9,574 research outputs found
Winning combinations of history-dependent games
The Parrondo effect describes the seemingly paradoxical situation in which
two losing games can, when combined, become winning [Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 24
(2000)]. Here we generalize this analysis to the case where both games are
history-dependent, i.e. there is an intrinsic memory in the dynamics of each
game. New results are presented for the cases of both random and periodic
switching between the two games.Comment: (6 pages, 7 figures) Version 2: Major cosmetic changes and some minor
correction
A Solution to the Galactic Foreground Problem for LISA
Low frequency gravitational wave detectors, such as the Laser Interferometer
Space Antenna (LISA), will have to contend with large foregrounds produced by
millions of compact galactic binaries in our galaxy. While these galactic
signals are interesting in their own right, the unresolved component can
obscure other sources. The science yield for the LISA mission can be improved
if the brighter and more isolated foreground sources can be identified and
regressed from the data. Since the signals overlap with one another we are
faced with a ``cocktail party'' problem of picking out individual conversations
in a crowded room. Here we present and implement an end-to-end solution to the
galactic foreground problem that is able to resolve tens of thousands of
sources from across the LISA band. Our algorithm employs a variant of the
Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method, which we call the Blocked Annealed
Metropolis-Hastings (BAM) algorithm. Following a description of the algorithm
and its implementation, we give several examples ranging from searches for a
single source to searches for hundreds of overlapping sources. Our examples
include data sets from the first round of Mock LISA Data Challenges.Comment: 19 pages, 27 figure
Reproducing spin lattice models in strongly coupled atom-cavity systems
In an array of coupled cavities where the cavities are doped with an atomic
V-system, and the two excited levels couple to cavity photons of different
polarizations, we show how to construct various spin models employed in
characterizing phenomena in condensed matter physics, such as the spin-1/2
Ising, XX, Heisenberg, and XXZ models. The ability to construct networks of
arbitrary geometry also allows for the simulation of topological effects. By
tuning the number of excitations present, the dimension of the spin to be
simulated can be controlled, and mixtures of different spin types produced. The
facility of single-site addressing, the use of only the natural hopping photon
dynamics without external fields, and the recent experimental advances towards
strong coupling, makes the prospect of using these arrays as efficient quantum
simulators promising.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. v3: References adde
Recommended from our members
Volatile Extraction and Detection from Frozen Lunar Regolith Simulants in Preparation for the LUVMI Rover
Anisotropic determined up to 92 T and the signature of multi-band superconductivity in Ca(PtAs)((FePt)As) superconductor
The upper critical fields, (), of single crystals of the
superconductor
Ca(PtAs)((FePt)As)
( 0.246) are determined over a wide range of temperatures
down to = 1.42 K and magnetic fields of up to 92 T. The
measurements of anisotropic () curves are performed in pulsed
magnetic fields using radio-frequency contactless penetration depth
measurements for magnetic field applied both parallel and perpendicular to the
\textbf{ab}-plane. Whereas a clear upward curvature in
() along \textbf{H}\textbf{c} is
observed with decreasing temperature, the ()
along \textbf{H}\textbf{ab} shows a flattening at low temperatures.
The rapid increase of the () at low
temperatures suggests that the superconductivity can be described by two
dominating bands. The anisotropy parameter,
, is 7 close
to and decreases considerably to 1 with decreasing temperature,
showing rather weak anisotropy at low temperatures.Comment: 4pages, 3figures, accepted PRB Rapid Communicatio
The not-so-massive black hole in the microquasar GRS1915+105
We present a new dynamical study of the black hole X-ray transient GRS1915+105 making use of near-infrared spectroscopy obtained with X-shooter at the VLT. We detect a large number of donor star absorption features across a wide range of wavelengths spanning the H and K bands. Our 24 epochs covering a baseline of over 1 year permit us to determine a new binary ephemeris including a refined orbital period of P=33.85 +/- 0.16 d. The donor star radial velocity curves deliver a significantly improved determination of the donor semi-amplitude which is both accurate (K_2=126 +/- 1 km/s) and robust against choice of donor star template and spectral features used. We furthermore constrain the donor star's rotational broadening to vsini=21 +/-4 km/s, delivering a binary mass ratio of q=0.042 +/- 0.024. If we combine these new constraints with distance and inclination estimates derived from modelling the radio emission, a black hole mass of M_BH=10.1 +/- 0.6 M_sun is inferred, paired with an evolved mass donor of M_2=0.47 +/- 0.27 M_sun. Our analysis suggests a more typical black hole mass for GRS1915+105 rather than the unusually high values derived in the pioneering dynamical study by Greiner et al. (2001). Our data demonstrate that high-resolution infrared spectroscopy of obscured accreting binaries can deliver dynamical mass determinations with a precision on par with optical studies
A Bayesian Approach to the Detection Problem in Gravitational Wave Astronomy
The analysis of data from gravitational wave detectors can be divided into
three phases: search, characterization, and evaluation. The evaluation of the
detection - determining whether a candidate event is astrophysical in origin or
some artifact created by instrument noise - is a crucial step in the analysis.
The on-going analyses of data from ground based detectors employ a frequentist
approach to the detection problem. A detection statistic is chosen, for which
background levels and detection efficiencies are estimated from Monte Carlo
studies. This approach frames the detection problem in terms of an infinite
collection of trials, with the actual measurement corresponding to some
realization of this hypothetical set. Here we explore an alternative, Bayesian
approach to the detection problem, that considers prior information and the
actual data in hand. Our particular focus is on the computational techniques
used to implement the Bayesian analysis. We find that the Parallel Tempered
Markov Chain Monte Carlo (PTMCMC) algorithm is able to address all three phases
of the anaylsis in a coherent framework. The signals are found by locating the
posterior modes, the model parameters are characterized by mapping out the
joint posterior distribution, and finally, the model evidence is computed by
thermodynamic integration. As a demonstration, we consider the detection
problem of selecting between models describing the data as instrument noise, or
instrument noise plus the signal from a single compact galactic binary. The
evidence ratios, or Bayes factors, computed by the PTMCMC algorithm are found
to be in close agreement with those computed using a Reversible Jump Markov
Chain Monte Carlo algorithm.Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures, revised to address referee's comment
- …