Origin and evolution of planetary atmospheres

Spacecraft and groundbased observations of the atmospheres of solar system objects have provided a definition of their present characteristics and have yielded clues about their past history. Table 1 presents a summary of our current knowledge of the atmospheric properties of all the planets, except Pluto, and several satellites. The masses of these atmospheres range from the very miniscule values for the Moon, Mercury, and Io, to the more substantial values for the Earth, Venus, Mars, and Titan, to the very large values for the giant planets, where the atmosphere constitutes a significant fraction of the total planetary mass. The compositions of these atmospheres encompass ones dominated by rare gases (the Moon and Mercury), ones containing highly oxidized compounds of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur (the outer three terrestrial planets and Io), and ones with highly reduced gases (Titan and the giant planets). What factors account for this enormous diversity in properties

N=(0,2) Deformation of the N=(2,2) Wess-Zumino Model in Two Dimensions

We construct a simple N=(0,2) deformation of the two-dimensional Wess-Zumino model. In addition to superpotential, it includes a "twisted" superpotential. Supersymmetry may or may not be spontaneously broken at the classical level. In the latter case an extra right-handed fermion field \zeta_R involved in the N=(0,2) deformation plays the role of Goldstino.Comment: 6 pages; v2: 3 references added; final version accepted for publication in PR

Perfect State Transfer, Effective Gates and Entanglement Generation in Engineered Bosonic and Fermionic Networks

We show how to achieve perfect quantum state transfer and construct effective two-qubit gates between distant sites in engineered bosonic and fermionic networks. The Hamiltonian for the system can be determined by choosing an eigenvalue spectrum satisfying a certain condition, which is shown to be both sufficient and necessary in mirror-symmetrical networks. The natures of the effective two-qubit gates depend on the exchange symmetry for fermions and bosons. For fermionic networks, the gates are entangling (and thus universal for quantum computation). For bosonic networks, though the gates are not entangling, they allow two-way simultaneous communications. Protocols of entanglement generation in both bosonic and fermionic engineered networks are discussed.Comment: RevTeX4, 6 pages, 1 figure; replaced with a more general example and clarified the sufficient and necessary condition for perfect state transfe

Empiricism Versus Rationalism: Understanding the Acquisition of Knowledge

Theories of knowledge, certainty, and skepticism in philosophy are of particular importance to learning, as these theories quite literally explain how we are able to perceive the world around us. Two specific theories have been identified as strong arguments in philosophy, the first is termed “Empiricism” and the second “Rationalism”. Using both materials provided in this course, as well as some external arguments that have been considered by Max Hocutt, Tom Stoneham, John Turri and Wesley Buckwalter, the arguments of Locke, Berkeley, and Hume in regard to anti-skepticism, and Descartes’ skeptical, rationalist argument will be compared and contrasted. In this paper, I will consider the three empiricist conceptions on knowledge posed in Locke’s “Representational Theory of Perception”, Berkeley’s “Idealist Theory of Knowledge”, and Hume’s “Problem of Induction”, and how these perspectives relate and differ to one another, then I will consider Descartes’ rationalist approach illustrated in his Meditations. In addition, I will conclude by stating my opinion of these different theories and whether I believe Rationalism or Empiricism to be better, as well as why I consider one theory to be stronger than the others

Quantum Communication Through a Spin-Ring with Twisted Boundary Conditions

We investigate quantum communication between the sites of a spin-ring with twisted boundary conditions. Such boundary conditions can be achieved by a flux through the ring. We find that a non-zero twist can improve communication through finite odd numbered rings and enable high fidelity multi-party quantum communication through spin rings (working near perfectly for rings of 5 and 7 spins). We show that in certain cases, the twist results in the complete blockage of quantum information flow to a certain site of the ring. This effect can be exploited to interface and entangle a flux qubit and a spin qubit without embedding the latter in a magnetic field.Comment: four pages two figure

A basis for solid modeling of gear teeth with application in design and manufacture

A new approach to modeling gear tooth surfaces is discussed. A computer graphics solid modeling procedure is used to simulate the tooth fabrication process. This procedure is based on the principles of differential geometry that pertain to envelopes of curves and surfaces. The procedure is illustrated with the modeling of spur, helical, bevel, spiral bevel, and hypoid gear teeth. Applications in design and manufacturing are discussed. Extensions to nonstandard tooth forms, to cams, and to rolling element bearings are proposed

Nitrogen Incorporation in CH_4-N_2 Photochemical Aerosol Produced by Far Ultraviolet Irradiation

Nitrile incorporation into Titan aerosol accompanying hydrocarbon chemistry is thought to be driven by extreme UV wavelengths (λ120 nm is presently unaccounted for in atmospheric photochemical models. We suggest that reaction with CH radicals produced from CH_4 photolysis may provide a mechanism for incorporating N into the molecular structure of the aerosol. Further work is needed to understand the chemistry involved, as these processes may have significant implications for how we view prebiotic chemistry on early Earth and similar planets. Key Words: Titan—Photochemical aerosol—CH_4-N_2 photolysis—Far UV—Nitrogen activation

A Processor Core Model for Quantum Computing

We describe an architecture based on a processing 'core' where multiple qubits interact perpetually, and a separate 'store' where qubits exist in isolation. Computation consists of single qubit operations, swaps between the store and the core, and free evolution of the core. This enables computation using physical systems where the entangling interactions are 'always on'. Alternatively, for switchable systems our model constitutes a prescription for optimizing many-qubit gates. We discuss implementations of the quantum Fourier transform, Hamiltonian simulation, and quantum error correction.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures; improved some arguments as suggested by a refere

Entanglement creation and distribution on a graph of exchange-coupled qutrits

We propose a protocol that allows both the creation and distribution of entanglement, resulting in two distant parties (Alice and Bob) conclusively sharing a bipartite Bell State. The system considered is a graph of three-level objects ("qutrits") coupled by SU(3) exchange operators. The protocol begins with a third party (Charlie) encoding two lattice sites in unentangled states, and allowing unitary evolution under time. Alice and Bob perform a projective measurement on their respective qutrits at a given time, and obtain a maximally-entangled Bell state with a certain probablility. We also consider two further protocols, one based on simple repetition and the other based on successive measurements and conditional resetting, and show that the cumulative probability of creating a Bell state between Alice and Bob tends to unity.Comment: Added seven references, clarified argument for eqn (16