False Vacuum Transitions - Analytical Solutions and Decay Rate Values

In this work we show a class of oscillating configurations for the evolution of the domain walls in Euclidean space. The solutions are obtained analytically. Phase transitions are achieved from the associated fluctuation determinant, by the decay rates of the false vacuum.Comment: 6 pages, improved to match the final version to appear in EP

Homogeneous abundance analysis of dwarf, subgiant and giant FGK stars with and without giant planets

We have analyzed high-resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio optical spectra of nearby FGK stars with and without detected giant planets in order to homogeneously measure their photospheric parameters, mass, age, and the abundances of volatile (C, N, and O) and refractory (Na, Mg, Si, Ca, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Ba) elements. Our sample contains 309 stars from the solar neighborhood (up to the distance of 100 pc), out of which 140 are dwarfs, 29 are subgiants, and 140 are giants. The photospheric parameters are derived from the equivalent widths of Fe I and Fe II lines. Masses and ages come from the interpolation in evolutionary tracks and isochrones on the HR diagram. The abundance determination is based on the equivalent widths of selected atomic lines of the refractory elements and on the spectral synthesis of C_2, CN, C I, O I, and Na I features. We apply a set of statistical methods to analyze the abundances derived for the three subsamples. Our results show that: i) giant stars systematically exhibit underabundance in [C/Fe] and overabundance in [N/Fe] and [Na/Fe] in comparison with dwarfs, a result that is normally attributed to evolution-induced mixing processes in the envelope of evolved stars; ii) for solar analogs only, the abundance trends with the condensation temperature of the elements are correlated with age and anticorrelated with the surface gravity, which is in agreement with recent studies; iii) as in the case of [Fe/H], dwarf stars with giant planets are systematically enriched in [X/H] for all the analyzed elements, except for O and Ba (the former due to limitations of statistics), confirming previous findings in the literature that not only iron has an important relation with the planetary formation; and iv) giant planet hosts are also significantly overabundant for the same metallicity when the elements from Mg to Cu are combined together.Comment: 20 pages, 16 figures, 8 table

On the Spinor Representation

A systematic study of the spinor representation by means of the fermionic physical space is accomplished and implemented. The spinor representation space is shown to be constrained by the Fierz-Pauli-Kofink identities among the spinor bilinear covariants. A robust geometric and topological structure can be manifested from the spinor space, wherein, for instance, the first and second homotopy groups play prominent roles on the underlying physical properties, associated to the fermionic fields.Comment: 16 page

Comparação entre dois procedimentos de upscaling de redes de drenagem.

Modelos de elevação do terreno (ou também denominados Modelos Numéricos do Terreno ? MNT) são utilizados para derivar diversos tipos de produtos, com destaque para a determinação das direções de fluxo e das áreas acumuladas de drenagem. Procedimentos automáticos determinam para qual pixel vizinho cada pixel drena (direção de fluxo) e a área de drenagem que contribui para cada pixel (área acumulada de drenagem), definindo a rede de drenagem de uma bacia hidrográfica (Jenson e Domingue, 1988). Tais planos de informação são derivados com a mesma resolução espacial do MNT e constituem informação de entrada para diversos tipos de modelos hidrológicos. Ao trabalhar com grandes escalas (bacias com áreas de drenagem > 10000 km2), modelos hidrológicos ou esquemas de superfície de modelos atmosféricos geralmente são discretizados em células em torno de 5 a 20 km de dimensão (Singh e Frevert, 2000; Wood et al., 1997). Embora informações de elevação do terreno e de características de tipo de solo e uso da terra geralmente estejam disponíveis com maior detalhamento, a baixa resolução da discretização de tais modelos é adotada devido ao interesse em questões de maior escala e visando a 4897 redução do custo computacional. Nesses casos, procedimentos de upscaling de direções de fluxo são aplicados para estabelecer a rede de drenagem do modelo hidrológico (Paz et al., 2006; Reed, 2003; Olivera et al., 2002). Inicialmente são determinadas as direções de fluxo e áreas acumuladas de drenagem na mesma resolução espacial do MNT (referida aqui como alta resolução; elementos denotados por pixels) e em seguida tais informações são utilizadas para estabelecer as direções de fluxo das células do modelo hidrológico (baixa resolução). Neste artigo faz-se uma análise comparativa do uso do algoritmo de upscaling de direções de fluxo descrito em Paz et al. (2006), adotando-se dois procedimentos: realização do upscaling direto (de alta para baixa resolução) e o upscaling em duas etapas (da resolução alta para a intermediária, e desta para a baixa resolução). Os resultados de um estudo de caso para a bacia do Mogi-Guaçú e Pardo são apresentados e a viabilidade do emprego do upscaling de direções de fluxo com escala intermediária em relação ao upscaling direto é avaliada por diversos critérios.1 CD-ROM

