Gravitomagnetic Moments of the Fundamental Fields

The quadratic form of the Dirac equation in a Riemann spacetime yields a gravitational gyromagnetic ratio \kappa_S = 2 for the interaction of a Dirac spinor with curvature. A gravitational gyromagnetic ratio \kappa_S = 1 is also found for the interaction of a vector field with curvature. It is shown that the Dirac equation in a curved background can be obtained as the square--root of the corresponding vector field equation only if the gravitational gyromagnetic ratios are properly taken into account.Comment: 8 pages, RevTeX Style, no figures, changed presentation -- now restricted to fields of spin 0, 1/2 and 1 -- some references adde

Torsion and Gravitation: A new view

According to the teleparallel equivalent of general relativity, curvature and torsion are two equivalent ways of describing the same gravitational field. Despite equivalent, however, they act differently: whereas curvature yields a geometric description, in which the concept of gravitational force is absent, torsion acts as a true gravitational force, quite similar to the Lorentz force of electrodynamics. As a consequence, the right-hand side of a spinless-particle equation of motion (which would represent a gravitational force) is always zero in the geometric description, but not in the teleparallel case. This means essentially that the gravitational coupling prescription can be minimal only in the geometric case. Relying on this property, a new gravitational coupling prescription in the presence of curvature and torsion is proposed. It is constructed in such a way to preserve the equivalence between curvature and torsion, and its basic property is to be equivalent with the usual coupling prescription of general relativity. According to this view, no new physics is connected with torsion, which appears as a mere alternative to curvature in the description of gravitation. An application of this formulation to the equations of motion of both a spinless and a spinning particle is madeComment: To appear on IJMP

The XMM spectral catalog of SDSS optically selected Seyfert 2 galaxies

We present an X-ray spectroscopic study of optically selected (SDSS) Seyfert 2 (Sy2) galaxies. The goal is to study the obscuration of Sy2 galaxies beyond the local universe, using good quality X-ray spectra in combination with high S/N optical spectra for their robust classification. We analyzed all available XMM-Newton archival observations of narrow emission line galaxies that meet the above criteria in the redshift range 0.05<z<0.35. We initially selected narrow line AGN using the SDSS optical spectra and the BPT classification diagram. We further modeled and removed the stellar continuum, and we analyzed the residual emission line spectrum to exclude any possible intermediate-type Seyferts. Our final catalog comprises 31 Sy2 galaxies with median redshift z~0.1. X-ray spectroscopy is performed using the available X-ray spectra from the 3XMM and the XMMFITCAT catalogs. Implementing various indicators of obscuration, we find seven (~23%) Compton-thick AGN. The X-ray spectroscopic Compton-thick classification agrees with other commonly used diagnostics, such as the X-ray to mid-IR luminosity ratio and the X-ray to [OIII] luminosity ratio. Most importantly, we find four (~13%) unobscured Sy2 galaxies, at odds with the simplest unification model. Their accretion rates are significantly lower than the rest of our Sy2 sample, in agreement with previous studies that predict the absence of the broad line region below a certain Eddington ratio threshold.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Rapid Profiling of Marine Notches Using a Handheld Laser Distance Meter

A rapid, single-user profiling method for rocky shores is described. The Leica Disto D8 handheld laser distance meter measures distance up to 100 m and inclination in 360 degrees. It automatically calculates horizontal distance and vertical elevation. Memory storage accommodates data for 30 measurement points, allowing easy plotting of shore profiles. This technique allows even inaccessible, dangerous, and overhanging cliff faces to be evaluated faithfully and within minutes. It is a major improvement over standard methods that often involve risky coasteering and climbing. Examples are given from marine notches in Thailand

Teleparallel origin of the Fierz picture for spin-2 particle

A new approach to the description of spin-2 particle in flat and curved spacetime is developed on the basis of the teleparallel gravity theory. We show that such an approach is in fact a true and natural framework for the Fierz representation proposed recently by Novello and Neves. More specifically, we demonstrate how the teleparallel theory fixes uniquely the structure of the Fierz tensor, discover the transparent origin of the gauge symmetry of the spin 2 model, and derive the linearized Einstein operator from the fundamental identity of the teleparallel gravity. In order to cope with the consistency problem on the curved spacetime, similarly to the usual Riemannian approach, one needs to include the non-minimal (torsion dependent) coupling terms.Comment: 5 pages, Revtex4, no figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Análise comparativa de três métodos de correção atmosférica de imagens Landsat 5 - TM para obtenção de reflectância de superfície e NDVI.

The present study has compared three methods of atmospheric correction, two dark object subtraction (DOS) methods and one method based on the fourth component of the tasseled cap transformation (TC4), to obtain reflectance and NDVI values of Landsat 5 ? TM satellite images. For each atmospheric correction method, reflectance and NDVI values of five targets (crop/pasture, forest, straw, bare soil and water) were analyzed in three images (Landsat path-row 222-75). The study area is localized in the west of Sao Paulo State, Brazil. The images were acquired on 29/10/2009, 02/02/2010 and 26/06/2010 with solar zenith angles of 28°, 34° and 55°, correspondingly. The TC4 was the only method which eliminated the haze in the image, but it is not recommended if the objective is to obtain reflectance values. The DOS methods did not removed the image haze but performed reasonably to obtain reflectance values. For the visible bands, both DOS methods analyzed performed well. The DOS method which considered the atmospheric transmittance (DOS2), although more indicated to correct the infrared bands, it is dependent of the image solar zenith angle. The image acquired under a zenith angle of 55°, after been corrected using the DOS2 method, presented reflectance values overestimated. Without the atmospheric correction the NDVI of vegetation targets tended to be underestimated

Avaliação da lama de cal como material corretivo de solo.

O trabalho avaliou a lama de cal gerada pela Iguaçu Celulose, Papel, S.A., em Piraí do Sul, Paraná, como corretivo de solo e verificar se o material atende às exigências para ser considerado como tal. Para tanto, foram conduzidos ensaios para se avaliar o efeito desse subproduto na acidez do solo comparado ao carbonato de cálcio

Modificações na paisagem da região de Petrolina/Juazeiro do Rio São Francisco.

Ao longo do tempo, as alterações da paisagem às margens do rio São Francisco foram intensas. A análise da dinâmica do uso e cobertura da terra permite entender essas modificações. Neste trabalho objetivou&#8208;se estudar a dinâmica da paisagem na Região Integrada de Desenvolvimento (RIDE) do Pólo Petrolina&#8208;PE e Juazeiro. Foram obtidas cenas Landsat 5 ? TM dos anos de 1987 a 2008 para os municípios de Petrolina, Lagoa Grande, Santa Maria da Serra e Orocó (Pernambuco) e Juazeiro, Casa Nova, Sobradinho e Curaçá (Bahia). Para classificação, as cenas foram segmentadas e interpretadas em conjunto com informações complementares do PROBIO, NDVI, imagens de alta resolução espacial e visitas a campo. Os resultados mostram que 9,7% (2.900 km2) da Caatinga foi convertida em pastagem, agricultura irrigada e expansão urbana. A diminuição da conectividade entre fragmentos de vegetação são marcantes na região. Grande parte das chácaras ribeirinhas não preservam suas margens e utilizam intensamente suas terras principalmente para agricultura irrigada. Dentre os municípios da RIDE, Curaçá, BA, foi o município que manteve maior porcentagem de área preservada