Search for gravitational wave ringdowns from perturbed intermediate mass black holes in LIGO-Virgo data from 2005-2010

We report results from a search for gravitational waves produced by perturbed intermediate mass black holes ( IMBH) in data collected by LIGO and Virgo between 2005 and 2010. The search was sensitive to astrophysical sources that produced damped sinusoid gravitational wave signals, also known as ringdowns, with frequency 50 <= f(0)/Hz <= 2000 and decay timescale 0.0001 less than or similar to tau/s less than or similar to 0.1 characteristic of those produced in mergers of IMBH pairs. No significant gravitational wave candidate was detected. We report upper limits on the astrophysical coalescence rates of IMBHs with total binary mass 50 <= M/ M circle dot <= 450 and component mass ratios of either 1: 1 or 4: 1. For systems with total mass 100 <= M/M circle dot <= 150, we report a 90% confidence upper limit on the rate of binary IMBH mergers with nonspinning and equal mass components of 6.9 x 10(-8) Mpc(-3) yr(-1). We also report a rate upper limit for ringdown waveforms from perturbed IMBHs, radiating 1% of their mass as gravitational waves in the fundamental, l = m = 2, oscillation mode, that is nearly three orders of magnitude more stringent than previous results.

Caracterização da curva de maturação de pêssegos 'Aurora-1', na região de Jaboticabal-SP

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

UMEB - Unidade Móvel para Ensaio da Barra de Tração

Um equipamento denominado Unidade Móvel de Ensaio da Barra de Tração - UMEB, foi desenvolvido na FCA/UNESP de Botucatu para realizar ensaios de tratores em solo agrícola. Construída a partir de um reboque (trailer), a UMEB foi adaptada para servir como carro dinamométrico instrumentado, utilizado na avaliação do desempenho de tratores submetidos a ensaios na barra de tração. Sua massa total é de 10.500 kg sustentados por um conjunto de seis rodados pneumáticos. Ensaios de campo mostraram que a UMEB proporcionou força de tração acima de 35 kN, mantendo-a constante, em diferentes condições de superfície do solo, mesmo quando a velocidade de deslocamento foi modificada.

Deposition and characterization of BiVO4 thin films and evaluation as photoanodes for methylene blue degradation

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Laboratory evaluation of Amazon forest biomass burning emissions

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

Comparative assessment of the flow rate of root canal sealers

OBJETIVO: Este estudo avaliou o escoamento do Acroseal, AH Plus, Endomethasone N, Sealapex e ActiV GP de acordo com a especificação ISO 6876/2001. METODOLOGIA: Um volume de 0,05 mL do cimento manipulado de acordo com as recomendações do fabricante foi colocado numa placa de vidro. Aos 180±5 s após o início da espatulação, uma segunda placa de vidro foi colocada sobre o cimento, seguida por um peso de massa de 100 g para fazer um total de 120±2 g. Dez minutos após o começo da manipulação o peso foi removido e o valor do diâmetro do disco de cimento foi mensurado. A média de 3 mensurações para cada cimento foi tomada como o escoamento do material. Os dados foram comparados estatisticamente pelos testes ANOVA e Tukey. RESULTADOS: Os escoamentos obtidos foram: Acroseal 21.,4 mm, AH Plus 22,72 mm, ActiV GP 24,90 mm, Endomethasone N 18,76 mm e Sealapex 25,15 mm. CONCLUSÃO: Apenas o Endomethasone N não se enquadrou na especificação ISO a qual requer que o cimento tenha um diâmetro não inferior a 20 mm. O Sealapex alcançou o melhor escoamento, mas não foi estatisticamente diferente do Activ GP e AH Plus (P>0,05).

Effect of aging on the stability of ceramic foams prepared by thermostimulated sol-gel process

This work presents a new route of preparation of zirconium ceramic foams based on the thermostimulated sol-gel process. This method produces gelled bodies with up to 90% of porosity in the wet gel and can be used to make complex-shaped components. Unfortunately, the shrinkage during the drying step allows to a catastrophic reduction (50%) of the foam porosity. To improve the foam stability we carried out a systematic study of the effect of gel foam aging on the drying process. Samples were aged in closed vessel at 25 C during different time period (from 6 to 240 h). The shrinkage and the mass loss during drying at 50 C were measured in situ, using a non-contact technique performed with a special apparatus. The results show that the total linear shrinkage decreases from 46% to 8% as the aging period increase from 6 to 240 h. This behavior is followed by a small change of total mass loss, from 42 to 54%. It indicates that by aging the structural stiffness of the foams increases due to secondary condensation reactions. Thus, by controlling the aging period, the porosity can be increased from 67 to 75% and the average size of mesopores of dried foams can be screened from 0.3 to 0.9 mum. Finally, these results demonstrate that the thermostimulated sol-gel transition provides a potential route to ceramic foams manufacture.

