Symmetric mixed states of nn qubits: local unitary stabilizers and entanglement classes

We classify, up to local unitary equivalence, local unitary stabilizer Lie algebras for symmetric mixed states into six classes. These include the stabilizer types of the Werner states, the GHZ state and its generalizations, and Dicke states. For all but the zero algebra, we classify entanglement types (local unitary equivalence classes) of symmetric mixed states that have those stabilizers. We make use of the identification of symmetric density matrices with polynomials in three variables with real coefficients and apply the representation theory of SO(3) on this space of polynomials.Comment: 10 pages, 1 table, title change and minor clarifications for published versio

Optimal measurements for relative quantum information

We provide optimal measurement schemes for estimating relative parameters of the quantum state of a pair of spin systems. We prove that the optimal measurements are joint measurements on the pair of systems, meaning that they cannot be achieved by local operations and classical communication. We also demonstrate that in the limit where one of the spins becomes macroscopic, our results reproduce those that are obtained by treating that spin as a classical reference direction.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, published versio

The use of paraphrasing in investigative interviews

Objective Young children’s descriptions of maltreatment are often sparse thus creating the need for techniques that elicit lengthier accounts. One technique that can be used by interviewers in an attempt to increase children’s reports is ‘paraphrasing’, or repeating information children have disclosed. Although we currently have a general understanding of how paraphrasing may influence children’s reports, we do not have a clear description of how paraphrasing is actually used in the field. Method The present study assessed the use of paraphrasing in 125 interviews of children aged 4 to 16 years conducted by police officers and social workers. All interviewer prompts were coded into four different categories of paraphrasing. All children’s reports were coded for the number of details in response to each paraphrasing statement. Results ‘Expansion paraphrasing’ (e.g., “you said he hit you. Tell me more about when he hit you”) was used significantly more often and elicited significantly more details, while ‘yes/no paraphrasing’ (e.g., “he hit you?”) resulted in shorter descriptions from children, compared to other paraphrasing styles. Further, interviewers more often distorted children’s words when using yes/no paraphrasing, and children rarely corrected interviewers when they paraphrased inaccurately. Conclusions and Practical Implications Investigative interviewers in this sample frequently used paraphrasing with children of all ages and, though children’s responses differed following the various styles of paraphrasing, the effects did not differ by the age of the child witness. The results suggest that paraphrasing affects the quality of statements by child witnesses. Implications for investigative interviewers will be discussed and recommendations offered for easy ways to use paraphrasing to increase the descriptiveness of children’s reports of their experiences

Predicting Antigen Presentation-What Could We Learn From a Million Peptides?

Antigen presentation lies at the heart of immune recognition of infected or malignant cells. For this reason, important efforts have been made to predict which peptides are more likely to bind and be presented by the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex at the surface of cells. These predictions have become even more important with the advent of next-generation sequencing technologies that enable researchers and clinicians to rapidly determine the sequences of pathogens (and their multiple variants) or identify non-synonymous genetic alterations in cancer cells. Here, we review recent advances in predicting HLA binding and antigen presentation in human cells. We argue that the very large amount of high-quality mass spectrometry data of eluted (mainly self) HLA ligands generated in the last few years provides unprecedented opportunities to improve our ability to predict antigen presentation and learn new properties of HLA molecules, as demonstrated in many recent studies of naturally presented HLA-I ligands. Although major challenges still lie on the road toward the ultimate goal of predicting immunogenicity, these experimental and computational developments will facilitate screening of putative epitopes, which may eventually help decipher the rules governing T cell recognition

The Initial Mass Functions in the Super-Star-Clusters NGC 1569A and NGC 1705-1

I use recent photometric and stellar velocity dispersion measurements of the super-star-clusters (SSCs) NGC 1569A and NGC 1705-1 to determine their present-day luminosity/mass (L_V/M) ratios. I then use the inferred L_V/M ratios, together with population synthesis models of evolving star-clusters, to constrain the initial-mass-functions (IMFs) in these objects. I find that (L_V/M)_solar=28.9 in 1569A, and (L_V/M)_solar=126 in 1705-1. It follows that in 1569A the IMF is steep with alpha~2.5 for m**(-alpha)dm IMFs which extend to 0.1 M_sun. This implies that most of the stellar mass in 1569A is contained in low-mass (< 1 M_sun) stars. However, in 1705-1 the IMF is either flat, with alpha<2$, or it is truncated at a lower mass-limit between 1 and 3 M_sun. I compare the inferred IMFs with the mass functions (MFs) of Galactic globular clusters. It appears that 1569A has a sufficient reservoir of low-mass stars for it to plausibly evolve into an object similar to Galactic globular clusters. However, the apparent deficiency of low-mass stars in 1705-1 may make it difficult for this SSC to become a globular cluster. If low-mass stars do dominate the cluster mass in 1705-1, the large L_V/M ratio in this SSC may be evidence that the most massive stars have formed close to the cluster cores.Comment: ApJ, in press. 19 Pages, Latex; [email protected]

