arXiv subjects

A. Giammanco

Publications and source records attributed to A. Giammanco.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Optimization of a cosmic muon tomography scanner for cargo border control inspection

The past several decades have seen significant advancement in applications using cosmic-ray muons for tomography scanning of unknown objects. One of the most promising developments is the application of this technique in border security for the inspection of cargo inside trucks and sea containers in order to search for hazardous and illicit hidden materials. This work focuses on the optimization studies for a muon tomography system similar to that being developed within the framework of the `SilentBorder' project funded by the EU Horizon 2020 scheme. Current studies are directed toward optimizing the detector module design, following two complementary approaches. The first leverages TomOpt, a Python-based end-to-end software that employs differentiable programming to optimize scattering tomography detector configurations. While TomOpt inherently supports gradient-based optimization, a Bayesian Optimization module is introduced to better handle scenarios with noisy objective functions, particularly in image reconstruction-driven optimization tasks. The second optimization strategy relies on detailed GEANT4-based simulations, which, while more computationally intensive, offer higher physical fidelity. These simulations are also employed to study the impact of incorporating secondary particle information alongside cosmic muons for improved material discrimination. This paper presents the current status and results obtained from these optimization studies.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2025

Science for Peace and the need for Civil Clauses at universities and civilian research institutions

After the end of World War II, the commitment to confine scientific activities in universities and research institutions to peaceful and civilian purposes has entered, in the form of {\it Civil Clauses}, the charters of many research institutions and universities. In the wake of recent world events, the relevance and scope of such Civil Clauses has been questioned in reports issued by some governments and by the EU Commission, a development that opens the door to a possible blurring of the distinction between peaceful and military research. This paper documents the reflections stimulated by a panel discussion on this issue recently organized by the Science4Peace Forum. We review the adoptions of Civil Clauses in research organizations and institutions in various countries, present evidence of the challenges that are emerging to such Civil Clauses, and collect arguments in favour of maintaining the purely civilian and peaceful focus of public (non-military) research.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2025

Development and Performance Analysis of Glass-Based Gas-Tight RPCs for Muography Applications

To achieve high-resolution muography of compact targets in scenarios with complex logistical constraints, we are developing a portable muon detector system utilizing glass Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs). Although RPCs are well understood and widely used, our work focuses on developing a gas-tight variant specifically tailored for a broad range of muography applications, with key design goals including portability, robustness, autonomy, versatility, safety, and cost-effectiveness. Our RPC detectors are designed with various configurations, each featuring unique characteristics and performance attributes. We investigate the temporal evolution of the surface resistivity of glass electrodes, as well as the detector efficiency at varying voltages and thresholds, over a span of several months. These RPCs have been utilized in a small-scale feasibility study on muon absorption using lead blocks.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2025

Science4Peace: A Plea for Continued Peaceful International Scientific Cooperation (Input to the European Strategy for Particle Physics -- 2026 update)

The European Strategy for Particle Physics (ESPP) - 2026 update is taking place in a turbulent international climate. Many of the norms that have governed relations between states for decades are being broken or challenged. The future progress of science in general, and particle physics in particular, will depend on our ability to maintain peaceful international scientific collaboration in the face of political pressures. We plead that the ESPP 2026 update acknowledge explicitly the importance of peaceful international scientific collaboration, not only for the progress of science, but also as a precious bridge between geopolitical blocs. "Scientific thought is the common heritage of mankind" - Abdus Salam

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2024

Performance testing of gas-tight portable RPC for muography applications

This paper reports the latest developmental efforts for a position-sensitive glass-based Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC) and a multi-channel Data AcQuisition (DAQ) system tailored for muon tracking in muography applications. The designed setup prioritizes portability, aiming for field applications where both the detector and the DAQ operate effectively in external environmental conditions. Comprehensive discussions on hardware development activities and signal processing techniques are included, incorporating noise filtering to enhance the accurate detection of real muons. A muon absorption measurement has also been carried out to understand the behavior of these detectors from an application perspective.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2022

