Marco Casazza

Integrated hierarchical geo-environmental survey strategy applied to the detection and investigation of an illegal landfill: A case study in the Campania Region (Southern Italy)

This paper describes an approach to detect and investigate the main characteristics of a solid waste landfill through the integration of geological, geographical and geophysical methods. In particular, a multi-temporal analysis of the landfill morphological evolution was carried out using aerial and satellite photos, since there were no geological and geophysical data referring to the study area. Subsequently, a surface geophysical prospection was performed through geoelectric and geomagnetic methods. In particular, the combination of electrical resistivity, induced polarization and magnetic measurements removed some of the uncertainties, generally associated with a separate utilization of these techniques. This approach was successfully tested to support the Prosecutor Office of Salerno (S Italy) during a specific investigation about an illegal landfill. All the collected field data supported the reconstruction of the site-specific history, while the real quarry geometry and site geology were defined. Key elements of novelty of this method are the combination and the integration of different methodological approaches, as the parallel and combined use of satellite, aerial and in-situ collected data, that were validated in a real investigation and that revealed the effectiveness of this strategy.

Parametric Experimental Modal Analysis of a Modern Violin Based on a Guarneri del Gesù Model

Mechanical effects and dynamic behaviour of a modern violin, built on a Guarneri del Gesu model, were examined via parametric experimental modal analysis. The soundpost, a mobile component of a violin, has a particular relevance for the final acoustic performance, even if its dimensions are extremely small. Therefore, the aim of this first research is to understand the violin sensitivity to the soundpost position considering its influence on the overall structural-vibrational behaviour.

Editorial: Indicators of Energy Use in Urban Systems

From 1998 onwards the Biennial International Workshop “Advances in Energy Studies” (BIWAES) has gathered a community of scientists, industry and business energy experts, administrators and policy-makers, social and environmental stakeholders, converging in different locations of the world to present and discuss advances, innovations and visions in energy and energy-related environmental and socioeconomic issues and models. Renowned energy experts and ecologists have discussed the importance of energy in our society and ecosystems and the ways to better analyze and model their complex relationships. This interdisciplinary effort stems from the awareness that scientific and technological achievements, economic processes, art and creativity, policy-making and governance, information networks, even religions and worldwide social movements, may all contribute to different extents to appropriate resource and environmental management and fruition, and promote access to development means, better quality of life and environmental protection. This series of Advances in Energy Studies Workshops aims at sharpening scientific focus and building a critical level of collaborative networking among scientists that deal with energy issues. The work toward this goal has been gaining momentum in recent years, as societal attention once again is shifting toward policy debates concerning the sustainable use of energy and resources and their relationship to the economies of the world.

Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics of macromolecular systems, by Michael Bachmann: Scope: reference, monograph. Level: postgraduate, early career researcher, researcher, teacher, specialist, scientist

are long-term encounters with relatively small doses. The text also describes the effects of short-term encounters with high doses, both positive (such as medical treatment with dedicated radiation) and negative (such as nuclear weapons and their fallout). This includes a detailed and quantitative discussion of radiation measures and cancer risk, as well as the biomedical background of radiation damage to the human body. The fact that radiation can be extremely useful in medical applications such as diagnostics and treatment, and yet will always be at least potentially harmful for humans, brings us to the third part of the book, ‘Weighing the Risks and Benefits of Radiation’. It puts into perspective the risks and benefits of exposure to radiation from sources such as naturally occurring Radon gas, radioactivity accumulated in food and background levels of radiation, when compared to man-made radiation, either purposefully as in medical applications or unpurposefully as in nuclear accidents. Altogether, the text gives detailed insight into the nature of radiation and the historical findings and developments, as well as a solid basis for understanding the appearances and effects of radiation in modern society. It is very well written in a colloquial style and does not require any specialist knowledge. It can be recommended as a good read both for entertainment and scientifically based information to a general readership.

