Quantum simulations of time travel can power nonclassical metrology

Gambling agencies forbid late bets, placed after the winning horse crosses the finish line. A time-traveling gambler could cheat the system. We construct a gamble that one can win by simulating time travel with experimentally feasible entanglement manipulation. Our gamble echoes a common metrology protocol: A gambler must prepare probes to input into a metrology experiment. The goal is to infer as much information per probe as possible about a parameter's value. If the input is optimal, the information gained per probe can exceed any value achievable classically. The gambler chooses the input state analogously to choosing a horse. However, only after the probes are measured does the gambler learn which input would have been optimal. The gambler can "place a late bet" by effectively teleporting the optimal input back in time, via entanglement manipulation. Our Gedankenexperiment demonstrates that not only true time travel, but even a simulation offers a quantum advantage in metrology.Comment: 5+1 pages. 2 figures. Comments are welcomed

Influence of gas type on the thermal efficiency of microwave plasmas for the sintering of metal powders

Microwave plasmas have enormous potential as a rapid and energy efficient sintering technology. This paper evaluates the influence of both plasma atmosphere and metal powder type on the sintering temperatures achieved and the properties of the sintered powder metal compacts. The sintering is carried out using a 2.45 GHz microwave-plasma process called rapid discharge sintering (RDS). The sintering of three types of metal powder are evaluated in this study: nickel (Ni), copper (Cu) and 316L stainless steel (SS). An in-depth study of the effects of the plasma processing parameters on the sintered powder compacts are investigated. These parameters are correlated with the mechanical performance of the sintered compacts to help understand the effect of the plasma heating process. The substrate materials are sintered in four different gas discharges, namely hydrogen, nitrogen oxygen and argon. Thermocouple, pyrometer and emission spectroscopy measurements were taken to determine the substrate and the discharge temperatures. The morphology and structure were examined using scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction. The density and hardness of the sintered compacts were correlated with the plasma processing conditions. As expected higher densities were obtained with powders with lower sintering temperatures i.e. nickel and copper when compared with stainless steel. Under the power input and pressure conditions used the highest substrate temperature attained was 1100 ∘ C for Cu powder sintered in a nitrogen atmosphere. In contrast under the same processing conditions but in an argon plasma, the temperature achieved with SS was only 500 ∘ C. The effect of the plasma gas type on the sintered powder compact chemistry was also monitored, both hydrogen and nitrogen yielded a reducing effect for the metal in contrast with the oxidising effect observed in an oxygen plasma.Science Foundation IrelandAuthor has checked copyrightAD 22/01/201

Wide-field broad-band radio imaging with phased array feeds : a pilot multi-epoch continuum survey with ASKAP-BETA

The Boolardy Engineering TestArray is a 6 x 12mdish interferometer and the prototype of the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), equipped with the first generation of ASKAP's phased array feed (PAF) receivers. These facilitate rapid wide-area imaging via the deployment of simultaneous multiple beams within an ~30 deg2 field of view. By cycling the array through 12 interleaved pointing positions and using nine digitally formed beams, we effectively mimic a traditional 1 h x 108 pointing survey, covering ~150 deg2 over 711-1015 MHz in 12 h of observing time. Three such observations were executed over the course of a week. We verify the full bandwidth continuum imaging performance and stability of the system via self-consistency checks and comparisons to existing radio data. The combined three epoch image has arcminute resolution and a 1σ thermal noise level of 375 μJy beam-1, although the effective noise is a factor of ~3 higher due to residual sidelobe confusion. From this we derive a catalogue of 3722 discrete radio components, using the 35 per cent fractional bandwidth to measure in-band spectral indices for 1037 of them. A search for transient events reveals one significantly variable source within the survey area. The survey covers approximately two-thirds of the Spitzer South Pole Telescope Deep Field. This pilot project demonstrates the viability and potential of using PAFs to rapidly and accurately survey the sky at radio wavelengths

Search for D∗(2007)0→μ+μ−D^{*}(2007)^0\to\mu^+\mu^- in B−→π−μ+μ−B^-\to\pi^-\mu^+\mu^- decays

