Picture of one of the two installation
The Enrico Fermi Museum has just unveiled its new section dedicated to cosmic rays. New technologies allow visitors to fully immerse themselves in a “cosmic rain,” shedding light on what these mysterious rays from space are and how they reach us.
Check out the dedicated reel posted on the social media pages of the EEE Project and CREF at this link.
For info and bookings to visit the museum, check the website museum.cref.it.
With deep emotion, the Extreme Energy Events (EEE) Project community – Science in Schools – expresses its condolences for the passing of Professor Antonino Zichichi, a scientist and tireless promoter of scientific culture.
The EEE Project bears his imprint: an idea born in the early 2000s from his vision, which unites research and education, involving students and teachers in an authentic experience of "lived" and shared Science. “Bringing Science to the hearts of young people,” the motto of this Project, was coined by Professor Zichichi himself.
President of the Italian Physical Society (SIF), president of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), and president of the Enrico Fermi Research Center (CREF), Professor Zichichi deeply believed in new generations, in the power of knowledge as a common good, and in Science as a bridge between school, research, and society.
His legacy lives on in every student and every teacher who transmits curiosity and the scientific method.
To his loved ones and the entire scientific community, our most heartfelt condolences.
The general meeting of the Extreme Energy Events Project (EEE) gathered also this year representatives from the schools involved in the experiment: 26 institutes from all over Italy — around a hundred students and teachers — met from November 12 to 14 at the Enrico Fermi Research Center (CREF), while other schools followed and contributed remotely.
The event was organized into three days of scientific activities, training, and discussions, aiming to bring students closer to the study of cosmic rays and experimental research assisted by the researchers of the EEE collaboration.
The President of CREF, Prof. Angela Bracco, inaugurated the event together with the project spokesperson Dr. Marco Garbini, the outreach coordinator Dr. Cristina Ripoli (University of Salerno), and the CREF researcher Dr. Silvia Pisano.
The central moment of the meeting was the Masterclass – led by Dr. Francesco Noferini, EEE vice spokesperson (INFN Bologna) – dedicated to a data analysis based on measurements taken during the recent PolarquEEEst 2025 – OvEEErland mission: using the POLA-02 detector, cosmic ray flux measurements were made at different latitudes along a car route from Bologna to Tromsø passing through Italy, Austria, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.
Working on the data, organized in interschool groups, the students tackled the analysis, transforming it into an opportunity for collaboration, integration, and growth in problem-solving skills.
At the end, the groups presented their results to the audience, and three projects were awarded on the final day (1°: IC Pirandello, Lampedusa and Liceo Fermi, Paternò - 2°: Liceo Banzi, Lecce and Liceo Amaldi, Bitetto - 3°: IISS Staffa, Trinitapoli and Liceo Scacchi, Bari).
On the second day of the conference, the EEE Project took part in the 14th edition of the International Cosmic Day (ICD). Liceo Scorza (Cosenza) – which produced the best analysis presented for this contest based on data collected via POLA-R onboard the Amerigo Vespucci (PolarquEEEst 2022 mission) – had the opportunity to present their work during the international ICD call: students from all over the world gather at this global event, organized every year by the DESY laboratory in Hamburg, to discuss cosmic ray studies.
The meeting program also included two in-depth seminars: Prof. Giorgio Riccobene (INFN – National Laboratories of the South, Catania) concluded the second day presenting “KM3NeT-ARCA: the largest underwater detector in the world in the era of high-energy neutrino astronomy”; Prof. Adele La Rana (Sapienza University of Rome) opened the last day with the talk titled “Fermi, every one of us: genius at work! Enrico Fermi and quantum mechanics.”
Finally, in the words of the Scientific Director of CREF, Prof. Salvatore De Pasquale, and President Bracco, the value of the EEE Project emerged once again as the result of collaboration between CREF and INFN, serving as a meeting place for researchers and students, with the goal of bringing young people closer to the world of research through active participation, sharing, and fieldwork.
