Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Peter Müller

Publications and source records attributed to Peter Müller.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
arXiv2017

Charge-state distribution of Li ions from the $β$ decay of laser-trapped $^{6}$He atoms

Background: The accurate determination of atomic final states following nuclear $β$ decay plays an important role in many experiments. In particular, the charge state distributions of ions following nuclear $β$ decay are important for determinations of the $β-ν$ angular correlation with improved precision. Purpose: Our measurement aims at providing benchmarks to test theoretical calculations. Method: The kinematics of Li$^{n+}$ ions produced following the $β$ decay of $^6{\rm He}$ within an electric field were measured using $^6{\rm He}$ atoms in the metastable $(1s2s,~{^3S_1})$ and in the $(1s2p,~{^3P_2})$ states confined by a magneto-optical trap. The electron shake-off probabilities were deduced including their dependence on ion energy. Results: We find significant discrepancies on the fractions of Li ions in the different charge states with respect to a recent calculation and discuss a plausible explanation. We also point out that there is no explanation for a large discrepancy between the same calculation and a previous measurement of the Li-ion energy dependence of the charge distribution from decays of the electronic ground state.

nucl-ex↗
arXiv2017

CHANG-ES IX: Radio scale heights and scale lengths of a consistent sample of 13 spiral galaxies seen edge-on and their correlations

The vertical halo scale height is a crucial parameter to understand the transport of cosmic-ray electrons (CRE) and their energy loss mechanisms in spiral galaxies. Until now, the radio scale height could only be determined for a few edge-on galaxies because of missing sensitivity at high resolution. We developed a sophisticated method for the scale height determination of edge-on galaxies. With this we determined the scale heights and radial scale lengths for a sample of 13 galaxies from the CHANG-ES radio continuum survey in two frequency bands. The sample average value for the radio scale heights of the halo are 1.1 +/- 0.3kpc in C-band and 1.4 +/- 0.7kpc in L-band. From the frequency dependence analysis of the halo scale heights we found that the wind velocities (estimated using the adiabatic loss time) are above the escape velocity. We found that the halo scale heights increase linearly with the radio diameters. In order to exclude the diameter dependence, we defined a normalized scale height which is quite similar for all sample galaxies at both frequency bands and does not depend on the star formation rate or the magnetic field strength. However, the normalized scale height shows a tight anticorrelation with the mass surface density. The sample galaxies with smaller scale lengths are more spherical in the radio emission, while those with larger scale lengths are flatter. The radio scale height depends mainly on the radio diameter of the galaxy. The sample galaxies are consistent with an escape-dominated radio halo with convective cosmic ray propagation, indicating that galactic winds are a widespread phenomenon in spiral galaxies. While a higher star formation rate or star formation surface density does not lead to a higher wind velocity, we deceleration of CRE outflow, e.g. a lowering of the wind velocity from the galactic disk.

astro-ph.GA↗
arXiv2017

Quantum optimization using variational algorithms on near-term quantum devices

Universal fault-tolerant quantum computers will require error-free execution of long sequences of quantum gate operations, which is expected to involve millions of physical qubits. Before the full power of such machines will be available, near-term quantum devices will provide several hundred qubits and limited error correction. Still, there is a realistic prospect to run useful algorithms within the limited circuit depth of such devices. Particularly promising are optimization algorithms that follow a hybrid approach: the aim is to steer a highly entangled state on a quantum system to a target state that minimizes a cost function via variation of some gate parameters. This variational approach can be used both for classical optimization problems as well as for problems in quantum chemistry. The challenge is to converge to the target state given the limited coherence time and connectivity of the qubits. In this context, the quantum volume as a metric to compare the power of near-term quantum devices is discussed. With focus on chemistry applications, a general description of variational algorithms is provided and the mapping from fermions to qubits is explained. Coupled-cluster and heuristic trial wave-functions are considered for efficiently finding molecular ground states. Furthermore, simple error-mitigation schemes are introduced that could improve the accuracy of determining ground-state energies. Advancing these techniques may lead to near-term demonstrations of useful quantum computation with systems containing several hundred qubits.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2017

The NOD3 software package: A graphical user interface-supported reduction package for single-dish radio continuum and polarisation observations

