Rapporti tra tettonica e clima durante l'esumazione nelle Alpi Centrali. Evidenze dalla termocronologia e dall'analisi strutturale lungo il traforo ferroviario del Sempione

(U-Th)/He and fission-track analyses of apatite along deep-seated tunnels crossing high-relief mountain ranges offer the opportunity to investigate climate and tectonic forcing on the topographic evolution. In this study, the thermochronologic analysis of a large set of samples collected in the Simplon railway tunnel (western-central Alps; Italy and Switzerland) and along its surface trace, coupled with kinematic and structural analysis of major fault zones intersecting the tunnel, constrains the phenomena controlling the topographic and structural evolution, during the latest stage of exhumation of the Simplon Massif, and the timing in which they operated. The study area is located at the western margin of the Lepontine metamorphic dome where a complex nappe-stack pertaining to the Penninic and Ultrahelvetic domains experienced a fast exhumation from the latest Oligocene onward. The exhumation was mainly accommodated by a west-dipping low-angle detachment (the Simplon Fault Zone) which is located just 8 km to the west of the tunnel. However, along the section itself several faults related to two principal phases both with important dip-slip kinematics have been detected. Cooling rates derived from our thermocronological data vary from about 10 °C/Ma at about 10 Ma to about 35 °C/Ma in the last 5 Ma. Such increase in the cooling rate corresponds to the most important climatic change recorded in the northern hemisphere in the last 10 Ma, i.e. the shift to wetter conditions at the end of the Messinian salinity crisis and the inception of glacial cycles in the northern hemisphere. In addition, (U-Th)/He and fission-track age patterns lack of important correlation with the topography suggesting that the present-day relief morphology is the result of recent erosional dynamics. More in details, the (U-Th)/He tunnel ages show an impressive uniformity at 2 Ma, whereas cooling rates calculated at 1 Ma increase towards the two major valleys. This indicates a focusing of erosive processes in the valleys which led to the shaping of present-day topography. Structural analysis documents the presence of two phases of brittle deformation postdating the metamorphic phases in the area. The first one is directly related to the last phase of activity along the Simplon Fault Zone and is characterized by extension towards SO and vertical shortening. The young one is characterized by extension towards NO and horizontal shortening in a along the NE-SO direction. Structures related to the first phase of brittle deformation generate important variations in the older ages' dataset, until 3 Ma, suggesting that tectonics controlled rocks exhumation up to that age. Structures related to the second phase generate some variations also in the younger age dataset, highlighting the activity of faults bordering the massif and suggesting a continuous activity also after 2 Ma. However, most of (U-Th)/He tunnel ages, varying slightly around 2 Ma, document that the Simplon area has experienced primarily erosional exhumation in this time span. In conclusion, all our data suggest that in the central Italian Alps the climatic signal gradually overrode the tectonic effects after about 5 Ma, as a consequence of the climatic instability started at end of Messinian salinity crisis and improved by the onset of glaciations in the northern hemisphere.

Experimental analysis of coaxial jets: instability, flow and mixing characterization

The velocity and mixing field of two turbulent jets configurations have been experimentally characterized by means of cold- and hot-wire anemometry in order to investigate the effects of the initial conditions on the flow development. In particular, experiments have been focused on the effect of the separation wall between the two streams on the flow field. The results of the experiments have pointed out that the wake behind a thick wall separating wall has a strong influence on the flow field evolution. For instance, for nearly unitary velocity ratios, a clear vortex shedding from the wall is observable. This phenomenon enhances the mixing between the inner and outer shear layer. This enhancement in the fluctuating activity is a consequence of a local absolute instability of the flow which, for a small range of velocity ratios, behaves as an hydrodynamic oscillator with no sensibility to external perturbations. It has been suggested indeed that this absolute instability can be used as a passive method to control the flow evolution. Finally, acoustic excitation has been applied to the near field in order to verify whether or not the observed vortex shedding behind the separating wall is due to a global oscillating mode as predicted by the theory. A new scaling relationship has been also proposed to determine the preferred frequency for nearly unitary velocity ratios. The proposed law takes into account both the Reynolds number and the velocity ratio dependence of this frequency and, therefore, improves all the previously proposed relationships.

