked to the existing procedures of the INGV seismic monitoring environment and surveillance procedures.
ONT organize the Italian earthquake surveillance service and the tsunami alert service (INGV is Tsunami Service Provider of the ICG/NEAM for the entire Mediterranean basin). We provide information to the Dipartimento di Protezione Civile (DPC) and to several Mediterranean countries.
Earthquakes information are revised routinely by the analysts of the Italian Seismic Bulletin. The results are published on the web and are available to the scientific community and the general public.PublishedMontreal1SR TERREMOTI - Sorveglianza Sismica e Allerta Tsunam
Measurement of {\eta} meson production in {\gamma}{\gamma} interactions and {\Gamma}({\eta}-->{\gamma}{\gamma}) with the KLOE detector
We present a measurement of {\eta} meson production in photon-photon
interactions produced by electron-positron beams colliding with \sqrt{s}=1 GeV.
The measurement is done with the KLOE detector at the \phi-factory DA{\Phi}NE
with an integrated luminosity of 0.24 fb^{-1}. The e^+e^- --> e^+e^-{\eta}
cross section is measured without detecting the outgoing electron and positron,
selecting the decays {\eta}-->{\pi}^+{\pi}^-{\pi}^0 and
{\eta}-->{\pi}^0{\pi}^0{\pi}^0. The most relevant background is due to e^+e^-
--> {\eta}{\gamma} when the monochromatic photon escapes detection. The cross
section for this process is measured as {\sigma}(e^+e^- -->{\eta}{\gamma}) =
(856 \pm 8_{stat} \pm 16_{syst}) pb. The combined result for the e^+e^-
-->e^+e^-{\eta} cross section is {\sigma}(e^+e^- -->e^+e^-{\eta}) = (32.72 \pm
1.27_{stat} \pm 0.70_{syst}) pb. From this we derive the partial width
{\Gamma}({\eta}-->{\gamma}{\gamma}) = (520 \pm 20_{stat} \pm 13_{syst}) eV.
This is in agreement with the world average and is the most precise measurement
to date.Comment: Version accepted by JHE
A new limit on the CP violating decay KS -> 3pi0 with the KLOE experiment
We have carried out a new direct search for the CP violating decay KS -> 3pi0
with 1.7 fb^-1 of e+e- collisions collected by the KLOE detector at the
phi-factory DAFNE. We have searched for this decay in a sample of about 5.9 x
10^8 KS KL events tagging the KS by means of the KL interaction in the
calorimeter and requiring six prompt photons. With respect to our previous
search, the analysis has been improved by increasing of a factor four the
tagged sample and by a more effective background rejection of fake KS tags and
spurious clusters. We find no candidates in data and simulated background
samples, while we expect 0.12 standard model events. Normalizing to the number
of KS -> 2pi0 events in the same sample, we set the upper limit on BR(KS ->
3pi0 < 2.6 x 10^-8 at 90% C.L., five times lower than the previous limit. We
also set the upper limit on the eta_000 parameter, |eta_000 | < 0.0088 at 90%
C.L., improving by a factor two the latest direct measurement.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physics Letters B (15 pages, 13 figures
Measurement of \Gamma(\eta -> \pi^+\pi^-\gamma)/\Gamma(\eta -> \pi^+\pi^-\pi^0) with the KLOE Detector
The ratio R_{\eta}=\Gamma(\eta -> \pi^+\pi^-\gamma)/\Gamma(\eta ->
\pi^+\pi^-\pi^0) has been measured by analyzing 22 million \phi \to \eta \gamma
decays collected by the KLOE experiment at DA\PhiNE, corresponding to an
integrated luminosity of 558 pb^{-1}. The \eta \to \pi^+\pi^-\gamma proceeds
both via the \rho resonant contribution, and possibly a non-resonant direct
term, connected to the box anomaly. Our result, R_{\eta}= 0.1856\pm
0.0005_{stat} \pm 0.0028_{syst}, points out a sizable contribution of the
direct term to the total width. The di-pion invariant mass for the \eta ->
\pi^+\pi^-\gamma decay could be described in a model-independent approach in
terms of a single free parameter, \alpha. The determined value of the parameter
\alpha is \alpha = (1.32 \pm 0.08_{stat} +0.10/-0.09_{syst}\pm 0.02_{theo})
GeV^{-2}Comment: Paper in press, accepted by PL
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