Quantum Vacuum Experiments Using High Intensity Lasers

The quantum vacuum constitutes a fascinating medium of study, in particular since near-future laser facilities will be able to probe the nonlinear nature of this vacuum. There has been a large number of proposed tests of the low-energy, high intensity regime of quantum electrodynamics (QED) where the nonlinear aspects of the electromagnetic vacuum comes into play, and we will here give a short description of some of these. Such studies can shed light, not only on the validity of QED, but also on certain aspects of nonperturbative effects, and thus also give insights for quantum field theories in general.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figur

Efeito do alumínio sobre a absorção, o acúmulo e o fracionamento do fósforo em sorgo

O trabalho teve como objetivo estudar o efeito do Al sobre a absorção, o acúmulo e o fracionamento do P em duas cultivares de sorgo. As plantas foram expostas a níveis tóxicos de Al durante dez dias e, então, colhidas e determinados o crescimento em tamanho e produção de massa seca, os teores de Al e de P total e as diversas formas de P nas duas partes das plantas. Avaliou-se, também, o efeito do Al sobre a absorção de P pelas raízes de plantas intactas. O Al reduziu o crescimento da raiz seminal e a produção de matéria seca de raízes e parte aérea nas duas cultivares, especialmente na sensível. Os teores de Al e de P total aumentaram nas raízes, mas não foram modificados na parte aérea nas duas cultivares. A absorção de P, entretanto, decresceu na presença de Al nas duas cultivares, principalmente na sensível. O Al, de modo geral, modificou as concentrações das várias formas de P solúvel (Pi e Porg) e insolúvel (P RNA e Presidual), exceto a da forma P LIP. Algumas dessas modificações parecem ser importantes e podem estar relacionadas com o mecanismo de tolerância ao Al em sorgo.The objective of this work was to evaluate Al effect on uptake, accumulation and fractionation of P in two sorghum cultivars. Plants were treated with toxic levels of Al during ten days and then they were harvested and growth, dry matter yield, Al and total P contents and concentrations of the various P forms in the two parts of the plants were determined. Aluminum effect on P uptake was also evaluated in intact plants. Aluminum reduced the growth of the seminal root and dry matter yield in roots and tops of both cultivars, especially in the sensitive one. Aluminum and P contents increased in roots but did not change in the top of both cultivars. Phosphate uptake by roots, however, decreased in the presence of Al in both cultivars, especially in the sensitive one. Aluminum, in general, changed concentrations of all soluble (Pi e Porg) and insoluble P forms (P RNA e Presidual), except of the P LIP form. Some of these modifications seem to be important and may be related to Al tolerance mechanism in sorghum