Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “quantum probability”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 487 records · Page 27
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2009

Complexity for Survival of Living Systems

A logical connection between the survivability of living systems and the complexity of their behavior (equivalently, mental complexity) has been established. This connection is an important intermediate result of continuing research on mathematical models that could constitute a unified representation of the evolution of both living and non-living systems. Earlier results of this research were reported in several prior NASA Tech Briefs articles, the two most relevant being Characteristics of Dynamics of Intelligent Systems (NPO- 21037), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 26, No. 12 (December 2002), page 48; and Self-Supervised Dynamical Systems (NPO- 30634) NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 27, No. 3 (March 2003), page 72. As used here, living systems is synonymous with active systems and intelligent systems. The quoted terms can signify artificial agents (e.g., suitably programmed computers) or natural biological systems ranging from single-cell organisms at one extreme to the whole of human society at the other extreme. One of the requirements that must be satisfied in mathematical modeling of living systems is reconciliation of evolution of life with the second law of thermodynamics. In the approach followed in this research, this reconciliation is effected by means of a model, inspired partly by quantum mechanics, in which the quantum potential is replaced with an information potential. The model captures the most fundamental property of life - the ability to evolve from disorder to order without any external interference. The model incorporates the equations of classical dynamics, including Newton s equations of motion and equations for random components caused by uncertainties in initial conditions and by Langevin forces. The equations of classical dynamics are coupled with corresponding Liouville or Fokker-Planck equations that describe the evolutions of probability densities that represent the uncertainties. The coupling is effected by fictitious information-based forces that are gradients of the information potential, which, in turn, is a function of the probability densities. The probability densities are associated with mental images both self-image and nonself images (images of external objects that can include other agents). The evolution of the probability densities represents mental dynamics. Then the interaction between the physical and metal aspects of behavior is implemented by feedback from mental to motor dynamics, as represented by the aforementioned fictitious forces. The interaction of a system with its self and nonself images affords unlimited capacity for increase of complexity. There is a biological basis for this model of mental dynamics in the discovery of mirror neurons that learn by imitation. The levels of complexity attained by use of this model match those observed in living systems. To establish a mechanism for increasing the complexity of dynamics of an active system, the model enables exploitation of a chain of reflections exemplified by questions of the form, "What do you think that I think that you think...?" Mathematically, each level of reflection is represented in the form of an attractor performing the corresponding level of abstraction with more details removed from higher levels. The model can be used to describe the behaviors, not only of biological systems, but also of ecological, social, and economics ones.

Zak, Michail↗
NASA NTRS2019

Bell Inequality Experiment for a High Brightness Time-Energy Entangled Source

A periodically poled MgO - doped LiNbO3 (MgO:LN) non-degenerate photon pair source is utilized for spontaneous parametric down-conversion of 532-nanometer photons into time-energy entangled pairs of 800- and 1600-nanometer photons. The entangled photons are separated using previously detailed sorting optics, such that each wavelength is independently directed through one of two modified Mach-Zehnder interferometers - also known as a Franson interferometer - after which they are fiber-optically guided to high-efficiency photon detectors. Output from the detectors is sent to a high resolution time tagger, where coincidences between the entangled photons are recorded. By varying the length of the long path in one Mach-Zehnder interferometer, it is possible to observe high visibility sinusoidal fringes in the measured coincidence rates (while no variation is seen in single photon detection rates). These fringes - due to interference between the photon probability amplitudes - are indicative of a violation of the Bell inequality, and confirm inconsistencies with local hidden variable theory for the correlations of the time-energy entangled photon pairs.

Time-Energy Entanglement↗
DOE OSTI2022

Magnetic resonance force microscopy with matching frequencies of cantilever and spin

We have studied theoretically magnetic resonance force microscopy with a high-frequency nanomechanical cantilever when the cantilever frequency matches the resonant frequency of a single electron spin. Our analysis shows that in this situation, there is a small probability that the cantilever will oscillate with a large frequency shift. In conclusion, this can open new experimental opportunities for increasing the sensitivity in the detection of a single electron spin or even a single nuclear spin by using a high-frequency cantilever.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS1990

Sounding rocket measurement of the absolute solar EUV flux utilizing a silicon photodiode

A newly developed stable and high quantum efficiency silicon photodiode was used to obtain an accurate measurement of the integrated absolute magnitude of the solar extreme UV photon flux in the spectral region between 50 and 800 A. The adjusted daily 10.7-cm solar radio flux and sunspot number were 168.4 and 121, respectively. The unattenuated absolute value of the solar EUV flux at 1 AU in the specified wavelength region was 6.81 x 10 to the 10th photons/sq cm per s. Based on a nominal probable error of 7 percent for National Institute of Standards and Technology detector efficiency measurements in the 50- to 500-A region (5 percent on longer wavelength measurements between 500 and 1216 A), and based on experimental errors associated with the present rocket instrumentation and analysis, a conservative total error estimate of about 14 percent is assigned to the absolute integral solar flux obtained.

