8,334 research outputs found
On exchangeable continuous variable systems
We investigate permutation-invariant continuous variable quantum states and their covariance matrices. We provide a complete characterization of the latter with respect to permutation invariance and exchangeability and representing convex combinations of tensor power states. On the level of the respective density operators this leads to necessary criteria for all these properties which become necessary and sufficient for Gaussian states. For these we use the derived results to provide de Finetti-type theorems for various distance measures
The potential of combining MATISSE and ALMA observations: Constraining the structure of the innermost region in protoplanetary discs
In order to study the initial conditions of planet formation, it is crucial
to obtain spatially resolved multi-wavelength observations of the innermost
region of protoplanetary discs. We evaluate the advantage of combining
observations with MATISSE/VLTI and ALMA to constrain the radial and vertical
structure of the dust in the innermost region of circumstellar discs in nearby
star-forming regions. Based on a disc model with a parameterized dust density
distribution, we apply 3D radiative-transfer simulations to obtain ideal
intensity maps. These are used to derive the corresponding wavelength-dependent
visibilities we would obtain with MATISSE as well as ALMA maps simulated with
CASA. Within the considered parameter space, we find that constraining the dust
density structure in the innermost au around the central star is
challenging with MATISSE alone, whereas ALMA observations with reasonable
integration times allow us to derive significant constraints on the disc
surface density. However, we find that the estimation of the different disc
parameters can be considerably improved by combining MATISSE and ALMA
observations. For example, combining a 30-minute ALMA observation (at 310 GHz
with an angular resolution of 0.03) for MATISSE observations
in the L and M bands (with visibility accuracies of about ) allows the
radial density slope and the dust surface density profile to be constrained to
within and , respectively. For
an accuracy of even the disc flaring can be constrained to within
. To constrain the scale height to within au, M band
accuracies of are required. While ALMA is sensitive to the number of
large dust grains settled to the disc midplane we find that the impact of the
surface density distribution of the large grains on the observed quantities is
small.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figures, 1 table, accepted by A&
A New Quantum Lower Bound Method, with Applications to Direct Product Theorems and Time-Space Tradeoffs
We give a new version of the adversary method for proving lower bounds on
quantum query algorithms. The new method is based on analyzing the eigenspace
structure of the problem at hand. We use it to prove a new and optimal strong
direct product theorem for 2-sided error quantum algorithms computing k
independent instances of a symmetric Boolean function: if the algorithm uses
significantly less than k times the number of queries needed for one instance
of the function, then its success probability is exponentially small in k. We
also use the polynomial method to prove a direct product theorem for 1-sided
error algorithms for k threshold functions with a stronger bound on the success
probability. Finally, we present a quantum algorithm for evaluating solutions
to systems of linear inequalities, and use our direct product theorems to show
that the time-space tradeoff of this algorithm is close to optimal.Comment: 16 pages LaTeX. Version 2: title changed, proofs significantly
cleaned up and made selfcontained. This version to appear in the proceedings
of the STOC 06 conferenc
Quantum and Classical Strong Direct Product Theorems and Optimal Time-Space Tradeoffs
A strong direct product theorem says that if we want to compute k independent
instances of a function, using less than k times the resources needed for one
instance, then our overall success probability will be exponentially small in
k. We establish such theorems for the classical as well as quantum query
complexity of the OR function. This implies slightly weaker direct product
results for all total functions. We prove a similar result for quantum
communication protocols computing k instances of the Disjointness function.
Our direct product theorems imply a time-space tradeoff T^2*S=Omega(N^3) for
sorting N items on a quantum computer, which is optimal up to polylog factors.
They also give several tight time-space and communication-space tradeoffs for
the problems of Boolean matrix-vector multiplication and matrix multiplication.Comment: 22 pages LaTeX. 2nd version: some parts rewritten, results are
essentially the same. A shorter version will appear in IEEE FOCS 0
Experimental assembly of structures in EVA: Hardware morphology and development issues
A large body of data was obtained by MIT during neutral boyancy testing at Marshall Space Flight Center from 1980 to the present. These efforts, and the most significant results are summarized. The Experimental Assembly of Structure in EVA (EASE) flight experiment was undertaken to validate these results and flown on the STS 61-B in November 1985. The EASE experiment hardware is discussed and how the experiment goals dictate its size, shape, and operational characteristics, are illustrated
The influence of dust grain porosity on the analysis of debris disc observations
Debris discs are often modelled assuming compact dust grains, but more and
more evidence for the presence of porous grains is found. We aim at quantifying
the systematic errors introduced when modelling debris discs composed of porous
dust with a disc model assuming spherical, compact grains. We calculate the
optical dust properties derived via the fast, but simple effective medium
theory. The theoretical lower boundary of the size distribution -- the
so-called 'blowout size' -- is compared in the cases of compact and porous
grains. Finally, we simulate observations of hypothetical debris discs with
different porosities and feed them into a fitting procedure using only compact
grains. The deviations of the results for compact grains from the original
model based on porous grains are analysed. We find that the blowout size
increases with increasing grain porosity up to a factor of two. An analytical
approximation function for the blowout size as a function of porosity and
stellar luminosity is derived. The analysis of the geometrical disc set-up,
when constrained by radial profiles, are barely affected by the porosity.
However, the determined minimum grain size and the slope of the grain size
distribution derived using compact grains are significantly overestimated.
Thus, the unexpectedly high ratio of minimum grain size to blowout size found
by previous studies using compact grains can be partially described by dust
grain porosity, although the effect is not strong enough to completely explain
the trend.Comment: accepted by MNRA
Unsaturated fatty acid regulation of cytochrome P450 expression via a CAR-dependent pathway.
The liver is responsible for key metabolic functions, including control of normal homoeostasis in response to diet and xenobiotic metabolism/detoxification. We have shown previously that inactivation of the hepatic cytochrome P450 system through conditional deletion of POR (P450 oxidoreductase) induces hepatic steatosis, liver growth and P450 expression. We have exploited a new conditional model of POR deletion to investigate the mechanism underlying these changes. We demonstrate that P450 induction, liver growth and hepatic triacylglycerol (triglyceride) homoeostasis are intimately linked and provide evidence that the observed phenotypes result from hepatic accumulation of unsaturated fatty acids, which mediate these phenotypes by activation of the nuclear receptor CAR (constitutive androstane receptor) and, to a lesser degree, PXR (pregnane X receptor). To our knowledge this is the first direct evidence that P450s play a major role in controlling unsaturated fatty acid homoeostasis via CAR. The regulation of P450s involved in xenobiotic metabolism by this mechanism has potentially significant implications for individual responses to drugs and environmental chemicals
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