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Abstract Fine‐grained sediments limit hydrate nucleation, shift the phase boundary, and hinder gas supply. Laboratory experiments in this study explore different strategies to overcome these challenges, including the use of a more soluble guest molecule rather than methane, grain‐scale gas‐storage within porous diatoms, ice‐to‐hydrate transformation to grow lenses at predefined locations, forced gas injection into water saturated sediments, and long‐term guest molecule transport. Tomographic images and thermal and pressure data provide rich information on hydrate formation and morphology. Results show that hydrate formation is inherently displacive in fine‐grained sediments; lenses are thicker and closer to each other in compressible, high specific surface area sediments subjected to low effective stress. Temperature and pressure trajectories follow a shifted phase boundary that is consistent with capillary effects. Exo‐pore growth results in freshly formed hydrate with a striped and porous structure; this open structure becomes an effective pathway for gas transport to the growing hydrate front. Ice‐to‐hydrate transformation goes through a liquid stage at premelt temperatures; then, capillarity and cryogenic suction compete, and some water becomes imbibed into the sediment faster than hydrate reformation. The geometry of hydrate lenses and the internal hydrate structure continue evolving long after the exothermal response to hydrate formation has completely decayed. Multiple time‐dependent processes occur during hydrate formation, including gas, water and heat transport, sediment compressibility, reaction rate, and the stochastic nucleation process. Hydrate formation strategies conceived for this study highlight the inherent difficulties in emulating hydrate formation in fine‐grained sediments within the relatively short time scale available for laboratory experiments.
In past work a measurement system for the in-line acquisition of material properties was developed at IVP. This system is based on the non-destructive eddy-current principle. Using this system, a 100% control of material properties of the processed material is possible. The system can be used for ferromagnetic materials like standard steels as well as paramagnetic materials like Aluminum and stainless steel. Used as an in-line measurement system, it can be configured as a stand-alone system to control material properties and sort out inapplicable material or as part of a control system of the forming process. In both cases, the acquired data can be used as input data for numerical simulations, e.g. stochastic simulations based on real world data.
Research Highlights: > We study the model of a quantum oscillator linearly coupled to a bath of oscillators. > We derive the master equation and solutions for general spectra and temperatures. > We generalize to cases with an external force and arbitrary number of oscillators. > Other derivations have incorrect diffusion and force response for nonlocal damping. > We give exact results for ohmic, sub-ohmic and supra-ohmic environments. - Abstract: We revisit the model of a quantum Brownian oscillator linearly coupled to an environment of quantum oscillators at finite temperature. By introducing a compact and particularly well-suited formulation, we give a rather quick and direct derivation of the master equation and its solutions for general spectral functions and arbitrary temperatures. The flexibility of our approach allows for an immediate generalization to cases with an external force and with an arbitrary number of Brownian oscillators. More importantly, we point out an important mathematical subtlety concerning boundary-value problems for integro-differential equations which led to incorrect master equation coefficients and impacts on the description of nonlocal dissipation effects in all earlier derivations. Furthermore, we provide explicit, exact analytical results for the master equation coefficients and its solutions in a wide variety of cases, including ohmic, sub-ohmic and supra-ohmic environments with a finite cut-off.
Decoherence between qubits is a major bottleneck in quantum computations. Decoherence results from intrinsic quantum and thermal fluctuations as well as noise in the external fields that perform the measurement and preparation processes. With prescribed colored noise spectra for intrinsic and extrinsic noise, we present a numerical method, Quantum Accelerated Stochastic Propagator Evaluation (Q-ASPEN), to solve the time-dependent noise-averaged reduced density matrix in the presence of intrinsic and extrinsic noise. Q-ASPEN is arbitrarily accurate and can be applied to provide estimates for the resources needed to error-correct quantum computations. We employ spectral tensor trains, which combine the advantages of tensor networks and pseudospectral methods, as a variational ansatz to the quantum relaxation problem and optimize the ansatz using methods typically used to train neural networks. Here, the spectral tensor trains in Q-ASPEN make accurate calculations with tens of quantum levels feasible. We present benchmarks for Q-ASPEN on the spin-boson model in the presence of intrinsic noise and on a quantum chain of up to 32 sites in the presence of extrinsic noise. In our benchmark, the memory cost of Q-ASPEN scales as a low-order polynomial in the size of the system once the number of system states surpasses the number of basis functions used in the spectral expansion.