The PolarquEEEst 2025 – OvEEErland mission, the new project by the EEE Collaboration researchers dedicated to studying cosmic ray fluxes at different latitudes using one of the POLA-R detectors developed within the Extreme Energy Events (EEE) Project, concluded today, October 8th. The mission, which started on September 16th, was jointly organized by CREF, INFN, and the University of Oslo.
Following previous expeditions—where in 2018 the POLA-R detectors boarded the innovative ecological vessel Nanuq to circumnavigate the Svalbard islands; in 2019 they were permanently installed in the Norwegian archipelago; and in 2022 they accompanied the training ship Amerigo Vespucci on its circumnavigation of Italy—this year’s mission takes a new direction: traveling by land, from Bologna to Tromsø in the heart of Arctic Norway, by car!
The route crossed six countries—Italy, Austria, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway—covering a total of approximately 8,200 km round trip. “A journey covering a wide range of latitudes, from 44.5°N to 70°N, filling particularly the gap in measurements between 52°N and 66°N, which was never explored in previous PolarquEEEst missions,” says Francesco Noferini, INFN project manager for the EEE Project.
Along the way, scientific stops and outreach events took place at German and Norwegian schools: Gymnasium Villa Elisabeth in Wildau (with the support of Carolin Gnebner, head of the DESY-Zeuthen group for International Cosmic Day), the Physics Department of the University of Oslo, and Thora Storm Videregående Skole in Trondheim. All three events were very successful and saw significant participation also from Italian students, who shared their work on the detectors at their schools via live connections.
“For years, EEE has offered students the unique opportunity to experience science firsthand, side by side with researchers. With this mission, we bring our cosmic ray measurements beyond geographical borders, crossing countries and diverse communities. This journey unites science, youth, and institutions under one sky, reminding us that knowledge has no boundaries,” states Marco Garbini, EEE Project manager at CREF and spokesperson.
The POLA-R detector has returned to Bologna awaiting new expeditions!
All photos and videos of the trip, stage by stage, along with the story of this exciting scientific adventure, can be found on EEE’s social media channels.
Also this year, the EEE Project is participating in the International Cosmic Day organized by DESY, which will be held on November 26, coinciding with the in-person meeting at the Centro Fermi for the schools involved in the EEE Project. Schools that cannot attend in person will be able to follow and participate in the event online. ICD is an opportunity for us to deepen our study of cosmic rays and exchange our experience with students from all over the world.
On this page, you will find the preliminary agenda and instructions for the analysis to be carried out.
In particular, we propose students to analyze data collected by some EEE telescopes and/or POLAR detectors installed in Ny Ålesund (Svalbard) during the period from April to May 2024, when the detectors observed a decrease in the muon rate caused by a spectacular Solar Flare (Forbush effect).
The data to be analyzed and the details for the analysis are provided below.
By November 19, the schools participating in the EEE Project can send the results of their studies to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in the form of a presentation (.ppt or .pdf) and simultaneously a summary of their analysis on a single page according to the template you can find here (the template is not mandatory and can be modified, but the report must fit on an A4 page).
Preliminary agenda:
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10:00 AM Welcome to the Schools
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10:10 AM Seminar (Dr. A. Oliva, INFN Bologna)
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11:00 AM Schools' reports on data analysis
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11:50 AM Conclusion of the event
Proposed analysis, data and instructions:
On this occasion, we will have data acquired by the following detectors:
EEE telescopes running with the new eco-friendly gas mixture:
-
BOLO-02 (Bologna)
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CAGL-01 (Cagliari)
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LAQU-01 (L'Aquila)
-
VICE-01 (Vicenza)
POLAR detectors:
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POLA-01 (Ny Ålesund)
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POLA-02 (Bologna)
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POLA-03 (Ny Ålesund)
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POLA-04 (Ny Ålesund)
- The available data for all the detectors listed cover the time period from April 1, 2024 to May 15, 2024.