The MURAVES experiment: study of the Vesuvius Great Cone with Muon Radiography

The MURAVES experiment aims at the muographic imaging of the internal structure of the summit of Mt. Vesuvius, exploiting muons produced by cosmic rays. Though presently quiescent, the volcano carries a dramatic hazard in its highly populated surroundings. The challenging measurement of the rock density distribution in its summit by muography, in conjunction with data from other geophysical techniques, can help the modeling of possible eruptive dynamics. The MURAVES apparatus consists of an array of three independent and identical muon trackers, with a total sensitive area of 3 square meters. In each tracker, a sequence of 4 XY tracking planes made of plastic scintillators is complemented by a 60 cm thick lead wall inserted between the two downstream planes to improve rejection of background from low energy muons. The apparatus is currently acquiring data. Preliminary results from the analysis of a first data sample are presented.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2022

The simulations chain of the MURAVES experiment

The MUon RAdiography of VESuvius (MURAVES) project aims at the study of the summital cone of Mt. Vesuvius, an active and hazardous volcano near Naples, Italy. A detailed Monte Carlo simulation framework is necessary in order to investigate the effects of the experimental constraints and to perform comparisons with the actual observations. Our Monte Carlo setup combines a variety of Monte Carlo programs that address different aspects of cosmic muon simulation, from muon generation in the Earth's upper atmosphere to the response of the detector, including the interactions with the material of the volcano. We will elaborate on the rationale for our technical choices, including trade-off between speed and accuracy, and on the lessons learned, which are of general interest for similar use cases in muon radiography.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2022

Towards a portable high-resolution muon detector based on Resistive Plate Chambers

The use of conventional imaging techniques becomes problematic when faced with challenging logistics and confined environments. In particular, such scenarios are not unusual in the field of archaeological and mining explorations as well as for nuclear waste characterization. For these applications, even the use of muography is complicated since the detectors have to be deployed in difficult areas with limited room for instrumentation, e.g., narrow tunnels. To address this limitation, we have developed a portable muon detector (muoscope) based on glass Resistive Plate Chambers (RPC) with an active area of 16 $\times$ 16 cm$^{2}$. The specific design goals taken into consideration while developing our first prototype are portability, robustness, autonomy, versatility, safety and low cost. To help further improve our design goals, we are currently studying the possibility to switch the sensitive units from strips in the old prototype to pixels for the new one However, for performing high resolution muography, the number of readout units per layer will also need to increase significantly, leading to increase in the overall cost and power consumption of the muoscope. To mitigate these issues, we are developing a novel 2D multiplexing algorithm for reading out several pixels with a single electronic channel. In this article, we give an overview of the detector development, focusing mainly on the design goals and the choice of detector technology. Furthermore, we present the details of the expected changes in the new prototype as well as a simulated 2D multiplexing study based on general principles.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2021

End-to-end simulations of the MUon RAdiography of VESuvius experiment

The MUon RAdiography of VESuvius (MURAVES) project aims at the study of the summital cone of Mt. Vesuvius, an active volcano near Naples (Italy), by measuring its density profile through muon flux attenuation. Its data, combined with those from gravimetric and seismic measurement campaigns, will be used for better defining the volcanic plug at the bottom of the crater. We report on the development of an end-to-end simulation framework, in order to perform accurate investigations of the effects of the experimental constraints and to compare simulations, under various model hypotheses, with the actual observations. The detector simulation setup is developed using GEANT4 and a study of cosmic particle generators has been conducted to identify the most suitable one for our simulation framework. To mimic the real data, GEANT4 raw hits are converted to clusters through a simulated digitization: energy deposits are first summed per scintillator bar, and then converted to number of photoelectrons with a data-driven procedure. This is followed by the same clustering algorithm and same tracking code as in real data. We also report on the study of muon transport through rock using PUMAS and GEANT4. In this paper we elaborate on the rationale for our technical choices, including trade-off between speed and accuracy. The developments reported here are of general interest in muon radiography and can be applied in similar cases.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2021

