Pressure Perturbation Calorimetry and Guest-Host Chemistry of NDMG and N-MAP with p-Sulfonatocalix[6]arene

The aim of this project is to provide an explanation for recently obtained binding constants for two similar guest molecules, NDMG and N-MAP, with a p-sulfonatocalix[6]arene host in ammonium acetate buffer. This work was done primarily using pressure perturbation calorimetry, which is a technique that determines the coefficient of thermal expansion, α, which is in turn related to the solute molecule's effect on the order of the surrounding water molecules. A series of experiments were designed to test the effects of suspected confounding variables on the validity of PPC data. PPC was then used to study NDMG and N-MAP in ammonium acetate buffer. NDMG exhibited a minimum in α as function of temperature, while N-MAP did not. This difference was theorized to be due to the formation of an intramolecular hydrogen bond in monocationic NDMG that would lower the heat capacity of the molecule and better distribute the molecule's charge. Computational work and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy confirmed that monocationic, ring-closed NDMG has less concentrated charge and more constrained motion than monocationic, ring-open NDMG. This evidence supports the theory that monocationic NDMG forms an intramolecular hydrogen bond and that this may be responsible for the minimum in α. This difference may explain the differences in binding constants between NDMG and N-MAP.

PERIODIC PERTURBATION of QUADRATIC SYSTEMS WITH TWO INFINITE HETEROCLINIC CYCLES

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Time-periodic perturbation of a Lienard equation with an unbounded homoclinic loop

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Third-body perturbation in the case of elliptic orbits for the disturbing body

This work presents a semi-analytical and numerical study of the perturbation caused in a spacecraft by a third-body using a double averaged analytical model with the disturbing function expanded in Legendre polynomials up to the second order. The important reason for this procedure is to eliminate terms due to the short periodic motion of the spacecraft and to show smooth curves for the evolution of the mean orbital elements for a long-time period. The aim of this study is to calculate the effect of lunar perturbations on the orbits of spacecrafts that are traveling around the Earth. An analysis of the stability of near-circular orbits is made, and a study to know under which conditions this orbit remains near circular completes this analysis. A study of the equatorial orbits is also performed. Copyright (C) 2008 R. C. Domingos et al.

Regularization and singular perturbation techniques for non-smooth systems

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Zel'dovich's method of perturbation theory in quantum mechanics

Many years ago Zel'dovich showed how the Lagrange condition in the theory of differential equations can be utilized in the perturbation theory of quantum mechanics. Zel'dovich's method enables us to circumvent the summation over intermediate states. As compared with other similar methods, in particular the logarithmic perturbation expansion method, we emphasize that this relatively unknown method of Zel'dovich has a remarkable advantage in dealing with excited stares. That is, the ground and excited states can all be treated in the same way. The nodes of the unperturbed wavefunction do not give rise to any complication.

The role of the Roper in chiral perturbation theory

We include the Roper excitation of the nucleon in a version of heavy-baryon chiral perturbation theory recently developed for energies around the delta resonance. We find significant improvement in the P(11) channel. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structuralism and the Applicability of Mathematics

In this paper I argue for the view that structuralism offers the best perspective for an acceptable account of the applicability of mathematics in the empirical sciences. Structuralism, as I understand it, is the view that mathematics is not the science of a particular type of objects, but of structural properties of arbitrary domains of entities, regardless of whether they are actually existing, merely presupposed or only intentionally intended.

THE REDUCTIVE PERTURBATION METHOD AND THE KORTEWEG-DE VRIES HIERARCHY

By using the reductive perturbation method of Taniuti with the introduction of an infinite sequence of slow time variables tau(1), tau(3), tau(5), ..., we study the propagation of long surface-waves in a shallow inviscid fluid. The Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation appears as the lowest order amplitude equation in slow variables. In this context, we show that, if the lowest order wave amplitude zeta(0) satisfies the KdV equation in the time tau(3), it must satisfy the (2n+1)th order equation of the KdV hierarchy in the time tau(2n+1), With n = 2, 3, 4,.... AS a consequence of this fact, we show with an explicit example that the secularities of the evolution equations for the higher-order terms (zeta(1), zeta(2),...) of the amplitude can be eliminated when zeta(0) is a solitonic solution to the KdV equation. By reversing this argument, we can say that the requirement of a secular-free perturbation theory implies that the amplitude zeta(0) satisfies the (2n+1)th order equation of the KdV hierarchy in the time tau(2n+1) This essentially means that the equations of the KdV hierarchy do play a role in perturbation theory. Thereafter, by considering a solitary-wave solution, we show, again with an explicit, example that the elimination of secularities through the use of the higher order KdV hierarchy equations corresponds, in the laboratory coordinates, to a renormalization of the solitary-wave velocity. Then, we conclude that this procedure of eliminating secularities is closely related to the renormalization technique developed by Kodama and Taniuti.

LARGE-ORDER PERTURBATION EXPANSIONS FOR THE CHARGED HARMONIC-OSCILLATOR

The charged oscillator, defined by the Hamiltonian H = -d2/dr2+ r2 + lambda/r in the domain [0, infinity], is a particular case of the family of spiked oscillators, which does not behave as a supersingular Hamiltonian. This problem is analysed around the three regions lambda --> infinity, lambda --> 0 and lambda --> -infinity by using Rayleigh-Ritz large-order perturbative expansions. A path is found to connect the large lambda regions with the small lambda region by means of the renormalization of the series expansions in lambda. Finally, the Riccati-Pade method is used to construct an implicit expansion around lambda --> 0 which extends to very large values of Absolute value of lambda.

D-n-forced symmetry breaking of O(2)-equivariant problems

We use singularity theory to classify forced symmetry-breaking bifurcation problemsf(z, lambda, mu) = f(1)(z, lambda) + muf(2)(z, lambda, mu) = 0,where f(1) is O(2)-equivariant and f(2) is D-n-equivariant with the orthogonal group actions on z is an element of R-2. Forced symmetry breaking occurs when the symmetry of the equation changes when parameters are varied. We explicitly apply our results to the branching of subharmonic solutions in a model periodic perturbation of an autonomous equation and sketch further applications.

Mathematics teaching life histories in the study of teachers' perceptions of change

The aim of this paper is to discuss teachers' perceptions of change in their thought and/or practice over time and their perceptions of what kind of experiences or challenges might have influenced those changes. Two mathematics teaching life histories of Brazilian teachers are examined, considering a context of curriculum development in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Reflection on teachers' thought and practice and interest in their own development, including interest in their own learning of mathematics, seemed to be the most important internal aspects influencing change and development. Close support seemed to be the most important external aspect. The retrospective analysis put a good face on personal change and development. (C) 2000 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regularization of discontinuous vector fields on R-3 via singular perturbation

Singular perturbations problems in dimension three which are approximations of discontinuous vector fields are studied in this paper. The main result states that the regularization process developed by Sotomayor and Teixeira produces a singular problem for which the discontinuous set is a center manifold. Moreover, the definition of' sliding vector field coincides with the reduced problem of the corresponding singular problem for a class of vector fields.