Small hypervelocity particles captured in aerogel collectors: Location,extraction, handling and storage     

Andrew J. Westphal  Christopher Snead  Janet Borg  Eric Quirico  Pierre‐Ivan Raynal  Michael E. Zolensky  Gianluca Ferrini  Luigi Colangeli  Pasquale Palumbo 《Meteoritics & planetary science》2002,37(6):855-865

Abstract— It has now been about a decade since the first demonstrations that hypervelocity particles could be captured, partially intact, in aerogel collectors. But the initial promise of a bonanza of partially‐intact extraterrestrial particles, collected in space, has yet to materialize. One of the difficulties that investigators have encountered is that the location, extraction, handling and analysis of very small (10 μm and less) grains, which constitute the vast majority of the captured particles, is challenging and burdensome. Furthermore, current extraction techniques tend to be destructive over large areas of the collectors. Here we describe our efforts to alleviate some of these difficulties. We have learned how to rapidly and efficiently locate captured particles in aerogel collectors, using an automated microscopic scanning system originally developed for experimental nuclear astrophysics. We have learned how to precisely excavate small access tunnels and trenches using an automated micromanipulator and glass microneedles as tools. These excavations are only destructive to the collector in a very small area—this feature may be particularly important for excavations in the precious Stardust collectors. Using actuatable silicon microtweezers, we have learned how to extract and store “naked” particles—essentially free of aerogel—as small as 3 μm in size. We have also developed a technique for extracting particles, along with their terminal tracks, still embedded in small cubical aerogel blocks. We have developed a novel method for storing very small particles in etched nuclear tracks. We have applied these techniques to the extraction and storage of grains captured in aerogel collectors (Particle Impact Experiment, Orbital Debris Collector Experiment, Comet‐99) in low Earth orbit.  相似文献   

The Ferrara hard X-ray facility for testing/calibrating hard X-ray focusing telescopes     

Gianluca Loffredo  Filippo Frontera  Damiano Pellicciotta  Alessandro Pisa  Vito Carassiti  Stefano Chiozzi  Federico Evangelisti  Luca Landi  Michele Melchiorri  Stefano Squerzanti 《Experimental Astronomy》2005,20(1-3):413-420

We will report on the current configuration of the X-ray facility of the University of Ferrara recently used to perform reflectivity tests of mosaic crystals and to calibrate the experiment JEM–X aboard Integral. The facility is now located in the technological campus of the University of Ferrara in a new building (named LARIX laboratory= ̳LARge ̳Italian ̳X-ray facility) that includes a tunnel 100 m long with, on the sides, two large experimental rooms. The facility is being improved for determining the optical axis of mosaic crystals in Laue configuration, for calibrating Laue lenses and hard X-ray mirror prototypes.  相似文献   

A seismic source zone model for the seismic hazard assessment of the Italian territory   总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3  

Carlo Meletti  Fabrizio Galadini  Gianluca Valensise  Massimiliano Stucchi  Roberto Basili  Salvatore Barba  Gianfranco Vannucci  Enzo Boschi 《Tectonophysics》2008,450(1-4):85-108

We designed a new seismic source model for Italy to be used as an input for country-wide probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA) in the frame of the compilation of a new national reference map.

We started off by reviewing existing models available for Italy and for other European countries, then discussed the main open issues in the current practice of seismogenic zoning.

The new model, termed ZS9, is largely based on data collected in the past 10 years, including historical earthquakes and instrumental seismicity, active faults and their seismogenic potential, and seismotectonic evidence from recent earthquakes. This information allowed us to propose new interpretations for poorly understood areas where the new data are in conflict with assumptions made in designing the previous and widely used model ZS4.

ZS9 is made out of 36 zones where earthquakes with M_w > = 5 are expected. It also assumes that earthquakes with M_w up to 5 may occur anywhere outside the seismogenic zones, although the associated probability is rather low. Special care was taken to ensure that each zone sampled a large enough number of earthquakes so that we could compute reliable earthquake production rates.