The quadratic spinor Lagrangian, axial torsion current, and generalizations

We show that the Einstein-Hilbert, the Einstein-Palatini, and the Holst actions can be derived from the Quadratic Spinor Lagrangian (QSL), when the three classes of Dirac spinor fields, under Lounesto spinor field classification, are considered. To each one of these classes, there corresponds a unique kind of action for a covariant gravity theory. In other words, it is shown to exist a one-to-one correspondence between the three classes of non-equivalent solutions of the Dirac equation, and Einstein-Hilbert, Einstein-Palatini, and Holst actions. Furthermore, it arises naturally, from Lounesto spinor field classification, that any other class of spinor field (Weyl, Majorana, flagpole, or flag-dipole spinor fields) yields a trivial (zero) QSL, up to a boundary term. To investigate this boundary term we do not impose any constraint on the Dirac spinor field, and consequently we obtain new terms in the boundary component of the QSL. In the particular case of a teleparallel connection, an axial torsion 1-form current density is obtained. New terms are also obtained in the corresponding Hamiltonian formalism. We then discuss how these new terms could shed new light on more general investigations.Comment: 9 pages, RevTeX, to be published in Int.J.Mod.Phys.D (2007

ELKO Spinor Fields: Lagrangians for Gravity derived from Supergravity

Dual-helicity eigenspinors of the charge conjugation operator (ELKO spinor fields) belong -- together with Majorana spinor fields -- to a wider class of spinor fields, the so-called flagpole spinor fields, corresponding to the class-(5), according to Lounesto spinor field classification based on the relations and values taken by their associated bilinear covariants. There exists only six such disjoint classes: the first three corresponding to Dirac spinor fields, and the other three respectively corresponding to flagpole, flag-dipole and Weyl spinor fields. Using the mapping from ELKO spinor fields to the three classes Dirac spinor fields, it is shown that the Einstein-Hilbert, the Einstein-Palatini, and the Holst actions can be derived from the Quadratic Spinor Lagrangian (QSL), as the prime Lagrangian for supergravity. The Holst action is related to the Ashtekar's quantum gravity formulation. To each one of these classes, there corresponds a unique kind of action for a covariant gravity theory. Furthermore we consider the necessary and sufficient conditions to map Dirac spinor fields (DSFs) to ELKO, in order to naturally extend the Standard Model to spinor fields possessing mass dimension one. As ELKO is a prime candidate to describe dark matter and can be obtained from the DSFs, via a mapping explicitly constructed that does not preserve spinor field classes, we prove that in particular the Einstein-Hilbert, Einstein-Palatini, and Holst actions can be derived from the QSL, as a fundamental Lagrangian for supergravity, via ELKO spinor fields. The geometric meaning of the mass dimension-transmuting operator - leading ELKO Lagrangian into the Dirac Lagrangian - is also pointed out, together with its relationship to the instanton Hopf fibration.Comment: 11 pages, RevTeX, accepted for publication in Int.J.Geom.Meth.Mod.Phys. (2009

Quark stars in D3D_3-D7D_7 holographic model

This work investigates static and dynamical quark star properties within a $D_3-D_7$ holographic model. We solve the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equations for the quark matter equation of state obtained from the brane configuration. We determine the mass-radius diagram for a range of model parameters and compare with recent NICER observational data for the pulsars PSR J$0030+0451$ and PSR J$0740+6620$. Motivated by the GW170817 event detected by the LIGO-Virgo collaboration, we also calculate the tidal deformability parameter obtained for each component of the binary star system. We show that quark stars composed of flavor-independent quark matter derived from the $D_3-D_7$ holographic model are not able to satisfy simultaneously the LIGO-Virgo and NICER astrophysical bounds