Fault Kinematic Modeling Along a Widely Deformed Plate Boundary in Southern Italy

Convergent plate boundaries are often characterized by widely deformed zones, where coexisting tectonic processes and variable fault kinematics can occur. Here, we quantify this variability along the Africa-Eurasia deformed boundary in southern Italy, based on the evaluation of geodetic strain rate by recent space geodesy observations and plate motions, which are integrated by main geometric properties of detected faults in the area. We propose a compilation of 160 known faults. We use numerical methods to predict fault kinematics and net slip rate, due to the geodetic deformation field with the inclusion of fault strain accommodation. The obtained tectonic setting is compared with the observable, showing a fault rake agreement of the 73%, which allows us to consider this approach potentially favorable to improve the knowledge of fault kinematics along diffuse plate boundaries, when fault properties are not directly available

A Cross-level Verification Methodology for Digital IPs Augmented with Embedded Timing Monitors

Smart systems implement the leading technology advances in the context of embedded devices. Current design methodologies are not suitable to deal with tightly interacting subsystems of different technological domains, namely analog, digital, discrete and power devices, MEMS and power sources. The interaction effects between the components and between the environment and the system must be modeled and simulated at system level to achieve high performance. Focusing on digital subsystem, additional design constraints have to be considered as a result of the integration of multi-domain subsystems in a single device. The main digital design challenges combined with those emerging from the heterogeneous nature of the whole system directly impact on performance, hence propagation delay, of the digital component. In this paper we propose a design approach to enhance the RTL model of a given digital component for the integration in smart systems, and a methodology to verify the added features at system-level. The design approach consists of ``augmenting'' the RTL model through the automatic insertion of delay sensors, which are capable of detecting and correcting timing failures. The verification methodology consists of an automatic flow of two steps. Firstly the augmented model is abstracted to system-level (i.e., SystemC TLM); secondly mutants, which are code mutations to emulate timing failures, are automatically injected into the abstracted model. Experimental results demonstrate the applicability of the proposed design and verification methodology and the effectiveness of the simulation performance

Light neutralino in the MSSM: An update with the latest LHC results

We discuss the scenario of light neutralino dark matter in the minimal supersymmetric standard model, which is motivated by the results of some of the direct detection experiments --- DAMA, CoGENT, and CRESST. We update our previous analysis with the latest results of the LHC. We show that new LHC constraints disfavour the parameter region that can reproduce the results of DAMA and CoGENT.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to appear in the conference proceedings of TAUP 2011, Munich Germany, 5-9 September 201

The ν\nu-cleus experiment: A gram-scale fiducial-volume cryogenic detector for the first detection of coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering

We discuss a small-scale experiment, called $\nu$-cleus, for the first detection of coherent neutrino-nucleus scattering by probing nuclear-recoil energies down to the 10 eV-regime. The detector consists of low-threshold CaWO$_4$ and Al$_2$O$_3$ calorimeter arrays with a total mass of about 10 g and several cryogenic veto detectors operated at millikelvin temperatures. Realizing a fiducial volume and a multi-element target, the detector enables active discrimination of $\gamma$, neutron and surface backgrounds. A first prototype Al$_2$O$_3$ device, operated above ground in a setup without shielding, has achieved an energy threshold of ${\sim20}$ eV and further improvements are in reach. A sensitivity study for the detection of coherent neutrino scattering at nuclear power plants shows a unique discovery potential (5$\sigma$) within a measuring time of ${\lesssim2}$ weeks. Furthermore, a site at a thermal research reactor and the use of a radioactive neutrino source are investigated. With this technology, real-time monitoring of nuclear power plants is feasible.Comment: 14 pages, 19 figure

The SciCryo Project and Cryogenic Scintillation of Al2O3Al_2O_3 for Dark Matter

International audienceWe discuss cryogenic scintillation of Al2O3. Room-temperature measurements with α particles are first carried out to study effect of Ti concentration on response. Measurements under X-rays between room temperature and 10 K confirm a doubling of light output. The integration of a scintillation-phonon detector into an ionization-phonon dark matter search is underway, and the quenching factor for neutrons has been verified