The venerable NOD2 data reduction software package for single-dish radio continuum observations, developed for use at the 100-m Effelsberg radio telescope, has been successfully applied over many decades. Modern computing facilities call for a new design. We aim to develop an interactive software tool with a graphical user interface (GUI) for the reduction of single-dish radio continuum maps. Special effort is given on the reduction of distortions along the scanning direction (scanning effects) by combining maps scanned in orthogonal directions or dual- or multiple-horn observations that need to be processed in a restoration procedure. The package should also process polarisation data and offer the possibility to include special tasks written by the individual user. Based on the ideas of the NOD2 package we developed NOD3, which includes all necessary tasks from the raw maps to the final maps in total intensity and linear polarisation. Furthermore, plot routines and several methods for map analysis are available. The NOD3 package is written in Python which allows to extend the package by additional tasks. The required data format for the input maps is FITS. NOD3 is a sophisticated tool to process and analyse maps from single-dish observations that are affected by 'scanning effects' due to clouds, receiver instabilities, or radio-frequency interference (RFI). The 'basket-weaving' tool combines orthogonally scanned maps to a final map that is almost free of scanning effects. The new restoration tool for dual-beam observations reduces the noise by a factor of about two compared to the NOD2 version. Combining single-dish with interferometer data in the map plane ensures the full recovery of the total flux density.

astro-ph.IM↗
arXiv2017

A new method to suppress the bias in polarized intensity

Computing polarised intensities from noisy data in Stokes U and Q suffers from a positive bias that should be suppressed. To develop a correction method that, when applied to maps, should provide a distribution of polarised intensity that closely follows the signal from the source. We propose a new method to suppress the bias by estimating the polarisation angle of the source signal in a noisy environment with help of a modified median filter. We then determine the polarised intensity, including the noise, by projection of the observed values of Stokes U and Q onto the direction of this polarisation angle. We show that our new method represents the true signal very well. If the noise distribution in the maps of U and Q is Gaussian, then in the corrected map of polarised intensity it is also Gaussian. Smoothing to larger Gaussian beamsizes, to improve the signal-to-noise ratio, can be done directly with our method in the map of the polarised intensity. Our method also works in case of non-Gaussian noise distributions. The maps of the corrected polarised intensities and polarisation angles are reliable even in regions with weak signals and provide integrated flux densities and degrees of polarisation without the cumulative effect of the bias, which especially affects faint sources. Features at low intensity levels like 'depolarisation canals' are smoother than in the maps using the previous methods, which has broader implications, for example on the interpretation of interstellar turbulence.

astro-ph.IM↗
arXiv2017

Using 81Kr and Noble Gases to Characterize and Date Groundwater and Brines in the Baltic Artesian Basin on the One-Million-Year Timescale

Analyses for $^{81}$Kr and noble gases on groundwater from the deepest aquifer system of the Baltic Artesian Basin (BAB) were performed to determine groundwater ages and uncover the flow dynamics of the system on a timescale of several hundred thousand years. We find that the system is controlled by mixing of three distinct water masses: Interglacial or recent meteoric water $(δ^{18}\text{O} \approx -10.4\unicode{x2030})$ with a poorly evolved chemical and noble gas signature, glacial meltwater $(δ^{18}\text{O} \leq -18\unicode{x2030})$ with elevated noble gas concentrations, and an old, high-salinity brine component $(δ^{18}\text{O} \geq -4.5\unicode{x2030}, \geq 90 \text{g Cl}^{-}/\text{L})$ with strongly depleted atmospheric noble gas concentrations. The $^{81}$Kr measurements are interpreted within this mixing framework to estimate the age of the end-members. Deconvoluted $^{81}$Kr ages range from 300 ka to 1.3 Ma for interglacial or recent meteoric water and glacial meltwater. For the brine component, ages exceed the dating range of the ATTA 3 instrument of 1.3 Ma. The radiogenic noble gas components $^{4}$He* and $^{40}$Ar* are less conclusive but also support an age of > 1 Ma for the brine. Based on the chemical and noble gas concentrations and the dating results, we conclude that the brine originates from evaporated seawater that has been modified by later water-rock interaction. As the obtained tracer ages cover several glacial cycles, we discuss the impact of the glacial cycles on flow patterns in the studied aquifer system.

physics.geo-ph↗
arXiv2016

The IDE as a Scriptable Information System (extended version)