Ogawa, H. S.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Probabilistic Aeroelastic Analysis Developed for Turbomachinery Components

Aeroelastic analyses for advanced turbomachines are being developed for use at the NASA Glenn Research Center and industry. However, these analyses at present are used for turbomachinery design with uncertainties accounted for by using safety factors. This approach may lead to overly conservative designs, thereby reducing the potential of designing higher efficiency engines. An integration of the deterministic aeroelastic analysis methods with probabilistic analysis methods offers the potential to design efficient engines with fewer aeroelastic problems and to make a quantum leap toward designing safe reliable engines. In this research, probabilistic analysis is integrated with aeroelastic analysis: (1) to determine the parameters that most affect the aeroelastic characteristics (forced response and stability) of a turbomachine component such as a fan, compressor, or turbine and (2) to give the acceptable standard deviation on the design parameters for an aeroelastically stable system. The approach taken is to combine the aeroelastic analysis of the MISER (MIStuned Engine Response) code with the FPI (fast probability integration) code. The role of MISER is to provide the functional relationships that tie the structural and aerodynamic parameters (the primitive variables) to the forced response amplitudes and stability eigenvalues (the response properties). The role of FPI is to perform probabilistic analyses by utilizing the response properties generated by MISER. The results are a probability density function for the response properties. The probabilistic sensitivities of the response variables to uncertainty in primitive variables are obtained as a byproduct of the FPI technique. The combined analysis of aeroelastic and probabilistic analysis is applied to a 12-bladed cascade vibrating in bending and torsion. Out of the total 11 design parameters, 6 are considered as having probabilistic variation. The six parameters are space-to-chord ratio (SBYC), stagger angle (GAMA), elastic axis (ELAXS), Mach number (MACH), mass ratio (MASSR), and frequency ratio (WHWB). The cascade is considered to be in subsonic flow with Mach 0.7. The results of the probabilistic aeroelastic analysis are the probability density function of predicted aerodynamic damping and frequency for flutter and the response amplitudes for forced response.

Reddy, T. S. R.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Computing an Optimal Entanglement Path with Throughput and Fidelity Considerations

Entanglement distribution is a core function of quantum networks essential for operations including teleportation, distributed quantum sensing, and multisite computation. Entanglement throughput and fidelity are two critical performance measures that depend on the quantum transmission along the links and swapping operations at the repeaters along the path. We study the problem of computing a end-to-end entanglement path that satisfies both fidelity and throughput requirements, leveraging qubit buffers at the nodes and considering the sequential swapping order. We show that the general problem of simultaneously satisfying both metrics to be NP-hard, and develop an algorithm to maximize throughput subject to a given fidelity threshold. We introduce the concepts of entanglement probability distribution and path domination and exploit them in the design of our algorithm. Extensive numerical results show that our algorithm can find optimal solutions in networks with thousands of nodes in less than a second. We also describe practical and possible implementation aspects of this algorithm in terms of devices and architecture support.

Xue, Guoliang [Arizona State University]↗
DOE OSTI2024

In Situ Local Imaging of Ferromagnetism and Superconductivity in RbEuFe 4 As 4

The coexistence of superconductivity and ferromagnetism is an intrinsically interesting research focus in condensed matter physics but the study is limited by low superconducting (T c ) and magnetic (T m ) transition temperatures in related materials. Here, we used a scanning superconducting quantum interference device to image the in-situ diamagnetic and ferromagnetic responses of RbEuFe 4 As 4 with high T c and T m . We observed significant suppression of superfluid density in vicinity of the magnetic phase transition, signifying fluctuation-enhanced magnetic scatterings between Eu spins and Fe 3d conduction electrons. Intriguingly, we observed multiple ferromagnetic domains which should be absent in an ideal magnetic helical phase. The formation of these domains demonstrates a weak c-axis ferromagnetic component probably arising from Eu spin-canting effect, indicative of possible superconductivity-driven domain Meissner and domain vortex-antivortex phases as revealed in EuFe 2 (As 0.79 P 0.21 ) 2 . Finally, our observations highlight RbEuFe 4 As 4 is a unique system which includes multiple interplay channels between superconductivity and ferromagnetism.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2020