Foundation of statistical energy analysis in vibroacoustics, by A. Le Bot: Scope: reference, monograph, textbook. Level: advanced undergraduate, postgraduate, early career researcher, researcher, teacher, specialist, scientist, engineers

and wave ones. Consequently, both the modelling of complex systems vibrations and the phenomena of propagation are extensively discussed. The definition and implications of diffuse field conditions, which are central within this discipline, are clearly addressed. Following, other energy-related phenomena are reviewed, such as energy balance, energy path and transient phenomena, as well as coupling loss factor. Finally, the last section deals with thermodynamics of sound and vibration. A set of useful appendices completes the work by Le Bot. This book, thanks to its clarity, can be used both as an introductory and as advanced-level text. A preliminary knowledge of physics is required, anyway, to address this subject, making it more suitable for graduate scholars. Due to its completeness, also witnessed by the foreword written by Prof. Lyon (the founder of this discipline), the work by Le Bot should be considered as a good purchase by both universities and research groups libraries, as an acquisition whose value is long-lasting. Finally, the exhaustive treatment of SEA in vibroacoustics might also constitute a good discussion basis for interesting seminars for future PhDs in various science and engineering disciplines.

Assessment of Renewable Energy Expansion in the Java-Bali Islands, Indonesia

Many developing countries face a dilemma between meeting the intensive growth in electricity demand, broadening an electricity access, as well as tackling climate change. The use of renewable energy is considered as an option for meeting both electrification and climate change objectives. In this study, long-term forecasting of electricity supply for the Java-Bali power system – the main power system in Indonesia – is presented. The forecasts take into consideration the Indonesian government policy of increasing the share of new and renewable energy in the national energy mix up to 23% by 2025 and 30% by 2050. After a systematic review of energy system models, we perform the analysis of the Java-Bali power system expansion using the Long-range Energy Alternative Planning system (LEAP) model. Three scenarios are developed over the planning horizon (2016-2050) including the business as usual scenario (BAU), the renewable energy scenario (REN) and the optimization scenario (OPT). The results of the three scenarios are analyzed in terms of the changes in resource/technology deployment, CO2 emissions and total costs.

The Principle of the Common Cause, by Gábor Hofer-Szabó, Miklós Rédei and Lázló E. Szabó

The Common Cause Principle states that no correlation exists without causation. More specifically, it affirms that any correlation is either due to a direct causal effect connecting the correlated entities, or is brought about by a third factor – a common cause – that stands in a welldefined probabilistic relation to the correlated events. This statement, which seems easy to understand at first, is non trivial, as evidenced both by philosophers and by physicists, so that it has been discussed extensively in many papers. The key difficulty is to understand what are the limits of its non-universal validity and, consequently, in what cases this principle can or cannot explain probabilistic correlations: this is the topic of this book. The book includes an introduction, followed by an in-depth description of the Common Cause Principle; a discussion of its extendibility in respect to probability spaces; a review of the causally closed probability theories; an examination of the most frequent ‘common causes’; the extension of the ‘common cause’ concept to the non-classical probability space; the Reichenbachian common cause systems and their partitions; the causal closeness of quantum field theory; the Reichenbach’s Common Cause Principle and the Einstein–Podolsky– Rosen correlations. Finally, some considerations are drawn with the aim of defining where we stand at present in respect to the understanding of the Common Cause Principle. In the appendix of the book, the main algebraic definitions, that are required to understand the text, are reported. The work, by Hofer-Szabó, Rédei and Szabó, starts and ends examining the philosophical foundations of this important principle. Later, it goes deeper into its algebraic, physical and statistical implications that must be considered to define its validity, showing all the necessary premises and demonstrations. I would encourage many readers to approach this book. It is clear and, as far as possible, concise. It does not neglect any important aspect of the state-of-the-art concerning the principle. I would recommend this reading to any physicist and particularly to those interested in complex systems and statistical physics. Nevertheless, I think the book might interest also scholars in the field of philosophy of science. It should also be considered for acquisition by academic libraries, since it deals with a relatively new subject, which could be applied in different fields. This book might also constitute a good discussion basis for interesting seminars for future PhDs and would represent a good text book for post-graduate students. Last but not least, an important value of The Principle of the Common Cause by Hofer-Szabó, Rédei and Szabó is that it possesses a very good methodological structure, and, respecting the spirit of analytic philosophy of science, is conceptually precise.

