arXiv subjects

David M. Long

Publications and source records attributed to David M. Long.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Fermionic quantum cellular automata in 2d are trivial

Fermionic quantum cellular automata (QCA) are automorphisms of local fermionic operator algebras ($\mathbb Z_2$-graded superalgebras) that have bounded spread: they map local operators to nearby operators. We prove that every 2-dimensional fermionic QCA on a locally finite-dimensional algebra is a composition of local automorphisms and a fermionic shift. This is implied by our result that every locally finite-dimensional fermionic invertible subalgebra in a one-dimensional lattice is Brauer trivial, \textit{i.e.}, it is stably bounded-spread isomorphic to a tensor product fermionic algebra.

math-ph↗

arXiv2026

Computing with qLDPC Codes by Climbing the Chain Map Hierarchy

We develop a framework for logical computation with qLDPC codes that places logical Pauli, Clifford, and non-Clifford operations on the same footing. This brings the simple homological description of Pauli logicals to the patchwork landscape of logical Clifford and non-Clifford operations, providing a tool for the discovery of new logical gates. In particular, we define the chain map hierarchy: a family of chain complexes whose homology classes encode logical unitary and code surgery operations at any level of the Clifford hierarchy, precisely analogous to the chain complex description of Pauli logicals. Consequently, intuition for Pauli logicals can be leveraged to discover new logical operations on qLDPC codes. For instance, the familiar ability to deform Pauli logicals with stabilizers---i.e. boundaries of the chain complex---becomes a way to search for constant-depth unitary implementations of (non-)Clifford logical gates. Using this strategy, we discover constant-depth unitary implementations of the full logical Clifford group on any number of blocks of the 2D toric code, including within a single block, and addressable logical CCZ gates on any triple of logical qubits on any number of blocks of the 3D toric code. Beyond manifold codes, we find addressable non-Clifford gates on codes with many encoded qubits. The chain map hierarchy naturally encompasses and extends other constructions of logical gadgets, for instance providing a universal parameterization of cup products. As such, our work provides a unified, useful, and intuitive language for computing with qLDPC codes.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Realization of a Quantum Topological Photon Pump

Topological pumps transfer charge or energy at quantized rates determined solely by band topology, independent of the details of the control fields. Photon pumps operating on this principle could enable the robust preparation of non-classical states in a quantum cavity, even in the presence of control imperfections, but have not been directly observed. We present the first experimental observation of a topological photon pump, using a transmon qubit coupled to a microwave cavity. The pump operates in the quantum regime, pumping up from the vacuum state up to $\approx 7$ photons, and produces demonstrably non-classical cavity states for the first few cycles.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Signs of Sulphur fractionation under high magnetic field strength

Sulphur, with a first ionisation potential (FIP) of 10.36 eV, lies at the boundary between low- and high-FIP elements, making it particularly sensitive to fractionation processes in the solar atmosphere. Sulphur exhibits variable behaviour across solar environments, with coronal remote sensing studies often observing it as a high-FIP element while in-situ measurements sometimes detect low-FIP-like enhancement. Sulphur also exhibits variable behaviour during flares and magnetic restructuring. To understand sulphur's variations, we quantify how sulphur's FIP bias depends on potential field source surface (PFSS)-derived loop properties. We analyse nine Hinode/EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) raster observations using four diagnostic line pairs (Si X 258.37 A / S X 264.23 A, S XI 188.68 A / Ar XI 188.81 A, Ca XIV 193.87 A / Ar XIV 194.40 A, and Fe XVI 262.98 A / S XIII 256.69 A), with FIP biases derived using differential emission measures (DEM) calculated via regularised inversion. Our results show that abundances of low-FIP elements, including sulphur, decrease above approximately 150 G relative to the high-FIP element Ar, while showing no dependence on loop length. This provides evidence that FIP fractionation is modulated by mean magnetic field strength of coronal loops.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

Investigating the Relationship Between Physical Properties and Spatial Irregularities at Coronal Hole Boundaries

