3,541 research outputs found
Quantum Mechanics helps in searching for a needle in a haystack
Quantum mechanics can speed up a range of search applications over unsorted
data. For example imagine a phone directory containing N names arranged in
completely random order. To find someone's phone number with a probability of
50%, any classical algorithm (whether deterministic or probabilistic) will need
to access the database a minimum of O(N) times. Quantum mechanical systems can
be in a superposition of states and simultaneously examine multiple names. By
properly adjusting the phases of various operations, successful computations
reinforce each other while others interfere randomly. As a result, the desired
phone number can be obtained in only O(sqrt(N)) accesses to the database.Comment: Postscript, 4 pages. This is a modified version of the STOC paper
(quant-ph/9605043) and is modified to make it more comprehensible to
physicists. It appeared in Phys. Rev. Letters on July 14, 1997. (This paper
was originally put out on quant-ph on June 13, 1997, the present version has
some minor typographical changes
Shuttle Operations Era Planning for Flight Operations
The Space Transportation System (STS) provides routine access to space for a wide range of customers in which cargos vary from single payloads on dedicated flights to multiple payloads that share Shuttle resources. This paper describes the flight operations planning process from payload introduction through flight assignment to execution of the payload objectives and the changes that have been introduced to improve that process. Particular attention is given to the factors that influence the amount of preflight preparation necessary to satisfy customer requirements. The partnership between the STS operations team and the customer is described in terms of their functions and responsibilities in the development of a flight plan. A description of the Mission Control Center (MCC) and payload support capabilities completes the overview of Shuttle flight operations
The Kinematics of the Ionized and Molecular Hydrogen in the Starburst Galaxy NGC 253
Near-infrared H_2 1-0 S(1) and Br_gamma velocity curves along the major axis
of NGC 253 have revealed a central velocity gradient that is seven times
steeper than that shown by the optical velocity curve. This is interpreted as
an optical depth effect due to dust. Approximately 35 mag of visual extinction
in the center is required to match the SW side of the optical velocity curve.
The spatial variation of the ratio of these lines to the CO (J=1-0) line is
compared among starburst galaxies NGC 253, M82, and NGC 4945 to investigate the
excitation mechanism responsible for the H_2 1-0 S(1) line.Comment: Uuencoded postscript file, 10 pages (4 tables included), 8 figures
available on request to [email protected], Ap.J. (in press
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Observations of the J = 2→1 transitions of <sup>12</sup>C<sup>16</sup>O and <sup>12</sup>C<sup>18</sup>O towards galactic H II regions
Observations are reported of the J = 2→1 transitions of CO and 12C18O at 230 and 219 GHz respectively from a number of galactic sources. A map of the central 1/2° × 1/2° of the Orion A molecular cloud is presented. The spectra are interpreted to derive molecular densities and abundance ratios in the molecular clouds observed
Efficient Scheme for Initializing a Quantum Register with an Arbitrary Superposed State
Preparation of a quantum register is an important step in quantum computation
and quantum information processing. It is straightforward to build a simple
quantum state such as |i_1 i_2 ... i_n\ket with being either 0 or 1,
but is a non-trivial task to construct an {\it arbitrary} superposed quantum
state. In this Paper, we present a scheme that can most generally initialize a
quantum register with an arbitrary superposition of basis states.
Implementation of this scheme requires standard 1- and 2-bit gate
operations, {\it without introducing additional quantum bits}. Application of
the scheme in some special cases is discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev.
Application of Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) Differenced One-Way Doppler (DOWD) Tracking Data for Orbit Determination and Station Acquisition Support of User Spacecraft Without TDRS Compatible Transponders
Many spacecraft are launched today with only an omni-directional (omni) antenna and do not have an onboard Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) transponder that is capable of coherently returning a carrier signal through TDRS. Therefore, other means of tracking need to be explored and used to adequately acquire the spacecraft. Differenced One-Way Doppler (DOWD) tracking data are very useful in eliminating the problems associated with the instability of the onboard oscillators when using strictly one-way Doppler data. This paper investigates the TDRS DOWD tracking data received by the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Flight Dynamics Facility (FDF) during the launch and early orbit phases for the the Interplanetary Physics Laboratory (WIND) and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-J missions. In particular FDF personnel performed an investigation of the data residuals and made an assessment of the acquisition capabilities of DOWD-based solutions. Comparisons of DOWD solutions with existing data types were performed and analyzed in this study. The evaluation also includes atmospheric editing of the DOWD data and a study of the feasibility of solving for Doppler biases in an attempt to minimize error. Furthermore, by comparing the results from WIND and NOAA-J, an attempt is made to show the limitations involved in using DOWD data for the two different mission profiles. The techniques discussed in this paper benefit the launches of spacecraft that do not have TDRS transponders on board, particularly those launched into a low Earth orbit. The use of DOWD data is a valuable asset to missions which do not have a stable local oscillator to enable high-quality solutions from the one-way/return-link Doppler tracking data
Quantum Computing of Classical Chaos: Smile of the Arnold-Schrodinger Cat
We show on the example of the Arnold cat map that classical chaotic systems
can be simulated with exponential efficiency on a quantum computer. Although
classical computer errors grow exponentially with time, the quantum algorithm
with moderate imperfections is able to simulate accurately the unstable chaotic
classical dynamics for long times. The algorithm can be easily implemented on
systems of a few qubits.Comment: revtex, 4 pages, 4 figure
SAGA: A project to automate the management of software production systems
The project to automate the management of software production systems is described. The SAGA system is a software environment that is designed to support most of the software development activities that occur in a software lifecycle. The system can be configured to support specific software development applications using given programming languages, tools, and methodologies. Meta-tools are provided to ease configuration. Several major components of the SAGA system are completed to prototype form. The construction methods are described
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