State estimation from pair of conjugate qudits

We show that, for $N$ parallel input states, an anti-linear map with respect to a specific basis is essentially a classical operator. We also consider the information contained in phase-conjugate pairs $|\phi > |\phi^*>$, and prove that there is more information about a quantum state encoded in phase-conjugate pairs than in parallel pairs.Comment: 4 pages, 1 tabl

Near-Infrared Microlensing of Stars by the Super-Massive Black Hole in the Galactic Center

We investigate microlensing amplification of faint stars in the dense stellar cluster in the Galactic Center (GC) by the super-massive black hole (BH). Such events would appear very close to the position of the radio source SgrA*, which is thought to coincide with the BH, and could be observed during the monitoring of stellar motions in the GC. We use the observed K-band (2.2 um) luminosity function (KLF) in the GC and in Baade's Window, as well as stellar population synthesis computations, to construct KLF models for the inner 300 pc of the Galaxy. These, and the observed dynamical properties of this region, are used to compute the rates of microlensing events, which amplify stars above specified detection thresholds. We present computations of the lensing rates and amplifications as functions of the event durations (weeks to years), for a range of detection thresholds. We find that short events dominate the total rate and that long events tend to have large amplifications. For the current detection limit of K=17 mag, the total microlensing rate is 0.003 1/yr, and the rate of events with durations >1 yr is 0.001 1/yr. Recent GC proper motion studies have revealed the possible presence of one or two variable K-band sources very close to SgrA* (Genzel et al 97; Ghez et al 98). These sources may have attained peak brightnesses of K~15 mag, about 1.5-2 mag above the observational detection limits, and appear to have varied on a timescale of ~1 yr. This behavior is consistent with long-duration microlensing of faint stars by the BH. However, we estimate that the probability that such an event could have been detected during the course of the recent proper motion studies is \~0.5%. A ten-fold improvement in the detection limit and 10 yr of monthly monitoring would increase the total detection probability to ~20%. (Abridged)Comment: 29 p. with 5 figs. To appear in ApJ. Changed to reflect published version. Short discussions of solar metallicity luminosity function and star-star microlensing adde

Origin of the anomalous long lifetime of 14C

We report the microscopic origins of the anomalously suppressed beta decay of 14C to 14N using the ab initio no-core shell model (NCSM) with the Hamiltonian from chiral effective field theory (EFT) including three-nucleon force (3NF) terms. The 3NF induces unexpectedly large cancellations within the p-shell between contributions to beta decay, which reduce the traditionally large contributions from the NN interactions by an order of magnitude, leading to the long lifetime of 14C.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures and 2 table

Mid-Infrared line diagnostics of Active Galaxies -- A spectroscopic AGN survey with ISO-SWS

We present medium resolution (R approx. 1500) ISO-SWS 2.4--45 micron spectra of a sample of 29 galaxies with active nuclei. This data set is rich in fine structure emission lines tracing the narrow line regions and (circum-)nuclear star formation regions, and it provides a coherent spectroscopic reference for future extragalactic studies in the mid-infrared. We use the data set to briefly discuss the physical conditions in the narrow line regions (density, temperature, excitation, line profiles) and to test for possible differences between AGN sub-types. Our main focus is on new tools for determining the propertibes of dusty galaxies and on the AGN-starburst connection. We present mid-IR line ratio diagrams which can be used to identify composite (starburst + AGN) sources and to distinguish between emission excited by active nuclei and emission from (circum-nuclear) star forming regions. For instance, line ratios of high to low excitation lines like [O IV]25.9um/[Ne II]12.8um, that have been used to probe for AGNs in dusty objects, can be examined in more detail and with better statistics now. In addition, we present two-dimensional diagnostic diagrams that are fully analogous to classical optical diagnostic diagrams, but better suited for objects with high extinction. Finally, we discuss correlations of mid-infrared line fluxes to the mid- and far-infrared continuum. We compare these relations to similar relations in starburst galaxies in order to examine the contribution of AGNs to the bolometric luminosities of their host galaxies. The spectra are available in electronic form from the authors.Comment: 24 pages, 23 figures, 5 tables. Accepted for A&