Efficient quantum algorithms for simulating sparse Hamiltonians

We present an efficient quantum algorithm for simulating the evolution of a sparse Hamiltonian H for a given time t in terms of a procedure for computing the matrix entries of H. In particular, when H acts on n qubits, has at most a constant number of nonzero entries in each row/column, and |H| is bounded by a constant, we may select any positive integer $k$ such that the simulation requires O((\log^*n)t^{1+1/2k}) accesses to matrix entries of H. We show that the temporal scaling cannot be significantly improved beyond this, because sublinear time scaling is not possible.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, substantial revision

Controls on andesitic glaciovolcanism at ice-capped volcanoes from field and experimental studies

Glaciovolcanic deposits at Tongariro and Ruapehu volcanoes, New Zealand, represent diverse styles of interaction between wet-based glaciers and andesitic lava. There are ice-confined lavas, and also hydroclastic breccia and subaqueous pyroclastic deposits that formed during effusive and explosive eruptions into meltwater beneath the glacier; they are rare among globally reported products of andesitic glaciovolcanism. The apparent lack of hydrovolcanically fragmented andesite at ice-capped volcanoes has been attributed to a lack of meltwater at the interaction sites because either the thermal characteristics of andesite limit meltwater production or meltwater drains out through leaky glaciers and down steep volcano slopes. We used published field evidence and novel, dynamic andesite-ice experiments to show that, in some cases, meltwater accumulates under glaciers on andesitic volcanoes and that meltwater production rates increase as andesite pushes against an ice wall. We concur with models for eruptions beneath ice sheets showing that the glacial conditions and pre-eruption edifice morphology are more important controls on the style of glaciovolcanism and its products than magma composition and the thermal properties of magmas. Glaciovolcanic products can be useful proxies for paleoenvironment, and the range of andesitic products and the hydrological environments in which andesite erupts are greater than hitherto appreciated

Evaluating the Efficacy of BREEAM Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH): A Cross-sectional Study

AbstractThere is now a substantial body of evidence suggesting that climate change is occurring as a result of human activities. Bottom-up approaches have been encouraged to enhance sustainability agenda. Assessment methods have been developed to ensure an incessant decrease in carbon footprint of buildings. It has long been discussed that many of such assessment methods systematically lack dedicated criteria to assess building beyond its physical boundaries. This paper focuses on Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) and attempts to map it against LEED and CASBEE with an aim to encourage assessment beyond physical boundaries of a building and into its immediate context and surrounding environment. A critical review of the latest literature was conducted to establish the general concepts and principles behind the CSH's method of assessment in comparison with CASBEE and LEED. Following this, differences, positive and negative aspects of the three assessment method were established through in-depth review of their official documents and by cross-referencing the different components, methodologies and assessment criteria of each. This led to a comparative analysis using a critical evaluation of findings of The Building Environmental Quality Evaluation for Sustainability through Time (BEQUEST), The European Sustainable Development Strategy (ESDS) and The Freiburg Charter (FC). Expert interviews were conducted to consolidate the findings of this study. This added technical in-depth expert opinions to the preliminary findings of this research and helped pave the way for providing practical suggestions for possible areas of improvement for the CSH

High-p_T pion and kaon production in relativistic nuclear collisions

High-p_T pion and kaon production is studied in relativistic proton-proton, proton-nucleus, and nucleus-nucleus collisions in a wide energy range. Cross sections are calculated based on perturbative QCD, augmented by a phenomenological transverse momentum distribution of partons (``intrinsic k_T''). An energy dependent width of the transverse momentum distribution is extracted from pion and charged hadron production data in proton-proton/proton-antiproton collisions. Effects of multiscattering and shadowing in the strongly interacting medium are taken into account. Enhancement of the transverse momentum width is introduced and parameterized to explain the Cronin effect. In collisions between heavy nuclei, the model over-predicts central pion production cross sections (more significantly at higher energies), hinting at the presence of jet quenching. Predictions are made for proton-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions at RHIC energies.Comment: 26 pages in Latex, 19 EPS figure

Effect of halo modelling on WIMP exclusion limits

WIMP direct detection experiments are just reaching the sensitivity required to detect galactic dark matter in the form of neutralinos. Data from these experiments are usually analysed under the simplifying assumption that the Milky Way halo is an isothermal sphere with maxwellian velocity distribution. Observations and numerical simulations indicate that galaxy halos are in fact triaxial and anisotropic. Furthermore, in the cold dark matter paradigm galactic halos form via the merger of smaller subhalos, and at least some residual substructure survives. We examine the effect of halo modelling on WIMP exclusion limits, taking into account the detector response. Triaxial and anisotropic halo models, with parameters motivated by observations and numerical simulations, lead to significant changes which are different for different experiments, while if the local WIMP distribution is dominated by small scale clumps then the exclusion limits are changed dramatically.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, version to appear in Phys. Rev. D, minor change