Optimal experimental design for prediction based on push-forward probability measures

Incorporating experimental data is essential for increasing the credibility of simulation-aided decision making and design. This paper presents a method which uses a computational model to guide the optimal acquisition of experimental data to produce data-informed predictions of quantities of interest (QoI). Many strategies for optimal experimental design (OED) select data that maximize some utility that measures the reduction in uncertainty of uncertain model parameters, for example the expected information gain between prior and posterior distributions of these parameters. In this paper, we seek to maximize the expected information gained from the pushforward of an initial (prior) density to the push-forward of the updated (posterior) density through the parameter-to-prediction map. The formulation presented is based upon the solution of a specific class of stochastic inverse problems which seeks a probability density that is consistent with the model and the data in the sense that the push-forward of this density through the parameter-to-observable map matches a target density on the observable data. While this stochastic inverse problem forms the mathematical basis for our approach, we develop a one-step algorithm, focused on push-forward probability measures, that leverages inference-for-prediction to bypass constructing the solution to the stochastic inverse problem. A number of numerical results are presented to demonstrate the utility of this optimal experimental design for prediction and facilitate comparison of our approach with traditional OED.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Iodine recombination in xenon solvent: Clusters in the gas to liquid-like state transition

Supercritical fluids (SCFs) have attracted significant attention as solvents for chemical reactions due to their unique properties, such as high diffusivity, low viscosity, and tunable solvation properties. These properties profoundly influence reaction kinetics and are often attributed to the formation of molecular clusters within SCFs. To study the effect of supercritical solvent on chemical reactivity and dynamics of reactions, one needs to understand the dynamics of clusters in supercritical fluid. Extensive experiments on the photodissociation and recombination of iodine in supercritical fluids served as a model system for understanding these effects. Experimental studies have been complemented by theoretical and computational investigations, which mostly employ Monte Carlo or empirical molecular dynamics simulations. However, computational studies using non-reactive force fields and ab initio approaches present challenges in capturing reactive processes at larger scales within supercritical fluids. Here, in this work, we developed the ReaxFF parameters by training against quantum mechanics data. ReaxFF reactive force field based molecular dynamics simulations were performed, studying the dynamics of a xenon solvent and cage effect at different thermodynamic conditions for the iodine recombination reaction. We show that the conditions near the critical point are the optimal conditions to study the cage effect. We show that the average lifetime of xenon clusters ranging between 5 and 11 ps is comparable to iodine geminate recombination. Our simulation results of iodine recombination in xenon solvent demonstrate the higher probability of iodine molecule formation in the presence of xenon clusters. Finally, we show that the supercritical condition exhibits the highest recombination rate for iodine atoms.

Cage effect↗
DOE OSTI2025

Characterization of uncertainties in electron-argon collision cross sections

Abstract The predictive capability of a plasma discharge model depends on accurate representations of electron-impact collision cross sections, which determine the corresponding reaction rates and electron transport properties. The values of cross sections can be known only approximately either through experiments or simulations and are thus subject to uncertainties. Quantifying the uncertainties in plasma simulations allows us to assess the reliability of simulations and to provide a basis for interpreting discrepancies between simulations and experiments. For such uncertainty quantification of plasma simulations, it is essential to quantify the uncertainties of the underlying cross sections. Although much effort has been committed to calibrate the cross section values, their uncertainties are not well investigated. We characterize uncertainties in electron-argon atom collision cross sections using a Bayesian framework. Six collision processes—elastic momentum transfer, ionization, and four excitations—are characterized with semi-empirical models, which effectively capture the features important to the macroscopic properties of the plasma. A probability model for the uncertain parameters of these semi-empirical models is developed. Specifically, a Gaussian-process likelihood model is proposed to capture discrepancies among data sets, as well as the model-form inadequacies of the semi-empirical models. Two other likelihood models are compared with the proposed Gaussian-process model, to illustrate the importance of the choice of the likelihood model. The cross section models are calibrated using the electron-beam experiments and ab-inito quantum simulations. The resulting calibrated uncertainties capture well the scattering among the data sets. The calibrated cross section models are further validated against swarm-parameter experiments and zero-dimensional Boltzmann equation simulations of widely used cross section datasets.