EQCM study during lithium insertion/deinsertion processes in Nb2O5 films prepared by polymeric precursor method

The electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) technique was used to study two chemically distinct Nb2O5 electrochromic thin films (one pure and the other lithium-doped) during the lithium electroinsertion reaction. In the initial cycles, the electrode showed an irreversible mass variation greater than expected for Li+ insertion/deinsertion processes, which was attributed to the wettability effect (allied to the porous morphology) that emerged as the dominant process in apparent electrode mass changes. As the cycles progressed, the mass variation stabilized and the changes in apparent mass became reversible, showing a good correlation with the charge variations.The results generally indicated that the Li+ insertion/deinsertion process occurred more easily in the Nb2O5-doped film, which also displayed a greater capacity for Li+ insertion. However, a total mass/charge balance analysis revealed that the stoichiometry of the Li+ solid state insertion/deinsertion reaction was similar in the two electrodes under study. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Vernalização e corte do terço apical dos bulbos na produção e qualidade de sementes de cebola

The onion (Allium cepa L.) belongs to the family Alliaceae, and the second vegetables in economic importance. It horticultural culture of high relevance, in central-south and in the far south, is highlighting the states of São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Parana. The bulbificacion only begins when the combination of the determinants of bulbificacion (photoperiod and temperature) of each cultivar is reached. It Can be grown in tropical regions with the use of vernalization of the bulbs. The objective of this study is to identify the efficiency in the production of seed, onion depending on the cut or not the bulb before the period of vernalization. The analysis of the variables consisted: humidity; number of seeds; mass of seeds for umbel; umbels number; number of seeds for umbel; total number of flowers and of fecundated flowers; number of seeds for capsule; total mass of seeds; emergency percentage; vigor percentage; index of emergency speed and mass of 100 seeds humidity; number of seeds; mass of seeds for umbel; umbels number; number of seeds for umbel; total number of flowers and of fecundated flowers; number of seeds for capsule; total mass of seeds; emergency percentage; vigor percentage; index of emergency speed and mass of 100 seeds, using the cultivars Baia Periforme and Texas Grano. The experimental design was randomized blocks with four replicates, there was 80 plants for replicate, each parcel was conduced with 20 plants distributed in 4 lines of 5 plants with spacing of 20cm between plants and lines which was avaliated the 6 central plants. The seeds production not variated between cultivars Texas Grano e Baia Periforme. The cultivar Texas Grano showed seeds with more physiological quality. The cut or not cut of the bulbs not changed the physiological quality of the seeds. But utilization of whole bulbs resulted more yield of seeds with more flowers number and fertilized flower in Baia Periforme, more value of the total mass of seeds, number of seeds by plant and number and mass of seed by umbel in two cultivars.

Crescimento de cultivares de mamoneira em função da aplicação de boro, durante a formação de mudas

It was objectified to quantify the initial growth of varieties of castor bean with boron fertilization. Had been tested to cultivate they AL-Guarani, Mirante 10 and Nordestina to the doses of 0; 0.25; 0.50; 0.75 and 1.0 mg kg -1 of B in controlled environment of greenhouse in the Sector of Cafeicultura of the Department of Agriculture of the UFLA. The characteristics valued were: height of plants, length of roots, leaf number, diameter of stem, mass of dry substance (MS) of leafs, of stem, the root and total. To cultivate Mirante 10 it was the one that got minor growth of the system of root. For leaf number to cultivate AL-Guarani it was superior to Mirante 10 and Nordestina. Also to cultivate better AL-Guarani if it detached how much to the production of total mass of MS, while to cultivate Mirante 10 produced more mass of MS than Nordestina.