We investigate the scaling of decoherence rates and their dynamical suppression with the number N of qubits in various entangled states. Remarkably, for sufficiently large N, coherence time is always in the Zeno regime. This changes the scaling to the square root of the Markov-regime scaling. We find that a simple and effective control strategy is to locally modulate the individual qubits and thereby not only suppress the decoherence rate of each qubit, but also reduce the decoherence scaling of entangled states that are particularly fragile, from N{sup 2} to N, resulting in a dramatic reduction of the decoherence (by orders of magnitude). Surprisingly, the conditions for the effectiveness of such decoherence control are independent of N.
Entangled qubit pairs can serve as a quantum memory or as a resource for quantum communication. The utility of such pairs is measured by how long they take to disentangle or decohere. To answer the question of whether qubit-qubit interactions can prolong entanglement, we calculate the dissipative dynamics of a pair of qubits coupled via the exchange interaction in the presence of random telegraph noise and 1/f noise. We show that for maximally entangled (Bell) states, the exchange interaction generally suppresses decoherence and disentanglement. This suppression is more apparent for random telegraph noise if the noise is non-Markovian, whereas for 1/f noise the exchange interaction should be comparable in magnitude to the strongest noise source. The entangled singlet-triplet superposition state of two qubits ({psi}{sub {+-}} Bell state) can be protected by the interaction, while for the triplet-triplet state ({phi}{sub {+-}} Bell state), it is less effective. Thus the former is more suitable for encoding quantum information.
Here we develop a deep learning-based infrasonic detection and categorization methodology that uses convolutional neural networks with self-attention layers to identify stationary and non-stationary signals in infrasound array processing results. Using features extracted from the coherence and direction-of-arrival information from beamforming at different infrasound arrays, our model more reliably detects signals compared with raw waveform data. Using three infrasound stations maintained as part of the International Monitoring System, we construct an analyst-reviewed data set for model training and evaluation. We construct models using a 4-category framework, a generalized noise vs non-noise detection scheme, and a signal-of-interest (SOI) categorization framework that merges short duration stationary and non-stationary categories into a single SOI category. We evaluate these models using a combination of k-fold cross-validation, comparison with an existing “state-of-the-art” detector, and a transportability analysis. Although results are mixed in distinguishing stationary and non-stationary short duration signals, f-scores for the noise vs non-noise and SOI analyses are consistently above 0.96, implying that deep learning-based infrasonic categorization is a highly accurate means of identifying signals-of-interest in infrasonic data records.
The role of new Earth-based radio metric data types and of advanced estimation algorithms in navigating an outer planet spacecraft in the vicinity of Saturn has been analyzed. The data types included in the study consist of conventional range and range-rate measurements taken from a single station and simultaneous and nearly simultaneous measurements obtained from pairs of stations during overlapping viewing periods. The utility of a third data set that is produced by explicitly differencing the simultaneous points has also been investigated. The data was processed with a conventional least squares batch filter and with a sequential filter that estimated parameters describing small stochastic accelerations (process noise) acting on the spacecraft. It was found that process noise can produce large errors in the estimates obtained from batch filtering conventional and simultaneous data, and that the only batch filtered estimates that were reliable were those obtained from differenced data. The performance of the simultaneous data in the presence of process noise is greatly improved by sequential filtering.
A model that is sufficiently general to describe the predominant statistical characteristics of the output of many real optical detectors is formulated. This model is used to study the optimum receiver processing for direct-detection optical communication systems. In particular, the structures of detectors and estimators for filtered doubly stochastic Poisson processes (DSPP) observed in additive white Gaussian noise are considered. Representations for the posterior statistics of a vector Markov process that modulates the intensity of the DSPP are obtained.