The Weather Observer’s Handbook, by Stephen Burt

you thinking what we’re thinking?’ in the 2005 general election. (‘No’ answered the electorate, handing them defeat.) In science the temptation to provide a smart answer is also often overwhelming, as in the case of Berry et al.’s paper of 2011 entitled ‘Can apparent superluminal neutrino speeds be explained as a quantum weak measurement’, whose two-word abstract reads ‘Probably not’. It is with such persiflage in mind that one might be tempted to approach Franck Laloë’s book. Indeed, for those who work with the reality of quantum mechanics, or who will shortly have to answer exam questions on the subject, the obvious, two-word answer to the question ‘Do we really understand quantum mechanics?’ might be ‘Well enough.’ This book may well change the mind of readers with such preconceptions. Laloë’s stated intention is to provide a balanced view of the conceptual background to quantum mechanics without embarrassment at its difficulties or hiding its successes, and this he certainly does. The reader is first guided though a brief historical overview of the subject before being presented with the conceptual difficulties of quantum mechanics, including clear, misconception-busting descriptions of Schrödinger’s cat and Wigner’s friend. The EPR paradox is described using a charming argument based on Mendel’s peas before we are guided through a technical description of Bell’s inequalities. Quantum entanglement and cryptography are elucidated without overexcited, modish claims and quantum measurement is given a technical treatment before a subset of experimental results is clearly described. The long, final section of the book is devoted to the various interpretations of quantum mechanics including, amongst others, the pragmatist’s view (which leads to the ‘well enough’ quip), an informative guide to Bohmian theory and hidden variables, the history interpretation and Everett’s many worlds description. Here we are warmly invited to accept that not only do we not, in many ways, understand quantum mechanics, but also that our current version of the theory may very well not be the last word on the subject. Practitioners and teachers of quantum mechanics will certainly benefit from considering the questions raised by this text. While the subject area has been visited and revisited over the years, this book provides a clear, concise and ultimately rewarding description of the problems, the tools, modern experiments and where we might hope to find solutions. Despite the author’s intentions, some of the lengthier mathematical sections might be difficult for the undergraduate with only a single course under their belt (there is, for example, no option presented to skip proofs that will not be frequently used later in the text). However, a final-year student will have more than enough background to understand the subject matter in some depth, aided by several appendices containing further technical material. At a time when many University courses shy away from such conceptual descriptions of this notoriously slippery subject, this book provides substantial and satisfying food for thought. After reading Do We Really Understand Quantum Mechanics? my answer was ‘No, and more people should be told’.

