The results of experiments on atmospheric neutrinos are summarized, with the important exception of Su-perkamiokande. The main emphasis is given to the Soudan-2 and MACRO experiments. Both experiments observe atmospheric neutrino anomalies in agreement with νµ → ντ oscillations with maximum mixing. The νµ → νs oscillation is disfavored by the MACRO experiment.

In case of a nuclear accident, decision makers rely on high resolution and accurate information about the spatial distribution of the radioactivity levels in the surroundings of the accident site. Static nuclear monitoring networks are therefore employed in many countries in Europe. However, these networks were designed to cover the whole country and are usually too course to reach a high densi...

The injection of sulfur dioxide (SO2) into the stratosphere to form an artificial stratospheric aerosol layer is discussed as an option for solar radiation management. The related reduction of radiative forcing depends upon the injected amount of sulfur dioxide, but aerosol model studies indicate a decrease in forcing efficiency with increasing injection rate. None of these studies, however, co...

In this contribution we investigate how to describe the results and usage of evolutionary synthesis models. In particular, we look for an explicit and quantitative description of the parameter space of synthesis models and the evaluation of their associated uncertainties and dispersion. First, we need to understand what synthesis models actually compute: we show that a synthetic stellar populat...

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is increasingly used to study a wide variety of complex Environmental Fluid Mechanics (EFM) processes, such as water flow and turbulent mixing of contaminants in rivers and estuaries and wind flow and air pollution dispersion in urban areas. However, the accuracy and reliability of CFD modeling and the correct use of CFD results can easily be compromised. In 2...

The solution of hyperbolic systems with sti source terms is of great importance in areas such as atmospheric dispersion. The nite-volume approach used here for such problems employs Godunov-type methods, a sophisticated splitting approach for e ciency and adaptive tetrahedral meshes to provide the necessary resolution for physically meaningful solutions. This raises the issues of how to estimat...

This paper focuses on the design and development of a Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI)-compliant online system for air quality information retrieval, including support for real-time monitoring. This system assesses exposure to ambient air to mitigate potential health risks, which is crucial for susceptible individuals, health practitioners and decision makers. Particular attention is paid to t...

This study investigates how AlGaAs/GaAs thin film solar cells perform under varying global solar spectrum due to the changes of environmental parameters such as the air mass and the atmospheric turbidity. The solar irradiance striking the solar cell is simulated using the spectral irradiance model SMARTS2 (Simple Model of the Atmospheric Radiative Transfer of Sunshine) for clear skies on the si...

This work accounts for an investigation about the diurnal variation of aerosol spectral transmittance of solar irradiance under dominant wind conditions as case studies. Such a work is carried out in Athens for first time. The spectral transmittance values estimated were derived using Ž . ground-based spectral measurements of beam irradiance in the range 310–575 nm UV and VIS . The data were re...

Analysts need to do a better job of characterizing climate “surprises” — the low-probability but high-consequence scenarios — that are driving much of the international concern about climate change. Currently, most analyses rely on models or projections that assume “smooth behavior” — i.e., the climate responds slowly and predictably, gradually warming as atmospheric GHG concentrations increase...