Modeling hydrothermal system: deriving observables and hydrothermal instability in volcanic and non-volcanic setting

Hydrothermal fluids are a fundamental resource for understanding and monitoring volcanic and non-volcanic systems. This thesis is focused on the study of hydrothermal system through numerical modeling with the geothermal simulator TOUGH2. Several simulations are presented, and geophysical and geochemical observables, arising from fluids circulation, are analyzed in detail throughout the thesis. In a volcanic setting, fluids feeding fumaroles and hot spring may play a key role in the hazard evaluation. The evolution of the fluids circulation is caused by a strong interaction between magmatic and hydrothermal systems. A simultaneous analysis of different geophysical and geochemical observables is a sound approach for interpreting monitored data and to infer a consistent conceptual model. Analyzed observables are ground displacement, gravity changes, electrical conductivity, amount, composition and temperature of the emitted gases at surface, and extent of degassing area. Results highlight the different temporal response of the considered observables, as well as the different radial pattern of variation. However, magnitude, temporal response and radial pattern of these signals depend not only on the evolution of fluid circulation, but a main role is played by the considered rock properties. Numerical simulations highlight differences that arise from the assumption of different permeabilities, for both homogeneous and heterogeneous systems. Rock properties affect hydrothermal fluid circulation, controlling both the range of variation and the temporal evolution of the observable signals. Low temperature fumaroles and low discharge rate may be affected by atmospheric conditions. Detailed parametric simulations were performed, aimed to understand the effects of system properties, such as permeability and gas reservoir overpressure, on diffuse degassing when air temperature and barometric pressure changes are applied to the ground surface. Hydrothermal circulation, however, is not only a characteristic of volcanic system. Hot fluids may be involved in several mankind problems, such as studies on geothermal engineering, nuclear waste propagation in porous medium, and Geological Carbon Sequestration (GCS). The current concept for large-scale GCS is the direct injection of supercritical carbon dioxide into deep geological formations which typically contain brine. Upward displacement of such brine from deep reservoirs driven by pressure increases resulting from carbon dioxide injection may occur through abandoned wells, permeable faults or permeable channels. Brine intrusion into aquifers may degrade groundwater resources. Numerical results show that pressure rise drives dense water up to the conduits, and does not necessarily result in continuous flow. Rather, overpressure leads to new hydrostatic equilibrium if fluids are initially density stratified. If warm and salty fluid does not cool passing through the conduit, an oscillatory solution is then possible. Parameter studies delineate steady-state (static) and oscillatory solutions.

Magma injections and destabilization of basaltic volcanoes: a numerical study. Application to La Reunion (Indian ocean, France) and Stromboli (Tyrrhenian sea, Italy)

Most basaltic volcanoes are affected by recurrent lateral instabilities during their evolution. Numerous factors have been shown to be involved in the process of flank destabilization occurring over long periods of time or by instantaneous failures. However, the role of these factors on the mechanical behaviour and stability of volcanic edifices is poorly-constrained as lateral failure usually results from the combined effects of several parameters. Our study focuses on the morphological and structural comparison of two end-member basaltic systems, La Reunion (Indian ocean, France) and Stromboli (southern Tyrrhenian sea, Italy). We showed that despite major differences on their volumes and geodynamic settings, both systems present some similarities as they are characterized by an intense intrusive activity along well-developed rift zones and recurrent phenomena of flank collapse during their evolution. Among the factors of instability, the examples of la Reunion and Stromboli evidence the major contribution of intrusive complexes to volcano growth and destruction as attested by field observations and the monitoring of these active volcanoes. Classical models consider the relationship between vertical intrusions of magma and flank movements along a preexisting sliding surface. A set of published and new field data from Piton des Neiges volcano (La Reunion) allowed us to recognize the role of subhorizontal intrusions in the process of flank instability and to characterize the geometry of both subvertical and subhorizontal intrusions within basaltic edifices. This study compares the results of numerical modelling of the displacements associated with high-angle and low-angle intrusions within basaltic volcanoes. We use a Mixed Boundary Element Method to investigate the mechanical response of an edifice to the injection of magmatic intrusions in different stress fields. Our results indicate that the anisotropy of the stress field favours the slip along the intrusions due to cointrusive shear stress, generating flank-scale displacements of the edifice, especially in the case of subhorizontal intrusions, capable of triggering large-scale flank collapses on basaltic volcanoes. Applications of our theoretical results to real cases of flank displacements on basaltic volcanoes (such as the 2007 eruptive crisis at La Reunion and Stromboli) revealed that the previous model of subvertical intrusions-related collapse is a likely mechanism affecting small-scale steeply-sloping basaltic volcanoes like Stromboli. Furthermore, our field study combined to modelling results confirms the importance of shallow-dipping intrusions in the morpho-structural evolution of large gently-sloping basaltic volcanoes like Piton de la Fournaise, Etna and Kilauea, with particular regards to flank instability, which can cause catastrophic tsunamis.