The aster mission: Exploring for the first time a triple system asteroid

2001 SN263 is a triple system asteroid. Although it was discovery in 2001, in 2008 astronomical observation carried out by Arecibo observatory revealed that it is actually a system with three bodies orbiting each other. The main central body is an irregular object with a diameter about 2.8 km, while the other two are small objects with less than 1 km across. This system presents an orbital eccentricity of 0.47, with perihelion of 1.04 and aphelion of 1.99, which means that it can be considered as a Near Earth Object. This interesting system was chosen as the target for the Aster mission - first Brazilian space exploration undertaking. A small spacecraft with 150 kg of total mass, 30 kg of payload with 110 W available for the instruments, is scheduled to be launched in 2015, and in 2018 it will approach and will be put in orbit of the triple system. This spacecraft will use electric propulsion and in its payload it will carry image camera, laser rangefinder, infrared spectrometer, mass spectrometer, and experiments to be performed in its way to the asteroid. This mission represents a great challenge for the Brazilian space program. It is being structured to allow the full engagement of the Brazilian universities and technological companies in all the necessary developments to be carried out. In this paper, we present some aspects of this mission, including the transfer trajectories to be used, and details of buss and payload subsystems that are being developed and will be used. Copyright ©2010 by the International Astronautical Federation. All rights reserved.

Reproductive biology of the guitarfish Rhinobatos percellens (Chondrichthyes, Rhinobatidae) from the São Paulo Coast, Brazil, western South Atlantic Ocean

The reproductive biology of the guitarfish Rhinobatos percellens was studied from 751 specimens caught by bottom pair trawlers off the coast of São Paulo, Brazil, between c. 24° 00′ S; 45° 15′ W and c. 25° 10′ S; 47° 52′ W, from September 2007 to August 2009. The total length (LT) and total mass (MT) relationship for males and females combined was MT = 1·29E-06 LT 3·15 (r = 0·99, n = 751). The mean LT of sexually mature specimens was 548 mm for males and 583 mm for females. Clasper growth was allometric and showed three distinct phases. Most claspers were calcified in specimens of c. 550 mm LT. The mean diameter of the largest oocyte was 29·8 mm, the mean ovarian fecundity was seven oocytes and ovulation occurred between August and November. Uterine fecundity ranged from two to 13 embryos (mean of five embryos). Larger females had higher litter sizes and larger embryos; the size-at-birth was c. 200 mm LT. The hepato-somatic index oscillated seasonally for males and females; the gonado-somatic index had little variation in males, but varied seasonally in females. The presence of many non-pregnant adult females and of encapsulated eggs during two consecutive seasons suggests a resting period between gestations and the possibility of diapause. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Fish Biology © 2012 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Deposition and photo-induced electrical resistivity of dip-coated NiO thin films from a precipitation process

Thin films of the semiconductor NiO are deposited using a straightforward combination of simple and versatile techniques: the co-precipitation in aqueous media along with the dip- coating process. The obtained material is characterized by gravimetric/differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) and X-ray diffraction technique. TG curve shows 30 % of total mass loss, whereas DTA indicates the formation of the NiO phase about 578 K (305 C). X-ray diffraction (XRD) data confirms the FCC crystalline phase of NiO, whose crystallinity increases with thermal annealing temperature. UV-Vis optical absorption measurements are carried out for films deposited on quartz substrate in order to avoid the masking of bandgap evaluation by substrate spectra overlapping. The evaluated bandgap is about 3.0 eV. Current-voltage (I-V) curves measured for different temperatures as well as the temperature-dependent resistivity data show typical semiconductor behavior with the resistivity increasing with the decreasing of temperature. The Arrhenius plot reveals a level 233 meV above the conduction band top, which was attributed to Ni2+ vacancy level, responsible for the p-type electrical nature of NiO, even in undoped samples. Light irradiation on the films leads to a remarkable behavior, because above bandgap light induced a resistivity increase, despite the electron-hole generation. This performance was associated with excitation of the Ni 2+ vacancy level, due to the proximity between energy levels. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Aplicação do processo eletrolítico no tratamento de efluentes de uma indústria de recuperação de filmes plásticos pós-consumo

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Civil e Ambiental - FEB

Resposta da bananeira Prata-Anã, à aplicação de zinco e boro no rizoma

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Produção Vegetal) - FCAV