UNISA-Brazil Symposium

Session

Session 1

27 Oct 2026, 09:00

Conveners

Session 1

• Rosinah Modiba

6. [PLENARY TOPIC] Irreversible thermodynamics in cosmology

Amos Soweto Kubeka (University of South Africa)

27/10/2026, 09:00

Oral Presentation

Irreversible thermodynamics extends classical thermodynamics to open systems, where energy and matter can be exchanged with the environment. In cosmology, this framework is applied to the universe as a whole, treating it as an open system where space-time curvature can irreversibly convert into matter, producing entropy in the process. Unlike standard adiabatic models, this approach allows for...

31. Nuclear Astrophysics Opportunities with Halo/Cluster EFT

Renato Higa (Universidade de São Paulo)

27/10/2026, 09:40

Oral Presentation

The effective field theory for weakly-bound nuclear halos and clusters, Halo/Cluster EFT for short, hinges on a clear separation of a soft energy scale, associated with the weak binding, from a hard energy scale associated with the binding of the core or each constituent of the cluster. That allows a combination of quantum field theory formalism and few-body techniques to describe, in a...

13. Towards resolving energy demand challenges in the age of AI driven economies for developing countries

Cabangani Donga (Department of Physics, Florida Campus)

27/10/2026, 10:10

Oral Presentation

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies is increasing electricity demand, creating new energy challenges for developing countries such as South Africa. This study examines how rising AI-driven economic activities, data centres, digital infrastructure, and industrial automation may intensify pressure on South Africa’s already constrained energy system. It...