275 research outputs found
Unlocking hidden mineral resources: Characterization and potential of bitterns as alternative sources of critical raw materials
Mineral extraction from seawater brines has emerged as a viable solution to reduce Europe's reliance on imported Critical Raw Materials (CRM). However, the economic viability of this approach hinges on the local demand for sodium chloride, the primary product of such extraction processes. This study investigates the potential of residual brines, commonly known as "bitterns," generated during solar sea-salt extraction in traditional saltworks, as an alternative source of minerals. The Mediterranean region, encompassing South-European, NorthAfrican, Near East coasts, and parts of the Atlantic regions, is particularly conducive to exploring this prospect due to its extensive solar sea salt industry. Saltworks in the region, adopting various operational strategies based on feed quality or local climate conditions, produce different types of bitterns, each holding a latent resource potential that has remained largely unexplored. Within the framework of the EU-funded SEArcularMINE project, it was conducted an extensive analytical campaign to characterize bitterns collected from a diverse saltworks network. The analysis revealed the presence of sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride, sulfate, and bromide in concentrations ranging from g/ kg, while boron, calcium, lithium, rubidium, and strontium were found in the mg/kg range. Additionally, trace elements (TEs) such as cobalt, cesium, gallium, and germanium were detected at concentrations in the order of mu g/kg. Detailed results on the composition of bitterns are presented, emphasizing the distinct characteristics observed at different sites. The estimated potential for mineral recovery from these bitterns is approximately 190 euro/m3, considering the production capacity of about 9 Mm3 per year in the Mediterranean area. This finding underscores the significant contribution that mineral recovery from bitterns could make in securing access to CRMs for the European Union
High Altitude test of RPCs for the ARGO-YBJ experiment
A 50 m**2 RPC carpet was operated at the YangBaJing Cosmic Ray Laboratory
(Tibet) located 4300 m a.s.l. The performance of RPCs in detecting Extensive
Air Showers was studied. Efficiency and time resolution measurements at the
pressure and temperature conditions typical of high mountain laboratories, are
reported.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures, submitted to Nucl. Instr. Met
Observation of TeV gamma-rays from the unidentified source HESS J1841-055 with the ARGO-YBJ experiment
We report the observation of a very high energy \gamma-ray source, whose
position is coincident with HESS J1841-055. This source has been observed for
4.5 years by the ARGO-YBJ experiment from November 2007 to July 2012. Its
emission is detected with a statistical significance of 5.3 standard
deviations. Parameterizing the source shape with a two-dimensional Gaussian
function we estimate an extension \sigma=(0.40(+0.32,-0.22}) degree, consistent
with the HESS measurement. The observed energy spectrum is dN/dE =(9.0-+1.6) x
10^{-13}(E/5 TeV)^{-2.32-+0.23} photons cm^{-2} s^{-1} TeV^{-1}, in the energy
range 0.9-50 TeV. The integral \gamma-ray flux above 1 TeV is 1.3-+0.4 Crab
units, which is 3.2-+1.0 times the flux derived by HESS. The differences in the
flux determination between HESS and ARGO-YBJ, and possible counterparts at
other wavelengths are discussed.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, have been accepted for publication in Ap
Proton-air cross section measurement with the ARGO-YBJ cosmic ray experiment
The proton-air cross section in the energy range 1-100 TeV has been measured
by the ARGO-YBJ cosmic ray experiment. The analysis is based on the flux
attenuation for different atmospheric depths (i.e. zenith angles) and exploits
the detector capabilities of selecting the shower development stage by means of
hit multiplicity, density and lateral profile measurements at ground. The
effects of shower fluctuations, the contribution of heavier primaries and the
uncertainties of the hadronic interaction models, have been taken into account.
The results have been used to estimate the total proton-proton cross section at
center of mass energies between 70 and 500 GeV, where no accelerator data are
currently available.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figure
Observation of CR Anisotropy with ARGO-YBJ
The measurement of the anisotropies of cosmic ray arrival direction provides
important informations on the propagation mechanisms and on the identification
of their sources. In this paper we report the observation of anisotropy regions
at different angular scales. In particular, the observation of a possible
anisotropy on scales between 10 and 30
suggests the presence of unknown features of the magnetic fields the charged
cosmic rays propagate through, as well as potential contributions of nearby
sources to the total flux of cosmic rays. Evidence of new weaker few-degree
excesses throughout the sky region R.A. is
reported for the first time.Comment: Talk given at 12th TAUP Conference 2011, 5-9 September 2011, Munich,
German
Search for Gamma Ray Bursts with the Argo-YBJ Detector in Scaler Mode
We report on the search for Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) in the energy range 1-100
GeV in coincidence with the prompt emission detected by satellites using the
Astrophysical Radiation with Ground-based Observatory at YangBaJing (ARGO-YBJ)
air shower detector. Thanks to its mountain location (Yangbajing, Tibet, P.R.
