6,868 research outputs found
Field sources in a Lorentz symmetry breaking scenario with a single background vector
This paper is devoted to investigating the interactions between stationary
sources of the electromagnetic field, in a model which exhibits explicit
Lorentz-symmetry breaking due to the presence of a single background vector. We
focus on physical phenomena that emerge from this kind of breaking and which
have no counterpart in Maxwell Electrodynamics
Treatment of bimodality in proficiency test of pH in bioethanol matrix
The pH value in bioethanol is a quality control parameter related to its
acidity and to the corrosiveness of vehicle engines when it is used as fuel. In
order to verify the comparability and reliability of the measurement of pH in
bioethanol matrix among some experienced chemical laboratories, reference
material (RM) of bioethanol developed by Inmetro - the Brazilian National
Metrology Institute - was used in a proficiency testing (PT) scheme. There was
a difference of more than one unit in the value of the pH measured due to the
type of internal filling electrolytic solutions (potassium chloride, KCl or
lithium chloride, LiCl) from the commercial pH combination electrodes used by
the participant laboratories. Therefore, bimodal distribution has occurred from
the data of this PT scheme. This work aims to present the possibilities that a
PT scheme provider can use to overcome the bimodality problem. Data from the PT
of pH in bioethanol were treated by two different statistical approaches:
kernel density model and the mixture of distributions. Application of these
statistical treatments improved the initial diagnoses of PT provider, by
solving bimodality problem and contributing for a better performance evaluation
in measuring pH of bioethanol.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures, Accepted for publication in Accreditation and
Quality Assurance (ACQUAL
Developing a site-conditions map for seismic hazard Assessment in Portugal
The evaluation of site effects on a broad scale is a critical issue for seismic hazard and risk assessment, land use planning and emergency planning. As characterization of site conditions based on the shear-wave velocity has become increasingly important, several methods have been proposed in the literature to estimate its average over the first thirty meters (Vs30) from more extensively available data. These methods include correlations with geologic-geographic defined units and topographic slope. In this paper we present the first steps towards the development of a site–conditions map for Portugal, based on a regional database of shear-wave velocity data, together with geological, geographic, and lithological information. We computed Vs30 for each database site and classified it according to the corresponding geological-lithological information using maps at the smallest scale available (usually 1:50000). We evaluated the consistency of Vs30 values within generalized-geological classes, and assessed the performance of expedient methodologies proposed in the literature
Generation of higher derivatives operators and electromagnetic wave propagation in a Lorentz-violation scenario
We study the perturbative generation of higher-derivative operators as
corrections to the photon effective action, which are originated from a Lorentz
violation background. Such corrections are obtained, at one-loop order, through
the proper-time method, using the zeta function regularization. We focus over
the lowest order corrections and investigate their influence in the propagation
of electromagnetic waves through the vacuum, in the presence of a strong,
constant magnetic field. This is a setting of experimental relevance, since it
bases active efforts to measure non linear electromagnetic effects. After
surprising cancellations of Lorentz violating corrections to the Maxwell's
equation, we show that no effects of the kind of Lorentz violation we consider
can be detected in such a context.Comment: v2: 13 pages, no figures, section IV considerably rewritten, main
results unchanged and are now obtained in a simpler way. To appear in PL
Improving the Knowledge on Seismogenic Sources in the Lower Tagus Valley for Seismic Hazard Purposes
The Lower Tagus Valley, that includes the metropolitan area of Lisbon, has been struck by several earthquakes which produced significant material damage and loss of lives. Their exact location remains unknown. Our goal is to shed some light into the seismogenic sources in the area using seismic reflection and geological data. In areas with no seismic coverage, potential-field data interpretation was carried out. Seismicity was overlaid to the potential seismogenic structures and high-resolution data was acquired in order to confirm which structures have been active into the Quaternary. Three major fault-zones affecting the Neogene were identified: V. F. Xira, Samora-Alcochete and Pinhal Novo. For the first fault, strong evidences suggest it is active. The other two fault-zones and other structures previously unknown can be correlated with several epicentres. Empirical relationships between maximum moment magnitude and fault area indicate that MW > 6.5 earthquakes can be expected for the larger structures
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