International audienceThe very rare $D^{*}(2007)^0\to\mu^+\mu^-$ decay is searched for by analysing $B^-\to\pi^-\mu^+\mu^-$ decays. The analysis uses a sample of beauty mesons produced in proton-proton collisions collected with the LHCb detector between 2011 and 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb$^{-1}$. The signal signature corresponds to simultaneous peaks in the $\mu^+\mu^-$ and $\pi^-\mu^+\mu^-$ invariant masses. No evidence for an excess of events over background is observed and an upper limit is set on the branching fraction of the decay at ${\cal B}(D^{*}(2007)^0\to\mu^+\mu^-) < 2.6\times 10^{-8}$ at $90\%$ confidence level. This is the first limit on the branching fraction of $D^{*}(2007)^0\to\mu^+\mu^-$ decays and the most stringent limit on $D^{*}(2007)^0$ decays to leptonic final states. The analysis is the first search for a rare charm-meson decay exploiting production via beauty decays

Measurement of χc1_{c1}(3872) production in proton-proton collisions at s \sqrt{s} = 8 and 13 TeV

International audienceThe production cross-section of the χ$_{c1}$(3872) state relative to the ψ(2S) meson is measured using proton-proton collision data collected with the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 and 13 TeV, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 2.0 and 5.4 fb$^{−1}$, respectively. The two mesons are reconstructed in the J/ψπ$^{+}$π$^{−}$ final state. The ratios of the prompt and nonprompt χ$_{c1}$(3872) to ψ(2S) production cross-sections are measured as a function of transverse momentum, p$_{T}$, and rapidity, y, of the χ$_{c1}$(3872) and ψ(2S) states, in the kinematic range 4 < p$_{T}$< 20 GeV/c and 2.0 < y < 4.5. The prompt ratio is found to increase with p$_{T}$, independently of y. For the prompt component, the double ratio of the χ$_{c1}$(3872) and ψ(2S) production cross-sections between 13 and 8 TeV is observed to be consistent with unity, independent of p$_{T}$ and centre-of-mass energy.[graphic not available: see fulltext

Simultaneous determination of CKM angle γ\gamma and charm mixing parameters

A combination of measurements sensitive to the CP violation angle γ of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa unitarity triangle and to the charm mixing parameters that describe oscillations between D$^{0}$ and $\overline{D} ^{0}$ mesons is performed. Results from the charm and beauty sectors, based on data collected with the LHCb detector at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, are combined for the first time. This method provides an improvement on the precision of the charm mixing parameter y by a factor of two with respect to the current world average. The charm mixing parameters are determined to be $x=\left({0.400}_{-0.053}^{+0.052}\right)\%$ and y = $\left({0.630}_{-0.030}^{+0.033}\right)\%$. The angle γ is found to be γ = $\left({65.4}_{-4.2}^{+3.8}\right){}^{\circ}$ and is the most precise determination from a single experiment.[graphic not available: see fulltext

Observation of Λb0→D+pπ−π−\Lambda_b^0\rightarrow D^+ p \pi^-\pi^- and Λb0→D∗+pπ−π−\Lambda_b^0\rightarrow D^{*+} p \pi^-\pi^- decays

International audienceThe multihadron decays ${\Lambda}_b^0$ → D+pπ−π− and ${\Lambda}_b^0$ → D$^{*}$+pπ−π− are observed in data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb$^{−1}$, collected in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV by the LHCb detector. Using the decay ${\Lambda}_b^0$ → ${\Lambda}_c^{+}$π$^{+}$π$^{−}$π$^{−}$ as a normalisation channel, the ratio of branching fractions is measured to be$\frac{\mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_b^0\to {D}^{+}p{\pi}^{-}{\pi}^{-}\right)}{\mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_b^0\to {\Lambda}_c^0{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{-}{\pi}^{-}\right)}\times \frac{\mathcal{B}\left({D}^{+}\to {K}^{-}{\pi}^{+}{\pi}^{+}\right)}{\mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_c^0\to {pK}^{-}{\pi}^{-}\right)}=\left(5.35\pm 0.21\pm 0.16\right)\%,$where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The ratio of branching fractions for the ${\Lambda}_b^0$ → D$^{*+}$pπ$^{−}$π$^{−}$ and ${\Lambda}_b^0$ → D$^{+}$pπ$^{−}$π$^{−}$ decays is found to be$\frac{\mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_b^0\to {D}^{\ast +}p{\pi}^{-}{\pi}^{-}\right)}{\mathcal{B}\left({\Lambda}_b^0\to {D}^{+}p{\pi}^{-}{\pi}^{-}\right)}\times \left(\mathcal{B}\left({D}^{\ast +}\to {D}^{+}{\pi}^0\right)+\mathcal{B}\left({D}^{\ast +}\to {D}^{+}\gamma \right)\right)=\left(61.3\pm 4.3\pm 4.0\right)\%.$[graphic not available: see fulltext

