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Ana Palacios

Publications and source records attributed to Ana Palacios.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

Preparation of a Bell state in an analogue device hosting the transverse-field Ising model

We propose a protocol for preparing the singlet Bell state in an analogue device implementing the transverse-field Ising model with ZZ interactions and local X and Z fields, which can be engineered within the superconducting platform, among others. This protocol is performed by direct control of the terms of the Hamiltonian alone. The method exploits the fact that the singlet state is the first excited state of a symmetric Hamiltonian family, and comprises two steps: an adiabatic interpolation preparing the ground state of said symmetric Hamiltonian, followed by the resonant population transfer between its two lowest energy levels. For realistic parameters, the protocol achieves fidelities comparable to standard gate-based preparation within similar time scales ($\sim$100 ns), and can reach infidelities on the order of $10^{-4}$ with a moderately increased duration. We further analyse robustness against systematic control errors and show that high fidelities are maintained under implementation imperfections.

quant-ph

Closest Accessible Symmetry reduction: a tool for Hamiltonian interpolation analysis

We introduce a framework for analysing the spectrum of Hamiltonian interpolations without heavily relying on discretising the interpolation parameter. The method is based on the concept of accessible symmetries: a problem-class-dependent family of certifiable reflections that induce bipartitions of the Hilbert space. At each step, the interpolation Hamiltonian is projected onto the sectors of the accessible symmetry that is closest to being satisfied, yielding a hierarchy of weakly coupled pseudo-eigenspaces together with explicit residual couplings between them. We show that this representation captures qualitative signatures of quantum phase transitions, provides estimates of their location, and offers insights into their nature. The quality of the approximation is controlled by the compatibility between the accessible symmetry family and the problem instance. Although motivated in spirit by adiabatic quantum computation, our approach applies more broadly to the study of Hamiltonian phase diagrams, providing a new perspective on the spectral reorganisation of many-body quantum systems.

quant-ph

Wolf-Rayet stellar evolution models with improved treatment of the atmosphere

Evolutionary models of massive stars are quasi-exclusively computed using an Eddington gray atmosphere. This approximation does not accurately describe the complex physical phenomena occurring in the atmosphere of massive stars. We aim to include state-of-the-art atmosphere models in the evolution computations of massive stars and test how the Wolf-Rayet phase is impacted. We computed the evolution of Galactic massive stars with the code STAREVOL. During the advanced phases of evolution, we applied outer boundary conditions interpolated within a grid of CMFGEN model atmospheres at each time step. The effective temperature and effective gravity were extracted from the atmosphere models. We then compared the resulting evolutionary tracks with classical calculations assuming Eddington gray atmospheres. We find that including detailed model atmospheres has a significant impact on the effective radius and temperature of the models during the later stages of the evolution. The effective temperatures of the evolution models computed with detailed model atmospheres are greatly reduced and in better agreement with observations of Wolf-Rayet stars. On the other hand, the internal structure of the models is barely affected by the choice of the atmosphere. We show that applying post-processing corrections on effective temperature and gravity is a method equivalent to our direct inclusion of atmosphere models in evolutionary calculations. The inclusion of detailed atmosphere models in the computation of evolutionary models is necessary to correctly reproduce the position of evolved massive stars in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. However, this has no impact on the internal and chemical evolution.

astro-ph.SR

Signatures of Very Massive Stars in the Epoch of Reionization

We present ultra-deep ($\simeq 20-30$ hours), rest-frame UV spectroscopy with NIRSpec/JWST of two UV-bright galaxies at $z\sim 8.7$, CEERS-1019 and CEERS-1025 ($Z_{\rm neb} \simeq 0.1 Z_{\odot}$), obtained as part of the JWST Cycle 4 SPURS large program. The spectra reveal exceptionally strong P-Cygni profiles in wind lines (NV $\lambda$1240 and CIV $\lambda$1550) and significant broad and strong HeII $\lambda$1640 emission ($\rm EW\simeq 2-4$ A). We compare the observations with synthetic stellar population models at $Z_{\star} \simeq 0.1 Z_{\odot}$, both including and excluding very massive stars (VMS). Models including VMS provide a markedly improved fit to the data relative to non-VMS models ($\Delta$AIC and $\Delta$BIC $> 70$), which fail to reproduce the observed strengths of the wind features. A comparison with empirical spectra of VMS-dominated systems in the local Universe further supports this interpretation. The best-fit VMS models imply extremely young ages of the stellar populations ($\simeq 1.5-2.0$Myr) and high ionizing photon production efficiencies ($\log \xi_{\rm ion} [\rm Hz erg^{-1}] \gtrsim 25.8$), exceeding those inferred from non-VMS models by $\sim 0.1-0.2$ dex. These results provide evidence for an overabundance of VMS at high-$z$ with an IMF extending well beyond $100 M_{\odot}$, and highlight their potential role in shaping the rest-frame UV spectra, chemical enrichment, and ionizing output of galaxies in the early Universe.