Chung, Seung Whan (ORCID:0000000302501549)↗
DOE OSTI2020

Theory of the phase transition in random unitary circuits with measurements

Here, we present a theory of the entanglement transition tuned by measurement strength in qudit chains evolved by random unitary circuits and subject to either weak or random projective measurements. The transition can be understood as a nonanalytic change in the amount of information extracted by the measurements about the initial state of the system, quantified by the Fisher information. To compute the von Neumann entanglement entropy $\textit{S}$ and the Fisher information $\mathcal{F}$, we apply a replica method based on a sequence of quantities $\tilde{S}^{(n)}$ and $\mathcal{F}^{(n)}$ that depend on the $\textit{n}$th moments of density matrices and reduce to $\textit{S}$ and $\mathcal{F}$ in the limit $\textit{n}$ → 1. These quantities with $\textit{n}$ ≥ 2 are mapped to free energies of a classical spin model with $\textit{n}$! internal states in two dimensions with specific boundary conditions. In particular, $\tilde{S}^{(n)}$ is the excess free energy of a domain wall terminating on the top boundary, and $\mathcal{F}^{(n)}$ is related to the magnetization on the bottom boundary. Phase transitions occur as the spin models undergo ordering transitions in the bulk. Taking the limit of large local Hilbert space dimension $\textit{q}$ followed by the replica limit $\textit{n}$ → 1, we obtain the critical measurement probability $p_c$ = 1/2 and identify the transition as a bond percolation in the 2D square lattice in this limit. Finally, we show there is no phase transition if the measurements are allowed in an arbitrary nonlocal basis, thereby highlighting the relation between the phase transition and information scrambling. We establish an explicit connection between the entanglement phase transition and the purification dynamics of a mixed state evolution and discuss implications of our results to experimental observations of the transition and simulability of quantum dynamics.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Generation of arbitrary probability distributions from chaotic dynamics

A framework is developed to derive nonlinear dynamical systems that chaotically generate arbitrary multivariate probability distributions with smooth, deterministic trajectories. Herein, the ideas are used to extend the Nosé-Hoover thermostat methodology to three-dimensional cases where the momentum distribution is nonisotropic and/or non-Gaussian. Toy models that generate several well-known distributions in physics are given as pedagogical examples.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS2015

L'CO/LFIR Relations with CO Rotational Ladders of Galaxies Across the Herschel SPIRE Archive

We present a catalog of all CO (carbon monoxide) (J (total angular momentum quantum number) equals 1-0 through J equals 13-12), [CI], and [NII] lines available from extragalactic spectra from the Herschel SPIRE (Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver) Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) archive combined with observations of the low-J CO lines from the literature and from the Arizona Radio Observatory. This work examines the relationships between L (sub FIR (Far Infra Red)), L prime (sub CO), and L (sub CO) / L (sub CO, 1-0). We also present a new method for estimating probability distribution functions (PDFs) from marginal signal-to-noise ratio Herschel FTS spectra, which takes into account the instrumental "ringing" and the resulting highly correlated nature of the spectra. The slopes of Log (L (sub FIR)) versus Log (L prime (sub CO)) are linear for all mid- to high-J CO lines. The mid- to high-J CO luminosity relative to CO J equals 1-0 increases with increasing L (sub FIR), indicating higher excitement of the molecular gas, though these ratios do not exceed approximately 100. The luminosities relative to CO J equals 1-0 remain relatively at from J equals 6-5 through J equals13-2, across many orders of magnitude of L (sub FIR). Qualitative comparisons to current theoretical models do not match these flat SLED (spectral line energy distributions) shapes, indicating the need for more comprehensive modeling of the excitation processes of warm molecular gas in nearby galaxies.

Submillimeter Data↗
NASA NTRS1990

The photochemical origins of life and photoreaction of ferrous ion in the archaean oceans

A general argument is made for the photochemical origins of life. A constant flux of free energy is required to maintain the organized state of matter called life. Solar photons are the unique source of the large amounts of energy probably required to initiate this organization and certainly required for the evolution of life to occur. The completion of this argument will require the experimental determination of suitable photochemical reactions. It is shown that biogenetic porphyrins readily photooxidize substrates and emit hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst. These results are consistent with the Granick hypothesis, which relates a biosynthetic pathway to its evolutionary origin. It has been shown that photoexcitation of ferrous ion at neutral pH with near ultraviolet light produces hydrogen with high quantum yield. This same simple system may reduce carbon dioxide to formaldehyde and further products. These reactions offer a solution to the dilemma confronting the Oparin-Urey-Miller model of the chemical origin of life. If carbon dioxide is the main form of carbon on the primitive earth, the ferrous photoreaction may provide the reduced carbon necessary for the formation of amino acids and other biogenic molecules. These results suggest that this progenitor of modern photosynthesis may have contributed to the chemical origins of life.

