664 research outputs found
Gravity from the extension of spatial diffeomorphisms
The possibility of the extension of spatial diffeomorphisms to a larger
family of symmetries in a class of classical field theories is studied. The
generator of the additional local symmetry contains a quadratic kinetic term
and a potential term which can be a general (not necessarily local) functional
of the metric. From the perspective of the foundation of Einstein's gravity our
results are positive: The extended constraint algebra is either that of
Einstein's gravity, or ultralocal gravity. If our goal is a simple modification
of Einstein's gravity that for example makes it perturbatively renormalizable,
as has recently been suggested, then our results show that there is no such
theory within this class.Comment: 34 page
Designing optimal discrete-feedback thermodynamic engines
Feedback can be utilized to convert information into useful work, making it
an effective tool for increasing the performance of thermodynamic engines.
Using feedback reversibility as a guiding principle, we devise a method for
designing optimal feedback protocols for thermodynamic engines that extract all
the information gained during feedback as work. Our method is based on the
observation that in a feedback-reversible process the measurement and the
time-reversal of the ensuing protocol both prepare the system in the same
probabilistic state. We illustrate the utility of our method with two examples
of the multi-particle Szilard engine.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, submitted to New J. Phy
Information and resolution in electromagnetic optical systems
Published versio
A quantum solution to the arrow-of-time dilemma
The arrow of time dilemma: the laws of physics are invariant for time
inversion, whereas the familiar phenomena we see everyday are not (i.e. entropy
increases). I show that, within a quantum mechanical framework, all phenomena
which leave a trail of information behind (and hence can be studied by physics)
are those where entropy necessarily increases or remains constant. All
phenomena where the entropy decreases must not leave any information of their
having happened. This situation is completely indistinguishable from their not
having happened at all. In the light of this observation, the second law of
thermodynamics is reduced to a mere tautology: physics cannot study those
processes where entropy has decreased, even if they were commonplace.Comment: Contains slightly more material than the published version (the
additional material is clearly labeled in the latex source). Because of PRL's
title policy, the leading "A" was left out of the title in the published
pape
Reversible transformations from pure to mixed states, and the unique measure of information
Transformations from pure to mixed states are usually associated with
information loss and irreversibility. Here, a protocol is demonstrated allowing
one to make these transformations reversible. The pure states are diluted with
a random noise source. Using this protocol one can study optimal
transformations between states, and from this derive the unique measure of
information. This is compared to irreversible transformations where one does
not have access to noise. The ideas presented here shed some light on attempts
to understand entanglement manipulations and the inevitable irreversibility
encountered there where one finds that mixed states can contain "bound
entanglement".Comment: 10 pages, no figures, revtex4, table added, to appear in Phys. Rev.
The Rapid Outbursting Star GM Cep: An EX-or in Tr 37?
We present optical, IR and millimeter observations of the solar-type star
13-277, also known as GM Cep, in the 4 Myr-old cluster Tr 37. GM Cep
experiences rapid magnitude variations of more than 2 mag at optical
wavelengths. We explore the causes of the variability, which seem to be
dominated by strong increases in the accretion, being similar to EX-or
episodes. The star shows high, variable accretion rates (up to ~10
Msun/yr), signs of powerful winds, and it is a very fast rotator (Vsini~43
km/s). Its strong mid-IR excesses reveal a very flared disk and/or a remnant
envelope, most likely out of hydrostatic equilibrium. The 1.3 millimeter fluxes
suggest a relatively massive disk (Mdisk~0.1 Msun). Nevertheless, the
millimeter mass is not enough to sustain increased accretion episodes over
large timescales, unless the mass is underestimated due to significant grain
growth. We finally explore the possibility of GM Cep having a binary companion,
which could trigger disk instabilities producing the enhanced accretion
episodes.Comment: 43 pages, including 10 figures, ApJ in pres
Toward physical realizations of thermodynamic resource theories
Conventional statistical mechanics describes large systems and averages over
many particles or over many trials. But work, heat, and entropy impact the
small scales that experimentalists can increasingly control, e.g., in
single-molecule experiments. The statistical mechanics of small scales has been
quantified with two toolkits developed in quantum information theory: resource
theories and one-shot information theory. The field has boomed recently, but
the theorems amassed have hardly impacted experiments. Can thermodynamic
resource theories be realized experimentally? Via what steps can we shift the
theory toward physical realizations? Should we care? I present eleven
opportunities in physically realizing thermodynamic resource theories.Comment: Publication information added. Cosmetic change
Quantum Theory and Time Asymmetry
The relation between quantum measurement and thermodynamically irreversible
processes is investigated. The reduction of the state vector is fundamentally
asymmetric in time and shows an observer-relatedness which may explain the
double interpretation of the state vector as a representation of physical
states as well as of information about them. The concept of relevance being
used in all statistical theories of irreversible thermodynamics is shown to be
based on the same observer-relatedness. Quantum theories of irreversible
processes implicitly use an objectivized process of state vector reduction. The
conditions for the reduction are discussed, and I speculate that the final
(subjective) observer system might even be carried by a spacetime point.Comment: Latex version of a paper published in 1979 (with minor revisions), 18
page
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