South Pacific subtropical density compensated temperature and salinity (spiciness) anomalies are known to be associated with decadal equatorial variability, however, the mechanisms by which such disturbances are generated, advect and the degree to which they modulate the equatorial thermocline remains controversial. During the late 1970's a climate regime transition preceded a period of strong and sustained El Nino events. Using an ocean general circulation model forced by the constituent mechanical and thermodynamic components of the reanalysed atmosphere we show that the late 1970's transition coincided with the arrival of a large-scale, subsurface cold and fresh water anomaly in the central tropical Pacific. An ocean reanalysis for the period 1990–2007 that assimilates subsurface Argo, XBT and CTD data, reveals that disturbances occur due to the subduction of negative surface salinity anomalies from near 30° S, 100° W which are advected along the σ=25–26 kgm{sup −3} isopycnal surfaces. These anomalies take, on average, seven years to reach the central equatorial Pacific where they may substantially perturb the thermocline before the remnants ultimately ventilate in the region of the western Pacific warm pool. Positive (warm–salty) disturbances, known to occur due to late winter diapycnal mixing and isopycnal outcropping, arise due to both subduction of subtropical mode waters and subsurface injection. On reaching the equatorial band (10° S–0° S) these disturbances tend to deepen the thermocline reducing the model's ENSO. In contrast the emergence of negative (cold–fresh) disturbances at the equator are associated with a shoaling of the thermocline and El Nino events. Process studies are used to show that the generation and advection of anomalous density compensated thermocline disturbances critically depend on stochastic forcing of the intrinsic ocean by weather. We further show that in the absence of the inter-annual component of the atmosphere forcing Central Pacific El Nino events are manifest.
Pade spectrum decomposition is an optimal sum-over-poles expansion scheme of Fermi function and Bose function [J. Hu, R. X. Xu, and Y. J. Yan, J. Chem. Phys. 133, 101106 (2010)]. In this work, we report two additional members to this family, from which the best among all sum-over-poles methods could be chosen for different cases of application. Methods are developed for determining these three Pade spectrum decomposition expansions at machine precision via simple algorithms. We exemplify the applications of present development with optimal construction of hierarchical equations-of-motion formulations for nonperturbative quantum dissipation and quantum transport dynamics. Numerical demonstrations are given for two systems. One is the transient transport current to an interacting quantum-dots system, together with the involved high-order co-tunneling dynamics. Another is the non-Markovian dynamics of a spin-boson system.
The Transit Ephemeris Refinement and Monitoring Survey conducts radial velocity and photometric monitoring of known exoplanets in order to refine planetary orbits and predictions of possible transit times. This effort is primarily directed toward planets not known to transit, but a small sample of our targets consists of known transiting systems. Here we present precision photometry for six WASP (Wide Angle Search for Planets) planets acquired during their transit windows. We perform a Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis for each planet and combine these data with previous measurements to redetermine the period and ephemerides for these planets. These observations provide recent mid-transit times which are useful for scheduling future observations. Our results improve the ephemerides of WASP-4b, WASP-5b, and WASP-6b and reduce the uncertainties on the mid-transit time for WASP-29b. We also confirm the orbital, stellar, and planetary parameters of all six systems.
We consider two recently proposed measures of non-Markovianity applied to a particular quantum process describing the dynamics of a driven qubit in a structured reservoir. The motivation for this study is twofold: on one hand, we study the differences and analogies of the non-Markovianity measures, and on the other hand, we investigate the effect of the driving force on the dissipative dynamics of the qubit. In particular we ask if the driving force introduces new channels for energy and/or information transfer between the system and the environment or if it amplifies existing ones. We show under which conditions the presence of the driving force slows down the inevitable loss of quantum properties of the qubit.
