An Overview of Approaches to Modernize Quantum Annealing Using Local Searches

I describe how real quantum annealers may be used to perform local (in state space) searches around specified states, rather than the global searches traditionally implemented in the quantum annealing algorithm. The quantum annealing algorithm is an analogue of simulated annealing, a classical numerical technique which is now obsolete. Hence, I explore strategies to use an annealer in a way which takes advantage of modern classical optimization algorithms, and additionally should be less sensitive to problem mis-specification then the traditional quantum annealing algorithm.Comment: In Proceedings PC 2016, arXiv:1606.06513. An extended version of this contribution will appear on arXiv soon which will describe more detailed algorithms, comment more on robustness to problem mis-specification, comment on thermal sampling applications, and discuss applications on real device

Medical Implications of Space Radiation Exposure Due to Low Altitude Polar Orbits

Space radiation research has progressed rapidly in recent years, but there remain large uncertainties in predicting and extrapolating biological responses to humans. Exposure to cosmic radiation and Solar Particle Events may pose a critical health risk to future spaceflight crews and can have a serious impact to all biomedical aspects of space exploration. The relatively minimal shielding of the cancelled 1960's Manned Orbiting Laboratory program's space vehicle and the high inclination polar orbits would have left the crew susceptible to high exposures of cosmic radiation and high dose-rate SPEs that are mostly unpredictable in frequency and intensity. In this study, we have modeled the nominal and off-nominal radiation environment that a MOL-like spacecraft vehicle would be exposed to during a 30-day mission using high performance, multi-core computers. Projected doses from a historically large SPE (e.g. the August 1972 solar event) have been analyzed in the context of the MOL orbit profile, providing an opportunity to study its impact to crew health and subsequent contingencies.It is reasonable to presume that future commercial, government, and military spaceflight missions in low-Earth orbit will have vehicles with similar shielding and orbital profiles. Studying the impact of cosmic radiation to the mission's operational integrity and the health of MOL crewmembers provides an excellent surrogate and case-study for future commercial and military spaceflight missions.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, 2 table

Limitations in Predicting the Space Radiation Health Risk for Exploration Astronauts

Despite years of research, understanding of the space radiation environment and the risk it poses to long-duration astronauts remains limited. There is a disparity between research results and observed empirical effects seen in human astronaut crews, likely due to the numerous factors that limit terrestrial simulation of the complex space environment and extrapolation of human clinical consequences from varied animal models. Given the intended future of human spaceflight, with efforts now to rapidly expand capabilities for human missions to the moon and Mars, there is a pressing need to improve upon the understanding of the space radiation risk, predict likely clinical outcomes of interplanetary radiation exposure, and develop appropriate and effective mitigation strategies for future missions. To achieve this goal, the space radiation and aerospace community must recognize the historical limitations of radiation research and how such limitations could be addressed in future research endeavors. We have sought to highlight the numerous factors that limit understanding of the risk of space radiation for human crews and to identify ways in which these limitations could be addressed for improved understanding and appropriate risk posture regarding future human spaceflight.Comment: Accepted for publication by Nature Microgravity (2018