A Note on Commuting Diffeomorphisms on Surfaces

Let S be a closed surface with nonzero Euler characteristic. We prove the existence of an open neighborhood V of the identity map of S in the C^1-topology with the following property: if G is an abelian subgroup of Diff^1(S) generated by any family of elements in V then the elements of G have common fixed points. This result generalizes a similar result due to Bonatti and announced in his paper "Diffeomorphismes commutants des surfaces et stabilite des fibrations en tores".Comment: 16 page

Quantized fields and gravitational particle creation in f(R) expanding universes

The problem of cosmological particle creation for a spatially flat, homogeneous and isotropic Universes is discussed in the context of f(R) theories of gravity. Different from cosmological models based on general relativity theory, it is found that a conformal invariant metric does not forbid the creation of massless particles during the early stages (radiation era) of the Universe.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figure

Area Quantization in Quasi-Extreme Black Holes

We consider quasi-extreme Kerr and quasi-extreme Schwarzschild-de Sitter black holes. From the known analytical expressions obtained for their quasi-normal modes frequencies, we suggest an area quantization prescription for those objects.Comment: Final version to appear in Mod. Phys. Lett.

Generation of maximally entangled states of qudits using twin photons

We report an experiment to generate maximally entangled states of D-dimensional quantum systems, qudits, by using transverse spatial correlations of two parametric down-converted photons. Apertures with D-slits in the arms of the twin fotons define the qudit space. By manipulating the pump beam correctly the twin photons will pass only by symmetrically opposite slits, generating entangled states between these differents paths. Experimental results for qudits with D=4 and D=8 are shown. We demonstrate that the generated states are entangled states.Comment: 04 pages, 04 figure

An accurate formula for the period of a simple pendulum oscillating beyond the small-angle regime

A simple approximation formula is derived here for the dependence of the period of a simple pendulum on amplitude that only requires a pocket calculator and furnishes an error of less than 0.25% with respect to the exact period. It is shown that this formula describes the increase of the pendulum period with amplitude better than other simple formulas found in literature. A good agreement with experimental data for a low air-resistance pendulum is also verified and it suggests, together with the current availability/precision of timers and detectors, that the proposed formula is useful for extending the pendulum experiment beyond the usual small-angle oscillations.Comment: 15 pages and 4 figures. to appear in American Journal of Physic