astro-ph.GA

Spectrophotometry in the integrated light of multiple populations in globular clusters

There is vast evidence from observations of multiple stellar populations (MPs) in globular clusters (GCs). To explore the issue theoretically, this work considers two subsolar metallicities, two ages, and two initial abundance patterns: a first population of standard $\alpha$-enhanced metal mixture stars and a second stellar population displaying C-N and Na-O anticorrelations chemical abundance patterns, along with an enhanced helium fraction. Analysing the predictions for these extreme compositions, we provide insights into the observability of not-resolved MPs into individual stars of GCs. We use colours and spectrophotometric indices measurable with modern facilities (e.g. Euclid, LSST, DES, JWST).

astro-ph.GA

Quantum annealing eigensolver as a NISQ era tool for probing strong correlation effects in quantum chemistry

The quantum-classical hybrid variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) algorithm is arguably the most popular noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) era approach to quantum chemistry. We consider the underexplored quantum annealing eigensolver (QAE) algorithm as a worthy alternative. We use a combination of numerical calculations for a system where strong correlation effects dominate, and conclusions drawn from our preliminary scaling analysis for QAE and VQE to make the case for QAE as a NISQ era contender to VQE for quantum chemistry. For the former, we pick the representative example of computing avoided crossings in the H4 molecule in a rectangular geometry, and demonstrate that we obtain results to within about 1.2% of the full configuration interaction value on the D-Wave Advantage system 4.1 hardware. We carry out analyses on the effect of the number of shots, anneal time, and the choice of Lagrange multiplier on our obtained results. Following our numerical results, we carry out a detailed yet preliminary analysis of the scaling behaviours of both the QAE and the VQE algorithms. We analyze the non-recurring and recurring costs involved in both the algorithms and arrive at their net scaling behaviours.

physics.chem-ph

Role of coherence in many-body Quantum Reservoir Computing

Quantum Reservoir Computing (QRC) offers potential advantages over classical reservoir computing, including inherent processing of quantum inputs and a vast Hilbert space for state exploration. Yet, the relation between the performance of reservoirs based on complex and many-body quantum systems and non-classical state features is not established. Through an extensive analysis of QRC based on a transverse-field Ising model we show how different quantum effects, such as quantum coherence and correlations, contribute to improving the performance in temporal tasks, as measured by the Information Processing Capacity. Additionally, we critically assess the impact of finite measurement resources and noise on the reservoir's dynamics in different regimes, quantifying the limited ability to exploit quantum effects for increasing damping and noise strengths. Our results reveal a monotonic relationship between reservoir performance and coherence, along with the importance of quantum effects in the ergodic regime.

quant-ph

The origins of the magnetic field in tip-RGB, AGB and post-AGB stars

During the last decade and a half, the new generation spectropolarimeter Narval at Pic du Midi, France allowed the study of weak magnetic fields in cool giant stars that are fairly evolved after main sequence. We present a short summary on the recent knowledge on the magnetic fields and activity in giants situated in the upper right part of the Hertzsprung-Russel (H-R) diagram and discuss on the possible mechanisms for magnetic field generation in the asymptotic giants branch (AGB) and post-AGB stars.

astro-ph.SR

A scalable 2-local architecture for quantum annealing of Ising models with arbitrary dimensions

