Magnetite and its transformation to hematite in a soil derived from steatite.

O presente trabalho objetivou caracterizar o mineral magnetico e identificar suas rotas pedogeneticas de transformacao em um solo formado sobre esteatito, de Minas Gerais, Brasil. O oxido de ferro isoestrutural ao espinelio foi identificado e caracterizado por analises quimicas, difracao de raios X, espectroscopia Mossbauer e medidas de magnetizacao de saturacao. Na rocha fresca, foi encontrada magnetita estequiometrica e bem cristalizada, com parametro da rede cubica, ao = 0.8407(5) nm. Nas fracoes areia e silte, foram detectadas magnetita parcialmente alterada e hematita estequiometrica e bem cristalizada, com parametros de rede hexagonal, a = 0.5036(3) nm e c = 1.375(4)nm. A ocorrencia dessas hematitas deveu-se principalmente a oxidacao do Fe2+ a Fe3+, no sitio octaedrico de magnetita, durante a pedogenese. Esse processo foi caracterizado pelo aparecimento de pequena quantidade de Fe3+ eletronicamente desacoplada, encontrada nas magnetitas parcialmente oxidadas, cujas formulas para as diferentes estequiometrias foram propostas. Verificou-se tambem pequena quantidade de ilmenita nas amostras de rocha e de solo

Confinement in the 3-dimensional Gross-Neveu model

We consider the $N$-components 3-dimensional massive Gross-Neveu model compactified in one spatial direction, the system being constrained to a slab of thickness $L$. We derive a closed formula for the effective renormalized $L$-dependent coupling constant in the large-N limit, using bag-model boundary conditions. For values of the fixed coupling constant in absence of boundaries $\lambda \geq \lambda_c \simeq 19.16$, we obtain ultra-violet asymptotic freedom (for $L \to 0$) and confinement for a length $L^{(c)}$ such that $2.07 m^{-1} < L^{(c)} \lesssim 2.82 m^{-1}$, $m$ being the fermionic mass. Taking for $m$ an average of the masses of the quarks composing the proton, we obtain a confining legth $L^{(c)}_p$ which is comparable with an estimated proton diameter.Comment: Latex, 4 pages, 2 figures (one new), some changes in tex

Structure and Dynamics of the Globular Cluster Palomar 13

We present Keck/DEIMOS spectroscopy and Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope/MegaCam photometry for the Milky Way globular cluster Palomar 13. We triple the number of spectroscopically confirmed members, including many repeat velocity measurements. Palomar 13 is the only known globular cluster with possible evidence for dark matter, based on a Keck/High Resolution Echelle Spectrometer 21 star velocity dispersion of σ = 2.2 ± 0.4 km s^(–1). We reproduce this measurement, but demonstrate that it is inflated by unresolved binary stars. For our sample of 61 stars, the velocity dispersion is σ = 0.7^(+0.6)_(–0.5) km s^(–1). Combining our DEIMOS data with literature values, our final velocity dispersion is σ = 0.4^(+0.4)_( –0.3) km s^(–1). We determine a spectroscopic metallicity of [Fe/H] = –1.6 ± 0.1 dex, placing a 1σ upper limit of σ_([Fe/H]) ~ 0.2 dex on any internal metallicity spread. We determine Palomar 13's total luminosity to be M_V = –2.8 ± 0.4, making it among the least luminous known globular clusters. The photometric isophotes are regular out to the half-light radius and mildly irregular outside this radius. The outer surface brightness profile slope is shallower than typical globular clusters (Σ α r^η, η = –2.8 ± 0.3). Thus at large radius, tidal debris is likely affecting the appearance of Palomar 13. Combining our luminosity with the intrinsic velocity dispersion, we find a dynamical mass of M_(1/2) = 1.3^(+2:7)_(–1.3) × 10^3 M_☉ and a mass-to-light ratio of M/L_V = 2.4^(+5.0)_(–2.4) M_☉/L_☉. Within our measurement errors, the mass-to-light ratio agrees with the theoretical predictions for a single stellar population. We conclude that, while there is some evidence for tidal stripping at large radius, the dynamical mass of Palomar 13 is consistent with its stellar mass and neither significant dark matter, nor extreme tidal heating, is required to explain the cluster dynamics

Nematóides como indicadores biológicos de sustentabilidade: oportunidades em projetos.

xEdição dos Resumos do XXXIX Congresso Brasileiro de Fitopatologia, SALVADOR, BA, ago. 2006

Screening nuclear field fluctuations in quantum dots for indistinguishable photon generation

A semiconductor quantum dot can generate highly coherent and indistinguishable single photons. However, intrinsic semiconductor dephasing mechanisms can reduce the visibility of two-photon interference. For an electron in a quantum dot, a fundamental dephasing process is the hyperfine interaction with the nuclear spin bath. Here we directly probe the consequence of the fluctuating nuclear spins on the elastic and inelastic scattered photon spectra from a resident electron in a single dot. We find the nuclear spin fluctuations lead to detuned Raman scattered photons which are distinguishable from both the elastic and incoherent components of the resonance fluorescence. This significantly reduces two-photon interference visibility. However, we demonstrate successful screening of the nuclear spin noise which enables the generation of coherent single photons that exhibit high visibility two-photon interference.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures + Supplementary Informatio