Awaking the Vacuum in Relativistic Stars

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

The canonical structure of Podolsky's generalized electrodynamics on the null-plane

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Two-dimensional background field gravity: A Hamilton-Jacobi analysis

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Mixing, demixing, and structure formation in a binary dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

On the appearance of a Hopf bifurcation in a non-ideal mechanical problem

In this paper we studied a non-ideal system with two degrees of freedom consisting of a dumped nonlinear oscillator coupled to a rotatory part. We investigated the stability of the equilibrium point of the system and we obtain, in the critical case, sufficient conditions in order to obtain an appropriate Normal Form. From this, we get conditions for the appearance of Hopf Bifurcation when the difference between the driving torque and the resisting torque is small. It was necessary to use the Bezout Theorem, a classical result of Algebraic Geometry, in the obtaining of the foregoing results. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Husserl on Geometry and Spatial Representation

Husserl left many unpublished drafts explaining (or trying to) his views on spatial representation and geometry, such as, particularly, those collected in the second part of Studien zur Arithmetik und Geometrie (Hua XXI), but no completely articulate work on the subject. In this paper, I put forward an interpretation of what those views might have been. Husserl, I claim, distinguished among different conceptions of space, the space of perception (constituted from sensorial data by intentionally motivated psychic functions), that of physical geometry (or idealized perceptual space), the space of the mathematical science of physical nature (in which science, not only raw perception has a word) and the abstract spaces of mathematics (free creations of the mathematical mind), each of them with its peculiar geometrical structure. Perceptual space is proto-Euclidean and the space of physical geometry Euclidean, but mathematical physics, Husserl allowed, may find it convenient to represent physical space with a non-Euclidean structure. Mathematical spaces, on their turn, can be endowed, he thinks, with any geometry mathematicians may find interesting. Many other related questions are addressed here, in particular those concerning the a priori or a posteriori character of the many geometric features of perceptual space (bearing in mind that there are at least two different notions of a priori in Husserl, which we may call the conceptual and the transcendental a priori). I conclude with an overview of Weyl's ideas on the matter, since his philosophical conceptions are often traceable back to his former master, Husserl.

A comunicação como barreira à inclusão de alunos com deficiência visual em aulas de óptica

O presente artigo representa uma continuidade dos resultados apresentados em Camargo e Nardi (Revista Brasileira de Ensino de Física 29, 117 (2007)). Encontra-se inserido dentro de um estudo que busca compreender as principais barreiras para a inclusão de alunos com deficiência visual no contexto do ensino de física. Focalizando aulas de óptica, analisa as dificuldades comunicacionais entre licenciandos e discentes com deficiência visual. Para tal, enfatiza as estruturas empírica e semântico-sensorial das linguagens utilizadas, indicando fatores geradores de dificuldades de acessibilidade nas informações veiculadas. Recomenda, ainda, alternativas que visam dar condições à participação efetiva do discente com deficiência visual no processo comunicativo, das quais destacam-se: a identificação da estrutura semântico-sensorial dos significados veiculados, o conhecimento da história visual do aluno, a destituição da estrutura empírica audiovisual interdependente e a exploração das potencialidades comunicacionais das linguagens constituídas de estruturas empíricas de acesso visualmente independente. Conclui afirmando que a comunicação representa a principal barreira à participação efetiva de alunos com deficiência visual em aulas de óptica e enfatiza a importância da criação de canais comunicacionais adequados como condição básica à inclusão desses alunos.

Note on glands present in meliponinae (Hymenoptera, Apidae) bees legs

The present paper reports the presence of glandular structures in legs of some stingless bee species. The glands appear as: the epidermis transformation in a glandular epithelium as in basitarsus, an epithelial sac inside the segment as in the femur of queens or in the last tarsomere, as round glandular cells, scattered or forming groupments. The saculiform gland of femur is present only in queens, the other glands are present in males, queens and workers of the studied species, apparently without any type of polymorphism. This occurrence seems indicate that the function of these glands have not to do with the sociality or specific behavior of castes.

