11,120 research outputs found
The specific entropy of elliptical galaxies: an explanation for profile-shape distance indicators?
Dynamical systems in equilibrium have a stationary entropy; we suggest that
elliptical galaxies, as stellar systems in a stage of quasi-equilibrium, may
have a unique specific entropy. This uniqueness, a priori unknown, should be
reflected in correlations between the parameters describing the mass (light)
distribution in galaxies. Following recent photometrical work (Caon et al.
1993; Graham & Colless 1997; Prugniel & Simien 1997), we use the Sersic law to
describe the light profile of elliptical galaxies and an analytical
approximation to its three dimensional deprojection. The specific entropy is
calculated supposing that the galaxy behaves as a spherical, isotropic,
one-component system in hydrostatic equilibrium, obeying the ideal gas state
equations. We predict a relation between the 3 parameters of the Sersic,
defining a surface in the parameter space, an `Entropic Plane', by analogy with
the well-known Fundamental Plane. We have analysed elliptical galaxies in Coma
and ABCG 85 clusters and a group of galaxies (associated with NGC 4839). We
show that the galaxies in clusters follow closely a relation predicted by the
constant specific entropy hypothesis with a one-sigma dispersion of 9.5% around
the mean value of the specific entropy. Assuming that the specific entropy is
also the same for galaxies of different clusters, we are able to derive
relative distances between the studied clusters. If the errors are only due to
the determination of the specific entropy (about 10%), then the error in the
relative distance determination should be less than 20% for rich clusters. We
suggest that the unique specific entropy may provide a physical explanation for
the distance indicators based on the Sersic profile put forward by Young &
Currie (1994, 1995) and discussed by Binggeli & Jerjen (1998).Comment: Submitted to MNRAS (05/05/99), 15 pages, 10 figure
Coulomb blockade in graphene nanoribbons
We propose that recent transport experiments revealing the existence of an
energy gap in graphene nanoribbons may be understood in terms of Coulomb
blockade. Electron interactions play a decisive role at the quantum dots which
form due to the presence of necks arising from the roughness of the graphene
edge. With the average transmission as the only fitting parameter, our theory
shows good agreement with the experimental data.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
Interplay between disorder, quantum and thermal fluctuations in ferromagnetic alloys: The case of UCu2Si(2-x)Ge(x)
We consider, theoretically and experimentally, the effects of structural
disorder, quantum and thermal fluctuations in the magnetic and transport
properties of certain ferromagnetic alloys.We study the particular case of
UCu2Si(2-x)Ge(x). The low temperature resistivity, rho(T,x), exhibits Fermi
liquid (FL) behavior as a function of temperature T for all values of x, which
can be interpreted as a result of the magnetic scattering of the conduction
electrons from the localized U spins. The residual resistivity, rho(0,x),
follows the behavior of a disordered binary alloy. The observed non-monotonic
dependence of the Curie temperature, Tc(x), with x can be explained within a
model of localized spins interacting with an electronic bath whose transport
properties cross-over from ballistic to diffusive regimes. Our results clearly
show that the Curie temperature of certain alloys can be enhanced due to the
interplay between quantum and thermal fluctuations with disorder.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. Let
On the Consistency of a Fermion-Torsion Effective Theory
We discuss the possibility to construct an effective quantum field theory for
an axial vector coupled to a Dirac spinor field. A massive axial vector
describes antisymmetric torsion. The consistency conditions include unitarity
and renormalizability in the low-energy region. The investigation of the Ward
identities and the one- and two-loop divergences indicate serious problems
arising in the theory. The final conclusion is that torsion may exist as a
string excitation, but there are very severe restrictions for the existence of
a propagating torsion field, subject to the quantization procedure, at low
energies.Comment: LaTeX, 26 pages, 4 figure
Biotecnologia vegetal: produção de microalgas
[…]. O potencial biotecnológico das microalgas tem vindo a despertar elevado interesse devido à identificação das diversas substâncias sintetizadas por estes organismos e ao facto do seu cultivo apresentar vantagens relativamente a outros vegetais, nomeadamente: (i) têm um ciclo de vida muito rápido, o que resulta numa produtividade muito elevada por unidade de área; (ii) a sua natureza, maioritariamente unicelular, assegura uma biomassa com composição bioquÃmica semelhante; e iii) são responsáveis por um sequestro de CO2mais eficaz que o das plantas superiores. Compostos extraÃdos de microalgas com potencial comercial incluem ácidos gordos polinsaturados, carotenóides, polissacáridos, vitaminas, esteróis, antioxidantes, outros. […]
Potencial biotecnológico das algas dos Açores
Jornadas de Biotecnologia. CIRN: Ciclo de Ciência 2013, Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, São Miguel, Açores, 12 de abril
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