A portable muon telescope for multidisciplinary applications

Muon tomography or muography is an emerging imaging technique that uses cosmogenic muons as the radiation source. Due to its diverse range of applications and the use of natural radiation, muography is being applied across many fields such as geology, archaeology, civil engineering, nuclear reactor monitoring, nuclear waste characterization, underground surveys, etc. Muons can be detected using various detector technologies, among which, resistive plate chambers (RPC) are a very cost effective choice. RPCs are planar detectors which use ionization in a thin gas gap to detect cosmic muons, already used since years in major particle accelerator experiments. We have developed a muon telescope (or muoscope) composed of small scale RPCs. The design goal for our muoscope is to be portable and autonomous, in order to take data in places that are not easily accessible. The whole setup is light and compact, such to be easily packed in a car trunk. Individual RPCs are hosted in gas-tight aluminium cases. There is no need for gas bottles, once the chambers are filled. The muoscope can be controlled from a reasonable distance using wireless connection. In this paper, we summarize the guiding principles of our project and present some recent developments and future prospects, including a long-term stability study of the resistivity of the semiconductive coating obtained with serigraphy.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2020

Towards portable muography with small-area, gas-tight glass Resistive Plate Chambers

Imaging techniques that use atmospheric muons, collectively named under the neologism "muography", have seen a tremendous growth in recent times, mainly due to their diverse range of applications. The most well-known ones include but are not limited to: volcanology, archaeology, civil engineering, nuclear reactor monitoring, nuclear waste characterization, underground mapping, etc. These methods are based on the attenuation or deviation of muons to image large and/or dense objects where conventional techniques cannot work or their use becomes challenging. In this context, we have constructed a muography telescope based on "mini glass-RPC planes" following a design similar to the glass-RPC detectors developed by the CALICE Collaboration and used by the TOMUVOL experiment in the context of volcano radiography, but with smaller active area (16 $\times$ 16 cm$^{2}$). The compact size makes it an attractive choice with respect to other detectors previously employed for imaging on similar scales. An important innovation in this design is that the detectors are sealed. This makes the detector more portable and solves the usual safety and logistic issues for gas detectors operated underground and/or inside small rooms. This paper provides an overview on our guiding principles, the detector development and our operational experiences. Drawing on the lessons learnt from the first prototype, we also discuss our future direction for an improved second prototype, focusing primarily on a recently adopted serigraphy technique for the resistive coating of the glass plates.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2019

Future physics opportunities for high-density QCD at the LHC with heavy-ion and proton beams

The future opportunities for high-density QCD studies with ion and proton beams at the LHC are presented. Four major scientific goals are identified: the characterisation of the macroscopic long wavelength Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) properties with unprecedented precision, the investigation of the microscopic parton dynamics underlying QGP properties, the development of a unified picture of particle production and QCD dynamics from small (pp) to large (nucleus--nucleus) systems, the exploration of parton densities in nuclei in a broad ($x$, $Q^2$) kinematic range and the search for the possible onset of parton saturation. In order to address these scientific goals, high-luminosity Pb-Pb and p-Pb programmes are considered as priorities for Runs 3 and 4, complemented by high-multiplicity studies in pp collisions and a short run with oxygen ions. High-luminosity runs with intermediate-mass nuclei, for example Ar or Kr, are considered as an appealing case for extending the heavy-ion programme at the LHC beyond Run 4. The potential of the High-Energy LHC to probe QCD matter with newly-available observables, at twice larger center-of-mass energies than the LHC, is investigated.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

Trapping in irradiated p-on-n silicon sensors at fluences anticipated at the HL-LHC outer tracker