- The data is available in both CSV format (to be analyzed using Excel or similar software) and ROOT format (to be analyzed with ROOT).
- The proposed analysis can be done on one or more datasets.
- The provided instructions are to be considered as a starting point for the analysis and are based on using Excel (recommended choice).
The analysis concerns the study of the Forbush effect connected to the exceptional solar storm on May 10, which lit up the Italian skies with a fiery red glow (news Centro Fermi, SIF Prima Pagina)—a phenomenon observed both by POLAR detectors and some EEE telescopes operating with the new eco-friendly gas mixture.
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Download the data (currently not available, for more information send an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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Use the instructions [download instructions] as a starting point for the analysis.
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Once the analysis is complete, send the report as a .ppt file (max size 3 MB) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. together with a one-page summary following the template found here (max size 2 MB).
For clarifications, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Good work!
On November 22, 2022, the EEE Project will participate in the International Cosmic Day organized by link. As always, the ICD is an event that allows us to deepen the study of cosmic rays and to exchange our experience with that of students from all over the world. Also this year, students, teachers, and researchers will come together to study cosmic rays.
For this edition of the ICD, the EEE Project has prepared an online meeting during which, alongside presentations by researchers engaged in the study of cosmic rays, students will be able to present the results of their analyses. On this page, you will find the meeting agenda and details for joining. In particular, we encourage students to study the variation of cosmic ray flux as a function of the latitude where the measurement is taken.
The data to be analyzed and the instructions for the analysis are provided below.
By November 15, the EEE Project Schools that wish to participate can send the results of their studies to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in the form of a presentation (ppt or pdf) and simultaneously a one-page summary of their analysis(the important thing is that the report fits on one A4 page).
Also this year, the best presentation will be awarded a Cosmic Box!!!
Agenda
10:00 AM – Welcome to the Schools
10:10 AM – Seminar to be decided
11:00 AM – Schools' reports on data analysis
11:30 AM – Cosmic ray flux vs. latitude
11:50 AM – Event conclusion
Connection instructions for the meeting:
To get more information about the event consult the Indico Agenda clicking this link
Proposed analysis, data, and instructions
On this occasion, we will use data recently acquired by the POLA-02 detector on board the Amerigo Vespucci. We will particularly try to study the variation of cosmic ray flux with latitude. We will have two sets of data acquired during two port stops, one in Ancona and one in Durres, as well as the entire dataset collected during the whole voyage.
Available data:
The data are in .csv files that can be analyzed using Excel (recommended choice and basis for the provided instructions) or similar spreadsheet programs.
- Download the data (compressed folder containing three .csv files).
- Use the instructions (download instructions) as a starting point for the analysis.
- Once the analysis is complete, please send the report as a .ppt file (maximum size 3 MB) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. together with a one-page summary of the analysis according to the template found here (maximum report size 2 MB).
For clarifications, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Good work!!!
On November 10, 2021, the EEE Project will participate again in the International Cosmic Day organized by DESY. Once again, the ICD represents an opportunity for us to deepen the study of cosmic rays and to exchange our experience with that of students around the world.
The strict safety and COVID-19 contagion prevention rules will partially limit contacts and the physical sharing of experiences.
For the ICD 2021 edition, the EEE Project has prepared an online meeting during which, together with presentations by researchers engaged in the study of cosmic rays, students will be able to present the results of their analyses. On this page you will find the meeting agenda and connection details. In particular, we propose that students to use data sed acquired by POLA-01 detector on the Nanuq boat on the 30th of July 2018 to study the muon's rate depending on the zenital angle of incidence.
The data to be analyzed and the details for the analysis are provided below.
By November 3, the EEE Project Schools that intend to participate can send the results of their studies to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in the form of a presentation (.ppt or .pdf) and at the same time a summary of their analysis on a single A4 page.
