Teores de metanol em aguardentes vínicas e bagaceiras portuguesas

Comunicação apresentada no 8.º Simpósio de Vitivinicultura do Alentejo que decorreu em Évora de 5 a 7 de Maio de 2010.O metanol é um álcool resultante da degradação das pectinas que ocorre durante o processo de fermentação do vinho e do bagaço, passando para a aguardente durante o processo de destilação. A tecnologia utilizada na preparação dos vinhos e dos bagaços condiciona o seu teor nos destilados. Por razões de toxicidade, o teor de metanol nas aguardentes é limitado a 1000g/hL de álcool puro nas aguardentes bagaceiras e 200g/hL nas aguardentes vínicas (Reg. CE. 110/2008). Assim, antes da colocação das aguardentes no mercado deve ser avaliado o teor deste álcool, o qual é normalmente quantificado por cromatografia-gáslíquido de alta resolução. Neste trabalho são apresentados os teores de metanol de um número considerável de amostras analisadas no nosso laboratório, em 2007, 2008 e 2009. Os resultados obtidos mostram que nenhuma das amostras de aguardente vínica analisada apresentou um teor superior ao limite legal estabelecido. No caso das aguardentes bagaceiras, apenas quatro das amostras analisadas apresentaram teores acima do limite legal

On virialization with dark energy

We review the inclusion of dark energy into the formalism of spherical collapse, and the virialization of a two-component system, made of matter and dark energy. We compare two approaches in previous studies. The first assumes that only the matter component virializes, e.g. as in the case of a classic cosmological constant. The second approach allows the full system to virialize as a whole. We show that the two approaches give fundamentally different results for the final state of the system. This might be a signature discriminating between the classic cosmological constant which cannot virialize and a dynamical dark energy mimicking a cosmological constant. This signature is independent of the measured value of the equation of state. An additional issue which we address is energy non-conservation of the system, which originates from the homogeneity assumption for the dark energy. We propose a way to take this energy loss into account.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in JCA

Ellipsoidal configurations in the de Sitter spacetime

The cosmological constant $\Lambda$ modifies certain properties of large astrophysical rotating configurations with ellipsoidal geometries, provided the objects are not too compact. Assuming an equilibrium configuration and so using the tensor virial equation with $\Lambda$ we explore several equilibrium properties of homogeneous rotating ellipsoids. One shows that the bifurcation point, which in the oblate case distinguishes the Maclaurin ellipsoid from the Jacobi ellipsoid, is sensitive to the cosmological constant. Adding to that, the cosmological constant allows triaxial configurations of equilibrium rotating the minor axis as solutions of the virial equations. The significance of the result lies in the fact that minor axis rotation is indeed found in nature. Being impossible for the oblate case, it is permissible for prolate geometries, with $\Lambda$ zero and positive. For the triaxial case, however, an equilibrium solution is found only for non-zero positive $\Lambda$. Finally, we solve the tensor virial equation for the angular velocity and display special effects of the cosmological constant there.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures, published in Class. Quant. Grav. References adde

Chameleon field and the late time acceleration of the universe

In the present work, it is shown that a chameleon scalar field having a nonminimal coupling with dark matter can give rise to a smooth transition from a decelerated to an accelerated phase of expansion for the universe. It is surprising to note that the coupling with the chameleon scalar field hardly affects the evolution of the dark matter sector, which still redshifts as $a^{-3}$.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure

Peso e rendimento dos componentes não-carcaça de ovinos terminados em pastagem nativa da Caatinga, submetidos a diferentes suplementações de sal mineral.

Resumo: Objetivou-se avaliar o peso e o rendimento dos componentes não-carcaças externos e internos, de ovinos em pastagem nativa da Caatinga e suplementados com diferentes suplementos minerais. Utilizaram-se 24 ovinos em terminação mestiços Santa Inês, distribuídos em um delineamento inteiramente casualisado, em três tratamentos, conforme as seguintes suplementações de sal mineral: sal mineral comercial (SALMINC), sal mineral comercial acrescido de 750 ppm de zinco animal-1 (SALMINCZn) e sal comercial com fornecimento de 2,5 ml por peso vivo metabólico (PV)0,75 animal-1 de propilenoglicol (SALMINCPeg), com oito repetições cada. Não foi observado diferenças (P>0,05) para peso e rendimento dos componentes não-carcaça externos, exceto, para peso de sangue com maior peso para SALMINCZn. Não foi verificado diferenças (P>0,05) para peso dos componentes não-carcaça internos, exceto, para peso de rins, onde foi obtido maior valor para SALMINCZn em relação a SALMINC (P0.05) for weight and yield of the noncarcass components externals, except for weight of blood with higher weight to SALMINCZn. There was not difference (P>0.05) in weight of the noncarcass components internal, except, for kidney weight, where was obtained highest value for SALMINCZn regarding SALMINC (P <0.05). For yield of the noncarcass components were observed differences only for kidneys, with higher relative value for SALMINCZn than SALMINC, and liver, where was obtained higher relative value for SALMINC than SALMINCZn (P<0.05). Supplementation with the different types of salt containing zinc or propylene glycol doesn't increase the weight of the main noncarcass components externals and internals of sheep created in native pasture of the Caatinga

