The effect of reionization on the COBE normalization

We point out that the effect of reionization on the microwave anisotropy power spectrum is not necessarily negligible on the scales probed by COBE. It can lead to an upward shift of the COBE normalization by more than the one-sigma error quoted ignoring reionization. We provide a fitting function to incorporate reionization into the normalization of the matter power spectrum.Comment: 3 pages LaTeX file with three figures incorporated (uses mn.sty and epsf

Quantum Locality?

Robert Griffiths has recently addressed, within the framework of a 'consistent quantum theory' that he has developed, the issue of whether, as is often claimed, quantum mechanics entails a need for faster-than-light transfers of information over long distances. He argues that the putative proofs of this property that involve hidden variables include in their premises some essentially classical-physics-type assumptions that are fundamentally incompatible with the precepts of quantum physics. One cannot logically prove properties of a system by establishing, instead, properties of a system modified by adding properties alien to the original system. Hence Griffiths' rejection of hidden-variable-based proofs is logically warranted. Griffiths mentions the existence of a certain alternative proof that does not involve hidden variables, and that uses only macroscopically described observable properties. He notes that he had examined in his book proofs of this general kind, and concluded that they provide no evidence for nonlocal influences. But he did not examine the particular proof that he cites. An examination of that particular proof by the method specified by his 'consistent quantum theory' shows that the cited proof is valid within that restrictive version of quantum theory. An added section responds to Griffiths' reply, which cites general possibilities of ambiguities that make what is to be proved ill-defined, and hence render the pertinent 'consistent framework' ill defined. But the vagaries that he cites do not upset the proof in question, which, both by its physical formulation and by explicit identification, specify the framework to be used. Griffiths confirms the validity of the proof insofar as that framework is used. The section also shows, in response to Griffiths' challenge, why a putative proof of locality that he has described is flawed.Comment: This version adds a response to Griffiths' reply to my original. It notes that Griffiths confirms the validity of my argument if one uses the framework that I use. Griffiths' objection that other frameworks exist is not germaine, because I use the unique one that satisfies the explicitly stated conditions that the choices be macroscopic choices of experiments and outcomes in a specified orde

Cosmic Gravitational Shear from the HST Medium Deep Survey

We present a measurement of cosmic shear on scales ranging from 10\arcsec to 2\arcmin in 347 WFPC2 images of random fields. Our result is based on shapes measured via image fitting and on a simple statistical technique; careful calibration of each step allows us to quantify our systematic uncertainties and to measure the cosmic shear down to very small angular scales. The WFPC2 images provide a robust measurement of the cosmic shear signal decreasing from $5.2$ at 10\arcsec to $2.2$ at 130\arcsec .Comment: 4 pages 2 Postscript figures, uses emulateapj.cls Astrophysical Journal Letters, December 1, 200

Reflection above the barrier as tunneling in momentum space

Quantum mechanics predicts an exponentially small probability that a particle with energy greater than the height of a potential barrier will nevertheless reflect from the barrier in violation of classical expectations. This process can be regarded as tunneling in momentum space, leading to a simple derivation of the reflection probability.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, submitted to American Journal of Physics. Version 2: MIT preprint number added, typographical error in caption to Figure 2 correcte

Cosmic microwave background constraints on the epoch of reionization

We use a compilation of cosmic microwave anisotropy data to constrain the epoch of reionization in the Universe, as a function of cosmological parameters. We consider spatially-flat cosmologies, varying the matter density $\Omega_0$ (the flatness being restored by a cosmological constant), the Hubble parameter $h$ and the spectral index $n$ of the primordial power spectrum. Our results are quoted both in terms of the maximum permitted optical depth to the last-scattering surface, and in terms of the highest allowed reionization redshift assuming instantaneous reionization. For critical-density models, significantly-tilted power spectra are excluded as they cannot fit the current data for any amount of reionization, and even scale-invariant models must have an optical depth to last scattering of below 0.3. For the currently-favoured low-density model with $\Omega_0 = 0.3$ and a cosmological constant, the earliest reionization permitted to occur is at around redshift 35, which roughly coincides with the highest estimate in the literature. We provide general fitting functions for the maximum permitted optical depth, as a function of cosmological parameters. We do not consider the inclusion of tensor perturbations, but if present they would strengthen the upper limits we quote.Comment: 9 pages LaTeX file with ten figures incorporated (uses mn.sty and epsf). Corrects some equation typos, superseding published versio

