Entropy exchange, coherent information and concurrence

For a simple model we derive analytic expressions of entropy exchange and coherent information, from which relations between them and the concurrence are drawn. We find that in the quantum evolution the entropy exchange exhibits behavior \textsl{opposite} to that of the concurrence, whereas the coherent information shows features very similar to those of the concurrence. The meaning of this result for general systems is discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 8 figures v2: version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Comment on ``Geometric phase of entangled spin pairs in a magnetic field''

The degree of entanglement between two spins may change due to interaction. About this we find that a wrong result in a recent work by Ge and Wadati [Phys. Rev. A {\bf72}, 052101(2005)] which breach the basic principle.Comment: 2 pages, comment on Phys. Rev. A {\bf72}, 052101(2005), and to appear in Phys. Rev.

Thermal Timescale Mass Transfer Rates in Intermediate-Mass X-ray Binaries

Thermal timescale mass transfer generally occurs in close binaries where the donor star is more massive than the accreting star. The mass transfer rates are usually estimated in terms of the Kelvin-Helmholtz timescale of the donor star. But recent investigations indicate that this method may overestimate the real mass transfer rates in accreting white dwarf or neutron star binary systems. We have systematically investigated the thermal-timescale mass transfer processes in intermediate-mass X-ray binaries, by calculating binary evolution sequences with various initial donor masses and orbital periods. From the calculated results we find that on average the mass transfer rates are lower than traditional estimates by a factor of $\sim 4$.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, and 2 tables, accepted for publication in A&

Constraints on the Asymptotic Baryon Fractions of Galaxy Clusters at Large Radii

While X-ray measurements have so far revealed an increase in the volume-averaged baryon fractions $f_b(r)$ of galaxy clusters with cluster radii $r$, $f_b(r)$ should asymptotically reach a universal value $f_b(\infty)=f_b$, provided that clusters are representative of the Universe. In the framework of hydrostatic equilibrium for intracluster gas, we have derived the necessary conditions for $f_b(\infty)=f_b$: The X-ray surface brightness profile described by the $\beta$ model and the temperature profile approximated by the polytropic model should satisfy $\gamma\approx2(1-1/3\beta)$ and $\gamma\approx1+1/3\beta$ for $\beta1$, respectively, which sets a stringent limit to the polytropic index: $\gamma<4/3$. In particular, a mildly increasing temperature with radius is required if the observationally fitted $\beta$ parameter is in the range $1/3<\beta<2/3$. It is likely that a reliable determination of the universal baryon fraction can be achieved in the small $\beta$ clusters because the disagreement between the exact and asymptotic baryon fractions for clusters with $\beta>2/3$ breaks down at rather large radii (\ga30r_c) where hydrostatic equilibrium has probably become inapplicable. We further explore how to obtain the asymptotic value $f_b(\infty)$ of baryon fraction from the X-ray measurement made primarily over the finite central region of a cluster. We demonstrate our method using a sample of 19 strong lensing clusters, which enables us to place a useful constraint on $f_b(\infty)$: $0.094\pm0.035 \leq f_b(\infty) \leq 0.41\pm0.18$. An optimal estimate of $f_b(\infty)$ based on three cooling flow clusters with $\beta = 0.142\pm0.007$ or $\Omega_M = 0.35\pm0.09$.Comment: 6 pages + 4 figures; accepted for publication in MNRA