Search for Sterile Neutrinos at OPERA and other Long--Baseline Experiments

The OPERA experiment at the CNGS beam has observed muon to tau neutrino oscillations in the atmospheric sector. Based on this result new limits on the mixing parameters of a massive sterile neutrino may be set. Preliminary results of the analysis done in the 3+1 neutrino framework are here presented. An update of the search for sterile neutrinos in the $\nu_{\mu} \rightarrow \nu_e$ channel is also given. The status of the searches for sterile neutrinos performed at other Long--Baseline experiments (MINOS at NuMI beam and SuperK with the atmospheric flux) is also briefly recalled. Finally, some personal perspectives are discussed.Comment: 7 pages, Proceedings EPS2015, Vienna 22-29 July 201

The next challenge for neutrinos: the mass ordering

Neutrino physics is nowadays receiving more and more attention as a possible source of information for the long--standing investigation of new physics beyond the Standard Model. This is also supported by the recent change of perspectives in neutrino researches since the discovery period is almost over and we are entering the phase of precise measurements. Despite the limited statistics collected for some variables, the three--flavour neutrino framework seems well strengthening. However some relevant pieces of this framework are still missing. The amount of a possible CP violation phase and the mass ordering are among the most challenging and probably those that will be known in the near future. In this paper we will discuss these two correlated issues and a very recent new statistical method introduced to get reliable results on the mass ordering.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figure, proceedings of the ICFNP 2016 conferenc

A new way to determine the neutrino mass hierarchy at reactors

The determination of the neutrino mass ordering is currently pursued by several experiments and proposals. A very challenging one is its evaluation from reactor experiments based on the tiny interference effect between the $\Delta m^2_{31}$ and $\Delta m^2_{32}$ oscillations. Current analyses require several years of data taking and an extreme energy resolution to achieve anyhow less than 5 $\sigma$. Referring to the JUNO experimental conditions we developed a completely new technique that would provide a robust 5 $\sigma$ measurement in less than six years of running. The two orderings could be discriminated at the price of allowing for two different values of $\Delta m^2_{31}$. This degeneracy on $\Delta m^2_{31}$ (around $12\times 10^{-5}$ eV$^2$) can however be measured at an unprecedented accuracy of much less than 1\%, i.e. $10^{-5}$ eV$^2$, within the same analysis. Analogies with the usual $\chi^2$ analysis, where the $\Delta m^2_{31}$ degeneracy is much more important, are discussed. Evaluation and inclusion of systematic errors and backgrounds have been performed, the most relevant among them being the addition of the two remote reactor plants 250 km away. Baselines of each contributing reactor core and its spatial resolution have been taken into account. Possible results after two years of running and the foreseen initially-reduced available reactor power have been studied, too. These results confirm the very positive perspectives for JUNO to determine the mass ordering in a vacuum-oscillation dominated region.Comment: 37 pages, 22 figures, in this version added one more appendix about Chi^2, formal foundation of F as optimal estimator, submitted to JHE

'A kingdom for a stage'. Shakespeare's theatricalisation of history

Analisi del trattamento della storia nei drammi storici di Shakespear

Study and Design of a Control System for generating and detecting Qubits for the Quantum Exchange of Cryptographic Key

We realized a system for quantum information exchange for cryptographic applications. VHDL describes the hardware for lasers driving and data reception; C++ implements the software for system management. The design is integrated on two boards. A synchronization method guarantees the right timing of the system. The unpredictably of qubit transmission is handled by a suitable time-calibrated receiving windows system. Achieved results improve previous system version in performaces and reliability.ope

Toward personalized medicine: human adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) and xenogenic-free media as enabling tools in tendon tissue engineering strategies.

L'abstract è presente nell'allegato / the abstract is in the attachmen

An Appraisal of Muon Neutrino Disappearance at Short Baseline

Neutrino physics is nowadays receiving more and more attention as a possible source of information for the long standing problem of new Physics beyond the Standard Model. The recent measurements of the third mixing angle $\theta_{13}$ in the standard mixing oscillation scenario encourage to pursue the still missing results on the leptonic CP violation and the absolute neutrino masses. However, several puzzling and incomplete measurements are in place which deserve an exhaustive evaluation and study. We will report about the present situation of the muon disappearance measurements at small $L/E$ in the context of the current CERN project to revitalize the neutrino field in Europe and the search for sterile neutrinos. We will then illustrate the achievements that a double muon spectrometer can attain in terms of discovery of new neutrino states, performing a newly developed analysis.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figures, to be published in "Advances in High Energy Physics