Coronal hole boundaries are the interfaces between closed and open magnetic field regions in the solar atmosphere. Many fundamental processes take place at these regions, including magnetic reconnection that is responsible for solar wind release and restructuring of the solar magnetic field. In this paper, we present a case study in which we investigate the physical properties of the boundary of a large low-latitude coronal hole. Differential Emission Measure analysis is used to derive the plasma properties of these regions. We also apply correlation dimension mapping analysis to measure the irregularities of the coronal hole boundary. We find that the leading boundary of this coronal hole has a slightly higher average plasma temperature, is associated with a stronger and more unipolar magnetic field, and has a smoother boundary line than the trailing counterpart. These differences are hypothesised to be direct consequences of the local magnetic field configurations of the coronal hole boundary: the leading boundary corresponds to large, well-organised coronal loops, and the trailing boundary corresponds to more dispersed, randomly orientated small magnetic bipoles. Hence, we suggest that the surrounding magnetic field structure and the nature of magnetic reconnection influence the properties of coronal hole boundaries.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

Resonance Proliferation Across Localization Transitions

Models of many-body localization (MBL) exhibit slow numerical drifts towards delocalization with increasing system size, for which no satisfactory theory exists. Numerics indicates that these drifts are driven by the proliferation of many-body resonances at intermediate disorder strengths. We develop a statistical method to predict the distribution of resonance oscillation frequencies which captures how the formation of resonances at larger frequency scales subsequently affects the formation of resonances at lower frequencies. Working within the statistical Jacobi approximation (SJA), we derive a flow equation for a power-law exponent $\theta(w)$ characterizing the density of resonances at frequency scale $w$. A localized phase is described by a line of fixed points with $\theta(w)>0$, while an instability of the flow signals resonance proliferation and the onset of thermalization. The predicted $\theta(w)$ matches numerics on the Anderson model on random regular graphs and the L\'evy-Rosenzweig-Porter random matrix ensemble, both of which host resonance-driven delocalization transitions. We further connect the flow to eigenstate properties such as the participation ratio and to dynamical observables such as the return probability. The predicted $\theta(w)$ also matches what is numerically measured in real-space models of MBL at intermediate disorder strengths, representing a significant step towards explaining the finite-size drifts observed in MBL.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2026

Ising criticality can drive vortex deconfinement in a spin-orbit coupled Bose gas

Spin-orbit coupling in Bose gases is known to lead to an Ising-symmetry-broken phase where the bosons condense at one of two nonzero momenta. In two dimensions, the finite momentum of the order parameter allows vortex-antivortex pairs that are typically bound in the superfluid phase to freely separate along Ising domain walls. This non-trivial interaction between the superfluid and the Ising order suggests that the critical fluctuations near an Ising transition could drive a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition of the superfluid. We present numerical evidence of this phenomenon using a Monte Carlo simulation that shows the disappearance of superfluid stiffness near an Ising transition. Additionally, we find numerical evidence that the Ising phase transition becomes first order and we justify this claim with a variational approximation.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2026

Hinode EIS Observations of Plasma Composition Evolution and Radiative Cooling of Solar Flare Loops

Plasma composition in flaring regions has been shown to have significant spatial and temporal variations, likely driven by dynamical processes that take place as a consequence of the sudden energy release at the reconnection site. The origins of these variations, as well as the effects they might, in turn, have on flare loops dynamics are not yet fully understood. In this work, we investigate the link between flare loop cooling times and plasma composition evolution in the loops formed during the M-class flare peaking at 13:56 UT on the 2022 April 2 using high cadence Hinode EIS spectroscopic observations. The analysis focuses on quantifying the cooling rate (using a series of emission lines covering a wide temperature range) and plasma composition evolution (using the Ca XIV 193.866 A/Ar XIV 194.401 A diagnostic) at the apex and footpoint of the flare loop arcade. Results show slower cooling and a FIP bias of 2.4 +/- 0.2 in the loop footpoint and faster cooling and a stronger FIP bias of 2.8 +/- 0.2 in the loop apex. The potential effects of plasma composition changes on the radiative cooling process of flare loops are also investigated by comparing observed loop cooling times to those predicted by simulations from the EBTEL 0D hydrodynamic model. The EBTEL simulations show that an higher FIP bias would lead to a faster radiative cooling rate and, therefore, shorter cooling times. This suggests that the variation in FIP bias observed in the two features could be responsible for the different cooling times observed.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

