Image processing and analysis of radar and lidar data: new discoveries in Verona southern lowland (Italy)

ABSTRACTThis contribution proposes an evaluation of lidar and radar data processing and its potential in revealing archaeological features within a level plain environment, the southern lowland of Verona (Italy), focusing on evidences dating back to the Bronze Age. Many archaeological sites in the research area, including some of the most outstanding settlements of Terramare Culture, were identified or at least examined through aerial photo observation. Even if in several occasions modern agricultural activities contributed to the discoveries, bringing to the surface artifacts and scrapes of buried layers, this kind of impact has also been progressively deteriorating the archaeological record, hence the proto-historic landscape is now discernible through evanescent marks which cannot be always detected using customary optical sensors. Lidar and radar data analysis has then been considered as an alternative, non-invasive method of investigation on such a vast area

Archeologia predittiva e simulativa. Un approccio analitico e applicativo a predictive e Agent-Based modelling

Il presente progetto è focalizzato sull’impiego di una modellistica di tipo agenziale (Agent-Based-Modeling o AMB) applicata all’indagine dell’area centrale della cosìddetta polity terramaricola nordpadana. Il lavoro, che s’inserisce nell’ambito di ricerca del progetto AMPBV, è stato indirizzato all’investigazione, attraverso un approccio simulativo, delle modalità e dei principali fattori che possono aver portato le comunità protostoriche della Bassa Pianura Veronese, tra la fine del Bronzo Recente e gli inizi del Bronzo Finale, da un momento climax di massima espansione ed articolazione (socio-politica, economica e territoriale) ad un repentino collasso. Lo studio del caso ha portato alla formulazione di molteplici ipotesi, che a seconda dell’approccio hanno ricondotto, in misura differente, a processi di natura sia antropica che ambientale, e che è nell’idea di questo progetto esplorare. Con l’obiettivo di sperimentare l’Agent-Based Modeling (che negli ultimi anni ha trovato spazio, a livello internazionale, anche in ambito archeologico) nell’analisi di fenomeni complessi del passato, si sono quindi intrapresi sia uno studio della metodologia a livello teorico, sia la scrittura preliminare di codice informatico applicabile al caso di studio, che ha previsto un’attività pregressa di documentazione relativa al contesto e l’apprendimento di un linguaggio di programmazione dedicato (NetLogo). Il risultato è un modello agenziale ad alto livello di complessità, in cui è esplorato in particolar modo il rapporto tra insediamenti, risorse territoriali e clima, ma aperto ad ulteriori possibili idee di sviluppo. L’auspicio con la presente ricerca è, da un lato, di aprire il caso di studio a nuove possibilità di analisi e, dall’altro, contribuire in qualche modo e far conoscere meglio questo l’ABM, portando a maggiori riflessioni sulle sue potenzialità.The present project is focused on the use of an Agent-Based Modeling (AMB) applied to the investigation of the central area of the Terramare polity in the northern Po Plain. The work, which is part of the AMPBV project research, was aimed at the investigation, through a simulative approach, of the processess and the main phenomenon that may have led the protohistoric communities of the Southern Verona Lowlands, between the end of the Recent Bronze Age and the beginning of the Final Bronze Age, from a climax moment of maximum expansion and articulation (socio-political, economic and territorial) to a sudden collapse. The study of the case has stimulated the formulation of multiple hypotheses, which depending on the approach have led, to different degrees, to processes of both anthropogenic and environmental nature, and that it is the idea of this project to explore. With the aim of experimenting Agent-Based Modeling (which in recent years aroused some interest in archaeology, at least internatonally) as a mean of analysis of complex phenomena of the past, we have therefore undertaken both a study of the methodology at the theoretical level, and the preliminary writing of a computer code applicable to the case study, which required a previous activity of documentation related to the context and the learning of a dedicated programming language (NetLogo). The result is an agential model with a high level of complexity, in which is explored in particular the relationship between settlements, territorial resources and climate, but stays open to further possible development ideas. With the present research we hope, on the one hand, to open the case study to new possibilities of analysis and, on the other, to contribute in some way to make ABM better known, leading to some more thought on its potential

On the impact of large angle CMB polarization data on cosmological parameters

(abridged) We study the impact of the large-angle CMB polarization datasets publicly released by the WMAP and Planck satellites on the estimation of cosmological parameters of the $\Lambda$CDM model. To complement large-angle polarization, we consider the high-resolution CMB datasets from either WMAP or Planck, as well as CMB lensing as traced by Planck. In the case of WMAP, we compute the large-angle polarization likelihood starting over from low-resolution frequency maps and their covariance matrices, and perform our own foreground mitigation technique, which includes as a possible alternative Planck 353 GHz data to trace polarized dust. We find that the latter choice induces a downward shift in the optical depth $\tau$, of order ~$2\sigma$, robust to the choice of the complementary high-l dataset. When the Planck 353 GHz is consistently used to minimize polarized dust emission, WMAP and Planck 70 GHz large-angle polarization data are in remarkable agreement: by combining them we find $\tau = 0.066 ^{+0.012}_{-0.013}$, again very stable against the particular choice for high-$\ell$ data. We find that the amplitude of primordial fluctuations $A_s$, notoriously degenerate with $\tau$, is the parameter second most affected by the assumptions on polarized dust removal, but the other parameters are also affected, typically between $0.5$ and $1\sigma$. In particular, cleaning dust with \planck's 353 GHz data imposes a $1\sigma$ downward shift in the value of the Hubble constant $H_0$, significantly contributing to the tension reported between CMB based and direct measurements of $H_0$. On the other hand, we find that the appearance of the so-called low $\ell$ anomaly, a well-known tension between the high- and low-resolution CMB anisotropy amplitude, is not significantly affected by the details of large-angle polarization, or by the particular high-$\ell$ dataset employed.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figures, 3 table