The degradation of signal in silicon sensors is studied under conditions expected at the CERN High-Luminosity LHC. 200 $μ$m thick n-type silicon sensors are irradiated with protons of different energies to fluences of up to $3 \cdot 10^{15}$ neq/cm$^2$. Pulsed red laser light with a wavelength of 672 nm is used to generate electron-hole pairs in the sensors. The induced signals are used to determine the charge collection efficiencies separately for electrons and holes drifting through the sensor. The effective trapping rates are extracted by comparing the results to simulation. The electric field is simulated using Synopsys device simulation assuming two effective defects. The generation and drift of charge carriers are simulated in an independent simulation based on PixelAV. The effective trapping rates are determined from the measured charge collection efficiencies and the simulated and measured time-resolved current pulses are compared. The effective trapping rates determined for both electrons and holes are about 50% smaller than those obtained using standard extrapolations of studies at low fluences and suggests an improved tracker performance over initial expectations.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2014

DELPHES 3, A modular framework for fast simulation of a generic collider experiment

The version 3.0 of the DELPHES fast-simulation is presented. The goal of DELPHES is to allow the simulation of a multipurpose detector for phenomenological studies. The simulation includes a track propagation system embedded in a magnetic field, electromagnetic and hadron calorimeters, and a muon identification system. Physics objects that can be used for data analysis are then reconstructed from the simulated detector response. These include tracks and calorimeter deposits and high level objects such as isolated electrons, jets, taus, and missing energy. The new modular approach allows for greater flexibility in the design of the simulation and reconstruction sequence. New features such as the particle-flow reconstruction approach, crucial in the first years of the LHC, and pile-up simulation and mitigation, which is needed for the simulation of the LHC detectors in the near future, have also been implemented. The DELPHES framework is not meant to be used for advanced detector studies, for which more accurate tools are needed. Although some aspects of DELPHES are hadron collider specific, it is flexible enough to be adapted to the needs of electron-positron collider experiments.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2012

Les Houches 2011: Physics at TeV Colliders New Physics Working Group Report

We present the activities of the "New Physics" working group for the "Physics at TeV Colliders" workshop (Les Houches, France, 30 May-17 June, 2011). Our report includes new agreements on formats for interfaces between computational tools, new tool developments, important signatures for searches at the LHC, recommendations for presentation of LHC search results, as well as additional phenomenological studies.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2009

From the LHC to Future Colliders

Discoveries at the LHC will soon set the physics agenda for future colliders. This report of a CERN Theory Institute includes the summaries of Working Groups that reviewed the physics goals and prospects of LHC running with 10 to 300/fb of integrated luminosity, of the proposed sLHC luminosity upgrade, of the ILC, of CLIC, of the LHeC and of a muon collider. The four Working Groups considered possible scenarios for the first 10/fb of data at the LHC in which (i) a state with properties that are compatible with a Higgs boson is discovered, (ii) no such state is discovered either because the Higgs properties are such that it is difficult to detect or because no Higgs boson exists, (iii) a missing-energy signal beyond the Standard Model is discovered as in some supersymmetric models, and (iv) some other exotic signature of new physics is discovered. In the contexts of these scenarios, the Working Groups reviewed the capabilities of the future colliders to study in more detail whatever new physics may be discovered by the LHC. Their reports provide the particle physics community with some tools for reviewing the scientific priorities for future colliders after the LHC produces its first harvest of new physics from multi-TeV collisions.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2009

Proceedings of the Workshop on Monte Carlo's, Physics and Simulations at the LHC PART II

These proceedings collect the presentations given at the first three meetings of the INFN "Workshop on Monte Carlo's, Physics and Simulations at the LHC", held at the Frascati National Laboratories in 2006. The first part of these proceedings contains pedagogical introductions to several basic topics of both theoretical and experimental high pT LHC physics. The second part collects more specialised presentations.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2009

Proceedings of the Workshop on Monte Carlo's, Physics and Simulations at the LHC PART I

hep-ph↗