Dynamic stabilization of Rayleigh-Taylor instability of ablation fronts in inertial confinement fusion

One of the most important problems in inertial confinement fusion is how to find a way to mitigate the onset of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability which arises in the ablation front during the compression. In this thesis it is studied in detail the possibility of using for such a purpose the well-known mechanism of dynamic stabilization, already applied to other dynamical systems such as the inverted pendulum. In this context, a periodic acceleration superposed to the background gravity generates a vertical vibration of the ablation front itself. The effects of different driving modulations (Dirac deltas and square waves) are analyzed from a theoretical point of view, with a focus on stabilization of ion beam driven ablation fronts, and a comparison is made, in order to look for optimization.

Integrating new and traditional approaches for the estimate of slip-rates of active faults: examples from the Mw 6.3, 2009 L’Aquila earthquake area, Central Italy

This thesis is based on the integration of traditional and innovative approaches aimed at improving the normal faults seimogenic identification and characterization, focusing mainly on slip-rate estimate as a measure of the fault activity. The L’Aquila Mw 6.3 April 6, 2009 earthquake causative fault, namely the Paganica - San Demetrio fault system (PSDFS), was used as a test site. We developed a multidisciplinary and scale‐based strategy consisting of paleoseismological investigations, detailed geomorphological and geological field studies, as well as shallow geophysical imaging and an innovative application of physical properties measurements. We produced a detailed geomorphological and geological map of the PSDFS, defining its tectonic style, arrangement, kinematics, extent, geometry and internal complexities. The PSDFS is a 19 km-long tectonic structure, characterized by a complex structural setting and arranged in two main sectors: the Paganica sector to the NW, characterized by a narrow deformation zone, and the San Demetrio sector to SE, where the strain is accommodated by several tectonic structures, exhuming and dissecting a wide Quaternary basin, suggesting the occurrence of strain migration through time. The integration of all the fault displacement data and age constraints (radiocarbon dating, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and tephrochronology) helped in calculating an average Quaternary slip-rate representative for the PSDFS of 0.27 - 0.48 mm/yr. On the basis of its length (ca. 20 km) and slip per event (up to 0.8 m) we also estimated a max expected Magnitude of 6.3-6.8 for this fault. All these topics have a significant implication in terms of surface faulting hazard in the area and may contribute also to the understanding of the PSDFS seismic behavior and of the local seismic hazard.

Total internal reflection fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy: theory and application for studying boundary slip phenomenon