Achieving densely connected hardware graphs is a challenge for most quantum computing platforms today, and a particularly crucial one for the case of quantum annealing applications. In this context, we present a scalable architecture for quantum annealers to realize effective Ising Hamiltonians of arbitrary connectivity. Our proposal consists on a resource-efficient configuration based on a hardware graph where physical qubits are connected to at most other 3 and containing exclusively 2-local interactions. We derive this configuration based on chains of qubits encoding logical variables by describing the problem graph in terms of triangles. We thus present a promising new route to scale up devices dedicated to classical optimization tasks within the quantum annealing paradigm.

quant-ph

A coherent view of Li depletion and angular momentum transport to explain the Li plateau -- from Population II to Population I stars

Unraveling the cosmological Li problem - the discrepancy between Big Bang nucleosynthesis predictions and observed values in the Spite plateau - requires a comprehensive exploration of stellar evolution. In this study, we utilized the code STAREVOL to compute the stellar evolution models with atomic diffusion, rotation-induced processes, parametric turbulence, and additional viscosity. We calibrated the models to fit the abundance of Li in Population II stars selected from the GALAH DR3 spectroscopic survey and literature compilation based on their chemical composition. The calibration reveals the significance of parametric turbulence in counteracting atomic diffusion effects. These models predict the constancy of the Spite plateau as a function of $T_\mathrm{eff}$ and [Fe/H] which agrees with the observational trend found after a detailed selection of dwarf non-peculiar stars. Other dwarfs that lie below the Spite plateau are either CEMP or have other types of chemical peculiarities, reinforcing the notion of their environmental origin. The Li abundance near the Spite plateau of the most Fe-deficient star, J0023+0307, which is not CEMP, provides additional evidence for the stellar depletion solution of the Li cosmological problem. Also, our models predict a transition from Li constancy at low metallicities to dispersion at high metallicities which is seen in observations. In addition, we extend our analysis to include a comparison with observational data from the globular cluster NGC 6752, showcasing excellent agreement between model predictions and Li and Mg trends in post-turnoff stars. This opens avenues for refining the estimates of initial Li abundance in metal-rich globular clusters which would help to constrain Li evolution in the Milky Way.

astro-ph.SR

Lithium depletion and angular momentum transport in F-type and G-type stars in Galactic open clusters

Open clusters provide clues to understand the evolution of Li7 at the surface of low-mass stars and its possible correlation with stellar rotation, which is a challenge for both stellar hydrodynamics and Galactic chemical evolution. We aim to quantify the efficiency of the transport processes for both angular momentum and chemicals that are required to explain simultaneously the observed behaviour of surface Li7 and rotation as well as the internal rotation profiles inferred from helio- and asteroseismology in F- and G-type main sequence stars. We apply the model for the transport of angular momentum and chemicals that we tailored in a previous work for solar-type stars to an extended range of initial masses and metallicities corresponding to F- an G-type stars in a sample of 20 Galactic open clusters. We evaluate its ability to explain the Li7, Be9, and rotation periods observations. Over the entire range of masses, metallicities, and ages explored, we reproduce the evolution of the surface rotation rates and predict, for the first time, the observed anti-correlation between the surface rotation rate and Li7 depletion as a consequence of the penetrative convection prescription. However, the ability of the model to reproduce the so-called Li7 dip centred around 6600K strongly depends on the adopted prescriptions for shear turbulence. It also requires a stellar mass dependence for the viscosity adopted for the transport of angular momentum, similar to the behaviour predicted for the generation and luminosity of internal gravity waves generated by stellar convective envelopes. We provide an efficient way to model G-type stars of different ages and metallicities successfully. However, the Li7 and Be9 dip constraints call for further hydrodynamical studies to better model turbulence in stars.

astro-ph.SR

Anisotropic turbulent transport in stably stratified rotating stellar radiation zones

