Vitorvani Soares

Vitorvani Soares is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematical Physics at the Institute of Physics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), where he has been a faculty member since 1994. He holds a BSc (1981) and MSc (1984) from UFRJ, and a PhD (1991) from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, where he also completed postdoctoral research and served as a professor until returning to UFRJ. He coordinates UFRJ's Physics Degree program and is a faculty member of the Master's Program in Physics Teaching.

His research focuses on condensed matter physics, including adiabatic nucleation, superconductivity, refractory metals, and phase transitions, with recent extensions to relativistic thermodynamics and cosmological fluids. He maintains active interests in physics education, developing innovative teaching methodologies and experimental demonstrations for thermodynamics, kinematics, and astronomy.

Publication trends show dual emphasis: (1) Fundamental condensed matter research on nucleation theory and superconducting junctions (1990s-2011), and (2) Physics education innovations, particularly kinematics paradoxes, thermodynamic experiments, and astronomy pedagogy (2010-present). His educational works frequently employ geometric modeling, low-cost experiments, and historical context to resolve conceptual challenges.

He has supervised over 40 students, including 2 PhDs, 8 MSc candidates, and 30+ undergraduate researchers. Major advising themes include experimental thermodynamics (e.g., Boltzmann constant measurement), kinematics paradoxes, astronomy education, and superconductor applications. No awards or dedicated lab spaces are mentioned, though he collaborates on experimental work in superconductivity and material science.