Shrimp-shape domains in a dissipative kicked rotator

Some dynamical properties for a dissipative kicked rotator are studied. Our results show that when dissipation is taken into account a drastic change happens in the structure of the phase space in the sense that the mixed structure is modified and attracting fixed points and chaotic attractors are observed. A detailed numerical investigation in a two-dimensional parameter space based on the behavior of the Lyapunov exponent is considered. Our results show the existence of infinite self-similar shrimp-shaped structures corresponding to periodic attractors, embedded in a large region corresponding to the chaotic regime.     

Photoacoustic spectroscopy of Baru – <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dipteryx alata</Emphasis> Vog

Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) was used to investigate samples produced from Baru (Dipteryx alata Vog.), a typical fruit from the Brazilian Cerrado, which is considered as a good source of nutrients. The photoacoustic (PA) spectra of samples prepared from Baru seeds present three different absorption bands in the wavelength range 0.3–1.0 μm, named Band-C, Band-S, and Band-L. We found that PAS can be useful for monitoring the strong absorption of visible light by Baru's seeds constituents mainly in the shorter wavelength measured range. This study is important from both agricultural and commercial point of view once it introduces PAS as a potential characterization technique allowing better control of fruit and seed selection, storage and transportation.     

Energy spectra of exciton states in disk-shaped GaAs-Ga<Subscript>1-x</Subscript>Al<Subscript>x</Subscript>As quantum dots under growth-direction magnetic fields

A theoretical study, within the effective-mass approximation, of the effects of applied magnetic fields on excitons in disk-shaped GaAs-Ga_1-xAl_xAs quantum dots is presented. Magnetic fields are applied in the growth direction of the semiconductor heterostructure. The parity of the excitonic envelope function related to the simultaneous exchange of z_e→-z_e and z_h→-z_h is a good quantum number and the wave function, both the odd and even parity, can be expanded as combination of products of the quantum well electron and hole function that preserves the parity with appropriate Gaussian functions. We have simultaneously obtained the energies of the excitonic ground and excited states and discuss the behavior of these energies as a function of the magnetic field.     

Long-term correlations in hourly wind speed records in Pernambuco, Brazil

We study the statistical properties of hourly wind speed time series detected at four weather stations in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, in the period 2008-2009. We find that the average and maximum hourly wind speeds deviate from a mutual linear relationship, and that they may be well explained individually by a Weibull distribution, however, with different shape parameter values. On the other hand, the long-term correlations of both of these observables obey the same power-law behavior, with two distinct scaling regimes. Our results agree with previous studies on wind speed series correlations in other regions of the world, which is suggestive of universal behavior.     

Kinetics of ultrasound-assisted lipase-catalyzed glycerolysis of olive oil in solvent-free system

This work reports experimental kinetic data of solvent-free glycerolysis of olive oil using a commercial immobilized lipase (Novozym 435) under the influence of ultrasound irradiation. The experiments were performed in a mechanically stirred reactor under ultrasound irradiation, evaluating the effects of temperature (50-70 °C), enzyme concentration (2.5-10 wt%) and glycerol to oil molar ratio (0.8:1-3:1). Results show that ultrasound-assisted lipase-catalyzed glycerolysis might be a potential alternative route to conventional methods, as high contents of reaction products, especially monoglycerides, were achieved at mild irradiation power supply (∼130 W) and temperature, in a relatively short reaction time (2 h) and low enzyme content (7.5 wt%). To completeness, two simplified kinetic modeling approaches, based on the ordered-sequential bi bi mechanism and reaction stoichiometry, were employed to represent the experimental data, thus allowing a better understanding of the reaction kinetics.     

Phase diagram of a 2D Ising model within a nonextensive approach

In this work we report Monte Carlo simulations of a 2D Ising model, in which the statistics of the Metropolis algorithm is replaced by the nonextensive one. We compute the magnetization and show that phase transitions are present for q ≠ 1. A q - phase diagram (critical temperature vs. the entropic parameter q) is built and exhibits some interesting features, such as phases which are governed by the value of the entropic index q. It is shown that such phases favors some energy levels of magnetization states. It is also shown that the contribution of the Tsallis cutoff is capital to the existence of phase transitions.     

Hidden Symmetries in the Two-Dimensional Isotropic Antiferromagnet

We discuss the two-dimensional isotropic antiferromagnet in the framework of gauge invariance. Gauge invariance is one of the most subtle useful concepts in theoretical physics, since it allows one to describe the time evolution of complex physical system in arbitrary sequences of reference frames. All theories of the fundamental interactions rely on gauge invariance. In Dirac’s approach, the two-dimensional isotropic antiferromagnet is subject to second-class constraints, which are independent of the Hamiltonian symmetries and can be used to eliminate certain canonical variables from the theory. We have used the symplectic embedding formalism developed by a few of us to make the system under study gauge invariant. After carrying out the embedding and Dirac analysis, we systematically show how second-class constraints can generate hidden symmetries. We obtain the invariant second-order Lagrangian and the gauge-invariant model Hamiltonian. Finally, for a particular choice of factor ordering, we derive the functional Schröodinger equations for the original Hamiltonian and for the first-class Hamiltonian and show them to be identical, which justifies our choice of factor ordering.     

High order harmonic generation by non-linear reflection of a pedestal-free intense laser pulse on a plasma

We demonstrate the influence of the prepulses and ASE of ultrashort pulses interacting with a solid target by addressing the direct comparison of the harmonic spectra generated by reflection onto a solid target with and without the introduction of a plasma mirror system. Harmonics up to the 20th of the fundamental of the Ti-Sa laser are clearly visible in a situation free from any plasma expansion. PACS 42.65. Ky; 52.38.-r; 52.38.Ph; 52.50.Jm