3,370 research outputs found
Optimal unambiguous discrimination of two subspaces as a case in mixed state discrimination
We show how to optimally unambiguously discriminate between two subspaces of
a Hilbert space. In particular we suppose that we are given a quantum system in
either the state \psi_{1}, where \psi_{1} can be any state in the subspace
S_{1}, or \psi_{2}, where \psi_{2} can be any state in the subspace S_{2}, and
our task is to determine in which of the subspaces the state of our quantum
system lies. We do not want to make a mistake, which means that our procedure
will sometimes fail if the subspaces are not orthogonal. This is a special case
of the unambiguous discrimination of mixed states. We present the POVM that
solves this problem and several applications of this procedure, including the
discrimination of multipartite states without classical communication.Comment: 8 pages, replaced with published versio
Chandra Detects a Rapid Flare in the Gravitationally Lensed Mini-BALQSO RX J0911.4+0551
The mini Broad Absorption Line (BAL) quasar RX J0911.4+0551 was observed with
the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) of the Chandra X-ray Observatory
for ~ 29 ks as part of a gravitational lens (GL) survey aimed at measuring
time-delays. Timing analysis of the light-curve of the lensed image A2 shows a
rapid flux variation with a duration of about 2000s. A Kolmogorov-Smirnov test
shows that the probability that a constant-intensity source would produce the
observed variability is less than ~ 0.2 percent. We discuss possible origins
for the observed short-term X-ray variability. Our gravitational lens models
for the RX J0911.4+0551 GL system predict a time-delay of less than a day
between images A1 and A2. The rapid variability combined with the predicted
short-time delay make RX J0911.4+0551 an ideal system to apply the GL method
for estimating the Hubble constant. We describe the prospects of measuring H_0
within single X-ray observations of GL systems with relatively short time
delays. Modeling of the spectrum of the mini-BAL quasar RX J0911.4+0551
suggests the presence of an intrinsic absorber. Partial covering models are
slightly preferred over models that contain absorption due to intrinsic ionized
or neutral gas.Comment: 17 pages, includes 5 figures, Accepted for publication in Ap
Surface morphology and magnetic anisotropy in (Ga,Mn)As
Atomic Force Microscopy and Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction measurements
have revealed the presence of ripples aligned along the direction
on the surface of (Ga,Mn)As layers grown on GaAs(001) substrates and buffer
layers, with periodicity of about 50 nm in all samples that have been studied.
These samples show the strong symmetry breaking uniaxial magnetic anisotropy
normally observed in such materials. We observe a clear correlation between the
amplitude of the surface ripples and the strength of the uniaxial magnetic
anisotropy component suggesting that these ripples might be the source of such
anisotropy.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. Replaced with published versio
An upper limit on the contribution of accreting white dwarfs to the type Ia supernova rate
There is wide agreement that Type Ia supernovae (used as standard candles for
cosmology) are associated with the thermonuclear explosions of white dwarf
stars. The nuclear runaway that leads to the explosion could start in a white
dwarf gradually accumulating matter from a companion star until it reaches the
Chandrasekhar limit, or could be triggered by the merger of two white dwarfs in
a compact binary system. The X-ray signatures of these two possible paths are
very different. Whereas no strong electromagnetic emission is expected in the
merger scenario until shortly before the supernova, the white dwarf accreting
material from the normal star becomes a source of copious X-rays for ~1e7 yr
before the explosion. This offers a means of determining which path dominates.
Here we report that the observed X-ray flux from six nearby elliptical galaxies
and galaxy bulges is a factor of ~30-50 less than predicted in the accretion
scenario, based upon an estimate of the supernova rate from their K-band
luminosities. We conclude that no more than ~5 per cent of Type Ia supernovae
in early type galaxies can be produced by white dwarfs in accreting binary
systems, unless their progenitors are much younger than the bulk of the stellar
population in these galaxies, or explosions of sub-Chandrasekhar white dwarfs
make a significant contribution to the supernova rate.Comment: 10 pages, 1 tabl
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Contributions to the Lattice Parameter of GaMnAs
We report on measurements of the crystal structure and hole density in a
series of as-grown and annealed GaMnAs samples. The measured hole densities are
used to obtain the fraction of incorporated Mn atoms occupying interstitial and
substitutional sites. This allows us to make a direct comparison of the
measured lattice parameters with recent density functional theory (DFT)
predictions. We find that the decrease in lattice constant observed on
annealing is smaller than that predicted due to the out diffusion of
interstitial Mn during annealing. The measured lattice parameters after
annealing are still significantly larger than that of GaAs even in samples with
very low compensation. This indicates that the intrinsic lattice parameter of
GaMnAs is significantly larger than that of GaAs, in contradiction to the DFT
prediction.Comment: To appear in Appl. Phys. Lett.,13 pages,3 figures and 1 tabl
Imaging the evolution of an ultracold strontium Rydberg gas
Clouds of ultracold strontium 5s48s1S0 or 5s47d1D2 Rydberg atoms are created by two-photon excitation of laser-cooled 5s21S0 atoms. The spontaneous evolution of the cloud of low orbital angular momentum (low-ℓ) Rydberg states towards an ultracold neutral plasma is observed by imaging resonant light scattered from core ions, a technique that provides both spatial and temporal resolution. Evolution is observed to be faster for the S states, which display isotropic attractive interactions, than for the D states, which exhibit anisotropic, principally repulsive interactions. Immersion of the atoms in a dilute ultracold neutral plasma speeds up the evolution and allows the number of Rydberg atoms initially created to be determined
Evaluating Systematic Dependencies of Type Ia Supernovae: The Influence of Deflagration to Detonation Density
We explore the effects of the deflagration to detonation transition (DDT)
density on the production of Ni-56 in thermonuclear supernova explosions (type
Ia supernovae). Within the DDT paradigm, the transition density sets the amount
of expansion during the deflagration phase of the explosion and therefore the
amount of nuclear statistical equilibrium (NSE) material produced. We employ a
theoretical framework for a well-controlled statistical study of
two-dimensional simulations of thermonuclear supernovae with randomized initial
conditions that can, with a particular choice of transition density, produce a
similar average and range of Ni-56 masses to those inferred from observations.
Within this framework, we utilize a more realistic "simmered" white dwarf
progenitor model with a flame model and energetics scheme to calculate the
amount of Ni-56 and NSE material synthesized for a suite of simulated
explosions in which the transition density is varied in the range 1-3x10^7
g/cc. We find a quadratic dependence of the NSE yield on the log of the
transition density, which is determined by the competition between plume rise
and stellar expansion. By considering the effect of metallicity on the
transition density, we find the NSE yield decreases by 0.055 +/- 0.004 solar
masses for a 1 solar metallicity increase evaluated about solar metallicity.
For the same change in metallicity, this result translates to a 0.067 +/- 0.004
solar mass decrease in the Ni-56 yield, slightly stronger than that due to the
variation in electron fraction from the initial composition. Observations
testing the dependence of the yield on metallicity remain somewhat ambiguous,
but the dependence we find is comparable to that inferred from some studies.Comment: 15 pages, 13 figures, accepted to ApJ on July 6, 201
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