Early evolution of galaxies and of large-scale structure from CMB experiments

Next generation CMB experiments with arcmin resolution will, for free, lay the foundations for a real breakthrough on the study of the early evolution of galaxies and galaxy clusters, thanks to the detection of large samples of strongly gravitationally lensed galaxies and of proto-clusters of dusty galaxies up to high redshifts. This has an enormous legacy value. High resolution follow-up of strongly lensed galaxies will allow the direct investigation of their structure and kinematics up to z~6, providing direct information on physical processes driving their evolution. Follow-up of proto-clusters will allow an observational validation of the formation history of the most massive dark matter halos up to z~4, well beyond the redshift range accessible via X-ray or SZ measurements. These experiments will also allow a giant leap forward in the determination of polarization properties of extragalactic sources, and will provide a complete census of cold dust available for star formation in the local universe.Comment: Science white paper submitted to the Astro2020 US Decadal Surve

Radio sources in next-generation CMB surveys

CMB surveys provide, for free, blindly selected samples of extragalactic radio sources at much higher frequencies than traditional radio surveys. Next-generation, ground-based CMB experiments with arcmin resolution at mm wavelengths will provide samples of thousands radio sources allowing the investigation of the evolutionary properties of blazar populations, the study of the earliest and latest stages of radio activity, the discovery of rare phenomena and of new transient sources and events. Space-borne experiments will extend to sub-mm wavelengths the determinations of the SEDs of many hundreds of blazars, in temperature and in polarization, allowing us to investigate the flow and the structure of relativistic jets close to their base, and the electron acceleration mechanisms. A real breakthrough will be achieved in the caracterization of the polarization properties. The first direct counts in polarization will be obtained, enabling a solid assessment of the extra-galactic source contamination of CMB maps and allowing us to understand structure and intensity of magnetic fields, particle densities and structures of emitting regions close to the base of the jet.Comment: Science white paper submitted to the Astro2020 US Decadal Surve

Recent results and perspectives on cosmology and fundamental physics from microwave surveys

Recent cosmic microwave background data in temperature and polarization have reached high precision in estimating all the parameters that describe the current so-called standard cosmological model. Recent results about the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect from cosmic microwave background anisotropies, galaxy surveys, and their cross-correlations are presented. Looking at fine signatures in the cosmic microwave background, such as the lack of power at low multipoles, the primordial power spectrum and the bounds on non-Gaussianities, complemented by galaxy surveys, we discuss inflationary physics and the generation of primordial perturbations in the early Universe. Three important topics in particle physics, the bounds on neutrinos masses and parameters, on thermal axion mass and on the neutron lifetime derived from cosmological data are reviewed, with attention to the comparison with laboratory experiment results. Recent results from cosmic polarization rotation analyses aimed at testing the Einstein equivalence principle are presented. Finally, we discuss the perspectives of next radio facilities for the improvement of the analysis of future cosmic microwave background spectral distortion experiments.Comment: 27 pages, 9 figures. Review Article. International Journal of Modern Physics D, in press. [Will appear also on the proceedings of the Fourteenth Marcel Grossmann Meeting University of Rome "La Sapienza" - Rome, July 12-18, 2015 (http://www.icra.it/mg/mg14/), eds. Robert T. Jantzen, Kjell Rosquist, Remo Ruffini. World Scientific, Singapore

Extragalactic astrophysics with next-generation CMB experiments

Planck, SPT, and ACT surveys have clearly demonstrated that Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) experiments, while optimized for cosmological measurements, have made important contributions to the field of extragalactic astrophysics in the last decade. Future CMB experiments have the potential to make even greater contributions. One example is the detection of high-z galaxies with extreme gravitational amplifications. The combination of flux boosting and of stretching of the images has allowed the investigation of the structure of galaxies at z ≃ 3 with the astounding spatial resolution of about 60 pc. Another example is the detection of proto-clusters of dusty galaxies at high z when they may not yet possess the hot intergalactic medium allowing their detection in X-rays or via the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect. Next generation CMB experiments, like PICO, CORE, CMB-Bharat from space and Simons Observatory and CMB-S4 from the ground, will discover several thousands of strongly lensed galaxies out to z ~ 6 or more and of galaxy proto-clusters caught in the phase when their member galaxies where forming the bulk of their stars. They will also detect tens of thousands of local dusty galaxies and thousands of radio sources at least up to z ≃ 5. Moreover they will measure the polarized emission of thousands of radio sources and of dusty galaxies at mm/sub-mm wavelengths

Early evolution of galaxies and of large-scale structure from CMB experiments

Next generation CMB experiments with arcmin resolution will, for free, lay the foundations for a real breakthrough on the study of the early evolution of galaxies and galaxy clusters, thanks to the detection of large samples of strongly gravitationally lensed galaxies and of proto-clusters of dusty galaxies up to high redshifts. This has an enormous legacy value. High resolution follow-up of strongly lensed galaxies will allow the direct investigation of their structure and kinematics up to z~6, providing direct information on physical processes driving their evolution. Follow-up of proto-clusters will allow an observational validation of the formation history of the most massive dark matter halos up to z~4, well beyond the redshift range accessible via X-ray or SZ measurements. These experiments will also allow a giant leap forward in the determination of polarization properties of extragalactic sources, and will provide a complete census of cold dust available for star formation in the local universe