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Denis Bernard

Publications and source records attributed to Denis Bernard.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
arXiv2014

Measurement of e+e- to hadrons cross sections at BABAR, and implication for the muon g-2

The BaBar Collaboration has an intensive program of studying hadronic cross sections at low-energy $e^+e^-$ collisions, accessible via initial-state radiation. Our measurements allow significant improvements in the precision of the predicted value of the muon anomalous magnetic moment, that shed light on the current $\approx$ 3.5 sigma difference between the predicted and the experimental values. We have published results on a number of processes with two to six hadrons in the final state. We report here the results of recent studies with the final states that constitute the main contribution to the hadronic cross section below 3 GeV, as $e^+e^- \rightarrow π^+π^-$, $K^+K^-$, $K_S K_L$ and $e^+e^- \rightarrow 4$ hadrons.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2013

The Open Quantum Brownian Motion

Using quantum parallelism on random walks as original seed, we introduce new quantum stochastic processes, the open quantum Brownian motions. They describe the behaviors of quantum walkers -- with internal degrees of freedom which serve as random gyroscopes -- interacting with series of probes. These processes may also be viewed as the scaling limit of open quantum random walks and we develop this approach along three different lines: quantum trajectory, quantum dynamical map, and quantum stochastic differential equation. We also present a study of the simplest case, with a two level system as internal gyroscope, illustrating the interplay between ballistic and diffusive behaviors at work in these processes.

math-ph↗
arXiv2013

Non-equilibrium steady-states in conformal field theory

We present a construction of non-equilibrium steady states in one-dimensional quantum critical systems carrying energy and charge fluxes. This construction is based on a scattering approach within a real-time hamiltonian reservoir formulation. Using conformal field theory techniques, we prove convergence towards steady states at large time. We discuss in which circumstances these states describe the universal non-equilibrium regime at low temperatures. We compute the exact large deviation functions for both energy and charge transfers, which encode for the quantum and statistical fluctuations of these transfers at large time. They are universal, depending only on fundamental constants (h, k_B), on the central charge and on the external parameters such as the temperatures or the chemical potentials, and they satisfy fluctuation relations. A key point consists in relating the derivatives of these functions to the linear response functions but at complex shifted external parameters.

math-ph↗
arXiv2013

Results on conventional and exotic charmonium at BaBar

The B factories provide a unique playground for studying the properties of conventional and exotic charmonium states. We present recent results in initial state radiation and two-photon fusion, obtained using the full data set collected by the BaBar experiment. Amongst BaBar 's harvest presented in this talk, the determination of the quantum numbers of the X(3915) resonance, a body of concording evidence pointing to JPC = 1++ for the X(3872), and updates on the family of the Y resonance to the full integrated luminosity.

hep-ex↗
arXiv2013

Energy flow and fluctuations in non-equilibrium conformal field theory on star graphs

We consider non-equilibrium quantum steady states in conformal field theory (CFT) on star-graph configurations, with a particular, simple connection condition at the vertex of the graph. These steady states occur after a large time as a result of initially thermalizing the legs of the graph at different temperatures, and carry energy flows. Using purely Virasoro algebraic calculations we evaluate the exact long-time cumulant generating function for these flows. We show that this function satisfies a generalization of the usual non-equilibrium fluctuation relations. This extends the results by two of the authors (J. Phys. A 45: 362001, 2012; arXiv:1302.3125) to the cases of more than two legs. It also provides an alternative derivation centered on Virasoro algebra operators rather than local fields, hence an alternative regularization scheme, thus confirming the validity and universality of the long-time cumulant generating function. Our derivation shows how the usual Virasoro algebra leads, in large volumes, to a continuous-index Virasoro algebra for which we develop diagramatic principles, which may be of interest in other non-equilibrium contexts as well. Finally, our results shed light on the Poisson process interpretation of the long-time energy transfer in CFT.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗
arXiv2013