Measurement of CP asymmetries in D(s)+→ηπ+ {D}_{(s)}^{+}\to \eta {\pi}^{+} and D(s)+→η′π+ {D}_{(s)}^{+}\to {\eta}^{\prime }{\pi}^{+} decays

Searches for CP violation in the decays ${D}_{(s)}^{+}\to \eta {\pi}^{+}$ and ${D}_{(s)}^{+}\to {\eta}^{\prime }{\pi}^{+}$ are performed using pp collision data corresponding to 6 fb$^{−1}$ of integrated luminosity collected by the LHCb experiment. The calibration channels ${D}_{(s)}^{+}\to \phi {\pi}^{+}$ are used to remove production and detection asymmetries. The resulting CP-violating asymmetries are${\displaystyle \begin{array}{l}{\mathcal{A}}^{CP}=\left({D}^{+}\to \eta {\pi}^{+}\right)=\left(0.34\pm 0.66\pm 0.16\pm 0.05\right)\%,\\ {}{\mathcal{A}}^{CP}=\left({D}_s^{+}\to \eta {\pi}^{+}\right)=\left(0.32\pm 0.51\pm 0.12\right)\%,\\ {}\begin{array}{l}{\mathcal{A}}^{CP}=\left({D}^{+}\to {\eta}^{\prime }{\pi}^{+}\right)=\left(0.49\pm 0.18\pm 0.06\pm 0.05\right)\%,\\ {}{\mathcal{A}}^{CP}=\left({D}_s^{+}\to {\eta}^{\prime }{\pi}^{+}\right)=\left(0.01\pm 0.12\pm 0.08\right)\%,\end{array}\end{array}}$where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic and the third, relevant for the D$^{+}$ channels, is due to the uncertainty on ${\mathcal{A}}^{CP}=\left({D}^{+}\to \phi {\pi}^{+}\right)$. These measurements, currently the most precise for three of the four channels considered, are consistent with the absence of CP violation. A combination of these results with previous LHCb measurements is presented.[graphic not available: see fulltext]Searches for $CP$ violation in the decays $D^+_{(s)}\rightarrow \eta \pi^+$ and $D^+_{(s)}\rightarrow \eta^{\prime} \pi^+$ are performed using $pp$ collision data corresponding to 6 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity collected by the LHCb experiment. The calibration channels $D^+_{(s)}\rightarrow \phi \pi^+$ are used to remove production and detection asymmetries. The resulting $CP$-violating asymmetries are $A^{CP}(D^+ \rightarrow \eta \pi^+) = (0.34 \pm 0.66 \pm 0.16 \pm 0.05)\%$, $A^{CP}(D^+_s \rightarrow \eta \pi^+) = (0.32 \pm 0.51 \pm 0.12)\%$, $A^{CP}(D^+ \rightarrow \eta^{\prime} \pi^+) = (0.49 \pm 0.18 \pm 0.06 \pm 0.05)\%$, $A^{CP}(D^+_s \rightarrow \eta^{\prime} \pi^+) = (0.01 \pm 0.12 \pm 0.08)\%$, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic and the third, relevant for the $D^+$ channels, is due to the uncertainty on $A^{CP}(D^+ \to \phi \pi^+)$. These measurements, currently the most precise for three of the four channels considered, are consistent with the absence of $CP$ violation. A combination of these results with previous LHCb measurements is presented

Study of the doubly charmed tetraquark Tcc+T_{cc}^+

An exotic narrow state in the $D^0D^0\pi^+$ mass spectrum just below the $D^{*+}D^0$ mass threshold is studied using a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb$^{-1}$ acquired with the LHCb detector in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8 and 13 TeV. The state is consistent with the ground isoscalar $T^+_{cc}$ tetraquark with a quark content of $cc\bar{u}\bar{d}$ and spin-parity quantum numbers $\mathrm{J}^{\mathrm{P}}=1^+$. Study of the $DD$ mass spectra disfavours interpretation of the resonance as the isovector state. The decay structure via intermediate off-shell $D^{*+}$ mesons is confirmed by the $D^0\pi^+$ mass distribution. The mass of the resonance and its coupling to the $D^{*}D$ system are analysed. Resonance parameters including the pole position, scattering length, effective range and compositeness are measured to reveal important information about the nature of the $T^+_{cc}$ state. In addition, an unexpected dependence of the production rate on track multiplicity is observed