Copernicus and Earth observation in support of EU policies

The Copernicus programme for Earth observation represents a big investment by the EU, justified by expected returns in public governance and private business. Copernicus is user and policy driven, and provides cross-domain products and services with a full free and open data policy and where possible taking up new technologies and research. This study has made a survey of the extent that Copernicus is used to support policy making in the European Commission, also assessing the perspectives for increased uptake. Also other Earth observation data and information has been looked at. An extensive use of the services is observed for policies monitoring landuse, climatic and environmental conditions, and this is expected to increase further with e.g. the new Common Agricultural Policy and the Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry Regulation. Information of the Climate Change Service on optimal land-use targeting specific human activities, harnessing the beneficial opportunities of climate change, provides policy makers with a new set of adaptation measures. While air quality measures can be monitored by the atmosphere service, the marine service provides input to the information system for marine knowledge. The emergency service supports disaster risk reduction measures and a resilient build-up of society. Security is of increasing importance where land and water resources are at the origin of conflict and migration. Several lines of action have been identified to improve uptake: Increasing engagement within the policy Directorates-General, fostering feedback loops between the end-users and Copernicus services, Increasing communication, information and training, setting standards and guaranteeing quality controls, enabling full integration of different datasets. The Copernicus programme brings a unique opportunity to the EU for being a global player, addressing SDGs and International Conventions because of its a long-term sustained commitment and strong international dimension. No such space programme is currently available elsewhere.JRC.D.6-Knowledge for Sustainable Development and Food Securit

JRC Data Policy

The work on the JRC Data Policy followed the task identified in the JRC Management Plan 2014 to develop a dedicated data policy to complement the JRC Policy on Open Access to Scientific Publications and Supporting Guidance, and to promote open access to research data in the context of Horizon 2020. Important policy commitments and the relevant regulatory basis within the European Union and the European Commission include: the Commission Decision on the reuse of Commission documents, Commission communication on better access to scientific information, Commission communication on a reinforced European research area partnership for excellence and growth, Commission recommendation on access to and preservation of scientific information, and the EU implementation of the G8 Open Data Charter.JRC.H.6-Digital Earth and Reference Dat

Security and defence research in the European Union: a landscape review

This landscape report describes the state of play of the European Union’s policies and activities in security and defence and the EU-funded research aimed at supporting them, with an exclusive focus on intentional harm. It is organised around several thematic building blocks under the umbrella of the three core priorities defined in the European agenda on security. The report reviews the current main risks and threats but also those that may emerge within the next 5 years, the policy and operational means developed to combat them, the main active stakeholders and the EU legislation in force. In this context, a short history of EU research on security and defence is presented, followed by an inventory of relevant research and development projects funded under the Horizon 2020 framework programme during the period 2014-2018. The specific contributions of the Joint Research Centre to security research are also highlighted. Finally, future avenues for security and defence research and development are discussed. Please note that the executive summary of this landscape report has been published simultaneously as a companion document.JRC.E.7-Knowledge for Security and Migratio

Borexino's search for low-energy neutrinos associated with gravitational wave events from GWTC-3 database

The search for neutrino events in correlation with gravitational wave (GW) events for three observing runs (O1, O2 and O3) from 09/2015 to 03/2020 has been performed using the Borexino data-set of the same period. We have searched for signals of neutrino-electron scattering with visible energies above 250 keV within a time window of 1000 s centered at the detection moment of a particular GW event. The search was done with three visible energy thresholds of 0.25, 0.8 and 3.0 MeV.Two types of incoming neutrino spectra were considered: the mono-energetic line and the spectrum expected from supernovae. The same spectra were considered for electron antineutrinos detected through inverse beta-decay (IBD) reaction. GW candidates originated by merging binaries of black holes (BHBH), neutron stars (NSNS) and neutron star and black hole (NSBH) were analysed separately. Additionally, the subset of most intensive BHBH mergers at closer distances and with larger radiative mass than the rest was considered. In total, follow-ups of 74 out of 93 gravitational waves reported in the GWTC-3 catalog were analyzed and no statistically significant excess over the background was observed. As a result, the strongest upper limits on GW-associated neutrino and antineutrino fluences for all flavors (\nu_e, \nu_\mu, \nu_\tau) have been obtained in the (0.5 - 5.0) MeV neutrino energy range.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figure