Software engineering is extremely information-intensive. Every day developers work with source code, version repositories, issue trackers, documentation, web-based and other information resources. However, three key aspects of information work lack good support: (i) combining information from different sources; (ii) flexibly presenting collected information to enable easier comprehension; and (iii) automatically acting on collected information, for example to perform a refactoring. Poor support for these activities makes many common development tasks time-consuming and error-prone. We propose an approach that directly addresses these three issues by integrating a flexible query mechanism into the development environment. Our approach enables diverse ways to process and visualize information and can be extended via scripts. We demonstrate how an implementation of the approach can be used to rapidly write queries that meet a wide range of information needs.

cs.SE↗
arXiv2016

A bound on the averaged spectral shift function and a lower bound on the density of states for random Schrödinger operators on $\mathbb{R}^d$

We obtain a bound on the expectation of the spectral shift function for alloy-type random Schrödinger operators on $\mathbb{R}^d$ in the region of localisation, corresponding to a change from Dirichlet to Neumann boundary conditions along the boundary of a finite volume. The bound scales with the area of the surface where the boundary conditions are changed. As an application of our bound on the spectral shift function, we prove a reverse Wegner inequality for finite-volume Schrödinger operators in the region of localisation with a constant locally uniform in the energy. The application requires that the single-site distribution of the independent and identically distributed random variables has a Lebesgue density that is also bounded away from zero. The reverse Wegner inequality implies a strictly positive, locally uniform lower bound on the density of states for these continuum random Schrödinger operators.

math-ph↗
arXiv2016

The exponent in the orthogonality catastrophe for Fermi gases

We quantify the asymptotic vanishing of the ground-state overlap of two non-interacting Fermi gases in $d$-dimensional Euclidean space in the thermodynamic limit. Given two one-particle Schrödinger operators in finite-volume which differ by a compactly supported bounded potential, we prove a power-law upper bound on the ground-state overlap of the corresponding non-interacting $N$-particle systems. We interpret the decay exponent $γ$ in terms of scattering theory and find $γ= π^{-2}{\lVert\arcsin{\lvert T_E/2\rvert}\rVert}_{\mathrm{HS}}^2$, where $T_E$ is the transition matrix at the Fermi energy $E$. This exponent reduces to the one predicted by Anderson [Phys. Rev. 164, 352-359 (1967)] for the exact asymptotics in the special case of a repulsive point-like perturbation.

math-ph↗
arXiv2016

Automatic Verification of Iterated Separating Conjunctions using Symbolic Execution

In permission logics such as separation logic, the iterated separating conjunction is a quantifier denoting access permission to an unbounded set of heap locations. In contrast to recursive predicates, iterated separating conjunctions do not prescribe a structure on the locations they range over, and so do not restrict how to traverse and modify these locations. This flexibility is important for the verification of random-access data structures such as arrays and data structures that can be traversed in multiple ways such as graphs. Despite its usefulness, no automatic program verifier natively supports iterated separating conjunctions; they are especially difficult to incorporate into symbolic execution engines, the prevalent technique for building verifiers for these logics. In this paper, we present the first symbolic execution technique to support general iterated separating conjunctions. We propose a novel representation of symbolic heaps and flexible support for logical specifications that quantify over heap locations. Our technique exhibits predictable and fast performance despite employing quantifiers at the SMT level, by carefully controlling quantifier instantiations. It is compatible with other features of permission logics such as fractional permissions, recursive predicates, and abstraction functions. Our technique is implemented as an extension of the Viper verification infrastructure.

cs.PL↗
arXiv2015

A Bayesian feature allocation model for tumor heterogeneity

We develop a feature allocation model for inference on genetic tumor variation using next-generation sequencing data. Specifically, we record single nucleotide variants (SNVs) based on short reads mapped to human reference genome and characterize tumor heterogeneity by latent haplotypes defined as a scaffold of SNVs on the same homologous genome. For multiple samples from a single tumor, assuming that each sample is composed of some sample-specific proportions of these haplotypes, we then fit the observed variant allele fractions of SNVs for each sample and estimate the proportions of haplotypes. Varying proportions of haplotypes across samples is evidence of tumor heterogeneity since it implies varying composition of cell subpopulations. Taking a Bayesian perspective, we proceed with a prior probability model for all relevant unknown quantities, including, in particular, a prior probability model on the binary indicators that characterize the latent haplotypes. Such prior models are known as feature allocation models. Specifically, we define a simplified version of the Indian buffet process, one of the most traditional feature allocation models. The proposed model allows overlapping clustering of SNVs in defining latent haplotypes, which reflects the evolutionary process of subclonal expansion in tumor samples.