Probing the properties of active regions in the solar interface region using full-disk spectroheliograms

The composition of plasma in the solar corona is characterised by the First Ionisation Potential (FIP) bias, and is thought to be the result of a ponderomotive force acting in the chromosphere to separate ionised from neutral plasma. Identifying potential signatures of this process in the solar chromosphere is the subject of active research. Full disk spectroheliograms of the chromosphere and transition region from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrometer (IRIS) spacecraft provide an opportunity to compare plasma signatures between active regions at different evolutionary stages and assess their relationship with the fractionation processes. Here we compare the C II, Si IV, and Mg II lines observed by IRIS, finding no clear variability between active regions at different evolutionary stages in the C II and Si IV lines. However, distinct differences can be identified between the active regions using the Mg II k/h ratio (which provides a proxy for plasma opacity). In particular, the regions with the highest median FIP bias exhibit double peaked distributions of plasma opacity, suggesting variable plasma density which could affect wave propagation in these locations. These results indicate that the relationship between the plasma properties and how the plasma is fractionated should be investigated in more detail by combining observations and modelling to better understand how it changes on both temporal and spatial scales

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

Comparing First Ionisation Potential bias diagnostics in the solar atmosphere

Plasma composition in the solar atmosphere differs between the photosphere and corona, producing an observable difference in elemental abundance known as the FIP effect. The FIP effect is characterised by the ratio of low to high FIP elements, giving a number known as the FIP bias. FIP bias values vary between different regions of the solar atmosphere, with typical observed values of $\sim$1 for coronal holes, $\sim$1.5-2 for the quiet Sun, and $\sim$3 for active regions. The Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) onboard the \emph{Hinode} spacecraft has enabled the widespread use of the Si X/S X line pair as a FIP bias diagnostic, but EIS observes other line pairs that can be used to estimate FIP bias. We consider three FIP bias diagnostics observed by \emph{Hinode}/EIS (Si X/S X, Ca XIV/Ar XIV, and Fe XVI/S XIII), comparing the FIP bias between Quiet Sun and an Active region. We also assume a range of signal-to-noise (SNR) cutoff values for each pixel, finding that while the SNR cutoff affects the number of useable pixels, higher (lower) SNR cutoffs remove (retain) a tail of high FIP bias values within the measured distribution. However, the median value of the FIP bias distribution remains largely unchanged. These results show the importance of a more nuanced view of FIP bias when using this vitally important diagnostic rather than a simplistic one-size-fits-all approach.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

Sulfur fractionation in coronal plumes as observed by Solar Orbiter/SPICE

Coronal plumes are bright, narrow structures rooted in coronal holes that contribute to the solar wind. Their composition, particularly elemental fractionation as a function of first ionization potential (FIP), provides diagnostics of plasma properties and magnetic connectivity. Earlier plume studies of fractionation using low-FIP elements reached conflicting conclusions. Intermediate-FIP elements may provide additional diagnostic insight, since their fractionation is thought to involve processes beyond those affecting low-FIP species. We investigate sulfur (intermediate-FIP element) in plumes to assess the presence of fractionation, its evolution, and its relation to wave activity. We analyzed Solar Orbiter observations of two plumes in an equatorial coronal hole during March--April 2024, using Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment (SPICE) to derive the sulfur-to-nitrogen ratio. EUV imaging and magnetograms provided additional context. Data were processed with the open-source Python tool Spectral Analysis Fitting Framework and Reduction of Noise (SAFFRON). Both plumes showed sulfur fractionation that remained constant within uncertainties. The fractionated plasma was co-located with strong magnetic footpoints, in contrast with the surrounding interplume plasma. These results provide the evidence for sulfur fractionation in plumes and suggest, consistent with the ponderomotive force model, wave dynamics in the chromosphere as a driver.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