Consistent Quantum Counterfactuals

An analysis using classical stochastic processes is used to construct a consistent system of quantum counterfactual reasoning. When applied to a counterfactual version of Hardy's paradox, it shows that the probabilistic character of quantum reasoning together with the ``one framework'' rule prevents a logical contradiction, and there is no evidence for any mysterious nonlocal influences. Counterfactual reasoning can support a realistic interpretation of standard quantum theory (measurements reveal what is actually there) under appropriate circumstances.Comment: Minor modifications to make it agree with published version. Latex 8 pages, 2 figure

Surface spin-flop phases and bulk discommensurations in antiferromagnets

Phase diagrams as a function of anisotropy D and magnetic field H are obtained for discommensurations and surface states for a model antiferromagnet in which $H$ is parallel to the easy axis. The surface spin-flop phase exists for all $D$. We show that there is a region where the penetration length of the surface spin-flop phase diverges. Introducing a discommensuration of even length then becomes preferable to reconstructing the surface. The results are used to clarify and correct previous studies in which discommensurations have been confused with genuine surface spin-flop states.Comment: 4 pages, RevTeX, 2 Postscript figure

Complex X-ray spectral variability in Mkn 421 observed with XMM-Newton

The bright blazar Mkn 421 has been observed four times for uninterrupted durations of ~ 9 - 13 hr during the performance verification and calibration phases of the XMM-Newton mission. The source was strongly variable in all epochs, with variability amplitudes that generally increased to higher energy bands. Although the detailed relationship between soft (0.1 - 0.75 keV) and hard (2 - 10 keV) band differed from one epoch to the next, in no case was there any evidence for a measurable interband lag, with robust upper limits of $| \tau | < 0.08$ hr in the best-correlated light curves. This is in conflict with previous claims of both hard and soft lags of ~1 hr in this and other blazars. However, previous observations suffered a repeated 1.6 hr feature induced by the low-Earth orbital period, a feature that is not present in the uninterrupted XMM-Newton data. The new upper limit on $|\tau|$ leads to a lower limit on the magnetic field strength and Doppler factor of B \delta^{1/3} \gs 4.7 G, mildly out of line with the predictions from a variety of homogeneous synchrotron self-Compton emission models in the literature of $B \delta^{1/3} = 0.2 - 0.8$ G. Time-dependent spectral fitting was performed on all epochs, and no detectable spectral hysteresis was seen. We note however that the source exhibited significantly different spectral evolutionary behavior from one epoch to the next, with the strongest correlations in the first and last and an actual divergance between soft and hard X-ray bands in the third. This indicates that the range of spectral variability behavior in Mkn 421 is not fully described in these short snippets; significantly longer uninterrupted light curves are required, and can be obtained with XMM-Newton.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures, accepted for ApJ, scheduled for August 1, 200

Types of quantum information

Quantum, in contrast to classical, information theory, allows for different incompatible types (or species) of information which cannot be combined with each other. Distinguishing these incompatible types is useful in understanding the role of the two classical bits in teleportation (or one bit in one-bit teleportation), for discussing decoherence in information-theoretic terms, and for giving a proper definition, in quantum terms, of ``classical information.'' Various examples (some updating earlier work) are given of theorems which relate different incompatible kinds of information, and thus have no counterparts in classical information theory.Comment: Minor changes so as to agree with published versio