Experimental Detection of the CNO Cycle

Borexino recently reported the first experimental evidence for a CNO neutrino. Since this process accounts for only about 1% of the Sun’s total energy production, the associated neutrino flux is remarkably low compared to that of the pp chain, the dominant hydrogen-burning process. This experimental evidence for the existence of CNO neutrinos was obtained using a highly radio-pure Borexino liquid scintillator. Improvements in the thermal stabilization of the detector over the last five years have allowed us to exploit a method of constraining the rate of 210Bi background. Since the CNO cycle is dominant in massive stars, this result is the first experimental evidence of a major stellar hydrogen-to-helium conversion mechanism in the Universe

Solar and geoneutrinos

Thanks to the progress of neutrino physics, today we are able of exploiting neutrinos as a tool to study astrophysical objects. The latter in turn serve as unique sources of elusive neutrinos, which fundamental properties are still to be understood. This contribution attempts to summarize the latest results obtained by measuring neutrinos emitted from the Sun and geoneutrinos produced in radioactive decays inside the Earth, with a particular focus on a recent discovery of the CNO-cycle solar neutrinos by Borexino. Comprehensive measurement of the pp-chain solar neutrinos and the first directional detection of sub-MeV solar neutrinos by Borexino, the updated 8B solar neutrino results of Super-Kamiokande, as well as the latest Borexino and KamLAND geoneutrino measurements are also discussed

First Directional Measurement of sub-MeV Solar Neutrinos with Borexino

We report the measurement of sub-MeV solar neutrinos through the use of their associated Cherenkov radiation, performed with the Borexino detector at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso. The measurement is achieved using a novel technique that correlates individual photon hits of events to the known position of the Sun. In an energy window between 0.54 to 0.74 MeV, selected using the dominant scintillation light, we have measured 10 887þ2386 ðstatÞ � 947ðsystÞ (68% confidence interval) −2103 solar neutrinos out of 19904 total events. This corresponds to a 7Be neutrino interaction rate of 51.6þ13.9 counts=ðday · 100 tonÞ, which is in agreement with the standard solar model predictions and the −12.5 previous spectroscopic results of Borexino. The no-neutrino hypothesis can be excluded with > 5σ confidence level. For the first time, we have demonstrated the possibility of utilizing the directional Cherenkov information for sub-MeV solar neutrinos, in a large-scale, high light yield liquid scintillator detector. This measurement provides an experimental proof of principle for future hybrid event reconstruction using both Cherenkov and scintillation signatures simultaneously

Catalog of JRC Open Access uniaxial tensile test data for an AISI 316 L stainless steel.

The data in this catalog were created in the context of fusion research on the ductility of irradiated 316 welds. Electron beam and shielded metal arc weld joints in solution annealed 316 L plate were sampled along their heat affected zone and molten zone. The samples were irradiated in the HFR matching NET operating conditions.JRC.G.I.4-Nuclear Reactor Safety and Emergency Preparednes

Institute for Health and Consumer Protection Annual Report 2000

Abstract not availableJRC.I-Institute for Health and Consumer Protection (Ispra

Review of hydrogen storage by adsorption in carbon nanotubes

International audienceThis work deals with hydrogen adsorption in carbon nanotube materials over a wide range of pressure and temperature in order to establish the reliability of this phenomenon as a valuable storage technique of hydrogen. Our purpose is to give, discuss and compare the different results published comprising our works. Both experimental and simulation adsorption data concerning the hydrogen gas within nanotube material framework are given. A comparison between the different studies should enable to gain a better knowledge of hydrogen adsorption in nanotubes and then to answer the following questions: How and where did the gas adsorption occur? Moreover, we will consider the possibility of controlling tube diameters and lengths that will enable to optimize nanotube structure for a maximal hydrogen adsorption. Indeed, the possibility of controlling microscopic parameters will enable to control the main material macroscopic property: the gas adsorption. Finally, it is noticeable that both the material synthesis and purification will have to be optimized in order to enable the gas adsorption measurements. Indeed, the adsorbent material will have to be available in large amounts with high degree of purity to ensure the hydrogen storage by adsorption in carbon nanotubes