Brazilian Journal of Physics 

About: Brazilian Journal of Physics is an academic journal published by Springer Science+Business Media. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Plasma & Electron. It has an ISSN identifier of 0103-9733. Over the lifetime, 3431 publications have been published receiving 28589 citations.

Nonextensive statistics: theoretical, experimental and computational evidences and connections

Abstract: The domain of validity of standard thermodynamics and Boltzmann-Gibbs statistical mechanics is discussed and then formally enlarged in order to hopefully cover a variety of anomalous systems. The generalization concerns nonextensive systems, where nonextensivity is understood in the thermodynamical sense. This generalization was first proposed in 1988 inspired by the probabilistic description of multifractal geometries, and has been intensively studied during this decade. In the present effort, after introducing some historical background, we briefly describe the formalism, and then exhibit the present status in what concerns theoretical, experimental and computational evidences and connections, as well as some perspectives for the future. In addition to these, here and there we point out various (possibly) relevant questions, whose answer would certainly clarify our current understanding of the foundations of statistical mechanics and its thermodynamical implications.

Ferrofluids: properties and applications

Abstract: Magnetic fluids may be classified as ferrofluids (FF), which are colloidal suspensions of very fine (» 10 nm) magnetic particles, and magnetorheological fluids, which are suspensions of larger, usually non-stable, magnetic particles. We review the general classification and the main properties of FF, some theoretical models and a few applications. We consider the stability of a FF in terms of various forces and torques on the magnetic particles. We discuss thermodiffusion, which is an important phenomenon in FF, and which gives rise to the Soret effect. We also consider the rotational dynamics of the magnetic moments of the particles. A large portion of this review is dedicated to applications of FF, including a few of the many technological applications. Among the uses of a FF in the study of materials, we have selected the doping of liquid crystals. Among the very promising uses in Medicine, we discuss drug targeting, hyperthermia, cell separation, and contrast in magnetic resonance imaging. We also make some comments on directions for future research on the properties of ferrofluids.

A bird's-eye view of density-functional theory

Abstract: This paper is the outgrowth of lectures the author gave at the Physics Institute and the Chemistry Institute of the University of Sao Paulo at Sao Carlos, Brazil, and at the VIII'th Summer School on Electronic Structure of the Brazilian Physical Society. It is an attempt to introduce density-functional theory (DFT) in a language accessible for students entering the field or researchers from other fields. It is not meant to be a scholarly review of DFT, but rather an informal guide to its conceptual basis and some recent developments and advances. The Hohenberg-Kohn theorem and the Kohn-Sham equations are discussed in some detail. Approximate density functionals, selected aspects of applications of DFT, and a variety of extensions of standard DFT are also discussed, albeit in less detail. Throughout it is attempted to provide a balanced treatment of aspects that are relevant for chemistry and aspects relevant for physics, but with a strong bias towards conceptual foundations. The paper is intended to be read before (or in parallel with) one of the many excellent more technical reviews available in the literature.

Phase transitions in one-dimensional nonequilibrium systems

Abstract: The phenomenon of phase transitions in one-dimensional systems is discussed. Equilibrium systems are reviewed and some properties of an energy function which may allow phase transitions and phase ordering in one dimension are identified. We then give an overview of the one-dimensional phase transitions which have been studied in nonequilibrium systems. A particularly simple model, the zero-range process, for which the steady state is known exactly as a product measure, is discussed in some detail. Generalisations of the model, for which a product measure still holds, are also discussed. We analyse in detail a condensation phase transition in the model and show how conditions under which it may occur may be related to the existence of an effective long-range energy function. It is also shown that even when the conditions for condensation are not fulfilled one can still observe very sharp crossover behaviour and apparent condensation in a finite system. Although the zero-range process is not well known within the physics community, several nonequilibrium models have been proposed that are examples of a zero-range process, or closely related to it, and we review these applications here.

Paths to self-organized criticality

Abstract: We present a pedagogical introduction to self-organized criticality (SOC), unraveling its connections with nonequilibrium phase transitions. There are several paths from a conventional critical point to SOC. They begin with an absorbing-state phase transition (directed percolation is a familiar example), and impose supervision or driving on the system; two commonly used methods are extremal dynamics, and driving at a rate approaching zero. We illustrate this in sandpiles, where SOC is a consequence of slow driving in a system exhibiting an absorbing-state phase transition with a conserved density. Other paths to SOC, in driven interfaces, the Bak-Sneppen model, and self- organized directed percolation, are also examined. We review the status of experimental realizations of SOC in light of these observations.