I present a new experimental method called Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Cross-Correlation Spectroscopy (TIR-FCCS). It is a method that can probe hydrodynamic flows near solid surfaces, on length scales of tens of nanometres. Fluorescent tracers flowing with the liquid are excited by evanescent light, produced by epi-illumination through the periphery of a high NA oil-immersion objective. Due to the fast decay of the evanescent wave, fluorescence only occurs for tracers in the ~100 nm proximity of the surface, thus resulting in very high normal resolution. The time-resolved fluorescence intensity signals from two laterally shifted (in flow direction) observation volumes, created by two confocal pinholes are independently measured and recorded. The cross-correlation of these signals provides important information for the tracers’ motion and thus their flow velocity. Due to the high sensitivity of the method, fluorescent species with different size, down to single dye molecules can be used as tracers. The aim of my work was to build an experimental setup for TIR-FCCS and use it to experimentally measure the shear rate and slip length of water flowing on hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces. However, in order to extract these parameters from the measured correlation curves a quantitative data analysis is needed. This is not straightforward task due to the complexity of the problem, which makes the derivation of analytical expressions for the correlation functions needed to fit the experimental data, impossible. Therefore in order to process and interpret the experimental results I also describe a new numerical method of data analysis of the acquired auto- and cross-correlation curves – Brownian Dynamics techniques are used to produce simulated auto- and cross-correlation functions and to fit the corresponding experimental data. I show how to combine detailed and fairly realistic theoretical modelling of the phenomena with accurate measurements of the correlation functions, in order to establish a fully quantitative method to retrieve the flow properties from the experiments. An importance-sampling Monte Carlo procedure is employed in order to fit the experiments. This provides the optimum parameter values together with their statistical error bars. The approach is well suited for both modern desktop PC machines and massively parallel computers. The latter allows making the data analysis within short computing times. I applied this method to study flow of aqueous electrolyte solution near smooth hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces. Generally on hydrophilic surface slip is not expected, while on hydrophobic surface some slippage may exists. Our results show that on both hydrophilic and moderately hydrophobic (contact angle ~85°) surfaces the slip length is ~10-15nm or lower, and within the limitations of the experiments and the model, indistinguishable from zero.

Understanding block rotation of strike-slip fault zones: Paleomagnetic and structural approach

This thesis is focused on the paleomagnetic rotation pattern inside the deforming zone of strike-slip faults, and the kinematics and geodynamics describing it. The paleomagnetic investigation carried out along both the LOFZ and the fore-arc sliver (38º-42ºS, southern Chile) revealed an asymmetric rotation pattern. East of the LOFZ and adjacent to it, rotations are up to 170° clockwise (CW) and fade out ~10 km east of fault. West of the LOFZ at 42ºS (Chiloé Island) and around 39°S (Villarrica domain) systematic CCW rotations have been observed, while at 40°-41°S (Ranco-Osorno domain) and adjacent to the LOFZ CW rotations reach up to 136° before evolving to CCW rotations at ~30 km from the fault. These data suggest a directed relation with subduction interface plate coupling. Zones of high coupling yield to a wide deforming zone (~30 km) west of the LOFZ characterized by CW rotations. Low coupling implies a weak LOFZ and a fore-arc dominated by CCW rotations related to NW-sinistral fault kinematics. The rotation pattern is consistent with a quasi-continuous crust kinematics. However, it seems unlikely that the lower crust flux can control block rotation in the upper crust, considering the cold and thick fore-arc crust. I suggest that rotations are consequence of forces applied directly on both the block edges and along the main fault, within the upper crust. Farther south, at the Austral Andes (54°S) I measured the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) of 22 Upper Cretaceous to Upper Eocene sites from the Magallanes fold-thrust belt internal domains. The data document continuous compression from the Early Cretaceous until the Late Oligocene. AMS data also show that the tectonic inversion of Jurassic extensional faults during the Late Cretaceous compressive phase may have controlled the Cenozoic kinematic evolution of the Magallanes fold-thrust belt, yielding slip partitioning.

Spectrum sensing su piattaforma software defined radio: Implementazione e test su stick dvb-t

Spectrum sensing su piattaforma software defined radio: Implementazione e test su stick dvb-t

Morphological instability analysis of a misfit strained core-shell nanowire for the growth of quantum dots