Although it was drawn following criteria that are standard practice in PSHA, ZS9 is also innovative in that every zone is characterised also by its mean seismogenic depth (the depth of the crustal volume that will presumably release future earthquakes) and predominant focal mechanism (their most likely rupture mechanism). These properties were determined using instrumental data, and only in a limited number of cases we resorted to geologic constraints and expert judgment to cope with lack of data or conflicting indications. These attributes allow ZS9 to be used with more accurate regionalized depth-dependent attenuation relations, and are ultimately expected to increase significantly the reliability of seismic hazard estimates.  相似文献   

Experimental solidification of anhydrous latitic and trachytic melts at different cooling rates: The role of nucleation kinetics   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Gianluca Iezzi  Silvio Mollo  Guido Ventura  Andrea Cavallo  Claudia Romano 《Chemical Geology》2008,253(3-4):91-101

Two sets of cooling experiments were run at atmospheric conditions for two anhydrous starting latitic and trachytic melts: 1) five cooling rates (25, 12.5, 3, 0.5, and 0.125 °C/min) between 1300° and 800 °C, and 2) a 0.5 °C/min cooling rate from 1300 °C with quench temperatures at 1200°, 1100°, 1000° and 900 °C. Trachytic run-products are invariably glassy. Nucleation is also suppressed in the latitic run-products at the three highest cooling rates. Conversely, in the 0.5 and 0.125 °C/min runs, latites have a crystal content of  90 vol.%. The phases are: plagioclase, clinopyroxene, glass and iron-bearing oxide (in order of abundance). The variable quench temperatures, investigated by coupling experiments with Pt wire and Pt capsule sample containers in set 2, again did not produce crystallization of trachyte, whereas latitic samples are characterized by  10 vol.% of oxides, pyroxenes and plagioclase (in order of appearance), at temperature < 1000 °C. Effects of (preferential) heterogeneous nucleation on sample holders, of superheating degree, and chemical species loss during cooling are absent for both melt compositions. The difference of solidification paths between these two silicate melts can be ascribed only to their small chemical differences. In comparison with calculated equilibrium conditions all the experimental latitic and trachytic run-products revealed strong kinetic effects, interpretable in the light of the nucleation theory. The glass-forming ability (GFA) of trachyte is higher, whereas their critical cooling rate (Rc) is lower (< 0.125 °C/min), in comparison to latitic melts (Rc > 0.5 °C/min). The experimental results carried out in this study can be applied to lava flows and domes; trachytic lavas are able to flow for longer period with respect to latitic ones in a metastable condition. Glass-rich terrestrial lavas, i.e. obsidians, can be the result of sluggish nucleation kinetics due to the relative high polymerisation of evolved silicate melts.  相似文献   

Oxidative stress in Laeonereis acuta (Polychaeta, Nereididae): environmental and seasonal effects     

Geracitano LA  Monserrat JM  Bianchini A 《Marine environmental research》2004,58(2-5):625-630

Laeonereis acuta was seasonally collected in an industrially polluted site (P) and in an unpolluted site (UP) at the Patos Lagoon estuary (southern Brazil). Glutathione S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity (U/mg protein) was determined in five groups of worms from each site. Metallothionein (MT - mol GSH/g ww) and lipid peroxides content (LPO - nmoles of cumene hydroperoxide/g ww) were also measured. Annual mean values for CAT (UP=3.7+/-0.3; P=5.7+/-0.6), GST (UP=0.034+/-0.003; P=0.045+/-0.004) and MT (UP=0.15+/-0.02; P=0.23+/-0.03) were higher (p<0.05) in worms from the P site. In autumn, CAT activity was higher (p<0.05) in worms from the P site (7.6 +/- 1.3) than in those from the UP site (3.6 +/- 0.4). In summer, MT concentration was higher in worms from the P site (0.37 +/- 0.03) than in those from the UP site (0.19 +/- 0.01). No significant difference (p>0.05) in the LPO content was observed in worms from the different sites or collected in different seasons. These results indicate that worms from the polluted site showed higher antioxidant responses than those from the unpolluted site, sufficient to prevent oxidative damage in terms of LPO.  相似文献   

Oxidative stress responses in two populations of Laeonereis acuta (Polychaeta, Nereididae) after acute and chronic exposure to copper     

Geracitano LA  Bocchetti R  Monserrat JM  Regoli F  Bianchini A 《Marine environmental research》2004,58(1):1-17

Acute (4 days) and chronic (14 days) effects of copper were evaluated on the antioxidant defenses of Laeonereis acuta (Polychaeta) collected in unpolluted (UP) and polluted (P) sites. In the acute assay (125 and 250 micro g Cu/l) superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities did not change, whereas catalase (CAT) increased in worms from both the sites. Lipid peroxidation was higher in copper exposed worms from the P site. In the chronic assay (62.5 micro g Cu/l) polychaetes from the P site showed enhanced activities of SOD, GST and CAT and higher contents of metallothionein-like proteins and sulfhydrils compared to worms from UP. Differences in responses between polychaetes from UP and P sites suggest that organisms from the polluted site, P, are more susceptible to oxidative stress conditions.  相似文献   

