Cookie Policy
Last updated: July 2026

1. Introduction: This Cookie Policy explains how this website (the "Site", hosting the SIGMA radiative transfer tool) uses cookies and similar technologies, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 ("GDPR"), Directive 2002/58/EC ("ePrivacy Directive") as implemented by Article 122 of the Italian Privacy Code (Legislative Decree 196/2003), and the Guidelines on cookies of the Italian Data Protection Authority (Garante per la protezione dei dati personali) of 10 June 2021. This notice is provided only for this Site, and not for other websites that you may reach through links contained herein. Since this Policy may be subject to changes — for instance following the introduction of new rules on the matter — you are invited to periodically check this page. If you are under 16 years of age, pursuant to Art. 8(1) GDPR your consent must be authorized by a parent or legal guardian.

2. What cookies are: This Site uses cookies to make your browsing experience easier and more intuitive. Cookies are small text strings used to store some information that may concern the user, their preferences, or the device used to access the Internet (computer, tablet or smartphone); they are mainly used to adapt the operation of a site to the user's expectations, offering a more personalized browsing experience and memorizing the choices made previously.

A cookie consists of a reduced set of data transferred to your browser by a web server, and it can only be read back by the server that performed the transfer. A cookie is not executable code, and it cannot transmit viruses or malware to your device.

The cookies used by this Site do not record any personal information about you, and no identifiable data will be stored through them. If you wish, you can prevent the saving of some or all cookies (see Section 5 below); in that case, however, the use of the Site and of the SIGMA tool may be impaired. Cookies may be "first-party" (set by this Site) or "third-party" (set by a different domain); with respect to their duration, they may be "session" cookies, which are automatically deleted at the end of the browsing session, or "persistent" cookies, which remain on your device until their expiry date or until you delete them.

3. Cookies used by this Site

3.1 Technical (strictly necessary) cookies: Among the several technologies used to store information on the user's device, the best known and most widely used is that of HTML cookies. Technical cookies serve navigation purposes and make it easier for you to access and use the Site: they are necessary for the transmission of communications over the electronic network, and for the provider to deliver the service you request. Their use allows the safe and efficient operation of the Site.

On this Site, technical cookies are strictly limited to the transmission of session identifiers, consisting of random numbers generated by the server, which carry no personal information: they are essential for the proper working of the Site and of the SIGMA tool (e.g., to keep your simulation configuration alive between pages), and without them the Site would not work correctly. They expire automatically after 24 hours; the cookie that stores your consent preferences lasts 30 days. Pursuant to Article 122 of the Italian Privacy Code, technical cookies do not require your consent. The legal basis for the related processing is the legitimate interest of the Owner in providing a functioning service (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).

NameDomainDurationPurpose
userUuidradiativetransfer.app
(first-party)		24 hours Random anonymous user ID used to keep track of the user session and of the configuration of the tool
shortUuidradiativetransfer.app
(first-party)		24 hours Random anonymous user ID used to keep track of the user session and of the configuration of the tool
__SX_id_SWradiativetransfer.app
(first-party)		24 hours Random anonymous user ID used to keep track of the user session and of the configuration of the tool
pref_rt.appradiativetransfer.app
(first-party)		30 days Stores your cookie consent preferences, so that you are not asked again on each visit

3.2 Analytical and performance cookies: With your prior consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR), the Site uses Matomo Analytics (in its cloud-hosted version, operated by InnoCraft Ltd. on behalf of the Owner) to measure web traffic and analyze, in aggregate and anonymized form, how users interact with the Site, for the sole purpose of monitoring the performance of the Site and improving its usability. Data collected through these cookies are used only for statistical purposes and are not used to identify you, nor are they combined with other data or shared for advertising purposes. Unlike most third-party tracking cookies found on the web, Matomo cookies are not used to follow you across other websites. These cookies are set only if you accept the "Analytical and Performance" category in the cookie banner; the use of this service is also governed by the provider's own privacy policy.