Nell'ambito delle nanostrutture, un ruolo primario è svolto dai punti quantici. In questo lavoro siamo interessati all'analisi teorica del processo di creazione dei punti quantici: esso può avvenire per eteroepitassia, in particolare secondo il metodo studiato da Stranski-Krastanov. Un film di Germanio viene depositato su un substrato di Silicio in modo coerente, cioè senza dislocazioni, e, a causa del misfit tra le maglie dei due materiali, c'è un accumulo di energia elastica nel film. A una certa altezza critica questa energia del film può essere ridotta se il film si organizza in isole (punti quantici), dove la tensione può essere rilassata lateralmente. L'altezza critica dipende dai moduli di Young (E, υ), dal misfit tra le maglie (m) e dalla tensione superficiali (γ). Il trasporto di materiale nel film è portato avanti per diffusione superficiale. Il punto focale nell'analisi delle instabilità indotte dal misfit tra le maglie dei materiali è la ricerca delle caratteristiche che individuano il modo di crescita più rapido dei punti quantici. In questo lavoro siamo interessati ad un caso particolare: la crescita di punti quantici non su una superficie piana ma sulla superficie di un nanofilo quantico a geometria cilindrica. L'analisi delle instabilità viene condotta risolvendo le equazioni all'equilibrio: a tal fine sono state calcolate le distribuzioni del tensore delle deformazioni e degli sforzo di un nanofilo core-shell con una superficie perturbata al primo ordine rispetto all'ampiezza della perturbazione. L'analisi è stata condotta con particolari condizioni al contorno ed ipotesi geometriche, e diverse scelte dello stato di riferimento del campo degli spostamenti. Risolto il problema elastico, è stata studiata l'equazione dinamica di evoluzione descrivente la diffusione di superficie. Il risultato dell'analisi di instabilità è il tasso di crescita in funzione del numero d'onda q, con diversi valori del raggio del core, spessore dello shell e modo normale n, al fine di trovare il più veloce modo di crescita della perturbazione.

Next-state comfort in learning a vertical stick transportation sequence

Over the last decade, the end-state comfort effect (e.g., Rosenbaum et al., 2006) has received a considerable amount of attention. However, some of the underlying mechanisms are still to be investigated, amongst others, how sequential planning affects end-state comfort and how this effect develops over learning. In a two-step sequencing task, e.g., postural comfort can be planned on the intermediate position (next state) or on the actual end position (final state). It might be hypothesized that, in initial acquisition, next state’s comfort is crucial for action planning but that, in the course of learning, final state’s comfort is taken more and more into account. To test this hypothesis, a variant of Rosenbaum’s vertical stick transportation task was used. Participants (N = 16, right-handed) received extensive practice on a two-step transportation task (10,000 trials over 12 sessions). From the initial position on the middle stair of a staircase in front of the participant, the stick had to be transported either 20 cm upwards and then 40 cm downwards or 20 cm downwards and then 40 cm upwards (N = 8 per subgroup). Participants were supposed to produce fluid movements without changing grasp. In the pre- and posttest, participants were tested on both two-step sequencing tasks as well as on 20 cm single-step upwards and downwards movements (10 trials per condition). For the test trials, grasp height was calculated kinematographically. In the pretest, large end/next/final-state comfort effects for single-step transportation tasks and large next-state comfort effects for sequenced tasks were found. However, no change in grasp height from pre- to posttest could be revealed. Results show that, in vertical stick transportation sequences, the final state is not taken into account when planning grasp height. Instead, action planning seems to be solely based on aspects of the next action goal that is to be reached.

Fingering instability down the outside of a vertical cylinder

We present an experimental and numerical study examining the dynamics of a gravity-driven contact line of a thin viscous film traveling down the outside of a vertical cylinder of radius R. Experiments on cylinders with radii ranging between 0.159 and 3.81 cm show that the contact line is unstable to a fingering pattern for two fluids with differing viscosities, surface tensions, and wetting properties. The dynamics of the contact line is studied and results are compared to previous studies of inclined plane experiments in order to understand the influence substrate curvature plays on the fingering pattern. A lubrication model is derived for the film height in the limit that ε = H/R≪1, where H is the upstream film thickness, and in terms of a Bond number ρgR3/(γH), and the linear stability of the contact line is analyzed using traveling wave solutions. Curvature controls the capillary ridge height of the traveling wave and the range of unstable wavelength when ε = O(10-1), whereas the shape and stability of the contact line converge to the behavior one observes on a vertical plane when ε ≤ O(10-2). The most unstable wave mode, cutoff wave mode for neutral stability, and maximum growth rate scale as 0.45 where = ρgR2/γ ≥ 1.3, and the contact line is unstable to fingering when ≥ 0.56. Using the experimental data to extrapolate outside the range of validity of the thin film model, we estimate the contact line is stable when <0.56. Agreement is excellent between the model and the experimental data for the wave number (i.e., number of fingers) and wavelength of the fingering pattern that forms along the contact line.