arXiv subjects

G. Macedonio

Publications and source records attributed to G. Macedonio.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

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↗

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↗

arXiv2005

Viscous heating effects in fluids with temperature-dependent viscosity: triggering of secondary flows

Viscous heating can play an important role in the dynamics of fluids with strongly temperature-dependent viscosities because of the coupling between the energy and momentum equations. The heat generated by viscous friction produces a local temperature increase near the tube walls with a consequent decrease of the viscosity and a strong stratification in the viscosity profile. The problem of viscous heating in fluids was investigated and reviewed by Costa & Macedonio (2003) because of its important implications in the study of magma flows. Because of the strong coupling between viscosity and temperature, the temperature rise due to the viscous heating may trigger instabilities in the velocity field, which cannot be predicted by a simple isothermal Newtonian model. When viscous heating produces a pronounced peak in the temperature profile near the walls, a triggering of instabilities and a transition to secondary flows can occur because of the stratification in the viscosity profile. In this paper we focus on the thermal and mechanical effects caused by viscous heating. We will present the linear stability equations and we will show, as in certain regimes, these effects can trigger and sustain a particular class of secondary rotational flows which appear organised in coherent structures similar to roller vortices. This phenomenon can play a very important role in the dynamics of magma flows in conduits and lava flows in channels and, to our knowledge, it is the first time that it has been investigated by a direct numerical simulation.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2003

Viscous heating in fluids with temperature-dependent viscosity: implications for magma flows

Viscous heating plays an important role in the dynamics of fluids with strongly temperature-dependent viscosity because of the coupling between the energy and momentum equations. The heat generated by viscous friction produces a local temperature increase near the tube walls with a consequent decrease of the viscosity which may dramatically change the temperature and velocity profiles. These processes are mainly controlled by the Peclét number, the Nahme number, the flow rate and the thermal boundary conditions. The problem of viscous heating in fluids was investigated in the past for its practical interest in the polymer industry, and was invoked to explain some rheological behaviours of silicate melts, but was not completely applied to study magma flows. In this paper we focus on the thermal and mechanical effects caused by viscous heating in tubes of finite lengths. We find that in magma flows at high Nahme number and typical flow rates, viscous heating is responsible for the evolution from Poiseuille flow, with a uniform temperature distribution at the inlet, to a plug flow with a hotter layer near the walls. When the temperature gradients induced by viscous heating are very pronounced, local instabilities may occur and the triggering of secondary flows is possible. For completeness, this paper also describes magma flow in infinitely long tubes both at steady state and in transient phase.

physics.geo-ph↗