Energy dependence of a vortex line length near a zigzag of pinning centers

A vortex line, shaped by a zigzag of pinning centers, is described here through a three-dimensional unit cell containing two pinning centers positioned symmetrically with respect to its center. The unit cell is a cube of side $L=12\xi$, the pinning centers are insulating spheres of radius $R$, taken within the range $0.2\xi$ to $3.0\xi$, $\xi$ being the coherence length. We calculate the free energy density of these systems in the framework of the Ginzburg-Landau theory.Comment: Submitted to Braz. Jour. Phys. (http://www.sbfisica.org.br/bjp) 11 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, LaTex 2

A Laplace transform approach to the quantum harmonic oscillator

The one-dimensional quantum harmonic oscillator problem is examined via the Laplace transform method. The stationary states are determined by requiring definite parity and good behaviour of the eigenfunction at the origin and at infinity

Estimation of the methane emission factor for the Italian Mediterranean buffalo

In order to contribute to the improvement of the national greenhouse gas emission inventory, this work aimed at estimating a country-specific enteric methane (CH4) emission factor for the Italian Mediterranean buffalo. For this purpose, national agriculture statistics, and information on animal production and farming conditions were analysed, and the emission factor was estimated using the Tier 2 model of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Country-specific CH4 emission factors for buffalo cows (630 kg body weight, BW) and other buffalo (313 kg BW) categories were estimated for the period 1990–2004. In 2004, the estimated enteric CH4 emission factor for the buffalo cows was 73 kg/head per year, whereas that for other buffalo categories it was 56 kg/head per year. Research in order to determine specific CH4 conversion rates at the predominant production system is suggested

Effects of a mixed vector-scalar kink-like potential for spinless particles in two-dimensional spacetime

The intrinsically relativistic problem of spinless particles subject to a general mixing of vector and scalar kink-like potentials ($\sim \mathrm{tanh} ,\gamma x$) is investigated. The problem is mapped into the exactly solvable Surm-Liouville problem with the Rosen-Morse potential and exact bounded solutions for particles and antiparticles are found. The behaviour of the spectrum is discussed in some detail. An apparent paradox concerning the uncertainty principle is solved by recurring to the concept of effective Compton wavelength.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure

Paramagnetic excited vortex states in superconductors

We consider excited vortex states, which are vortex states left inside a superconductor once the external applied magnetic field is switched off and whose energy is lower than of the normal state. We show that this state is paramagnetic and develop here a general method to obtain its Gibbs free energy through conformal mapping. The solution for any number of vortices in any cross section geometry can be read off from the Schwarz - Christoffel mapping. The method is based on the first order equations used by A. Abrikosov to discover vortices.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figure