Stability analysis of agegraphic dark energy in Brans-Dicke cosmology

Stability analysis of agegraphic dark energy in Brans-Dicke theory is presented in this paper. We constrain the model parameters with the observational data and thus the results become broadly consistent with those expected from experiment. Stability analysis of the model without best fitting shows that universe may begin from an unstable state passing a saddle point and finally become stable in future. However, with the best fitted model, There is no saddle intermediate state. The agegraphic dark energy in the model by itself exhibits a phantom behavior. However, contribution of cold dark matter on the effective energy density modifies the state of teh universe from phantom phase to quintessence one. The statefinder diagnosis also indicates that the universe leaves an unstable state in the past, passes the LCDM state and finally approaches the sable state in future.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figure

DT/T beyond linear theory

The major contribution to the anisotropy of the temperature of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation is believed to come from the interaction of linear density perturbations with the radiation previous to the decoupling time. Assuming a standard thermal history for the gas after recombination, only the gravitational field produced by the linear density perturbations present on a $\Omega\neq 1$ universe can generate anisotropies at low z (these anisotropies would manifest on large angular scales). However, secondary anisotropies are inevitably produced during the nonlinear evolution of matter at late times even in a universe with a standard thermal history. Two effects associated to this nonlinear phase can give rise to new anisotropies: the time-varying gravitational potential of nonlinear structures (Rees-Sciama RS effect) and the inverse Compton scattering of the microwave photons with hot electrons in clusters of galaxies (Sunyaev-Zeldovich SZ effect). These two effects can produce distinct imprints on the CMB temperature anisotropy. We discuss the amplitude of the anisotropies expected and the relevant angular scales in different cosmological scenarios. Future sensitive experiments will be able to probe the CMB anisotropies beyong the first order primary contribution.Comment: plain tex, 16 pages, 3 figures. Proceedings of the Laredo Advance School on Astrophysics "The universe at high-z, large-scale structure and the cosmic microwave background". To be publised by Springer-Verla

Measurement of the nuclear multiplicity ratio for Ks0K^0_s hadronization at CLAS

The influence of cold nuclear matter on lepto-production of hadrons in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering is measured using the CLAS detector in Hall B at Jefferson Lab and a 5.014 GeV electron beam. We report the $K_s^0$ multiplicity ratios for targets of C, Fe, and Pb relative to deuterium as a function of the fractional virtual photon energy $z$ transferred to the $K_s^0$ and the transverse momentum squared $p_{T}^2$ of the $K_s^0$. We find that the multiplicity ratios for $K^0_s$ are reduced in the nuclear medium at high $z$ and low $p_{T}^2$, with a trend for the $K^0_s$ transverse momentum to be broadened in the nucleus for large $p_{T}^2$.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Lett.

Demonstration of a novel technique to measure two-photon exchange effects in elastic e±pe^\pm p scattering

The discrepancy between proton electromagnetic form factors extracted using unpolarized and polarized scattering data is believed to be a consequence of two-photon exchange (TPE) effects. However, the calculations of TPE corrections have significant model dependence, and there is limited direct experimental evidence for such corrections. We present the results of a new experimental technique for making direct $e^\pm p$ comparisons, which has the potential to make precise measurements over a broad range in $Q^2$ and scattering angles. We use the Jefferson Lab electron beam and the Hall B photon tagger to generate a clean but untagged photon beam. The photon beam impinges on a converter foil to generate a mixed beam of electrons, positrons, and photons. A chicane is used to separate and recombine the electron and positron beams while the photon beam is stopped by a photon blocker. This provides a combined electron and positron beam, with energies from 0.5 to 3.2 GeV, which impinges on a liquid hydrogen target. The large acceptance CLAS detector is used to identify and reconstruct elastic scattering events, determining both the initial lepton energy and the sign of the scattered lepton. The data were collected in two days with a primary electron beam energy of only 3.3 GeV, limiting the data from this run to smaller values of $Q^2$ and scattering angle. Nonetheless, this measurement yields a data sample for $e^\pm p$ with statistics comparable to those of the best previous measurements. We have shown that we can cleanly identify elastic scattering events and correct for the difference in acceptance for electron and positron scattering. The final ratio of positron to electron scattering: $R=1.027\pm0.005\pm0.05$ for $=0.206$ GeV$^2$ and $0.830\leq \epsilon\leq 0.943$