PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Laura MEDEGHINI
TITLE: Tecnologie produttive dell'acquedotto Traiano: una infrastruttura del passato parte integrante del presente
FUNDING AGENCY: Ateneo Sapienza Università di Roma

START DATE: dicembre 2019
END DATE: novembre 2021
ABSTRACT: 
The research project aims at the archaeometric characterization of the construction materials (i.e., mortars, plasters, bricks, cocciopesto and fragments of volcanic rocks) of the Trajan aqueduct, one of the longest ancient aqueducts still in use today.
A multi-analytical approach, including optical microscopy in thin section (MO), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), thermo-gravimetric analyzes (TGA, DTA), scanning electron microscopy with microanalysis (SEM-EDS), analysis by electronic microprobe (EMPA) and X-ray diffractometry (XRPD), is used to define the construction techniques and the provenance of the raw materials.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Laura MEDEGHINI
TITLE: La ceramica a vernice nera di Pompei: imitazione o produzione originale?
FUNDING AGENCY: Ateneo Sapienza Università di Roma

START DATE: febbraio 2019
END DATE: novembre 2021
ABSTRACT:
The research project aims at the mineral-petrographic and chemical characterization of the ceramic body and the coating of the black-painted ceramics (III-I BC), brought to light during the recent excavations of the archaeological site of Pompeii. A multi-analytical approach that includes thin section optical microscopy (MO), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), micro-Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy with microanalysis (SEM-EDS), electronic microprobe (EMPA) and X-ray diffractometry (XRPD) will be applied to reconstruct the nature and origin of the raw materials and to define the production technologies. In particular, the characterization of the black surface will be the main topic of the project and the comparison with ceramic materials from Neapolis will allow the reconstruction of the evolution of production techniques over time.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Silvano MIGNARDI
TITLE: Trash to treasure: come un rifiuto può risanare l'ambiente
FUNDING AGENCY: Ateneo Sapienza Università di Roma

START DATE: novembre 2020
END DATE: novembre 2022
ABSTRACT: 
Mercury is one of the most dangerous water and soil pollutants worldwide. For this reason, it is of primary importance to develop methodologies that allow this dangerous metal to be removed from industrial wastewater before it is released into the environment. The main objective of the research project is to define the ability of hydroxyapatite, synthesized from mollusc shell waste (MSHAP), to remove Hg2+ ions from aqueous solutions. The efficiency of this innovative material, the preparation of which can make it possible to reduce the volume of a major waste from the food industry and the recovery of useful materials, will be evaluated based on the results of batch experiments. The effects of dosage of MSHAP, of the initial concentration of Hg, of the interaction time between the MSHAP and the solution and of the initial pH. MSHAP synthesis will be performed from Ruditapes philippinarum shells. A multi-analytical approach will be adopted for the acquisition of experimental data, which involves the application of numerous and differentiated analytical techniques such as scanning electron microscopy with microanalysis (SED-EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffractometry (XRPD), thermo-gravimetric analyzes (TGA, DTA), analysis by electronic microprobe (EMPA) and chemical analyzes by ICP-AES. The experimental results will be evaluated by applying various kinetic and adsorption models in order to obtain useful information for the complete definition of the mechanisms of capture of Hg2+ ions by apatite, about which there are still many uncertainties in the literature.

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Maurizio BATTAGLIA
TITLE: Modeling the evolution of volcanic processes in the Nevado del Ruiz volcano (Colombian Andes) by using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar and continuous Global Positioning System constraints
FUNDING AGENCY: Sapienza – Piccoli Progetti Universitari

START DATE: Giugno 2020
END DATE: Giugno 2023
ABSTRACT: 
Deformation signals recorded at volcanoes have long been used to investigate volcanic processing. Parameters such as location, depth, and volume change can be inferred from the ground displacements measured on the Earth¿s surface by applying inversion techniques. Deformation measurements at active volcanoes are usually made with continuous Global Positioning System (CGPS) stations, supplemented by Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) images. InSAR can image ground deformation over large areas at centimeter-scale resolution over time-scales of days to a few years, while CGPS can provide continuous information on three dimensional ground displacements at a network of key sites. Nevado del Ruiz volcano rises 5321 meters above sea level in the Colombian Andes. In November 1985, pyroclastic material fall from a modest explosive eruption led to the sudden melting of the volcano ice-cap, and the formation of a lahar that reached and destroyed the town of Armero and part of the town of Chinchina causing 25000 dead. After a decade of quiescence, in 2010 Nevado del Ruiz entered in the present period of unrest with a significant increase in seismicity, surface deformation and gas venting. We will investigate the interaction between the volcano magmatic system and local tectonics to explain the present volcanic unrest. Analysis of GPS displacements from 2010 to present, and InSAR from 2012 to 2015,
will allow to constrain the source of unrest and infer the local stress transfer controlling the subsurface magma and fluid flow. The analysis will be based on both analytical and numerical inversion of geodetic data. We will first employ analytical models to constrain the source of unrest. Then we will develop numerical Finite Element Method models to evaluate the influence of irregular geometries,
volcanic topography, heterogeneous material properties and various rheologies on the local stress transfer and the evolution of the volcanic unrest.