No abstract

Using the Darmois junction conditions, we give the necessary and sufficient conditions for the matching of a general spherically symmetric metric to a Vaidya radiating solution. We present also these conditions in terms of the physical quantities of the corresponding energy-momentum tensors. The physical interpretation of the results and their possible applications are studied, and we also perform a detailed analysis of previous work on the subject by other authors. PACS number(s1: 04.20.Jb, 04.40.+c, 98.10. +z

The authors give the necessary conditions for the matching of a general Robertson-Walker geometry to general spherically symmetric radiating metric. They also found the conditions for the matching of a Vaidya metric (1951) to a general Robertson-Walker metric. The possible applications of the results to the stellar collapse and to the study of local inhomogeneities in a cosmological context are considered. An alternative interpretation of the energy-momentum tensor of the Robertson-Walker part of spacetime is given in such a way that the physical processes can be better understood.

Our first objective was to detect misconceptions about the microscopic nature of sound among senior university students enrolled in different engineering programmes (from chemistry to telecommunications). We sought to determine how these misconceptions are expressed (qualitative aspect) and, only very secondarily, to gain a general idea of the extent to which they are held (quantitative aspect). Our second objective was to explore other misconceptions about wave aspects of sound. We have also considered the degree of consistency in the model of sound used by each student. Forty students answered a questionnaire including open-ended questions. Based on their free, spontaneous answers, the main results were as follows: a large majority of students answered most of the questions regarding the microscopic model of sound according to the scientifically accepted model; however, only a small number answered consistently. The main model misconception found was the notion that sound is propagated through the travelling of air particles, even in solids. Misconceptions and mental-model inconsistencies tended to depend on the engineering programme in which the student was enrolled. However, students in general were inconsistent also in applying their model of sound to individual sound properties. The main conclusion is that our students have not truly internalised the scientifically accepted model that they have allegedly learnt. This implies a need to design learning activities that take these findings into account in order to be truly efficient.

We have developed a Landau model that predicts a first order twist-bend nematic–nematic phase transition.

We try to lay down the foundations of a Newtonian theory where inertia and gravitational fields appear in a unified way aiming to reach a better understanding of the general relativistic theory. We also formulate a kind of equivalence principle for this generalized Newtonian theory. Finally we find the non-relativistic limit of the Einstein's equations for the space-time metric derived from the Newtonian theory.

We use computational algorithms recently developed by us to study completely four index divergence free quadratic in Riemann tensor polynomials in GR. Some results are new and some other reproduce and/or correct known ones. The algorithms are part of a Mathematica package called

The group of rigid motions is considered to guide the search for a natural system of space-time coordinates in General Relativity. This search leads us to a natural extension of the space-times that support Painlevé-Gullstrand synchronization. As an interesting example, here we describe a system of rigid coordinates for the cross mode of gravitational linear plane waves.