stat.AP↗
arXiv2015

Ergodicity and dynamical localization for Delone-Anderson operators

We study the ergodic properties of Delone-Anderson operators, using the framework of randomly coloured Delone sets and Delone dynamical systems. In particular, we show the existence of the integrated density of states and, under some assumptions on the geometric complexity of the underlying Delone sets, we obtain information on the almost-sure spectrum of the family of random operators. We then exploit these results to study the Lifshitz-tail behaviour of the integrated density of states of a Delone-Anderson operator at the bottom of the spectrum. Furthermore, we use Lifshitz-tail estimates as an input for the multi-scale analysis to prove dynamical localization.

math-ph↗
arXiv2014

Anderson's orthogonality catastrophe

We give an upper bound on the modulus of the ground-state overlap of two non-interacting fermionic quantum systems with $N$ particles in a large but finite volume $L^d$ of $d$-dimensional Euclidean space. The underlying one-particle Hamiltonians of the two systems are standard Schrödinger operators that differ by a non-negative compactly supported scalar potential. In the thermodynamic limit, the bound exhibits an asymptotic power-law decay in the system size $L$, showing that the ground-state overlap vanishes for macroscopic systems. The decay exponent can be interpreted in terms of the total scattering cross section averaged over all incident directions. The result confirms and generalises P. W. Anderson's informal computation [Phys. Rev. Lett. 18, 1049--1051 (1967)].

math-ph↗
arXiv2014

Ac-conductivity and electromagnetic energy absorption for the Anderson model in linear response theory

We continue our study of the ac-conductivity in linear response theory for the Anderson model using the conductivity measure. We establish further properties of the conductivity measure, including nontriviality at nonzero temperature, the high temperature limit, and asymptotics with respect to the disorder. We also calculate the electromagnetic energy absorption in linear response theory in terms of the conductivity measure.

math-ph↗
arXiv2014

Subgroup-Based Adaptive (SUBA) Designs for Multi-Arm Biomarker Trials

Targeted therapies based on biomarker profiling are becoming a mainstream direction of cancer research and treatment. Depending on the expression of specific prognostic biomarkers, targeted therapies assign different cancer drugs to subgroups of patients even if they are diagnosed with the same type of cancer by traditional means, such as tumor location. For example, Herceptin is only indicated for the subgroup of patients with HER2+ breast cancer, but not other types of breast cancer. However, subgroups like HER2+ breast cancer with effective targeted therapies are rare and most cancer drugs are still being applied to large patient populations that include many patients who might not respond or benefit. Also, the response to targeted agents in human is usually unpredictable. To address these issues, we propose SUBA, subgroup-based adaptive designs that simultaneously search for prognostic subgroups and allocate patients adaptively to the best subgroup-specific treatments throughout the course of the trial. The main features of SUBA include the continuous reclassification of patient subgroups based on a random partition model and the adaptive allocation of patients to the best treatment arm based on posterior predictive probabilities. We compare the SUBA design with three alternative designs including equal randomization, outcome-adaptive randomization and a design based on a probit regression. In simulation studies we find that SUBA compares favorably against the alternatives.

stat.AP↗
arXiv2014

Characterization of an in-vacuum PILATUS 1M detector

A dedicated in-vacuum X-ray detector based on the hybrid pixel PILATUS 1M detector has been installed at the four-crystal monochromator beamline of PTB at the electron storage ring BESSY II in Berlin. Due to its windowless operation, the detector can be used in the entire photon energy range of the beamline from 10 keV down to 1.75 keV for small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments and anomalous SAXS (ASAXS) at absorption edges of light elements. The radiometric and geometric properties of the detector like quantum efficiency, pixel pitch and module alignment have been determined with low uncertainties. The first grazing incidence SAXS (GISAXS) results demonstrate the superior resolution in momentum transfer achievable at low photon energies.

physics.ins-det↗