Location: Pompeia Auditorium, IEF Building
Time: 1:30pm (BRT, UTC−3)
Date: 10 June 2026.
Speaker: Prof. Dr. André Cavalieri (Pro-Rector for Graduate Studies – ITA).
Title: Modeling and control of turbulent coherent structures in aerodynamics and aeroacoustics
Abstract: Although turbulent flows are intrinsically complex, large-scale coherent structures emerge within turbulence and are closely related, for example, to aerodynamic drag and noise generation. This presentation discusses methods for modeling coherent structures and strategies for controlling them in order to reduce drag and acoustic radiation. Linear models are first considered, with coherent structures modeled as dominant responses of the linearized Navier–Stokes system. These dominant modes show good agreement with coherent structures identified from experimental or numerical data, and they enable the design of flow modifications aimed at reducing drag or noise. Furthermore, the linearized models allow the formulation of estimation and control problems, naturally leading to turbulence estimation and control strategies based on a reduced number of sensors. Subsequently, nonlinear reduced-order models (ROMs) are obtained through a Galerkin projection of the full governing equations onto a basis derived from the linearized problem. With computational costs reduced by several orders of magnitude, these ROMs provide statistics that closely match reference results for a variety of canonical turbulent-flow configurations. Finally, a ROM for turbulent Couette flow is employed to develop a control strategy for turbulence suppression. The resulting approach is capable of relaminarizing the flow in direct numerical simulations, demonstrating that ROMs constructed in this manner offer promising applications for flow optimization and control.
Date: 27 May 2026.
Speaker: Dr. Evaldo José Corat (INPE).
Title: Carbon/polyaniline composites doped with metals in electrochemical systems: synthesis, advanced characterization, and application.
Abstract: The research investigates the modification of carbon-based materials (carbon fibers, felts, and papers) through the deposition of polyaniline (PAni) and the incorporation of different metal ions (Pb, Bi, In, Cu, Co, Sn, Ni, Mn, and Fe), aiming at the development of hybrid electrodes capable of suppressing the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), a parasitic process that reduces efficiency in lead-acid batteries, vanadium redox flow batteries, and the electrochemical reduction of CO₂. In addition to HER, the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) may also benefit from the coordination and stabilization of active sites. PAni plays a dual role: it acts as a conductive support, increasing the electrochemically active surface area, and provides coordination sites (amine and imine groups) for the metals. The synthesis of the composites is predominantly electrochemical, either by single-step codeposition or by controlled adsorption of metal ions onto previously formed PAni films, with carbon substrate pre-oxidation commonly employed to improve polymer adhesion. The results show that metals such as lead, bismuth, and indium significantly shift the onset potential of HER toward more negative values, thereby reducing water decomposition. In lead-acid batteries, PAni/Pb composites stabilize PAni in the emeraldine salt form, inhibiting HER even at highly negative potentials. In vanadium redox flow batteries, indium and bismuth suppress HER and improve the reversibility of vanadium redox reactions. For the oxygen evolution reaction, the trimetallic FeNiMn combination in PAni matrices exhibits enhanced activity and stability, highlighting the mediating role of PAni in the competition for coordination sites. The understanding of these systems is supported by advanced techniques such as XAS (XANES/EXAFS) to determine oxidation states and local coordination, in situ studies to monitor structural transformations, ¹⁵N NMR to characterize metal–nitrogen interactions, as well as XPS, Raman spectroscopy, and DFT calculations, which energetically corroborate the observed interactions.
Date: 20 May 2026.
Speaker: Prof. Dr. Débora Peres Menezes (UFSC / Director of Results Analysis and Digital Solutions - CNPq).
Title: Why talk about Open Science to the scientific community?
Abstract: Open Science has gained prominence as a promising model for democratizing access to scientific knowledge and fostering innovation. However, its implementation in Brazil requires a careful analysis of researchers’ working conditions, the costs associated with its adoption, and the need for federal-level regulation. Unfortunately, much of the discussion in recent years has taken place without the proper involvement of the scientific community, focusing instead on funding agencies, oversight bodies, and specific research areas. I intend to address the following points:
1. The importance of Open Science as a global initiative and its relevance to Brazil;
2. The structural and financial conditions that affect researchers in the country;
3. The role of federal regulation in ensuring its responsible and efficient implementation;
4. The challenges of the Knowledge Economy, including data colonialism, with emphasis on the possible impacts on national sovereignty arising from the broad availability of data generated through publicly funded research.
Date: 13 May 2026.
Speaker: Dr. Clezio Marcos Denardini (INPE).
Title: Research on ionospheric sounding rockets in the South Atlantic Magnetic Anomaly (SAMA).