Agenda
10:00 AM Welcome to the Schools
10:10 AM Muonic tomografy of Etna vulcan (Dr. Giuseppe Gallo)
10:50 AM Schools' reports on data analysis
Scacchi High School (Bari)
Galvani High School (Bologna)
11:15 AM Welcome from the Outreach Cosmic Ray Activities (OCRA) - Bari
Scacchi High School (Bari)
IIS Staffa (Trinitapoli)
11:30 AM Cosmic ray flux vs. direction (Prof. Daniele de Gruttola, Dott.ssa Cristina Ripoli)
11:50 AM Conclusion of the event
Instructions for Connection to the meeting:
To correctly connect to the meeting and view the event timetable, connect to the Indico Agenda of the Fermi Center at this link.
Proposed analysis, data and instructions
On this occasion, we will use the data acquired by the POLA-01 detector on board the Nanuq on July 30, 2018; during that expedition, the boat ran aground and tilted in such a way that it was possible to study the muon rate as a function of the zenith angle of arrival. For a review of the POLA-01 detector, please refer to the following presentation.
Data available:
The data are in a .csv file type, so they can be analyzed using Excel (recommended choice and on which the provided instructions are based) or similar calculation programs. You will have three data sets available and can decide whether to analyze one or more.
- Download the data (data currently unavailable, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
- Use the instructions (download the instructions) as a starting point for the analysis.
- Once the analysis is complete, send the report in the form of a .ppt file (maximum size 3 MB) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For clarifications contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
On November 4, 2020, the EEE Project will participate again in the International Cosmic Day organized by DESY. Once again, the ICD represents an opportunity for us to deepen the study of cosmic rays and to exchange our experience with that of students around the world.
The strict safety and COVID-19 contagion prevention rules will partially limit contacts and the physical sharing of experiences.
For the ICD 2020 edition, the EEE Project has prepared an online meeting during which, together with presentations by researchers engaged in the study of cosmic rays, students will be able to present the results of their analyses. On this page you will find the meeting agenda and connection details. In particular, we propose that students study the seasonal modulation of the muon rate, using data acquired by the Polar family of detectors between July 2019 and July 2020.
In addition to data analysis activities, during the meeting there will be a presentation by Dr. Carmelo Pellegrino regarding the KM3Net experiment, an underwater network of detectors hunting for neutrinos, and an intervention by Dr. Francesco Noferini, relating to the observation with Polar detectors of the seasonal effect in the cosmic ray flux.
The data to be analyzed and the details for the analysis are provided below.
By November 2, the EEE Project Schools that intend to participate can send the results of their studies to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in the form of a presentation (.ppt or .pdf) and at the same time a summary of their analysis on a single A4 page.
Agenda
3:00 PM Welcome to the Schools
3:10 PM The KM3NeT experiment (Dr. Carmelo Pellegrino)
3:50 PM Schools' reports on data analysis
Staffa High School (Trinitapoli)
Regina Margherita High School (Salerno)
A. Volta High School (Reggio Calabria)
Other schools' analysis for consultation
Scorza High School Cosenza, Galvani High School Bologna, Cavour High School Rome, Pacioli High School Sant'Anastasia
4:30 PM The seasonal effect in the Cosmic Ray flux with Polar detectors (Dr. Francesco Noferini)
4:55 PM Conclusion of the event
Instructions for Connection to the meeting:
To correctly connect to the meeting and view the event timetable, connect to the Indico Agenda of the Fermi Center at this link.
Proposed analysis, data and instructions
On this occasion, we will use data acquired by the Polar detectors between July 2019 and July 2020 to study the trend of the muon rate and evaluate the possible "seasonal effect": the change in average atmospheric conditions implies a change in the measured flux.
Data available:
The data are in a .csv file type, so they can be analyzed using Excel (recommended choice and on which the provided instructions are based) or similar calculation programs. You will have three data sets available and can decide whether to analyze one or more.