High-T phase transition of synthetic ANaB(LiMg)CMg5Si8O22(OH)2 amphibole: an X-ray synchrotron powder diffraction and FTIR spectroscopic study     

Gianluca Iezzi  Mario Tribaudino  Giancarlo Della Ventura  Fabrizio Nestola  Fabio Bellatreccia 《Physics and Chemistry of Minerals》2005,32(7):515-523

The synthetic amphibole Na_0.95(Li_0.95Mg_1.05)Mg₅Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂ was studied in situ at high-T, using IR OH-stretching spectroscopy and synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. At room-T the sample has P2₁ /m symmetry, as shown by the FTIR spectrum. It shows in the OH region two well-defined and intense absorptions at 3,748 and 3,712 cm⁻¹, respectively, and two minor bands at 3,667 and 3,687 cm⁻¹. The main bands are assigned to the two independent O–H groups in the primitive structure. The two minor bands evidencing the presence of small amount of vacant A-site (^A□_0.05). With increasing T, these bands shift continuously and merge into a unique absorption at high temperature. A change as a function of increasing T is revealed by the evolution of the refined unit-cell parameters, whose trend shows a transition to C2/m at about 320–330°C. The spontaneous scalar strain, fitted with a tricritical 2–6 Landau potential, gives a T _c of 325(10)°C (β parameter = 0.27). Comparison with the second-order P2₁ /m ⇔ C2/m phase transition at 255°C for synthetic amphibole ^ANa_0.8^B(Na_0.8Mg_1.2)^CMg₅Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂ indicates that the substitution of Na with Li at the B-sites strongly affects the thermodynamic character and the T _c of the phase transition. The comparison of LNMSH amphiboles with cummingtonitic ones shows that the high-T thermodynamic behaviour is affected by A-site occupancy.  相似文献   

Advanced interpretation of interferometric SAR data to detect,monitor and model ground subsidence: outcomes from the ESA-GMES Terrafirma project     

Raspini  F.  Bianchini  S.  Moretti  S.  Loupasakis  C.  Rozos  D.  Duro  J.  Garcia  M. 《Natural Hazards》2016,82(1):155-173

Land subsidence is a common natural hazard striking extensive areas worldwide, with severe impacts on economy and environment. Subsidence has been recognized as one of geohazards needing research efforts and knowledge transfer at international level, especially when urban fabrics and infrastructures are directly involved in the land settling. Policies and solutions for land subsidence management can be different. Despite this variability, where mitigation methods need to be adopted, mapping, monitoring and simulation of subsidence have to precede their design and implementation. In this framework, Earth Observation (EO) and remote sensing have a major role to play. Satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry, thanks to its wide spatial coverage and its millimeter accuracy, provides a valuable contribution in the management of hazard posed by subsidence-related deformation. The ESA-GMES Terrafirma project (2003–2014) has worked for the promotion of the persistent scatterer interferometry, a family of techniques ideally suited for the assessment of magnitude of surface deformations associated with subsidence phenomena. Within the Terrafirma Project a series of products, based on the integration of EO technologies and in situ data, has been established and delivered to a wide community of end user. Three case studies, outcomes of the Terrafirma project, are presented: the wide area of Rome (Italy), the Anthemountas basin and the Kalochori village (Greece). These case studies have been selected with the purpose of showing the essential contribution of interferometric data during the main activities that must be covered when dealing with geohazard investigations (i.e., mapping, monitoring and modeling). These three case studies are meant to be representative of the suite of services delivered by the Terrafirma project to specific end users with the legal mandated to manage the geohazard.  相似文献   

Fossiliferous high-pressure metasediments from the Western Alps (Petit-Saint-Bernard Pass,Subbriançonnais Unit,Italy)     

Frasca  Gianluca 《International Journal of Earth Sciences》2018,107(7):2635-2637

International Journal of Earth Sciences -  相似文献   

Satellite radar data for back-analyzing a landslide event: the Ponzano (Central Italy) case study     

Lorenzo Solari  Federico Raspini  Matteo Del Soldato  Silvia Bianchini  Andrea Ciampalini  Federica Ferrigno  Stefano Tucci  Nicola Casagli 《Landslides》2018,15(4):773-782

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