Multiple shocks generated by the 2024 May 14 coronal mass ejection

This study characterises a series of type~II radio bursts associated with a CME that occurred on 14 May, focusing on the coronal conditions during the event and identifying the likely location of the shocks where the radio bursts are generated. The CME was tracked using a combination of white light and extreme ultraviolet observations of the solar corona taken by three instruments: GOES-SUVI, two coronagraphs of the SOHO-LASCO, together with ground-based radio observations between 10-240~MHz from I-LOFAR. The radial distances of the radio sources were examined using a series of density models, with both PFSS and MHD models used to examine the coronal plasma conditions. Four type~II bursts were identified in the I$-$LOFAR radio dynamic spectrum over $\sim$15~minutes, exhibiting features such as band splitting, herringbones, and fragmentation. The shocks were found to have speeds ranging between $\sim$443$-$2075~km s$^{-1}$, with drift rates of $\sim-$361 to -78~kHz~s$^{-1}$. The shocks were found to have a $M_A \approx$ 3.21$-$3.57. indicating that they were super-Alfv\'enic. The first type~II burst was triggered $\sim$18~minutes after the CME launch, with each burst appearing to have been generated at a different height in the corona. Analysis of the derived kinematics and modelling results suggests that the type~II bursts were likely produced at the shoulders of the CME near the flanks, where open magnetic field lines and relatively low Alfv\'en speeds facilitated shock formation. This multi-instrument study shows that multiple type II bursts from a single CME originated at different coronal heights, with modelling indicating their generation near the CME flanks, where low Alfv\'en speeds and open magnetic field lines facilitated shock formation.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Radiative hydrodynamic simulations of FIP fractionation in solar flares

Elemental abundances in solar flares are observed to vary both spatially and temporally, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. There is an interplay between advection and the preferential acceleration of low first ionization potential (FIP) elements that likely shapes the observed abundance distributions. Models of the FIP effect predict enhancements near loop footpoints that diffuse upward over time. We simulate strong evaporation events that advect this low-FIP enhancement into the corona. When the enhancement is sharply peaked, the corona does not become fractionated, exhibiting only a localized abundance peak near the loop apex that facilitates coronal rain formation. In contrast, a broad enhancement with relatively weak heating yields a uniformly fractionated corona, which is not sufficient for coronal rain formation. As the heating rate increases, the low-FIP enhanced plasma is increasingly compressed toward the loop apex, and rain is able to form. These results suggest a potential observational correlation between the presence and amount of coronal rain, the strength of flare heating, and the fractionation process itself.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Infinite temperature at zero energy

We construct a family of static, geometrically local Hamiltonians that inherit eigenstate properties of periodically-driven (Floquet) systems. Our construction is a variation of the Feynman-Kitaev clock -- a well-known mapping between quantum circuits and local Hamiltonians -- where the clock register is given periodic boundary conditions. Assuming the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (ETH) holds for the input circuit, our construction yields Hamiltonians whose eigenstates have properties characteristic of infinite temperature, like volume-law entanglement entropy, across the whole spectrum -- including the ground state. We then construct a family of exactly solvable Floquet quantum circuits whose eigenstates are shown to obey the ETH at infinite temperature. Combining the two constructions yields a new family of local Hamiltonians with provably volume-law-entangled ground states, and the first such construction where the volume law holds for all contiguous subsystems.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2025

Anomalies of global symmetries on the lattice

't Hooft anomalies of global symmetries play a fundamental role in quantum many-body systems and quantum field theory (QFT). In this paper, we make a systematic analysis of lattice anomalies - the analog of 't Hooft anomalies in lattice systems - for which we give a precise definition. Crucially, a lattice anomaly is not a feature of a specific Hamiltonian, but rather is a topological invariant of the symmetry action. The controlled setting of lattice systems allows for a systematic and rigorous treatment of lattice anomalies, shorn of the technical challenges of QFT. We find that lattice anomalies reproduce the expected properties of QFT anomalies in many ways, but also have crucial differences. In particular, lattice anomalies and QFT anomalies are not, contrary to a common expectation, in one-to-one correspondence, and there can be non-trivial anomalies on the lattice that are infrared (IR) trivial: they admit symmetric trivial gapped ground states, and map to trivial QFT anomalies at low energies. Nevertheless, we show that lattice anomalies (including IR-trivial ones) have a number of interesting consequences in their own right, including connections to commuting projector models, phases of many-body localized (MBL) systems, and quantum cellular automata (QCA). We make substantial progress on the classification of lattice anomalies and develop several theoretical tools to characterize their consequences on symmetric Hamiltonians. Our work places symmetries of quantum many-body lattice systems into a unified theoretical framework and may also suggest new perspectives on symmetries in QFT.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2025