- Download the data (data currently unavailable, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
- Use the instructions (download the instructions) as a starting point for the analysis.
- Once the analysis is complete, send the report in the form of a .ppt file (maximum size 3 MB) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For clarifications contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Also this year, the EEE Project participates in the International Cosmic Day (ICD) organized by DESY, which will be held on November 26, together with the in-person meeting at the Centro Fermi of the EEE Project schools. Schools that cannot attend in person will be able to follow and participate in the event online. The ICD is an occasion that allows us to deepen the study of cosmic rays and to exchange our experience with that of students around the world.
On this page, you will find the preliminary agenda and the instructions for the analysis to be carried out.
In particular, we propose to the students an analysis of data acquired by some EEE telescopes and/or POLAR detectors installed in Ny Alesund (Svalbard) during the period from April to May 2024, when the detectors observed a decrease in the muon rate due to a spectacular Solar Flare (Forbush effect).
The data to be analyzed and the details for the analysis are provided below.
By November 19, the schools of the EEE Project can send the results of their studies to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in the form of a presentation (.ppt or .pdf) and simultaneously a summary of their analysis on a single page according to the template found here (the template is not mandatory and can be changed; the important thing is that the report fits on one A4 page).
Preliminary Agenda
-
10:00 Welcome to the Schools
-
10:10 Seminar (Dr. A. Oliva, INFN Bologna)
-
11:00 Schools' reports on data analysis
-
11:50 Event conclusion
Proposed analysis, data, and instructions
For this occasion, we will have available data acquired by the following detectors:
EEE telescopes operating with the new eco-friendly gas mixture
-
BOLO-02 (Bologna)
-
CAGL-01 (Cagliari)
-
LAQU-01 (L'Aquila)
-
VICE-01 (Vicenza)
POLA-R detectors
-
POLA-01 (Ny Alesund)
-
POLA-02 (Bologna)
-
POLA-03 (Ny Alesund)
-
POLA-04 (Ny Alesund)
The data available for all the detectors listed above cover the period from April 1, 2024, to May 15, 2024.
The data are available both in csv format (analysis via Excel or similar tools) and in root format (analysis via ROOT).
The proposed analysis can be carried out on one or more data sets.
The instructions provided are to be considered the starting point of the analysis and are based on the use of Excel (recommended choice).
The analysis regards the study of the Forbush effect connected to the exceptional solar storm of May 10, which lit up the Italian skies with a fiery red phenomenon (see Centro Fermi news, SIF Prima Pagina) and was observed by both POLA-R detectors and some EEE telescopes operating with the new eco-friendly gas mixture.
-
Download the data: zip folder containing csv and root files for the detectors listed in the period April 1 to May 15, 2024.
-
Use the instructions (download instructions) as a starting point for the analysis.
-
Once the analysis is completed, send the report as a .ppt file (maximum size 3 MB) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. together with the summary on a single page according to the template found here (maximum size 2 MB).
For clarifications, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Good work!!!
International Cosmic Ray Conference 2025
From July 14 to 24, 2025, the annual astroparticle physics conference (ICRC - International Cosmic Ray Conference) is taking place this year at the CICG (International Conference Centre) in Geneva.
Frome left: O.Pinazza, P.La Rocca, F.Nozzoli, L.Ghezzer
Four members of the EEE collaboration presented results on various topics related to the Project and particle physics.
Below are the official links to the conference and the presentations of the four researchers:
• Conference: http://icrc2025.unige.ch/
• Paola La Rocca: https://indico.cern.ch/event/1258933/contributions/6481354/
• Ombretta Pinazza: https://indico.cern.ch/event/1258933/contributions/6478597/
• Luigi Ghezzer: https://indico.cern.ch/event/1258933/contributions/6478581/
• Francesco Nozzoli: https://indico.cern.ch/event/
Below are the links to the Instagram and Facebook posts of the event on the official channels of the EEE Project:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DMYRTKjI9Xq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16gvXG62dB/
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