Using recently proposed measures for non-Markovianity [H.-P. Breuer, E. M. Laine, and J. Piilo, Phys. Rev. Lett. 103, 210401 (2009)], we study the dynamics of a qubit coupled to a spin environment via an energy-exchange mechanism. We show the existence of a point, in the parameter space of the system, where the qubit dynamics is effectively Markovian and that such a point separates two regions with completely different dynamical behaviors. Indeed, our study demonstrates that the qubit evolution can in principle be tuned from a perfectly forgetful one to a deep non-Markovian regime where the qubit is strongly affected by the dynamical backaction of the environmental spins. By means of a theoretical quantum process tomography analysis, we provide a complete and intuitive characterization of the qubit channel.
We show that a parametrically coupled qubit can be used to fully reconstruct the quantum state of a harmonic oscillator even when both systems are subject to decoherence. By controlling the coupling strength of the qubit over time, the characteristic function of the oscillator at any phase-space point can be directly measured by combining the expectation values of two Pauli operators. The effect of decoherence can be filtered out from the measured data, provided a sufficient number of experimental runs are performed. In situations where full state reconstruction is not practical or not necessary, the method can still be used to estimate low-order moments of the mechanical quadratures. We also show that in the same framework it is possible to prepare superposition states of the oscillator. The model is very general but particularly appropriate for nanomechanical systems.
Directional detection is a promising dark matter search strategy. Indeed, weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP)-induced recoils would present a direction dependence toward the Cygnus constellation, while background-induced recoils exhibit an isotropic distribution in the Galactic rest frame. Taking advantage of these characteristic features, and even in the presence of a sizeable background, it has recently been shown that data from forthcoming directional detectors could lead either to a competitive exclusion or to a conclusive discovery, depending on the value of the WIMP-nucleon cross section. However, it is possible to further exploit these upcoming data by using the strong dependence of the WIMP signal with: the WIMP mass and the local WIMP velocity distribution. Using a Markov chain Monte Carlo analysis of recoil events, we show for the first time the possibility to constrain the unknown WIMP parameters, both from particle physics (mass and cross section) and Galactic halo (velocity dispersion along the three axis), leading to an identification of non-baryonic dark matter.
Purpose: To compare plans for NSCLC optimized using Dynamic Adaptive Therapy (DAT) with conventional IMRT optimization. DAT adapts plans based on changes in the target volume by using dynamic programing techniques to consider expected changes into the optimization process. Information gathered during treatment, e.g. from CBCT, is incorporated into the optimization. Methods and materials: DAT is formulated using stochastic control formalism, which minimizes the total expected number of tumor cells at the end of a treatment course subject to uncertainty inherent in the tumor response and organs-at-risk (OAR) dose constraints. This formulation allows for non-stationary dose distribution as well as non-stationary fractional dose as needed to achieve a series of optimal plans that are conformal to tumor over time. Sixteen phantom cases with various sizes and locations of tumors, and OAR geometries were generated. Each case was planned with DAT and conventional IMRT (60Gy/30fx). Tumor volume change over time was obtained by using, daily MVCT-based, two-level cell population model. Monte Carlo simulations have been performed for each treatment course to account for uncertainty in tumor response. Same OAR dose constraints were applied for both methods. The frequency of plan modification was varied to 1, 2, 5 (weekly), and 29 (daily). The final average tumor dose and OAR doses have been compared to quantify the potential benefit of DAT. Results: The average tumor max, min, mean, and D95 resulted from DAT were 124.0–125.2%, 102.1–114.7%, 113.7–123.4%, and 102.0–115.9% (range dependent on the frequency of plan modification) of those from conventional IMRT. Cord max, esophagus max, lung mean, heart mean, and unspecified tissue D05 resulted from AT were 84–102.4%, 99.8–106.9%, 66.9–85.6%, 58.2–78.8%, and 85.2–94.0% of those from conventional IMRT. Conclusions: Significant tumor dose increase and OAR dose reduction, especially with parallel OAR with mean or dose-volume constraints, can be achieved using DAT.