Abstract: In the late 1970s, Brazilian researchers detected sporadic E layers of type “a” in the region of Cachoeira Paulista (SP), near the South Atlantic Magnetic Anomaly (SAMA). These layers are identified through their signature in ionograms, based on characteristics such as observation altitude, shape, and frequency. They were named type “a” because they were initially observed near the auroral region and associated with particle precipitation during and after the interaction of disturbed solar wind with the Earth’s magnetosphere, leading to an increase in ionospheric conductivity at E-region altitudes. With this additional ionization available, the physical mechanisms governing their formation and behavior can act to develop the sporadic layer, which varies with geographic location, particularly with latitude and longitude. Among the factors driving these physical mechanisms, it is well known that neutral wind shear and/or electric fields can concentrate electron density (in the case of wind shear) or develop plasma irregularities (in the case of electric fields), respectively. However, the results of our initial model (submitted for publication), considering neutral winds as the sole driving mechanism for the development of the sporadic E layers attributed to particle precipitation (Esa), revealed that this mechanism alone is insufficient to develop them. Recently, based on a technique for estimating the induction electric field using ground-based magnetometer measurements, some researchers published a study showing that sudden increases in solar wind dynamic pressure from 1 to 10 nPa, associated with the corresponding compressional flow from 2.5 to 0.3 m/s, can lead to an induced electric field in the ionosphere ranging from 0.15 to 0.015 mV/m. In summary, their results indicated that the induction electric field may locally constitute tens of percent of the total electric field. Based on the evidence mentioned above, we are confident in stating that a complete description of the physical mechanisms governing the formation of anomalous sporadic E layers (Es-A) observed at low latitudes near the SAMA remains an open question. Furthermore, we are interested in investigating the presence of plasma irregularities caused by winds or electric fields, which may be associated with the detection of these sporadic layers. Finally, since the ionospheric E region can only be explored remotely or, in the case of in situ measurements, through suborbital rocket launches, we also intend to provide in situ data to support the development of numerical modeling within the framework of our FAPESP project, “Modeling of the Equatorial and Low-Latitude Ionosphere in the South American Sector During Geomagnetically Quiet and Disturbed Periods.” To achieve this, it is necessary to collect data from the different ionospheric regions. For the upper regions, we already have several satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) that can be used in the construction of such models. Thus, this document presents the scientific justification for this scientific mission aimed at studying these anomalous Es layers and their associated plasma irregularities.
Date: 29 Apr 2026.
Speaker: Prof. Dr. Giancarlo Cappellini (University of Cagliari).
Title: Electronic and optical properties of molecules within DFT based schemes: from PAHs to nucleobases.
Abstract: Different DFT based computational techniques have been used to determine the electronic properties and absorption spectra of molecules of importance for the ongoing research in different fields; from Astrochemistry to Condensed Matter and Solid State Theory. The studied molecules could be free, in solution or adsorbed on solid surfaces. We will present results obtained at UniCa on those subjects from collaborations with some national/international teams, focusing in particular on PAHs and RNA/DNA nucleobases.
Date: 15 Apr 2026.
Speaker: Dr. Márcio Guilherme Bronzato de Avellar (INPE).
Title: Beyond correlations: the case of FRBs | Test severity as a discriminating criterion.
Abstract: In this seminar, FRBs are presented as a problem of decision-making between competing physical scenarios, rather than as a search for additional correlations. The central argument is that progress in the field will be driven by severe tests based on polarization, temporal behavior, host galaxy environment, multi-band constraints, and explicit control of selection and propagation effects. The talk is grounded in my research program at INPE, which combines magnetar models, Kozai–Lidov dynamics, unified scenarios in compact systems, and propagation physics within a test-oriented framework.
Date: 1 Apr 2026.
Speaker: Dr. Mariane Satomi Weber Murase (ITA).
Title: Engineering energy and charge transport in conjugated polymers for applications in sensors and photoelectrochemical systems.
Abstract: In this seminar, I will discuss how conjugated polymers can be designed as functional materials through the control of energy and charge transfer processes. Starting from the physicochemical fundamentals that relate π-conjugation, electronic structure, and optical properties in organic semiconductors, I will address how radiation absorption leads to the formation of excited states and how the fate of these states can be modulated through material design. Initially, I will explore systems based on MEH-PPV, in which the use of polymer matrices and organic scintillators enables the development of sensors and dosimeters with tunable optical responses to visible, ultraviolet, and ionizing radiation. Next, I will present systems based on polyaniline and PANI/TiO₂ heterostructures, where interface engineering promotes charge separation and enhances the photoelectrochemical response. The seminar aims to show how controlling the fate of absorbed energy—whether through emission or charge transport—constitutes a unifying principle for the development of advanced materials for sensing and energy conversion applications.
Date: 18 Mar 2026
Speaker: Dr. Carline Biesdorf (ITA).
Title: Compact stars: between quarks, hadrons, and dark matter.
Abstract: In this seminar, I will explore the mysteries of compact stars and how advanced theoretical models can reveal new possibilities for their internal composition. Starting from the fundamental question — what are the so-called neutron stars actually made of? — I will discuss the hypothesis of quark stars in the context of the Modified MIT Bag Model, developed to describe more realistically the stability and properties of quark matter under extreme conditions, such as those found in these compact objects. Next, I will address hybrid stars, which combine hadronic and quark matter, and how the presence of dark matter may silently reshape their cores, altering the critical mass for the formation of quark cores and concealing their observational signatures. The seminar will show how nuclear physics, astrophysics, and cosmology intertwine in the quest to understand the nature of matter in extreme regimes, highlighting recent contributions and future perspectives.
Date: 4 Mar 2026
Speakers: Prof. Carmen Belderrain and Prof. Iris de Oliveira Zeli (Working Group on Conscious Discipline, ITA).
Title: Conscious Discipline at ITA: A Culture that Shapes.
Abstract: This presentation proposes a reflection on Conscious Discipline (CD) as an essential part of ITA’s educational model, adopted since 1955. CD is a culture based on mutual trust, responsibility, integrity, and commitment to the collective. The talk revisits the historical foundations of Conscious Discipline, presenting practical examples and highlighting its continuity and relevance in the 21st century, reinforcing its role in the comprehensive development of individuals — technically, ethically, and humanly. Perceptions from the academic community and initiatives aimed at strengthening this culture in the daily life of the institution will also be shared. The goal is to broaden the shared understanding of Conscious Discipline and encourage its conscious, active, and continuous practice at ITA.
