Níck

theoretical physicist

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About Me

This is my brief CV (click here for a more detailed version). Check the links at the bottom of the website for other information!

Doctor in Physics

September 2023 – Ongoing

Advisor: André G. S. Landulfo

Institution: Graduate Program in Physics, 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

Main results:

• showed how linear acoustics admits a memory effect, asymptotic symmetries, and an infrared triangle (2512.15796)
• 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 and 2504.12521)
• showed that barotropic, spherically-symmetric stars with negative mass are unstable in general relativity (2408.00154)

Related publications:

• Níckolas de Aguiar Alves. “Lectures on the Bondi–Metzner–Sachs group and related topics in infrared physics”. Eur. Phys. J. C 86.5, 507 (2026). arXiv: 2504.12521 [gr-qc]. [INSPIRE].
• Níckolas de Aguiar Alves. “Physics as a branch of poetry”. Am. J. Phys. (2026). [Accepted manuscript]. In press.
• Caio César Rodrigues Evangelista and Níckolas de Aguiar Alves. “Using thermodynamics to learn gravitational wave physics”. Eur. J. Phys. 47.2, 025604 (2026). arXiv: 2602.21261 [gr-qc]. [INSPIRE].
• Níckolas de Aguiar Alves and André G. S. Landulfo. “Sound as a gauge theory and its infrared triangle”. arXiv: 2512.15796 [hep-th]. [INSPIRE]. Pre-published.
• Níckolas de Aguiar Alves and André G. S. Landulfo. “Null infinity as a Killing horizon”. Phys. Rev. D 112.6, 065017 (2025). arXiv: 2504.12514 [gr-qc]. [INSPIRE].
• Níckolas de Aguiar Alves and Bruno Arderucio Costa. “The Measure of a Mass”. arXiv: 2503.18963 [gr-qc]. [INSPIRE]. Pre-published.
• Níckolas de Aguiar Alves, André G. S. Landulfo, and Bruno Arderucio Costa. “Positive mass in general relativity without energy conditions”. Phys. Rev. D 111.4, 044027 (2025). arXiv: 2408.00154 [gr-qc]. [INSPIRE].
• Níckolas de Aguiar Alves. “Quantum Field Theory in Curved Spacetime: An Introduction”. 2023. [INSPIRE]. Unpublished.

Master in Physics

February 2021 – April 2023

Advisor: André G. S. Landulfo

Institution: Graduate Program in Physics, 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

Main results:

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

Related publications:

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

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