China, 4300 m a.s.l.), active surface (about 6700 m**2 of Resistive Plate
Chambers), and large field of view (about 2 sr, limited only by the atmospheric
absorption), the ARGO-YBJ air shower detector is particularly suitable for the
detection of unpredictable and short duration events such as GRBs. The search
is carried out using the "single particle technique", i.e. counting all the
particles hitting the detector without measurement of the energy and arrival
direction of the primary gamma rays.
Between 2004 December 17 and 2009 April 7, 81 GRBs detected by satellites
occurred within the field of view of ARGO-YBJ (zenith angle < 45 deg). It was
possible to examine 62 of these for >1 GeV counterpart in the ARGO-YBJ data
finding no statistically significant emission. With a lack of detected spectra
in this energy range fluence upper limits are profitable, especially when the
redshift is known and the correction for the extragalactic absorption can be
considered. The obtained fluence upper limits reach values as low as 10**{-5}
erg cm**{-2} in the 1-100 GeV energy region.
Besides this individual search for a higher energy counterpart, a statistical
study of the stack of all the GRBs both in time and in phase was made, looking
for a common feature in the GRB high energy emission. No significant signal has
been detected.Comment: accepted for publication in Ap
ARGO-YBJ constraints on very high energy emission from GRBs
The ARGO-YBJ (Astrophysical Radiation Ground-based Observatory at YangBaJing)
experiment is designed for very high energy -astronomy and cosmic ray
researches. Due to the full coverage of a large area () with
resistive plate chambers at a very high altitude (4300 m a.s.l.), the ARGO-YBJ
detector is used to search for transient phenomena, such as Gamma-ray bursts
(GRBs). Because the ARGO-YBJ detector has a large field of view (2 sr)
and is operated with a high duty cycle (90%), it is well suited for GRB
surveying and can be operated in searches for high energy GRBs following alarms
set by satellite-borne observations at lower energies. In this paper, the
sensitivity of the ARGO-YBJ detector for GRB detection is estimated. Upper
limits to fluence with 99% confidence level for 26 GRBs inside the field of
view from June 2006 to January 2009 are set in the two energy ranges 10100
GeV and 10 GeV1 TeV.Comment: accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physic
Measurement of the antiproton/proton ratio in the few-TeV energy range with ARGO-YBJ
Cosmic ray antiprotons provide an important probe for the study of cosmic ray
propagation in the interstellar space and to investigate the existence of
Galactic dark matter. The ARGO-YBJ experiment is observing the Moon shadow with
high statistical significance at an energy threshold of a few hundred GeV.
Using all the data collected until November 2009, we set two upper limits on
the antip/p flux ratio: 5% at an energy of 1.4 TeV and 6% at 5 TeV with a
confidence level of 90%. In the few-TeV range the ARGO-YBJ results are the
lowest available, useful to constrain models for antiproton production in
antimatter domains.Comment: Talk given at the CRIS 2010 Conference, September 2010, Catania -
Italy, 6 page
Difficult tracheal intubation in neonates and infants. NEonate and Children audiT of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe (NECTARINE): a prospective European multicentre observational study
Background: Neonates and infants are susceptible to hypoxaemia in the perioperative period. The aim of this study was to analyse interventions related to anaesthesia tracheal intubations in this European cohort and identify their clinical consequences. Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of tracheal intubations of the European multicentre observational trial (NEonate and Children audiT of Anaesthesia pRactice IN Europe [NECTARINE]) in neonates and small infants with difficult tracheal intubation. The primary endpoint was the incidence of difficult intubation and the related complications. The secondary endpoints were the risk factors for severe hypoxaemia attributed to difficult airway management, and 30 and 90 day outcomes. Results: Tracheal intubation was planned in 4683 procedures. Difficult tracheal intubation, defined as two failed attempts of direct laryngoscopy, occurred in 266 children (271 procedures) with an incidence (95% confidence interval [CI]) of 5.8% (95% CI, 5.1e6.5). Bradycardia occurred in 8% of the cases with difficult intubation, whereas a significant decrease in oxygen saturation (SpO2<90% for 60 s) was reported in 40%. No associated risk factors could be identified among comorbidities, surgical, or anaesthesia management. Using propensity scoring to adjust for confounders, difficult anaesthesia tracheal intubation did not lead to an increase in 30 and 90 day morbidity or mortality. Conclusions: The results of the present study demonstrate a high incidence of difficult tracheal intubation in children less than 60 weeks post-conceptual age commonly resulting in severe hypoxaemia. Reassuringly, the morbidity and mortality at 30 and 90 days was not increased by the occurrence of a difficult intubation event. Clinical trial registration: NCT02350348
First results on the angular resolution of the ARGO-YBJ detector
We present the first results on the angular resolution of the ARGO-YBJ detector in data taking at the Yangbajing Laboratory (Tibet, P.R. China, 4300 m a.s.l.
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