Níck

theoretical physicist

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Short CV

This is my brief CV (click here for a more detailed version). You can learn more about my research interests here. You can find more information about me at the links at the bottom of the website.

Doctor in Physics

September 2023 – Ongoing

Advisor: André G. S. Landulfo

Institution: Federal University of ABC, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil

Funding: Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES)—Finance Code 001, and São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)—Grant 25/05161-0

Topics: General Relativity, Infrared Physics, Quantum Field Theory in Curved Spacetime, Algebraic Quantum Field Theory, Energy Conditions, and Entropy Bounds and Holography in General Spacetimes

Main results:

• introduced the notion of asymptotic (conformal) Killing horizons to give a generalized definition of asymptotic symmetry groups that can reproduce both the BMS and DMP groups (2504.12514, 2504.12521)
• showed that barotropic, spherically-symmetric stars with negative mass are unstable in general relativity (2408.00154)

Related publications:

• Aguiar Alves, Níckolas de. 2025. “Lectures on the Bondi–Metzner–Sachs group and related topics in infrared physics”. The European Physical Journal C. arXiv: 2504.12521 [gr-qc]. Forthcoming. Summarized here.
• Aguiar Alves, Níckolas de, and André G. S. Landulfo. 2025. “Null infinity as a Killing horizon”. Physical Review D 112 (6): 065017. arXiv: 2504.12514 [gr-qc]. Summarized here.
• Aguiar Alves, Níckolas de, and Bruno Arderucio Costa. 2025. “The Measure of a Mass”. arXiv: 2503.18963 [gr-qc]. Summarized here.
• Aguiar Alves, Níckolas de, André G. S. Landulfo, and Bruno Arderucio Costa. 2025. “Positive Mass in General Relativity Without Energy Conditions”. Physical Review D 111 (4): 044027. arXiv: 2408.00154 [gr-qc]. Summarized here.

Master in Physics

February 2021 – April 2023

Advisor: André G. S. Landulfo

Institution: Federal University of ABC, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil

Funding: Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES)—Finance Code 001, and São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)—Grant 21/07372-7

Topics: General Relativity, Quantum Field Theory in Curved Spacetime, Algebraic Quantum Field Theory, and Functional Renormalization Group

Main results:

• computed the functional renormalization group flow for an Unruh–DeWitt detector in Minkowski spacetime (2305.17453 and work to appear)

Related publications:

• Aguiar Alves, Níckolas de (2023). “Nonperturbative Aspects of Quantum Field Theory in Curved Spacetime”. MSc thesis. Santo André, Brazil: Federal University of ABC. xxiv, 152 pp. arXiv: 2305.17453 [gr-qc]. Summarized here.

Bachelor in Physics

February 2017 – December 2020

Advisor: João C. A. Barata

Institution: Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Funding: São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)—Grant 19/12158-4