19,470 research outputs found
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
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
Optimal Eavesdropping in Quantum Cryptography. II. Quantum Circuit
It is shown that the optimum strategy of the eavesdropper, as described in
the preceding paper, can be expressed in terms of a quantum circuit in a way
which makes it obvious why certain parameters take on particular values, and
why obtaining information in one basis gives rise to noise in the conjugate
basis.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, Latex, the second part of quant-ph/970103
Introduction to Arithmetic Mirror Symmetry
We describe how to find period integrals and Picard-Fuchs differential
equations for certain one-parameter families of Calabi-Yau manifolds. These
families can be seen as varieties over a finite field, in which case we show in
an explicit example that the number of points of a generic element can be given
in terms of p-adic period integrals. We also discuss several approaches to
finding zeta functions of mirror manifolds and their factorizations. These
notes are based on lectures given at the Fields Institute during the thematic
program on Calabi-Yau Varieties: Arithmetic, Geometry, and Physics
Radiation generated by accelerating and rotating charged black holes in (anti-)de Sitter space
Asymptotic behaviour of gravitational and electromagnetic fields of exact
type D solutions from the large Plebanski-Demianski family of black hole
spacetimes is analyzed. The amplitude and directional structure of radiation is
evaluated in cases when the cosmological constant is non-vanishing, so that the
conformal infinities have either de Sitter-like or anti-de Sitter-like
character. In particular, explicit relations between the parameters that
characterize the sources (that is their mass, electric and magnetic charges,
NUT parameter, rotational parameter, and acceleration) and properties of the
radiation generated by them are presented. The results further elucidate the
physical interpretation of these solutions and may help to understand radiative
characteristics of more general spacetimes than those that are asymptotically
flat.Comment: 24 pages, 18 figures. To appear in Classical and Quantum Gravit
Consistent Resolution of Some Relativistic Quantum Paradoxes
A relativistic version of the (consistent or decoherent) histories approach
to quantum theory is developed on the basis of earlier work by Hartle, and used
to discuss relativistic forms of the paradoxes of spherical wave packet
collapse, Bohm's formulation of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen, and Hardy's paradox.
It is argued that wave function collapse is not needed for introducing
probabilities into relativistic quantum mechanics, and in any case should never
be thought of as a physical process. Alternative approaches to stochastic time
dependence can be used to construct a physical picture of the measurement
process that is less misleading than collapse models. In particular, one can
employ a coarse-grained but fully quantum mechanical description in which
particles move along trajectories, with behavior under Lorentz transformations
the same as in classical relativistic physics, and detectors are triggered by
particles reaching them along such trajectories. States entangled between
spacelike separate regions are also legitimate quantum descriptions, and can be
consistently handled by the formalism presented here. The paradoxes in question
arise because of using modes of reasoning which, while correct for classical
physics, are inconsistent with the mathematical structure of quantum theory,
and are resolved (or tamed) by using a proper quantum analysis. In particular,
there is no need to invoke, nor any evidence for, mysterious long-range
superluminal influences, and thus no incompatibility, at least from this
source, between relativity theory and quantum mechanics.Comment: Latex 42 pages, 7 figures in text using PSTrick
Gambling in Great Britain:a response to Rogers
A recent issue of Practice: Social Work in Action featured a paper by Rogers that examined whether the issue of problem gambling was a suitable case for social work. Rogers’ overview was (in various places) out of date, highly selective, contradictory, presented unsupported claims and somewhat misleading. Rogers’ paper is to be commended for putting the issue of problem gambling on the social work agenda. However, social workers need up-to-date information and contextually situated information if they are to make informed decisions in helping problem gamblers
Weak Lensing Determination of the Mass in Galaxy Halos
We detect the weak gravitational lensing distortion of 450,000 background
galaxies (20<R<23) by 790 foreground galaxies (R<18) selected from the Las
Campanas Redshift Survey (LCRS). This is the first detection of weak lensing by
field galaxies of known redshift, and as such permits us to reconstruct the
shear profile of the typical field galaxy halo in absolute physical units
(modulo H_0), and to investigate the dependence of halo mass upon galaxy
luminosity. This is also the first galaxy-galaxy lensing study for which the
calibration errors are negligible. Within a projected radius of 200 \hkpc, the
shear profile is consistent with an isothermal profile with circular velocity
164+-20 km/s for an L* galaxy, consistent with typical disk rotation at this
luminosity. This halo mass normalization, combined with the halo profile
derived by Fischer et al (2000) from lensing analysis SDSS data, places a lower
limit of (2.7+-0.6) x 10^{12}h^{-1} solar masses on the mass of an L* galaxy
halo, in good agreement with satellite galaxy studies. Given the known
luminosity function of LCRS galaxies, and the assumption that for galaxies, we determine that the mass within 260\hkpc of normal
galaxies contributes to the density of the Universe (for
) or for . These lensing data suggest
that (95% CL), only marginally in agreement with the usual
Faber-Jackson or Tully-Fisher scaling. This is the most
complete direct inventory of the matter content of the Universe to date.Comment: 18 pages, incl. 3 figures. Submitted to ApJ 6/7/00, still no response
from the referee after four months
Inequalities for the Local Energy of Random Ising Models
We derive a rigorous lower bound on the average local energy for the Ising
model with quenched randomness. The result is that the lower bound is given by
the average local energy calculated in the absence of all interactions other
than the one under consideration. The only condition for this statement to hold
is that the distribution function of the random interaction under consideration
is symmetric. All other interactions can be arbitrarily distributed including
non-random cases. A non-trivial fact is that any introduction of other
interactions to the isolated case always leads to an increase of the average
local energy, which is opposite to ferromagnetic systems where the Griffiths
inequality holds. Another inequality is proved for asymmetrically distributed
interactions. The probability for the thermal average of the local energy to be
lower than that for the isolated case takes a maximum value on the Nishimori
line as a function of the temperature. In this sense the system is most stable
on the Nishimori line.Comment: 10 pages. Submitted to J. Phys. Soc. Jp
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
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