Confined and deconfined chaos in classical spin systems

Weakly perturbed integrable many-body systems are typically chaotic, and thermal at late times. However, there are distinct relationships between the timescales for thermalization and chaos. The typical relationship is confined chaos: when trajectories are still confined to regions in phase space with constant conserved quantities (actions), the conjugate angle variables are already unstable. Chaotic instabilities thus far precede thermalization. In a different relationship, which we term deconfined chaos, chaotic instabilities and thermalization occur on the same timescale. We investigate these two qualitatively distinct scenarios through numerical and analytical studies of two perturbed integrable classical spin models: the Ishimori spin chain (confined chaos), and the central spin model with XX interactions (deconfined chaos). We analytically establish (super)-integrability in the latter model in a microcanonical shell. Deconfined chaos emerges through the separation of phase space into large quasi-integrable regions and a thin chaotic manifold. The latter leads to chaos and thermalization on the fastest possible timescale, which is proportional to the inverse perturbation strength. This behavior is reminiscent of the quantum SYK models and strange metals.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2025

Systematic non-thermal velocity increase preceding soft X-ray flare onset: A large-scale Hinode/EIS study

Non-thermal velocities, derived from spectral line broadening, can provide crucial insights into plasma dynamics before and during solar flares. To systematically study the pre-flare phase, we constructed a Hinode/Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) flare catalog of 1,449 flares from 2011--2024. This enabled a large-scale analysis of flare loop footpoint non-thermal velocity evolution across different flare magnitudes (C, M, X-classes). Analyzing Fe VIII--Fe XXIV emission lines formed at $\log(T/K) \sim 5.7-7.3$ with piecewise linear fits in the pre-flare period, we find that non-thermal velocities consistently increase 4--25 minutes before GOES soft X-ray start in C and M-class flares. Onset timing patterns vary with flare magnitude: smaller flares show temperature-dependent progression, while larger flares exhibit more compressed, near-simultaneous onsets across temperatures. While our limited X-class sample ($N=18$) also show onset before GOES, larger statistics are needed to confirm its behavior. M-class flares show a systematic precursor non-thermal velocity onset $\sim$30--60 minutes before GOES peak. In a subset of M-class flares (2011--2018), CME-associated events show earlier and more uniform precursor onsets (45--74 minutes before peak) than non-CME events, of which only some lines display a precursor, suggesting a strong link between extended pre-flare non-thermal broadening and successful eruptions. This large scale study establishes pre-flare non-thermal velocity increase at footpoints as a common precursor observable before any X-ray signature.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Probing Hilbert space fragmentation using controlled dephasing

Dynamical constraints in many-body quantum systems can lead to Hilbert space fragmentation, wherein the system's evolution is restricted to small subspaces of Hilbert space called Krylov sectors. However, unitary dynamics within individual sectors may also be slow or non-ergodic, which limits experiments' ability to measure the properties of the entire sector. We show that additional controlled dephasing reliably mixes the system within a single Krylov sector, and that simple observables can differentiate these sectors. For example, in the strongly interacting XXZ chain with dephasing, the spin imbalance between even and odd sublattices distinguishes sectors. For appropriate choices of initial states, the imbalance begins positive, decays to a negative minimum value at intermediate times, and eventually returns to zero. The minimum reflects the average imbalance of the Krylov sector associated to the initial state. We compute the size of the minimum analytically in the limit of strong interactions, and validate our results with simulations at experimentally relevant interaction strengths.

quant-ph↗