Noncommutative Quantum Cosmology

We consider noncommutative quantum cosmology in the case of the low-energy string effective theory. Exacts solutions are found and compared with the commutative case.The Noncommutative quantum cosmology is considered in the case of the low-energy string effective theory. Exacts solutions are found and compared with the commutative case.Comment: Revtex4, 3 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Gen.Rel.Gra

Surface and capillary transitions in an associating binary mixture model

We investigate the phase diagram of a two-component associating fluid mixture in the presence of selectively adsorbing substrates. The mixture is characterized by a bulk phase diagram which displays peculiar features such as closed loops of immiscibility. The presence of the substrates may interfere the physical mechanism involved in the appearance of these phase diagrams, leading to an enhanced tendency to phase separate below the lower critical solution point. Three different cases are considered: a planar solid surface in contact with a bulk fluid, while the other two represent two models of porous systems, namely a slit and an array on infinitely long parallel cylinders. We confirm that surface transitions, as well as capillary transitions for a large area/volume ratio, are stabilized in the one-phase region. Applicability of our results to experiments reported in the literature is discussed.Comment: 12 two-column pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review E; corrected versio

Practical guide for earthquake resilient schools

This guide is intended to be a resource, and not a manual, for increasing the resilience of an educational community, by showing the community what they can do on their own account and how they can strengthen their ability to handle seismic risk (for example, being informed and familiarised with the characteristics that affect the vulnerability of an area in the event of an earthquake, and prepared to protect the students under their tutelage before the earth shakes).POCTEP-INTERREG España-Portugal e Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER); 0313_PERSISTAH_5_P, Projetos de Escolas Resilientes aos Sismos no Território do Algarve e de Huelvainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Depth-Resolved Composition and Electronic Structure of Buried Layers and Interfaces in a LaNiO3_3/SrTiO3_3 Superlattice from Soft- and Hard- X-ray Standing-Wave Angle-Resolved Photoemission

LaNiO$_3$ (LNO) is an intriguing member of the rare-earth nickelates in exhibiting a metal-insulator transition for a critical film thickness of about 4 unit cells [Son et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 062114 (2010)]; however, such thin films also show a transition to a metallic state in superlattices with SrTiO$_3$ (STO) [Son et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 202109 (2010)]. In order to better understand this transition, we have studied a strained LNO/STO superlattice with 10 repeats of [4 unit-cell LNO/3 unit-cell STO] grown on an (LaAlO$_3$)$_{0.3}$(Sr$_2$AlTaO$_6$)$_{0.7}$ substrate using soft x-ray standing-wave-excited angle-resolved photoemission (SWARPES), together with soft- and hard- x-ray photoemission measurements of core levels and densities-of-states valence spectra. The experimental results are compared with state-of-the-art density functional theory (DFT) calculations of band structures and densities of states. Using core-level rocking curves and x-ray optical modeling to assess the position of the standing wave, SWARPES measurements are carried out for various incidence angles and used to determine interface-specific changes in momentum-resolved electronic structure. We further show that the momentum-resolved behavior of the Ni 3d eg and t2g states near the Fermi level, as well as those at the bottom of the valence bands, is very similar to recently published SWARPES results for a related La$_{0.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$MnO$_3$/SrTiO$_3$ superlattice that was studied using the same technique (Gray et al., Europhysics Letters 104, 17004 (2013)), which further validates this experimental approach and our conclusions. Our conclusions are also supported in several ways by comparison to DFT calculations for the parent materials and the superlattice, including layer-resolved density-of-states results

Why does the ground shake?

This manual is designed to support the training of primary school teachers, instructors and technicians, who want to improve their knowledge and develop activities about seismic and tsunami risk. The contents and information of this document come from researches carried out at present, and also as the continuation of other projects in which the author has participated, such as the game "Treme-Treme".POCTEP-INTERREG España-Portugal e Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Guia prático escola resiliente aos sismos

Este Guia pretende ser um recurso para aumentar a resiliência da comunidade educativa, mostrando que é possível viver com os sismos e que se tomarmos medidas preventivas os riscos de perdas e ferimentos reduzem bastante. Como uma emergência pode acontecer em qualquer lugar e a qualquer momento, é importante que a comunidade educativa, esteja informada e familiarizada com o que torna um espaço vulnerável em caso de sismo, e se preparem para proteger as crianças sob seus cuidados antes que a terra trema.Projeto PERSISTAH, Projetos de Escolas Resilientes aos SIsmos no Território do Algarve e de Huelva (0313_PERSISTAH_5_P), desenvolvido em conjunto pelas universidades do Algarve e Sevilha e financiado pela Comissão Europeia através do programa EP – INTERREG VA Espanha Portugal (POCTEP).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Measurement of the top pair production cross section in 8 TeV proton-proton collisions using kinematic information in the lepton plus jets final state with ATLAS

A measurement is presented of the $t\bar{t}$ inclusive production cross-section in $pp$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV using data collected by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The measurement was performed in the lepton+jets final state using a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb$^{-1}$. The cross-section was obtained using a likelihood discriminant fit and $b$-jet identification was used to improve the signal-to-background ratio. The inclusive $t\bar{t}$ production cross-section was measured to be $260\pm 1{\textrm{(stat.)}} ^{+22}_{-23} {\textrm{(syst.)}}\pm 8{\textrm{(lumi.)}}\pm 4{\mathrm{(beam)}}$ pb assuming a top-quark mass of 172.5 GeV, in good agreement with the theoretical prediction of $253^{+13}_{-15}$ pb. The $t\bar{t}\to (e,\mu)+{\mathrm{jets}}$ production cross-section in the fiducial region determined by the detector acceptance is also reported.Comment: Published version, 19 pages plus author list (35 pages total), 3 figures, 2 tables, all figures including auxiliary figures are available at http://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/TOPQ-2013-06