Mauzerall, David C.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Building materials genome from ground‐state configuration to engineering advance

Individual phases are commonly considered as the building blocks of materials. However, the accurate theoretical prediction of properties of individual phases remains elusive. The top-down approach by decoding genomic building blocks of individual phases from experimental observations is nonunique. The density functional theory (DFT), as a state-of-the-art solution of quantum mechanics, prescribes the existence of a ground-state configuration at 0 K for a given system. It is self-evident that the ground-state configuration alone is insufficient to describe a phase at finite temperatures as symmetry-breaking non-ground-state configurations are excited statistically at temperatures above 0 K. Our multiscale entropy approach (recently terms as Zentropy theory) postulates that the entropy of a phase is composed of the sum of the entropy of each configuration weighted by its probability plus the configurational entropy among all configurations. Consequently, the partition function of each configuration in statistical mechanics needs to be evaluated by its free energy rather than total energy. The combination of the ground-state and symmetry-breaking non-ground-state configurations represents the building blocks of materials and can be used to quantitatively predict free energy of individual phases with the free energy of each configuration predicted from DFT as well as all properties derived from free energy of individual phases.

CALPHAD↗
DOE OSTI2022

Measurement of the energy asymmetry in $t\bar{t} j$ production at 13 TeV with the ATLAS experiment and interpretation in the SMEFT framework

A measurement of the energy asymmetry in jet-associated top-quark pair production is presented using 139fb -1 of data collected by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider during pp collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ =13TeV. The observable measures the different probability of top and antitop quarks to have the higher energy as a function of the jet scattering angle with respect to the beam axis. The energy asymmetry is measured in the semileptonic $t\bar{t}$ decay channel, and the hadronically decaying top quark must have transverse momentum above 350GeV. The results are corrected for detector effects to particle level in three bins of the scattering angle of the associated jet. The measurement agrees with the SM prediction at next-to-leading-order accuracy in quantum chromodynamics in all three bins. In the bin with the largest expected asymmetry, where the jet is emitted perpendicular to the beam, the energy asymmetry is measured to be -0.043 ± 0.020, in agreement with the SM prediction of -0.037 ± 0.003. Interpreting this result in the framework of the Standard Model effective field theory (SMEFT), it is shown that the energy asymmetry is sensitive to the top-quark chirality in four-quark operators and is therefore a valuable new observable in global SMEFT fits.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
NASA NTRS1988

Electronic excitation and quenching of atoms at insulator surfaces

A trajectory-based semiclassical method is used to study electronically inelastic collisions of gas atoms with insulator surfaces. The method provides for quantum-mechanical treatment of the internal electronic dynamics of a localized region involving the gas/surface collision, and a classical treatment of all the nuclear degrees of freedom (self-consistently and in terms of stochastic trajectories), and includes accurate simulation of the bath-temperature effects. The method is easy to implement and has a generality that holds promise for many practical applications. The problem of electronically inelastic dynamics is solved by computing a set of stochastic trajectories that on thermal averaging directly provide electronic transition probabilities at a given temperature. The theory is illustrated by a simple model of a two-state gas/surface interaction.

Swaminathan, P. K.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Reactive Resonances in N+N2 Exchange Reaction

Rich reactive resonances are found in a 3D quantum dynamics study of the N + N2 exchange reaction using a recently developed ab initio potential energy surface. This surface is characterized by a feature in the interaction region called Lake Eyring , that is, two symmetric transition states with a shallow minimum between them. An L2 analysis of the quasibound states associated with the shallow minimum confirms that the quasibound states associated with oscillations in all three degrees of freedom in Lake Eyring are responsible for the reactive resonances in the state-to-state reaction probabilities. The quasibound states, mostly the bending motions, give rise to strong reasonance peaks, whereas other motions contribute to the bumps and shoulders in the resonance structure. The initial state reaction probability further proves that the bending motions are the dominating factors of the reaction probability and have longer life times than the stretching motions. This is the first observation of reactive resonances from a "Lake Eyring" feature in a potential energy surface.

Wang, Dunyou↗