A multiwavelength view of BL Lacs neutrino candidates

The discovery of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos by IceCube kicked off a new line of research to identify the electromagnetic counterparts producing these neutrinos. Among the extragalactic sources, active galactic nuclei (AGN), and in particular Blazars, are promising candidate neutrino emitters. Their structure, with a relativistic jet pointing to the Earth, offers a natural accelerator of particles and for this reason a perfect birthplace of high energy neutrinos. A good characterisation of the spectral energy distribution (SED) of these sources can improve the understanding of the physical composition of the source and the emission processes involved. Starting from our previous works in which we assumed a correlation between the $\gamma$-ray and the neutrino flux of the BL Lacs of the 2FHL catalogue (detected by Fermi above 50GeV), we select those BL Lac in spatial correlation with the IceCube events. We obtain a sample of 7 sources and we start an observational campaign to have a better characterisation of the synchrotron peak. During the analysis of the data a new source has been added because of its position inside the angular uncertainty of a muon track event detected by IceCube. This source, namely TXS0506+056, was in a high-state during the neutrino event and we will consider it as benchmark to check the proprieties of the other sources of the sample during the related neutrino detection. We obtain a better characterisation of the SED for the sources of our sample. A prospective extreme Blazar, a very peculiar low synchrotron peak (LSP) source with a large separation of the two peaks and a \textit{twin} of TXS0506+056 come up. We also provide the $\gamma$-ray light curve to check the trend of the sources around the neutrino detection but no clears patterns are in common among the sources.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, accepted to MNRA

Neutrino emission from BL Lac objects: the role of radiatively inefficient accretion flows

The origin of the astrophysical high-energy neutrinos discovered by IceCube is currently a major mystery. The recent detection of IceCube-170922A, a $\sim$300 TeV neutrino potentially correlated with the flaring $\gamma$-ray source TXS 0506+056, directs attention toward BL Lac objects (BL Lacs), the subclass of blazars with weak emission lines. While high-energy neutrinos can be produced via photohadronic interactions between protons accelerated in their jets and ambient low-energy photons, the density of the latter in such objects had generally been thought to be too low for efficient neutrino emission. Here we consider the role of radiatively inefficient accretion flows (RIAFs), which can plausibly exist in the nuclei of BL Lacs, as the source of target photons for neutrino production. Based on simple model prescriptions for the spectra of RIAFs at different accretion rates, we find that they can be sufficienly intense to allow appreciable neutrino emission for the class of low-synchrotron-peak BL Lacs such as TXS 0506+056. In constrast, for high-synchrotron-peak BL Lacs including Mkn 421 and Mkn 501, the contribution of RIAFs is subdominant and their neutrino production efficiency can remain low, consistent with their non-detection by IceCube to date.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, accepted to MNRAS as Lette

High-energy neutrinos from FR0 radio-galaxies?

The sources responsible for the emission of high-energy ($\gtrsim$ 100 TeV) neutrinos detected by IceCube are still unknown. Among the possible candidates, active galactic nuclei with relativistic jets are often examined, since the outflowing plasma seems to offer the ideal environment to accelerate the required parent high-energy cosmic rays. The non-detection of single point sources or -- almost equivalently -- the absence, in the IceCube events, of multiplets originating from the same sky position, constrains the cosmic density and the neutrino output of these sources, pointing to a numerous population of faint sources. Here we explore the possibility that FR0 radiogalaxies, the population of compact sources recently identified in large radio and optical surveys and representing the bulk of radio-loud AGN population, can represent suitable candidates for neutrino emission. Modeling the spectral energy distribution of a FR0 radiogalaxy recently associated to a $\gamma$-ray source detected by the Large Area Telescope onboard Fermi, we derive the physical parameters of its jet, in particular the power carried by it. We consider the possible mechanisms of neutrino production, concluding that $p\gamma$ reactions in the jet between protons and ambient radiation is too inefficient to sustain the required output. We propose an alternative scenario, in which protons, accelerated in the jet, escape from it and diffuse in the host galaxy, producing neutrinos as a result of $pp$ scattering with the interstellar gas, in strict analogy with the processes taking place in star-forming galaxies.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

The onset of thermal convection in an infinite Prandtl number, variable viscosity, compressible Earth's mantle by the mean-field approximation

The values of the Rayleigh number critical for the onset of Thermal instability in an infinite Prandtl number, compressible Earth’s mantle are determined against the aspect ratio (the ratio between the width and the depth of the cell) for constant and for pressure- and temperature-dependent viscosity. The procedure adopted follows the experimental approach which determines the critical Rayleigh number as the value at which the heat flux across the fluid exceeds the conductive one. We solve the single-mode mean-field equations for the conservation of mass, momentum and energy and evaluate the Nusselt number, i.e. the ratio between the actual heat transfer and the heat which would be transported only by conduction. The value of the Rayleigh number for which the Nusselt number exceeds unity can be identified as the critical value. Between incompressible and compressible fluids with constant viscosity the critical Rayleigh numbers differ at most by 10–20% for cells aspect ratios between 0.1 to about 30, while at larger aspect ratios compressibility yields critical Rayleigh numbers one or more orders of magnitude larger. For variable viscosity, since a more viscous interior prevents motion, a much higher Rayleigh number is required for the onset of convection. It is also shown how viscous dissipation of heat increases the critical Rayleigh number, while compressibility favours the onset of convection