New structural and magnetic aspects of the nanotube system Na2V3O7

We present new experimental results of low temperature x-ray synchrotron diffraction, neutron scattering and very low temperature (mK-range) bulk measurements on the nanotube system {\tube}. The crystal structure determined from our data is similar to the previously proposed model (P. Millet {\it et al.} J. Solid State Chem. $\bf{147}$, 676 (1999)), but also deviates from it in significant details. The structure comprises nanotubes along the c-axis formed by stacking units of two V-rings buckled in the $ab$-plane. The space group is P$\bar{3}$ and the composition is nonstoichiometric, Na(2-x)V3O7, x=0.17. The thermal evolution of the lattice parameters reveals anisotropic lattice compression on cooling. Neutron scattering experiments monitor a very weak magnetic signal at energies from -20 to 9 meV. New magnetic susceptibility, specific heat measurements and decay of remanent magnetization in the 30 mK - 300 mK range reveal that the previously observed transition at ~76 mK is spin-glass like with no long-range order. Presented experimental observations do not support models of isolated clusters, but are compatible with a model of odd-legged S=1/2 spin tubes possibly segmented into fragments with different lengths

Covariant conservation of energy momentum in modified gravities

An explicit proof of the vanishing of the covariant divergence of the energy-momentum tensor in modified theories of gravity is presented. The gravitational action is written in arbitrary dimensions and allowed to depend nonlinearly on the curvature scalar and its couplings with a scalar field. Also the case of a function of the curvature scalar multiplying a matter Lagrangian is considered. The proof is given both in the metric and in the first-order formalism, i.e. under the Palatini variational principle. It is found that the covariant conservation of energy-momentum is built-in to the field equations. This crucial result, called the generalized Bianchi identity, can also be deduced directly from the covariance of the extended gravitational action. Furthermore, we demonstrate that in all of these cases, the freely falling world lines are determined by the field equations alone and turn out to be the geodesics associated with the metric compatible connection. The independent connection in the Palatini formulation of these generalized theories does not have a similar direct physical interpretation. However, in the conformal Einstein frame a certain bi-metricity emerges into the structure of these theories. In the light of our interpretation of the independent connection as an auxiliary variable we can also reconsider some criticisms of the Palatini formulation originally raised by Buchdahl.Comment: 8 pages. v2: more discussio

Ellipsoidal universe in the brane world

We study a scenario of the ellipsoidal universe in the brane world cosmology with a cosmological constant in the bulk . From the five-dimensional Einstein equations we derive the evolution equations for the eccentricity and the scale factor of the universe, which are coupled to each other. It is found that if the anisotropy of our universe is originated from a uniform magnetic field inside the brane, the eccentricity decays faster in the bulk in comparison with a four-dimensional ellipsoidal universe. We also investigate the ellipsoidal universe in the brane-induced gravity and find the evolution equation for the eccentricity which has a contribution determined by the four- and five-dimensional Newton's constants. The role of the eccentricity is discussed in explaining the quadrupole problem of the cosmic microwave background.Comment: 15 pages, 1 figure, Version 3, references added, contents expande

External Fields as a Probe for Fundamental Physics

Quantum vacuum experiments are becoming a flexible tool for investigating fundamental physics. They are particularly powerful for searching for new light but weakly interacting degrees of freedom and are thus complementary to accelerator-driven experiments. I review recent developments in this field, focusing on optical experiments in strong electromagnetic fields. In order to characterize potential optical signatures, I discuss various low-energy effective actions which parameterize the interaction of particle-physics candidates with optical photons and external electromagnetic fields. Experiments with an electromagnetized quantum vacuum and optical probes do not only have the potential to collect evidence for new physics, but special-purpose setups can also distinguish between different particle-physics scenarios and extract information about underlying microscopic properties.Comment: 12 pages, plenary talk at QFEXT07, Leipzig, September 200

f(R) Gravity and scalar-tensor theory

In the present paper we will investigate the relation between scalar-tensor theory and $f(R)$ theories of gravity. Such studies have been performed in the past for the metric formalism of $f(R)$ gravity; here we will consider mainly the Palatini formalism, where the metric and the connections are treated as independent quantities. We will try to investigate under which circumstances $f(R)$ theories of gravity are equivalent to scalar-tensor theory and examine the implications of this equivalence, when it exists.Comment: minor changes to match published version, references adde