NameProviderDurationPurpose
_pk_id, _pk_ses and other cookies with the "_pk" prefix Matomo Cloud (InnoCraft Ltd., New Zealand); cookies are first-party on radiativetransfer.app Up to 1 month Anonymous, aggregate statistics on visits and use of the Site (Matomo Analytics)

4. No profiling cookies, no social plugins: Most third-party cookies found on the web are tracking cookies, used to identify your online behaviour, understand your interests and thus customize advertising proposals: this Site contains none of them. This Site does not use profiling or advertising cookies, does not perform cross-site tracking, and does not employ automated decision-making or AI-based profiling. The Site also does not embed social network plugins or sharing buttons, so no cookies from social networks are set while browsing this Site.

5. Managing your preferences: On your first visit, a banner allows you to accept all cookies, refuse all non-essential cookies, or choose category by category. Your choice is stored for 30 days, after which the banner is shown again. You can review or change your preferences at any time by clicking the button below:



If you refuse or later withdraw your consent to analytical cookies, they will be automatically removed and no further analytics data will be collected. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal.

In addition, you can manage, deactivate or delete cookies at any time through the settings of your internet browser. Such deactivation may slow down or prevent access to some parts of the Site (in particular, blocking technical cookies may prevent the SIGMA tool from working), and deleting cookies may remove the preferences you have set for this Site. The settings to manage cookies vary depending on the browser: for further information and support, you can visit the specific help page of the web browser you are using:
6. Contact: For any question related to this Cookie Policy, you can contact the Owner at info@as-art.it.


Privacy Policy
Information notice pursuant to Articles 13 and 14 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 ("GDPR")

1. General information: This section contains information on how this Site manages the processing of the personal data of its users. This notice is provided, pursuant to Articles 13 and 14 GDPR and to the Italian Privacy Code (Legislative Decree 196/2003), to all subjects who interact with the Site, in accordance with Italian and European legislation. The purpose of this document is to describe the methods, times and nature of the information that the Data Controller must provide to users when they connect to the pages of this Site, regardless of the purpose of the connection. The notice is provided only for this Site, and not for other websites that you may reach through links contained herein. This notice may be subject to changes due to the introduction of new rules on the matter: you are therefore invited to periodically check this page. If you are under 16 years of age, pursuant to Art. 8(1) GDPR your consent must be authorized by a parent or legal guardian.

2. Data Controller: The Data Controller is the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data, and which is also in charge of its security profiles. With respect to this Site, the Data Controller (Titolare del trattamento) is , whom you may contact, for any clarification or to exercise your rights, at info@as-art.it. The SIGMA tool is a non-commercial scientific service hosted and maintained by volunteers of the AS-ART research group of the University of Basilicata and University of Bologna.

3. Place of data processing: The processing of data generated by the use of this Site takes place in Italy: on the servers of the hosting provider indicated in Section 7, located in Italy, and — for maintenance activities — at the premises of the Owner in Potenza (PZ). With the sole exception of the analytics service described in Section 7, no data are processed at other locations.

4. Categories of data processed
  • Navigation and security data: like all websites, this Site makes use of log files, in which information collected in an automated manner during users' visits is stored for the sole purpose of ensuring the security and integrity of the service (e.g., prevention of abuse, automated scraping, spam and attacks). The information collected may include: the internet protocol (IP) address; the type of browser and the parameters of the device used to connect to the Site; the name of the internet service provider (ISP); the date and time of the visit; the webpage of origin (referral) and of exit; and possibly the number of clicks. This information is processed in an automated manner and is never used to identify or profile you, but only to protect the Site and its users.
  • User-uploaded files: input files that you voluntarily upload to run simulations. You must not upload personal data, sensitive, proprietary or classified data; the Site is not designed to process such data.
  • Cookies and session identifiers: random, anonymous identifiers used to keep track of your session and tool configuration, and — with your consent — anonymized analytics data, as detailed in the Cookie Policy above.
  • Data voluntarily provided by the user: the optional, explicit and voluntary sending of an e-mail to the addresses indicated on this Site entails the subsequent acquisition of the sender's address, which is necessary to reply to the request, as well as of any other personal data included in the message. Such data are used exclusively to respond to your request, and for the time strictly necessary to do so.
The Site does not require registration and does not otherwise collect names, e-mail addresses or other directly identifying information.