Reflectivity relates differently to pro sociality in na\uefve and strategic subjects

Is pro sociality a natural impulse or the result of a self-controlled behavior? We investigate this issue in a lab in the field experiment with participants from the general adult population in Italy. We find two key results: first, that there is a positive relationship between pro sociality and strategic reasoning. Second, that reflectivity relates to lower pro sociality but only among strategic subjects, indicating that the intuitive view of pro sociality is valid only among strategic individuals. Non-strategic individuals are instead intuitively selfish. We surmise that these results emerge due to a common cognitive root between strategizing and pro sociality, namely empathy

Multilayer Network Analysis of Innovation Intermediaries' Activities

Policymakers wishing to enhance innovation processes in small and medium-sized enterprises increasingly channel their interventions through innovation intermediaries. However, limited empirical research exists regarding the activities and performance of intermediaries, with most contributions taking a qualitative approach and focusing on the role of intermediaries as brokers. In this paper, we analyse the extent to which innovation intermediaries, through their engagement in different activities, support the creation of communities of other agents. We use multilayer network analysis techniques to simultaneously represent the many types of interactions promoted by intermediaries. Furthermore, by originally applying the Infomap algorithm to our multilayer network, we assess the contribution of the agents involved in different activities promoted by intermediaries, and we identify the emerging multilayer communities and the intercohesive agents that span across several communities. Our analysis highlights the potential and the critical features of multilayer analysis for policy design and evaluation

Reflexivity reduces pro-sociality but only among strategic subjects

Is pro-sociality a natural impulse or the result of a self-controlled behavior? The literature is not quite univocal on the cognitive mechanisms behind this key feature of observed human behavior. We investigate this issue in a lab in the field experiment with participants selected among the general adult population in Italy. We test prosociality with a Distribution game (or three player dictator game), reflexive versus impulsive behavior with an extended version of the Cognitive Reflection Test and strategic reasoning with the guessing game. In the latter, we request to participants to provide also a motivation of the choice they made in the game. We find two important results: first, that there is a positive relationship between pro-sociality and strategic reasoning. Second, reflexivity reduces pro-sociality but only among strategic subjects. Our results support the intuitive view of pro-sociality: naive individuals that do not control their impulses behave pro-socially, while among strategic subjects the ability to suppress the pro-social impulse is achieved by those subjects making a more selfcontrolled and reflexive choice

Reputation and punishment sustain cooperation in the optional public goods game

Cooperative behaviour has been extensively studied as a choice between cooperation and defection. However, the possibility to not participate is also frequently available. This type of problem can be studied through the optional public goods game. The introduction of the 'Loner' strategy' allows players to withdraw from the game, which leads to a cooperator-defector-loner cycle. While pro-social punishment can help increase cooperation, anti-social punishment - where defectors punish cooperators - causes its downfall in both experimental and theoretical studies. In this paper, we introduce social norms that allow agents to condition their behaviour to the reputation of their peers. We benchmark this with respect both to the standard optional public goods game and to the variant where all types of punishment are allowed. We find that a social norm imposing a more moderate reputational penalty for opting out than for defecting increases cooperation. When, besides reputation, punishment is also possible, the two mechanisms work synergically under all social norms that do not assign to loners a strictly worse reputation than to defectors. Under this latter set-up, the high levels of cooperation are sustained by conditional strategies, which largely reduce the use of pro-social punishment and almost completely eliminate anti-social punishment. This article is part of the theme issue 'The language of cooperation: reputation and honest signalling'

Enhancing the resilience of social infrastructures: issues on agents, artefacts and processes. Proceedings of the 2016 Modena Workshop

In the social sciences domain, the term 'resilience' is usually associated to a wide set of changes that affect people and their communities. In particular, both the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015 and the Sendai Framework explicitly focus on the way in which communities face both natural and man-made hazards. To this respect, both material and non-material infrastructures play a critical role, hence deserving a specific focus when assessing local communities' level of resilience. Among them, this paper focuses on: health services, social services, government (according to a multi-level perspective, from the national to the local level), communication infrastructure (i.e. specific tools to interconnect all aforementioned networks). Firstly, this paper discusses some of the most important issues and theoretical frameworks that should be addressed in the analysis of the processes of enhancing the resilience of social infrastructures. Secondly, the discussion that took place in a workshop promoted in May 2016 as the outcome of a one-year dialogue across a group of EU researchers is returned. The debate moves from some theoretical perspectives on resilience and it eventually returns some case studies and real experiences, such as the actions of local governments and the role of risk communication