Rotation is one of the key physical mechanisms that deeply impact the evolution of stars. Helio- and asteroseismology reveal a strong extraction of angular momentum from stellar radiation zones over the whole Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. Turbulent transport in differentially rotating stably stratified stellar radiation zones should be carefully modeled and its strength evaluated. Stratification and rotation imply that this turbulent transport is anisotropic. Only phenomenological prescriptions have been proposed for the transport in the horizontal direction, which however constitutes a cornerstone in current theoretical formalisms for stellar hydrodynamics in evolution codes. We derive a new theoretical prescription for the anisotropy of the turbulent transport in radiation zones using a spectral formalism for turbulence that takes simultaneously stable stratification, rotation, and a radial shear into account. Then, the horizontal turbulent transport resulting from 3D turbulent motions sustained by the instability of the radial differential rotation is derived. We implement this framework in the stellar evolution code STAREVOL and quantify its impact on the rotational and structural evolution of low-mass stars from the pre-main-sequence to the red giant branch. The anisotropy of the turbulent transport scales as $N^4τ^2/\left(2Ω^2\right)$, $N$ and $Ω$ being the buoyancy and rotation frequencies respectively and $τ$ a time characterizing the source of turbulence. This leads to a horizontal turbulent transport of similar strength in average that those obtained with previously proposed prescriptions even if it can be locally larger below the convective envelope. As a consequence, a complementary transport mechanism like internal gravity waves or magnetic fields is still needed to explain the observed strong transport of angular momentum along stellar evolution.

astro-ph.SR

Magnetic field structure in single late-type giants: The weak G-band giant 37 Comae from 2008 to 2011

This work studies the magnetic activity of the late-type giant 37 Com. This star belongs to the group of weak G-band stars that present very strong carbon deficiency in their photospheres. The paper is a part of a global investigation into the properties and origin of magnetic fields in cool giants. We use spectropolarimetric data, which allows the simultaneous measurement of the longitudinal magnetic field $B_{l}$, line activity indicators (H$α$, Ca\,{\sc ii} IRT, S-index) and radial velocity of the star, and consequently perform a direct comparison of their time variability. Mean Stokes V profiles are extracted using the least squares deconvolution (LSD) method. One map of the surface magnetic field of the star is reconstructed via the Zeeman Doppler imaging (ZDI) inversion technique. A periodogram analysis is performed on our dataset and it reveals a rotation period of 111 days. We interpret this period to be the rotation period of 37 Com. The reconstructed magnetic map reveals that the structure of the surface magnetic field is complex and features a significant toroidal component. The time variability of the line activity indicators, radial velocity and magnetic field $B_{l}$ indicates a possible evolution of the surface magnetic structures in the period from 2008 to 2011. For completeness of our study, we use customized stellar evolutionary models suited to a weak G-band star. Synthetic spectra are also calculated to confirm the peculiar abundance of 37 Com. We deduce that 37 Com is a 6.5~$M_{\odot}$ weak G-band star located in the Hertzsprung gap, whose magnetic activity is probably due to dynamo action.

astro-ph.SR

Impacts of stellar evolution and dynamics on the habitable zone: The role of rotation and magnetic activity

In this article, we aim to provide the community with the dependence of the habitable zone upon the stellar mass, metallicity, rotation, and for various prescriptions of the limits of the habitable zone. We use the STAREVOL code to study the evolution of the habitable zone and of the continuously habitable zone limits. Mass and metallicity are the stellar parameters that have the most dramatic effects on the habitable zone limits. Conversely, for a given stellar mass and metallicity, stellar rotation has only a marginal effect on these limits and does not modify the width of the habitable zone. The evolution of the habitable zone limits is also correlated to the evolution of the stellar activity (through the Rossby number) that depends on the stellar mass considered. While the magnetic activity has negligible consequence in the case of more massive stars, these effects may have a strong impact on the habitability of a planet around M dwarf stars. Thus, stellar activity cannot be neglected and may have strong impacts on the development of life during the early stage of the continuously habitable zone phase of low-mass stars. Using observed trends of stellar magnetic field strength we also constrain the planetary magnetic field (at the zero order) required for a sufficient magnetospheric protection during the whole stellar evolution. We explicit for the first time the systematic dependence of planet habitability on stellar parameters along the full evolution of low- and intermediate-mass stars. These results can be used as physical inputs for a first order estimation of exoplanetary habitability.

astro-ph.EP

Rotating models of young solar-type stars : Exploring braking laws and angular momentum transport processes

