The nuclear contacts and short range correlations in nuclei

Atomic nuclei are complex strongly interacting systems and their exact theoretical description is a long-standing challenge. An approximate description of nuclei can be achieved by separating its short and long range structure. This separation of scales stands at the heart of the nuclear shell model and effective field theories that describe the long-range structure of the nucleus using a mean- field approximation. We present here an effective description of the complementary short-range structure using contact terms and stylized two-body asymptotic wave functions. The possibility to extract the nuclear contacts from experimental data is presented. Regions in the two-body momentum distribution dominated by high-momentum, close-proximity, nucleon pairs are identified and compared to experimental data. The amount of short-range correlated (SRC) nucleon pairs is determined and compared to measurements. Non-combinatorial isospin symmetry for SRC pairs is identified. The obtained one-body momentum distributions indicate dominance of SRC pairs above the nuclear Fermi-momentum.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physics Letters. 6 pages, 2 figure

Locking classical information

It is known that the maximum classical mutual information that can be achieved between measurements on a pair of quantum systems can drastically underestimate the quantum mutual information between those systems. In this article, we quantify this distinction between classical and quantum information by demonstrating that after removing a logarithmic-sized quantum system from one half of a pair of perfectly correlated bitstrings, even the most sensitive pair of measurements might only yield outcomes essentially independent of each other. This effect is a form of information locking but the definition we use is strictly stronger than those used previously. Moreover, we find that this property is generic, in the sense that it occurs when removing a random subsystem. As such, the effect might be relevant to statistical mechanics or black hole physics. Previous work on information locking had always assumed a uniform message. In this article, we assume only a min-entropy bound on the message and also explore the effect of entanglement. We find that classical information is strongly locked almost until it can be completely decoded. As a cryptographic application of these results, we exhibit a quantum key distribution protocol that is "secure" if the eavesdropper's information about the secret key is measured using the accessible information but in which leakage of even a logarithmic number of key bits compromises the secrecy of all the others.Comment: 32 pages, 2 figure

Optimal ratio between phase basis and bit basis in QKD

In the original BB84 protocol, the bit basis and the phase basis are used with equal probability. Lo et al (J. of Cryptology, 18, 133-165 (2005)) proposed to modify the ratio between the two bases by increasing the final key generation rate. However, the optimum ratio has not been derived. In this letter, in order to examine this problem, the ratio between the two bases is optimized for exponential constraints given Eve's information distinguishability and the final error probability

Oxygen Cost of Recreational Horse-Riding in Females

Version: as accepted for publication.BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to characterize the physiological demands of a riding session comprising different types of recreational horse riding in females. METHODS: Sixteen female recreational riders (aged 17 to 54 years) completed an incremental cycle ergometer exercise test to determine peak oxygen consumption (VO₂peak) and a 45-minute riding session based upon a British Horse Society Stage 2 riding lesson (including walking, trotting, cantering and work without stirrups). Oxygen consumption (VO₂), from which metabolic equivalent (MET) and energy expenditure values were derived, was measured throughout. RESULTS: The mean VO₂ requirement for trotting/cantering (18.4 ± 5.1 ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹; 52 ± 12% VO₂peak; 5.3 ± 1.1 METs) was similar to walking/trotting (17.4 ± 5.1 ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹; 48 ± 13% VO₂peak; 5.0 ± 1.5 METs) and significantly higher than for work without stirrups (14.2 ± 2.9 ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹; 41 ± 12% VO₂peak; 4.2 ± 0.8 METs) (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: The oxygen cost of different activities typically performed in a recreational horse riding session meets the criteria for moderate intensity exercise (3-6 METs) in females, and trotting combined with cantering imposes the highest metabolic demand. Regular riding could contribute to the achievement of the public health recommendations for physical activity in this population

Quantum cryptography with finite resources: unconditional security bound for discrete-variable protocols with one-way post-processing

We derive a bound for the security of QKD with finite resources under one-way post-processing, based on a definition of security that is composable and has an operational meaning. While our proof relies on the assumption of collective attacks, unconditional security follows immediately for standard protocols like Bennett-Brassard 1984 and six-states. For single-qubit implementations of such protocols, we find that the secret key rate becomes positive when at least N\sim 10^5 signals are exchanged and processed. For any other discrete-variable protocol, unconditional security can be obtained using the exponential de Finetti theorem, but the additional overhead leads to very pessimistic estimates

A Gradual Process for Integrating E-learning in a Higher Education Institute

In: A.J. Kallenberg and M.J.J.M. van de Ven (Eds), 2002, The New Educational Benefits of ICT in Higher Education: Proceedings. Rotterdam: Erasmus Plus BV, OECR ISBN 90-9016127-9We describe an incremental process for integrating E-learning in a higher education institute. Our basic assumption is that the burden of integrating E-learning lies mainly on the shoulders of the teachers. We suggest a process based on XML technologies that enables the teachers to: (1) separate content from presentation and concentrate on content (2) develop learning materials incrementally and implement easily at each stage (3) reuse any learning materials they have already prepared (4) reuse learning materials prepared by other teachers. In this paper we describe the process along with the various roles of each of the following: the technology, the support technical team, the individual teacher and the evolving community of practice

Late-Time Photometry of Type Ia Supernova SN 2012cg Reveals the Radioactive Decay of 57^{57}Co

Seitenzahl et al. (2009) have predicted that roughly three years after its explosion, the light we receive from a Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) will come mostly from reprocessing of electrons and X-rays emitted by the radioactive decay chain $^{57}{\rm Co}~\to~^{57}{\rm Fe}$, instead of positrons from the decay chain $^{56}{\rm Co}~\to~^{56}{\rm Fe}$ that dominates the SN light at earlier times. Using the {\it Hubble Space Telescope}, we followed the light curve of the SN Ia SN 2012cg out to $1055$ days after maximum light. Our measurements are consistent with the light curves predicted by the contribution of energy from the reprocessing of electrons and X-rays emitted by the decay of $^{57}$Co, offering evidence that $^{57}$Co is produced in SN Ia explosions. However, the data are also consistent with a light echo $\sim14$ mag fainter than SN 2012cg at peak. Assuming no light-echo contamination, the mass ratio of $^{57}$Ni and $^{56}$Ni produced by the explosion, a strong constraint on any SN Ia explosion model, is $0.043^{+0.012}_{-0.011}$, roughly twice Solar. In the context of current explosion models, this value favors a progenitor white dwarf with a mass near the Chandrasekhar limit.Comment: Updated to reflect the final version published by ApJ. For a video about the paper, see https://youtu.be/t3pUbZe8wq