Science with the World Space Observatory - Ultraviolet

The World Space Observatory-Ultraviolet (WSO-UV) will provide access to the UV range during the next decade. The instrumentation on board will allow to carry out high resolution imaging, high sensitivity imaging, high resolution (R~55000) spectroscopy and low resolution (R~2500) long slit spectroscopy. In this contribution, we briefly outline some of the key science issues that WSO-UV will address during its lifetime. Among them, of special interest are: the study of galaxy formation and the intergalactic medium; the astronomical engines; the Milky Way formation and evol ution, and the formation of the Solar System and the atmospheres of extrasolar p lanets.Comment: Just one text file (aigomezdecastro.tex). To be published in the proceeding of the conference: "New Quest in Stellar Astrophysics II: UV properties of evolved stellar populations" held in Puerto Vallarta - Mexico, in april 200

Tensor coupling and pseudospin symmetry in nuclei

In this work we study the contribution of the isoscalar tensor coupling to the realization of pseudospin symmetry in nuclei. Using realistic values for the tensor coupling strength, we show that this coupling reduces noticeably the pseudospin splittings, especially for single-particle levels near the Fermi surface. By using an energy decomposition of the pseudospin energy splittings, we show that the changes in these splittings come by mainly through the changes induced in the lower radial wave function for the low-lying pseudospin partners, and by changes in the expectation value of the pseudospin-orbit coupling term for surface partners. This allows us to confirm the conclusion already reached in previous studies, namely that the pseudospin symmetry in nuclei is of a dynamical nature.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, uses REVTeX macro

On the regular-geometric-figure solution to the N-body problem

The regular-geometric-figure solution to the $N$-body problem is presented in a very simple way. The Newtonian formalism is used without resorting to a more involved rotating coordinate system. Those configurations occur for other kinds of interactions beyond the gravitational ones for some special values of the parameters of the forces. For the harmonic oscillator, in particular, it is shown that the $N$-body problem is reduced to $N$ one-body problems.Comment: To appear in Eur. J. Phys. (5 pages

Exploration of Large Digital Sky Surveys

We review some of the scientific opportunities and technical challenges posed by the exploration of the large digital sky surveys, in the context of a Virtual Observatory (VO). The VO paradigm will profoundly change the way observational astronomy is done. Clustering analysis techniques can be used to discover samples of rare, unusual, or even previously unknown types of astronomical objects and phenomena. Exploration of the previously poorly probed portions of the observable parameter space are especially promising. We illustrate some of the possible types of studies with examples drawn from DPOSS; much more complex and interesting applications are forthcoming. Development of the new tools needed for an efficient exploration of these vast data sets requires a synergy between astronomy and information sciences, with great potential returns for both fields.Comment: To appear in: Mining the Sky, eds. A. Banday et al., ESO Astrophysics Symposia, Berlin: Springer Verlag, in press (2001). Latex file, 18 pages, 6 encapsulated postscript figures, style files include

Spatial fluctuations in an optical parametric oscillator below threshold with an intracavity photonic crystal

We show how to control spatial quantum correlations in a multimode degenerate optical parametric oscillator type I below threshold by introducing a spatially inhomogeneous medium, such as a photonic crystal, in the plane perpendicular to light propagation. We obtain the analytical expressions for all the correlations in terms of the relevant parameters of the problem and study the number of photons, entanglement, squeezing, and twin beams. Considering different regimes and configurations we show the possibility to tune the instability thresholds as well as the quantumness of correlations by breaking the translational invariance of the system through a photonic crystal modulation.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figure

Edge phonons in black phosphorus

Exfoliated black phosphorus has recently emerged as a new two-dimensional crystal that, due to its peculiar and anisotropic crystalline and electronic band structures, may have potentially important applications in electronics, optoelectronics and photonics. Despite the fact that the edges of layered crystals host a range of singular properties whose characterization and exploitation are of utmost importance for device development, the edges of black phosphorus remain poorly characterized. In this work, the atomic structure and the behavior of phonons near different black phosphorus edges are experimentally and theoretically studied using Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. Polarized Raman results show the appearance of new modes at the edges of the sample, and their spectra depend on the atomic structure of the edges (zigzag or armchair). Theoretical simulations confirm that the new modes are due to edge phonon states that are forbidden in the bulk, and originated from the lattice termination rearrangements.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figure

Nonholonomic Ricci Flows: II. Evolution Equations and Dynamics

This is the second paper in a series of works devoted to nonholonomic Ricci flows. By imposing non-integrable (nonholonomic) constraints on the Ricci flows of Riemannian metrics we can model mutual transforms of generalized Finsler-Lagrange and Riemann geometries. We verify some assertions made in the first partner paper and develop a formal scheme in which the geometric constructions with Ricci flow evolution are elaborated for canonical nonlinear and linear connection structures. This scheme is applied to a study of Hamilton's Ricci flows on nonholonomic manifolds and related Einstein spaces and Ricci solitons. The nonholonomic evolution equations are derived from Perelman's functionals which are redefined in such a form that can be adapted to the nonlinear connection structure. Next, the statistical analogy for nonholonomic Ricci flows is formulated and the corresponding thermodynamical expressions are found for compact configurations. Finally, we analyze two physical applications: the nonholonomic Ricci flows associated to evolution models for solitonic pp-wave solutions of Einstein equations, and compute the Perelman's entropy for regular Lagrange and analogous gravitational systems.Comment: v2 41 pages, latex2e, 11pt, the variant accepted by J. Math. Phys. with former section 2 eliminated, a new section 5 with applications in gravity and geometric mechanics, and modified introduction, conclusion and new reference

Consórcio de girassol e Brachiaria ruziziensis utilizando subdoses de herbicidas graminicidas.

O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar a supressão do capim-braquiária (Brachiaria ruziziensis) em consórcio com o girassol (Helianthus annuus) e submetida a doses reduzidas de herbicidas inibidores da acetil coenzima A carboxilase (ACCase). O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, com três repetições. Os tratamentos foram i) testemunha capinada; ii) testemunha sem capina; iii) tepraloxydim 10 g i.a./ha; iv) tepraloxydim 20 g i.a./ha; v) tepraloxydim 40 g i.a./ha; vi) fluazifop-p-butyl 12,5 g i.a./ha; vii) fluazifop-p-butyl 25,0 g i.a./ha; viii) fluazifop-p-butyl 50,0 g i.a./ha. É viável a utilização de doses reduzidas de graminicidas como reguladores de crescimento da B. ruzizizensis. Todos os herbicidas e doses aplicadas foram seletivos para a cultura do girassol. O herbicida tepraloxydim na menor dose (10 g i.a./ha) reduziu o crescimento da forrageira e as duas maiores doses 20 e 40 g i.a./ha causaram alto grau de fitotoxicidade às plantas de B. ruzizizensis e redução total da produção de forragem. As doses do fluazifop-p-butyl suprimiram o crescimento do capim-braquiária, havendo redução de produção de forragem com o aumento das doses desse herbicida