Temperature surges in current-limiting circuit devices.

This paper studies the problem of heat transfer in a thermistor, which is used as a switching device in electronic circuits. The temperature field is coupled to the current flow by ohmic heating in the device, and the problem is rendered highly nonlinear by a very rapid variation of electrical conductivity with temperature. Approximate methods based on high activation energy asymptotics are developed to describe the transient heat flow, which occurs when the circuit is switched on. In particular, it is found that a transient 'surge' phenomenon (akin to thermal runaway, but self-saturating) occurs, and we conjecture that this phenomenon may be associated with cracking of thermistors, which sometimes occurs during operation

Topological code Autotune

Many quantum systems are being investigated in the hope of building a large-scale quantum computer. All of these systems suffer from decoherence, resulting in errors during the execution of quantum gates. Quantum error correction enables reliable quantum computation given unreliable hardware. Unoptimized topological quantum error correction (TQEC), while still effective, performs very suboptimally, especially at low error rates. Hand optimizing the classical processing associated with a TQEC scheme for a specific system to achieve better error tolerance can be extremely laborious. We describe a tool Autotune capable of performing this optimization automatically, and give two highly distinct examples of its use and extreme outperformance of unoptimized TQEC. Autotune is designed to facilitate the precise study of real hardware running TQEC with every quantum gate having a realistic, physics-based error model.Comment: 13 pages, 17 figures, version accepted for publicatio

Nucleosynthesis in the early history of the solar system

Nucleosynthesis in early history of solar syste

Quantum computing with nearest neighbor interactions and error rates over 1%

Large-scale quantum computation will only be achieved if experimentally implementable quantum error correction procedures are devised that can tolerate experimentally achievable error rates. We describe a quantum error correction procedure that requires only a 2-D square lattice of qubits that can interact with their nearest neighbors, yet can tolerate quantum gate error rates over 1%. The precise maximum tolerable error rate depends on the error model, and we calculate values in the range 1.1--1.4% for various physically reasonable models. Even the lowest value represents the highest threshold error rate calculated to date in a geometrically constrained setting, and a 50% improvement over the previous record.Comment: 4 pages, 8 figure

On the Nature of Precursors in the Radio Pulsar Profiles

In the average profiles of several radio pulsars, the main pulse is accompanied by the preceding component. This so called precursor is known for its distinctive polarization, spectral, and fluctuation properties. Recent single-pulse observations hint that the sporadic activity at the extreme leading edge of the pulse may be prevalent in pulsars. We for the first time propose a physical mechanism of this phenomenon. It is based on the induced scattering of the main pulse radiation into the background. We show that the scattered component is directed approximately along the ambient magnetic field and, because of rotational aberration in the scattering region, appears in the pulse profile as a precursor to the main pulse. Our model naturally explains high linear polarization of the precursor emission, its spectral and fluctuation peculiarities as well as suggests a specific connection between the precursor and the main pulse at widely spaced frequencies. This is believed to stimulate multifrequency single-pulse studies of intensity modulation in different pulsars.Comment: 5 pages, no figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS Letter

Experimental characterization of deployable trusses and joints

The structural dynamic properties of trusses are strongly affected by the characteristics of joints connecting the individual beam elements. Joints are particularly significant in that they are often the source of nonlinearities and energy dissipation. While the joints themselves may be physically simple, direct measurement is often necessary to obtain a mathematical description suitable for inclusion in a system model. Force state mapping is a flexible, practical test method for obtaining such a description, particularly when significant nonlinear effects are present. It involves measurement of the relationship, nonlinear or linear, between force transmitted through a joint and the relative displacement and velocity across it. An apparatus and procedure for force state mapping are described. Results are presented from tests of joints used in a lightweight, composite, deployable truss built by the Boeing Aerospace Company. The results from the joint tests are used to develop a model of a full 4-bay truss segment. The truss segment was statically and dynamically tested. The results of the truss tests are presented and compared with the analytical predictions from the model

Global control and fast solid-state donor electron spin quantum computing

We propose a scheme for quantum information processing based on donor electron spins in semiconductors, with an architecture complementary to the original Kane proposal. We show that a naive implementation of electron spin qubits provides only modest improvement over the Kane scheme, however through the introduction of global gate control we are able to take full advantage of the fast electron evolution timescales. We estimate that the latent clock speed is 100-1000 times that of the nuclear spin quantum computer with the ratio $T_{2}/T_{ops}$ approaching the $10^{6}$ level.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figure