Non-Hermitian Quantum Systems and Time-Optimal Quantum Evolution

Recently, Bender et al. have considered the quantum brachistochrone problem for the non-Hermitian PT-symmetric quantum system and have shown that the optimal time evolution required to transform a given initial state |ψi> into a specific final state |ψf> can be made arbitrarily small. Additionally, it has been shown that finding the shortest possible time requires only the solution of the two-dimensional problem for the quantum system governed by the effective Hamiltonian acting in the subspace spanned by |ψi> and |ψf>. In this paper, we study a similar problem for the generic non-Hermitian Hamiltonian, focusing our attention on the geometric aspects of the problem

Nonassociative strict deformation quantization of C*-algebras and nonassociative torus bundles

In this paper, we initiate the study of nonassociative strict deformation quantization of C*-algebras with a torus action. We shall also present a definition of nonassociative principal torus bundles, and give a classification of these as nonassociative strict deformation quantization of ordinary principal torus bundles. We then relate this to T-duality of principal torus bundles with $H$-flux. We also show that the Octonions fit nicely into our theory.Comment: 15 pages, latex2e, exposition improved, to appear in LM

Measurements of spin rotation parameter A in pion-proton elastic scattering at 1.62 GeV/c

The ITEP-PNPI collaboration presents the results of the measurements of the spin rotation parameter A in the elastic scattering of positive and negative pions on protons at P_beam = 1.62 GeV/c. The setup included a longitudinally-polarized proton target with superconductive magnet, multiwire spark chambers and a carbon polarimeter with thick filter. Results are compared to the predictions of partial wave analyses. The experiment was performed at the ITEP proton synchrotron, Moscow.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures. To be published in Phys. Lett.

Coupling of Linearized Gravity to Nonrelativistic Test Particles: Dynamics in the General Laboratory Frame

The coupling of gravity to matter is explored in the linearized gravity limit. The usual derivation of gravity-matter couplings within the quantum-field-theoretic framework is reviewed. A number of inconsistencies between this derivation of the couplings, and the known results of tidal effects on test particles according to classical general relativity are pointed out. As a step towards resolving these inconsistencies, a General Laboratory Frame fixed on the worldline of an observer is constructed. In this frame, the dynamics of nonrelativistic test particles in the linearized gravity limit is studied, and their Hamiltonian dynamics is derived. It is shown that for stationary metrics this Hamiltonian reduces to the usual Hamiltonian for nonrelativistic particles undergoing geodesic motion. For nonstationary metrics with long-wavelength gravitational waves (GWs) present, it reduces to the Hamiltonian for a nonrelativistic particle undergoing geodesic \textit{deviation} motion. Arbitrary-wavelength GWs couple to the test particle through a vector-potential-like field $N_a$, the net result of the tidal forces that the GW induces in the system, namely, a local velocity field on the system induced by tidal effects as seen by an observer in the general laboratory frame. Effective electric and magnetic fields, which are related to the electric and magnetic parts of the Weyl tensor, are constructed from $N_a$ that obey equations of the same form as Maxwell's equations . A gedankin gravitational Aharonov-Bohm-type experiment using $N_a$ to measure the interference of quantum test particles is presented.Comment: 38 pages, 7 figures, written in ReVTeX. To appear in Physical Review D. Galley proofs corrections adde

Is there a Jordan geometry underlying quantum physics?

There have been several propositions for a geometric and essentially non-linear formulation of quantum mechanics. From a purely mathematical point of view, the point of view of Jordan algebra theory might give new strength to such approaches: there is a ``Jordan geometry'' belonging to the Jordan part of the algebra of observables, in the same way as Lie groups belong to the Lie part. Both the Lie geometry and the Jordan geometry are well-adapted to describe certain features of quantum theory. We concentrate here on the mathematical description of the Jordan geometry and raise some questions concerning possible relations with foundational issues of quantum theory.Comment: 30 page

Energy-momentum and angular momentum of Goedel universes

We discuss the Einstein energy-momentum complex and the Bergmann-Thomson angular momentum complex in general relativity and calculate them for space-time homogeneous Goedel universes. The calculations are performed for a dust acausal model and for a scalar-field causal model. It is shown that the Einstein pseudotensor is traceless, not symmetric, the gravitational energy is "density" is negative and the gravitational Poynting vector vanishes. Significantly, the total (gravitational and matter) energy "density" fro the acausal model is zero while for the casual model it is negative.The Bergmann-Thomson angular momentum complex does not vanish for both G\"odel models.Comment: an amended version, 24 pages, accepted to PR

Geometric phase in the Kitaev honeycomb model and scaling behavior at critical points

In this paper a geometric phase of the Kitaev honeycomb model is derived and proposed to characterize the topological quantum phase transition. The simultaneous rotation of two spins is crucial to generate the geometric phase for the multi-spin in a unit-cell unlike the one-spin case. It is found that the ground-state geometric phase, which is non-analytic at the critical points, possesses zigzagging behavior in the gapless $B$ phase of non-Abelian anyon excitations, but is a smooth function in the gapped $A$ phase. Furthermore, the finite-size scaling behavior of the non-analytic geometric phase along with its first- and second-order partial derivatives in the vicinity of critical points is shown to exhibit the universality. The divergent second-order derivative of geometric phase in the thermodynamic limit indicates the typical second-order phase transition and thus the topological quantum phase transition can be well described in terms of the geometric-phase.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure

Measurement of the polarisation of W bosons produced with large transverse momentum in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment

This paper describes an analysis of the angular distribution of W->enu and W->munu decays, using data from pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2010, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 35 pb^-1. Using the decay lepton transverse momentum and the missing transverse energy, the W decay angular distribution projected onto the transverse plane is obtained and analysed in terms of helicity fractions f0, fL and fR over two ranges of W transverse momentum (ptw): 35 < ptw < 50 GeV and ptw > 50 GeV. Good agreement is found with theoretical predictions. For ptw > 50 GeV, the values of f0 and fL-fR, averaged over charge and lepton flavour, are measured to be : f0 = 0.127 +/- 0.030 +/- 0.108 and fL-fR = 0.252 +/- 0.017 +/- 0.030, where the first uncertainties are statistical, and the second include all systematic effects.Comment: 19 pages plus author list (34 pages total), 9 figures, 11 tables, revised author list, matches European Journal of Physics C versio

Observation of a new chi_b state in radiative transitions to Upsilon(1S) and Upsilon(2S) at ATLAS

The chi_b(nP) quarkonium states are produced in proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.4 fb^-1, these states are reconstructed through their radiative decays to Upsilon(1S,2S) with Upsilon->mu+mu-. In addition to the mass peaks corresponding to the decay modes chi_b(1P,2P)->Upsilon(1S)gamma, a new structure centered at a mass of 10.530+/-0.005 (stat.)+/-0.009 (syst.) GeV is also observed, in both the Upsilon(1S)gamma and Upsilon(2S)gamma decay modes. This is interpreted as the chi_b(3P) system.Comment: 5 pages plus author list (18 pages total), 2 figures, 1 table, corrected author list, matches final version in Physical Review Letter