We study the predicted rotational evolution of solar-type stars from the pre-main sequence to the solar age with 1D rotating evolutionary models including physical ingredients. We computed rotating evolution models of solar-type stars including an external stellar wind torque and internal transport of angular momentum following the method of Maeder and Zahn with the code STAREVOL. We explored different formalisms and prescriptions available from the literature. We tested the predictions of the models against recent rotational period data from extensive photometric surveys, lithium abundances of solar-mass stars in young clusters, and the helioseismic rotation profile of the Sun. We find a best-matching combination of prescriptions for both internal transport and surface extraction of angular momentum. This combination provides a very good fit to the observed evolution of rotational periods for solar-type stars from early evolution to the age of the Sun. Additionally, we show that fast rotators experience a stronger coupling between their radiative region and the convective envelope. Regardless of the set of prescriptions, however, we cannot simultaneously reproduce surface angular velocity and the internal profile of the Sun or the evolution of lithium abundance. We confirm the idea that additional transport mechanisms must occur in solar-type stars until they reach the age of the Sun. Whether these processes are the same as those needed to explain recent asteroseismic data in more advanced evolutionary phases is still an open question.

astro-ph.SR

Seismic and dynamical solar models i-the impact of the solar rotation history on neutrinos and seismic indicators

Solar activity and helioseismology show the limitation of the standard solar model and call for the inclusion of dynamical processes in both convective and radiative zones. We concentrate here on the radiative zone and first show the sensitivity of boron neutrinos to the microscopic physics included in solar models. We confront the neutrino predictions of the seismic model to all the detected neutrino fluxes. Then we compute new models of the Sun including a detailed transport of angular momentum and chemicals due to internal rotation that includes meridional circulation and shear induced turbulence. We use two stellar evolution codes: CESAM and STAREVOL to estimate the different terms. We follow three temporal evolutions of the internal rotation differing by their initial conditions: very slow, moderate and fast rotation, with magnetic braking at the arrival on the main sequence for the last two. We find that the meridional velocity in the present solar radiative zone is extremely small in comparison with those of the convective zone, smaller than 10^-6 cm/s instead of m/s. All models lead to a radial differential rotation profile but with a significantly different contrast. We compare these profiles to the presumed solar internal rotation and show that if meridional circulation and shear turbulence were the only mechanisms transporting angular momentum within the Sun, a rather slow rotation in the young Sun is favored. The transport by rotation slightly influence the sound speed profile but its potential impact on the chemicals in the transition region between radiation and convective zones. This work pushes us to pursue the inclusion of the other dynamical processes to better reproduce the present observable and to describe the young active Sun. We also need to get a better knowledge of solar gravity mode splittings to use their constraints.

astro-ph.SR

Rotating models for evolved low-mass stars

Low mass stars (< 2-2.5 M_sun) exhibit, at all the stages of their evolution, signatures of processes that require challenging modeling beyond the standard stellar theory. In this paper we focus on their peculiarities while they climb the red giant branch (RGB). We first compare the classical predictions for abundance variations due to the first dredge-up with observational data in various environments. We show how clear spectroscopic diagnostics probe the nucleosynthesis and the internal mixing mechanisms that drive RGB stars. Coherent data reveal in particular the existence of a non-standard mixing process that changes their surface abundances at the so-called RGB bump. By reviewing the models presented so far to explain the various abundance anomalies, we show that the occurrence of this extra-mixing process is certainly related to rotation. Finally we discuss the so-called Li-flash which is expected to occur at the very beginning of the extra-mixing episode.

astro-ph

Rotational mixing in low-mass stars : I Effect of the mu-gradients in main sequence and subgiant Pop I stars

We present a first set of results concerning stellar evolution of rotating low-mass stars. Our models include fully consistent transport of angular momentum and chemicals due to the combined action of rotation induced mixing (according to Maeder & Zahn 1998) and element segregation. The analysis of the effects of local variations of molecular weight due to the meridional circulation on the transport of angular momentum and chemicals are under the scope of this study. We apply this mechanism to low mass main sequence and subgiant stars of population I. We show that the so-called $μ$-currents are of major importance in setting the shape of the rotation profile, specially near the core. Furthermore, as shown by Talon & Charbonnel (1998) and Charbonnel & Talon (1999) using models without $μ$-currents, we confirm that rotation-induced mixing in stars braked via magnetic torquing can explain the blue side of the Li dip, as well as the low Li abundances observed in subgiants even when $μ$-currents are taken into account. We emphasize that $μ$ variations are not to be neglected when treating rotation-induced mixing, and that they could be of great importance for latter evolutionary stages.

astro-ph