Non-equilibrium thermal transport in the quantum Ising chain

We consider two quantum Ising chains initially prepared at thermal equilibrium but with different temperatures and coupled at a given time through one of their end points. In the long-time limit the system reaches a non-equilibrium steady state. We discuss properties of this non-equilibrium steady state, and characterize the convergence to the steady regime. We compute the mean energy flux through the chain and the large deviation function for the quantum and thermal fluctuations of this energy transfer.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2013

Polarimetry of cosmic gamma-ray sources above e+e- pair creation threshold

We examine the potential for gamma-ray conversion to electron-positron pairs, either in the field of a nucleus or of an electron of a detector, to measure the fraction P of linear polarization of cosmic gamma sources. For this purpose we implement, validate and use an event generator based on the HELAS amplitude calculator and on the SPRING event generator. We characterize several ways to measure P. Past proposals to increase the polarization sensitivity by the selection of a fraction of the events in a subset of the available phase space are found to be inefficient, due to the loss in statistics. The use of an optimal variable that includes the full 5D probability density function is found to improve the precision of the measurement of P of a factor of approximately 2. We then study the dilution of the asymmetry that parametrize the degradation of the precision due to experimental effects such as multiple scattering. In a detector made with a succession of converter slabs and tracker foils, the dependance of the dilution is found to be different from that predicted assuming a given (the most probable) value of the pair opening angle. The limitations of a slab detector are avoided by the use of an active target, in which conversion and tracking are performed by the same device, in which case the dilution of the measurement of P is found to be manageable. Based on a realistic sizing of the detector, and for an effective exposure of 1 year, we estimate the precision for a Crab-like source on the full energy range to be approximately 1.4 %.

astro-ph.IM↗
arXiv2013

Time-reversal symmetry and fluctuation relations in non-equilibrium quantum steady states

In this note, we present a simple derivation, from time-reversal symmetry, of fluctuation relations for steady-state large deviation functions in non-equilibrium quantum systems. We further show that a condition of pure transmission implies extended fluctuation relations, connecting large deviation functions to mean currents at shifted temperatures and chemical potentials. We illustrate these concepts in various examples, including the interacting resonant level model and conformal or integrable models.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗
arXiv2013

Scrutinizing the Cosmological Constant Problem and a possible resolution

We suggest a new perspective on the Cosmological Constant Problem by scrutinizing its standard formulation. In classical and quantum mechanics without gravity, there is no definition of the zero point of energy. Furthermore, the Casimir effect only measures how the vacuum energy {\it changes} as one varies a geometric modulus. This leads us to propose that the physical vacuum energy in a Friedman-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker expanding universe only depends on the time variation of the scale factor $a(t)$. Equivalently, requiring that empty Minkowski space is gravitationally stable is a principle that fixes the ambiguity in the zero point energy. On the other hand, if there is a meaningful bare cosmological constant, this prescription should be viewed as a fine-tuning. We describe two different choices of vacuum, one of which is consistent with the current universe consisting only of matter and vacuum energy. The resulting vacuum energy density $\rhovac$ is constant in time and approximately $k_c^2 H_0^2$, where $k_c$ is a momentum cut-off and $H_0$ is the current Hubble constant; for a cut-off close to the Planck scale, values of $\rhovac$ in agreement with astrophysical measurements are obtained. Another choice of vacuum is more relevant to the early universe consisting of only radiation and vacuum energy, and we suggest it as a possible model of inflation.

hep-th↗
arXiv2012

TPC in gamma-ray astronomy above pair-creation threshold

We examine the performance of a TPC as a gamma-ray telescope above the pair-creation threshold. The contributions to the photon angular resolution are studied and their dependence on energy is obtained. The effective area per detector unit mass for such a thin detector is the conversion mass attenuation coefficient. The differential sensitivity for the detection of a point-like source is then derived. Finally, the measurement of track momentum from deflections due to multiple scattering is optimized. These analytical results are exemplified numerically for a few sets of detector parameters. TPCs show an impressive improvement in sensitivity with respect to existing pair-creation-based telescopes in the [MeV - GeV] energy range, even with the modest detector parameters of this study. In addition, gas TPCs allow an improvement in angular resolution of about one order of magnitude.