Synergetic Agents, by Hermann Haken and Paul Levi

the receding beam. More details on the morphology of jet observation can be found in this collection, starting from resolution on the parsec scale (1 pc = 3 10m) obtained with Very Long Baseline Radio Interferometry and ending with kpc-scale X-ray observation of ‘knots’ with the Chandra satellite. An article by Matthew Baring on particle acceleration in turbulent shocks starts the final, theoretical section of the collection. At the jet termination, relativistic supersonic plasma flow changes to subsonic flow via a shock discontinuity. While large-scale fields parallel to the jet axis are often seen in an outer sheath and other segments of field normal to this direction, especially close to the axis, more field turbulence is present. This wave structure acts to repeatedly scatter selected energetic particles across the shock, which probably allows cosmic ray protons of energies up to 10 eV to be generated. Other shocks within the jet are likely to accelerate the electrons responsible for the higher frequency synchrotron radiation up to energies of 10 eV. Typical of the manner in which this collection describes theoretical modelling of alternative scenarios is Barings’ account of the calculation of the speed of this diffusive shock acceleration process. Time scale is crucial to the maximum energy achievable because of competitive energy loss processes. Due to the relativistic effect, particles with energies well above the rest mass energy possibly gain fractionally more energy per shock crossing than non-relativistic particles. As co-author with Lieu of the first paper suggesting this effect, this reviewer is pleased to read of Barings’ and other works in qualitative confirmation of the possibility, although the magnitude seems to be more dependent on the scattering model employed. More uncertainty emerges in Aloy and Mimicas’ review of numerical modelling of the evolution of jets where narrow collimated, ordered beams near the source break into turbulent structure driven by instabilities near their termination. For jets which are appreciably slowed by the surrounding medium, the early analytical work of Scheuer describes the gross decay of velocity and pressure, and the widening of a cocoon enclosing the material returning to the parent galaxy after some termination shock is reached. However, neither analytical nor numerical simulation reveal much distinctive observational dependence on jet composition, that is whether the jet is composed of cold baryons plus electrons or cold electrons-positrons or hot electron-positrons. Sorting this question from detailed modelling is a continuing, major problem. Finally, Christopher Reynolds employs the Scheuer picture to introduce a review of work on Jet Feedback to AGN. This current topic of research is concerned with the manner in which increased jet output heats the medium supplying the AGN, and therefore reduces the fuel supply and hence luminosity. The collection represents a comprehensive account of recent research in the field with a reasonable amount of introductory theory.

Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics: Foundations and Applications, by Phyl Attard

A catchy title may often help to sell a book, but in the case of a science textbook one hopes that it will also be accurate! The problem with subjects such as Special and General Relativity, of course, is that they have physical subtleties and mathematical complexities which cannot be bypassed if a proper understanding is to be achieved. The major aim of the author of the present volume is to make the relevant ideas as clear as possible and the mathematics as digestible as can reasonably be hoped for. The first half of the book consists of a thorough account of special relativity, treated as far as electromagnetism and Maxwells equations. Although it is stated that an initial familiarity with the subject might help, it seems to me that this is not especially needed. The explanations given are good, careful and complete (though I think the Twin Paradox was not quite fully elucidated), and I see this text as admirably forming a suitable course material for undergraduate physics students, who will probably have the difficulty in finding anything better on the market. The author really does try very hard to explain the concepts transparently and to deal with details and potential trouble-spots in a sympathetic way which the students will find helpful. There follows an introductory presentation of general relativity. This too is very good as far as it goes; again, the explanation of the assumptions and concepts is very painstaking and accessible. Starting in the usual way with curved space-time and the equivalence principle, the subject is taken up to black holes and gravitational lensing. The discussion is fully quantitative, but without any attempt at a rigorous tensorial treatment; major results such as the Schwarzschild solution to Einsteins equation are stated and discussed in some depth, but not derived. A full account, including a derivation of the Einstein equation, would certainly not have come under the heading of ‘relatively easy’. In the final chapters, a selection of more advanced topics is presented, such as an introduction to tensors, the stress-energy tensor, Lagrangians and some further aspects of electromagnetism. This goes beyond a typical undergraduate level, it seems to me, but there is subject-matter here that may be extremely helpful as an introductory material and as a background reading for more advanced courses. The author plans a further book eventually. There are quite a lot of exercises at the end of the chapters, but without complete answers; a ‘tutor’s handbook’ would be very valuable in this connection. Overall then, I would commend the present text highly to those who want a physics-oriented rather than a mathematics-oriented treatment, written in a studentfriendly style without compromising the content or accuracy, and with a very good coverage of special relativity. The author explains the relevant mathematics very thoroughly and well, and this emphasis alone probably justifies the title of the book. Many tricky details are teazed out in some depth. The approach to general relativity will also meet many students’ requirements, though not all. I am sure that this book will find a deserved place in the undergraduate physics courses, as well as suiting the needs of post-graduate students in coming to grips with the more advanced subject-matter.