Antennal malformations in light ocelli drones of Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

O emprego de linguagens acessíveis para alunos com deficiência visual em aulas de Óptica

O presente artigo encontra-se inserido dentro de um estudo que busca compreender as principais alternativas para a inclusão de alunos com deficiência visual no contexto do ensino de física. Focalizando aulas de óptica, analisa as viabilidades comunicacionais entre licenciandos e discentes com deficiência visual. Para tal, enfatiza as estruturas empírica e semântico-sensorial das linguagens utilizadas, indicando fatores geradores de acessibilidade às informações veiculadas. Recomenda, ainda, alternativas que visam dar condições à participação efetiva do discente com deficiência visual no processo comunicativo, das quais se destacam: a identificação da estrutura semântico-sensorial dos significados veiculados, o conhecimento da história visual do aluno, a utilização de linguagens de estrutura empírica tátil-auditiva interdependente em contextos interativos, bem como, a exploração das potencialidades comunicacionais das linguagens constituídas de estruturas empíricas fundamental auditiva, e auditiva e visual independentes.

DYNAMICS OF COLONIZATION AND GYNE PRODUCTION BY MONOMORIUM-PHARAONIS (L) (HYM, FORMICIDAE) IN BRAZIL

The colonization characteristics of two neighboring populations of Monomorium pharaonis in human structures in Brazil were compared. No differences in the seasonality of colonizations into fixed trap nests between the two populations were found. However, one population had higher frequencies of colonizations with accompanying queens than the other. This resulted in the other population producing new queens at a higher frequency than the other. There was a clumping of colonization attempts at specific points, which shows that colonization may be predictable. These findings may be of importance in control programs for M. pharaonis in structures.

Phase-locking of superimposed diffractive gratings in photoresists

The superposition of optical interference patterns in a photoresist film can produce a rich variety of diffractive structures. In particular, a periodic non-sinusoidal surface relief profile can be synthesized by adding the Fourier components (sinusoidal gratings) of the desired profile. In order to control the shape of the grooves it is very important an accurate adjustment of the relative spatial shift between the recorded sinusoidal components. We describe the implementation of an opto-electronic feedback loop to select and lock such spatial shift at any desired position, thus allowing the synthesis of structures varying from symmetrical to asymmetrical relief profiles in a continuous range. To demonstrate the feasibility of the technique, the Fourier synthesis of two spatial harmonics is accomplished. The superposed sinusoidal gratings were recorded in positive photoresist films using a holographic setup operating at the line lambda = 457.9 run of an argon-ion laser. A detailed description of the procedure as well as the resulting profiles recorded in the photoresist is presented. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Left-right asymmetry and minimal coupling

In this paper we deal with an alternative approach to the description of massless particles of arbitrary spin. Within this scheme chiral components of a spinor field are regarded as fundamental quantities and treated as independent field variables. The free field Lagrangian is built up from the requirement of chiral invariance; This formulation is parallel to the neutrino theory and allows for a formulation that generalizes, to particles of arbitrary spin, the two-component neutrino theory. We achieve a spinor formulation of electrodynamics. In the case of the photon, the nonzero helicity components satisfy Weyl's equations and are associated to observables (electromagnetic fields) whereas the zero helicity components are related to nonobservables (electromagnetic potentials). Within the spinor formulation of electrodynamics the minimal coupling substitution follows as a consequence of the linearity of the interaction and the preference of nature for chiral components, that is, of the left-right asymmetry of nature. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.

Green functions of the Dirac equation with magnetic-solenoid field

Various Green functions of the Dirac equation with a magnetic-solenoid field (the superposition of the Aharonov-Bohm field and a collinear uniform magnetic field) are constructed and studied. The problem is considered in 2+1 and 3+1 dimensions for the natural extension of the Dirac operator (the extension obtained from the solenoid regularization). Representations of the Green functions as proper time integrals are derived. The nonrelativistic limit is considered. For the sake of completeness the Green functions of the Klein-Gordon particles are constructed as well. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.

Podolsky's higher-order electromagnetism from first principles

Podolsky's higher-order field equations are obtained by generalizing the laws of Podolsky's electrostatics, which follow from Coulomb's generalized law and superposition, to be consistent with special relativity. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the independence of the observed charge of a particle on its speed. It is also shown that the gauge-independent term concerning the Feynman propagator for Podolsky's generalized electrodynamics has a good ultraviolet behaviour at the expense of a negative metric massive ghost which, contrary to what is currently assumed in the literature, is non-tachyonic. A brief discussion on Podolsky's characteristic length is presented as well.