astro-ph.IM↗
arXiv2012

Iterated Stochastic Measurements

We describe a measurement device principle based on discrete iterations of Bayesian updating of system state probability distributions. Although purely classical by nature, these measurements are accompanied with a progressive collapse of the system state probability distribution during each complete system measurement. This measurement scheme finds applications in analysing repeated non-demolition indirect quantum measurements. We also analyse the continuous time limit of these processes, either in the Brownian diffusive limit or in the Poissonian jumpy limit. In the quantum mechanical framework, this continuous time limit leads to Belavkin equations which describe quantum systems under continuous measurements.

math-ph↗
arXiv2012

Edge states for topological insulators in two dimensions and their Luttinger-like liquids

Topological insulators in three spatial dimensions are known to possess a precise bulk/boundary correspondence, in that there is a one-to-one correspondence between the 5 classes characterized by bulk topological invariants and Dirac hamiltonians on the boundary with symmetry protected zero modes. This holographic characterization of topological insulators is studied in two dimensions. Dirac hamiltonians on the one dimensional edge are classified according to the discrete symmetries of time-reversal, particle-hole, and chirality, extending a previous classification in two dimensions. We find 17 inequivalent classes, of which 11 have protected zero modes. Although bulk topological invariants are thus far known for only 5 of these classes, we conjecture that the additional 6 describe edge states of new classes of topological insulators. The effects of interactions in two dimensions are also studied. We show that all interactions that preserve the symmetries are exactly marginal, i.e. preserve the gaplessness. This leads to a description of the distinct variations of Luttinger liquids that can be realized on the edge.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2012

Energy flow in non-equilibrium conformal field theory

We study the energy current and its fluctuations in quantum gapless 1d systems far from equilibrium modeled by conformal field theory, where two separated halves are prepared at distinct temperatures and glued together at a point contact. We prove that these systems converge towards steady states, and give a general description of such non-equilibrium steady states in terms of quantum field theory data. We compute the large deviation function, also called the full counting statistics, of energy transfer through the contact. These are universal and satisfy fluctuation relations. We provide a simple representation of these quantum fluctuations in terms of classical Poisson processes whose intensities are proportional to Boltzmann weights.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2012

Repeated quantum non-demolition measurements: convergence and continuous-time limit

We analyze general enough models of repeated indirect measurements in which a quantum system interacts repeatedly with randomly chosen probes on which Von Neumann direct measurements are performed. We prove, under suitable hypotheses, that the system state probability distribution converges after a large number of repeated indirect measurements, in a way compatible with quantum wave function collapse. Similarly a modified version of the system density matrix converges. We show that the convergence is exponential with a rate given by some relevant mean relative entropies. We also prove that, under appropriate rescaling of the system and probe interactions, the state probability distribution and the system density matrix are solutions of stochastic differential equations modeling continuous-time quantum measurements. We analyze the large time convergence of these continuous-time processes and prove convergence.

math-ph↗
arXiv2012

Holographic classification of Topological Insulators and its 8-fold periodicity

Using generic properties of Clifford algebras in any spatial dimension, we explicitly classify Dirac hamiltonians with zero modes protected by the discrete symmetries of time-reversal, particle-hole symmetry, and chirality. Assuming the boundary states of topological insulators are Dirac fermions, we thereby holographically reproduce the Periodic Table of topological insulators found by Kitaev and Ryu. et. al, without using topological invariants nor K-theory. In addition we find candidate Z_2 topological insulators in classes AI, AII in dimensions 0,4 mod 8 and in classes C, D in dimensions 2,6 mod 8.

cond-mat.str-el↗