5. Purposes and legal bases of processing
  • Provision of the service (running radiative transfer simulations on your input): performance of the service you request — Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.
  • Security and abuse prevention (IP and activity logging): legitimate interest of the Owner in protecting the integrity of the service — Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.
  • Aggregate, anonymized usage statistics (Matomo Analytics): your consent — Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR, which you may withdraw at any time via the cookie preferences.
  • Replying to your enquiries (data voluntarily provided by e-mail): performance of the request itself — Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.

6. Data retention: Data are kept for the time strictly necessary to carry out the activities described above, and in particular:
  • User-uploaded input files and generated outputs are automatically deleted every 24 hours.
  • Security logs (IP addresses, timestamps, activity) are retained for 6 months, kept separate from simulation results, and are not used for any purpose other than security.
  • Technical session cookies expire after 24 hours; the consent preference cookie after 30 days; analytics cookies after 1 month at most.

7. Recipients and transfers: Personal data are not disclosed, sold or transferred to third parties for their own purposes, and are not used for marketing. Data may be accessed only by the volunteers who maintain the service, acting under the authority of the Owner, and by the following providers acting as data processors pursuant to Art. 28 GDPR:
  • Serverplan S.r.l. (Italy) — hosting provider; all Site data are stored on servers located in Italy, within the European Union.
  • InnoCraft Ltd. (New Zealand) — provider of the Matomo Cloud analytics service, processing anonymized usage statistics only if you have consented to analytical cookies. New Zealand is covered by an adequacy decision of the European Commission (Decision 2013/65/EU), which permits the transfer of personal data without further safeguards.
Apart from the above, no transfer of personal data outside the European Economic Area takes place. Data may be disclosed to competent authorities where required by law (e.g., in case of attacks on the service).

8. Data security: This Site processes user data in a lawful and fair manner, adopting appropriate security measures aimed at preventing unauthorized access, disclosure, modification or destruction of the data. Processing is carried out using IT and/or telematic tools, with organizational methods and logic strictly related to the purposes indicated above, and by persons expressly authorized by the Owner.

9. No automated decision-making: The SIGMA tool relies on deterministic physical models: no automated decision-making producing legal or similarly significant effects, and no profiling within the meaning of Art. 22 GDPR, is carried out.

10. Your rights: The Site wishes to inform you of the existence of:
  • the right to ask the Controller for access to your personal data (Art. 15 GDPR), their rectification (Art. 16) or erasure (Art. 17), the restriction of the processing concerning you (Art. 18), or to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to their processing (Art. 21), in addition to the right to data portability where applicable (Art. 20);
  • the right to withdraw, at any time, any consent given (Art. 7(3) GDPR), without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal;
  • the right to lodge a complaint with the Italian Data Protection Authority (Garante per la protezione dei dati personali, www.garanteprivacy.it), as the supervisory authority in the Italian State, or with the supervisory authority of your country of residence.
Requests may be addressed to the Data Controller at the contact above, without any formality. Please note that, given the anonymous nature of the identifiers used by the Site, the Owner may not be in a position to identify you (Art. 11 GDPR): in that case, the rights under Articles 15–20 may not be exercisable unless you provide additional information enabling your identification.

11. Changes to this Policy: This document, published at radiativetransfer.app/policy.php, constitutes the Cookie and Privacy Policy of this Site. It may be subject to changes or updates, to reflect changes in the service or in applicable law: you are invited to periodically check this page to stay up to date. The "last updated" date at the top of this page indicates the latest revision; substantial changes will be highlighted on the Site.