Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Optimizing Measurement Strengths For Qubit Quasiprobabilities Behind Out-Of-Time-Ordered Correlators, Razieh Mohseninia, José Raúl González Alonso, Justin Dressel

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Out-of-time-ordered correlators (OTOCs) have been proposed as a tool to witness quantum information scrambling in many-body system dynamics. These correlators can be understood as averages over nonclassical multitime quasiprobability distributions (QPDs). These QPDs have more information and their nonclassical features witness quantum information scrambling in a more nuanced way. However, their high dimensionality and nonclassicality make QPDs challenging to measure experimentally. We focus on the topical case of a many-qubit system and show how to obtain such a QPD in the laboratory using circuits with three and four sequential measurements. Averaging distinct values over the same measured distribution reveals either …

A Feasibility Study On The Application Of Tvdi On Accessing Wildfire Danger In The Korean Peninsula, Kwang Nyun Kim, Seung Hee Kim, Myoung Soo Won, Keun Chang Jang, Won Jun Choi, Yun Gon Lee

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Wildfire is a major natural disaster affecting socioeconomics and ecology. Remote sensing data have been widely used to estimate the wildfire danger with an advantage of higher spatial resolution. Among the several wildfire related indices using remote sensing data, Temperature Vegetation Dryness Index (TVDI) assesses wildfire danger based on both Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Land Surface Temperature (LST). Although TVDI has physical advantages by considering both weather and vegetation condition, previous studies have shown TVDI does not performed well compare to other wildfire related indices over the Korean Peninsula. In this study we have attempted multiple modification to …

Schrödinger Evolution Of Superoscillations With Δ - And Δ′ -Potentials, Yakir Aharonov, Jussi Behrndt, Fabrizio Colombo, Peter Schlosser

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

In this paper, we study the time persistence of superoscillations as the initial data of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation with δ- and δ′-potentials. It is shown that the sequence of solutions converges uniformly on compact sets, whenever the initial data converge in the topology of the entire function space A₁(C). Convolution operators acting in this space are our main tool. In particular, a general result about the existence of such operators is proven. Moreover, we provide an explicit formula as well as the large time asymptotics for the time evolution of a plane wave under δ- and δ′-potentials.

Long-Term Aerosol Trends And Variability Over Central Saudi Arabia Using Optical Characteristics From Solar Village Aeronet Measurements, Mohammed Al Otaibi, Ashraf Farahat, Bassam Tawabini, M. Hafidz Omar, Emad Ramadan, Abdelgadir Abuelgasim, Ramesh Singh

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Natural and anthropogenic aerosols over the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) play a major role in affecting the regional radiation budget. The long-term variability of these aerosols’ physical and optical parameters, including aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Ångström exponent (α), were measured at a location near central KSA using the Solar Village (SV) AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) station during the period December 1999–January 2013. The AERONET measurements show an overall increase in AOD on an annual basis. This upward trend is mainly attributed to a prolonged increase in the monthly/seasonal mean AOD during March–June and during August– September. In contrast, …

The Effect Of The 21 August 2017 Total Solar Eclipse On The Phase Of Vlf/Lf Signals, A. Rozhnoi, M. Solovieva, S. Shalimov, Dimitar Ouzounov, P. Gallagher, G. Verth, J. Mccauley, S. Shelyag, V. Fedun

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

An experimental study of the phase and amplitude observations of sub‐ionospheric very low and low frequency (VLF/LF) signals is performed to analyze the response of the lower ionosphere during the 21 August 2017 total solar eclipse in the United States of America. Three different sub‐ionospheric wave paths are investigated. The length of the paths varies from 2,200 to 6,400 km, and the signal frequencies are 21.4, 25.2, and 40.75 kHz. The two paths cross the region of the total eclipse, and the third path is in the region of 40–60% of obscuration. None of the signals reveal any noticeable amplitude …

Distributive Laws In Residuated Binars, Wesley Fussner, Peter Jipsen

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

In residuated binars there are six non-obvious distributivity identities of ⋅,/,∖ over ∧,∨. We show that in residuated binars with distributive lattice reducts there are some dependencies among these identities; specifically, there are six pairs of identities that imply another one of these identities, and we provide counterexamples to show that no other dependencies exist among these.

Establishing Computational Approaches Towards Identifying Malarial Allosteric Modulators: A Case Study Of Plasmodium Falciparum Hsp70s, Arnold Amusengeri, Lindy Astl, Kevin Lobb, Gennady M. Verkhivker, Özlem Tastan Bishop

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Combating malaria is almost a never-ending battle, as Plasmodium parasites develop resistance to the drugs used against them, as observed recently in artemisinin-based combination therapies. The main concern now is if the resistant parasite strains spread from Southeast Asia to Africa, the continent hosting most malaria cases. To prevent catastrophic results, we need to find non-conventional approaches. Allosteric drug targeting sites and modulators might be a new hope for malarial treatments. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are potential malarial drug targets and have complex allosteric control mechanisms. Yet, studies on designing allosteric modulators against them are limited. Here, we identified allosteric …

The Fock Space As A De Branges–Rovnyak Space, Daniel Alpay, Fabrizio Colombo, Irene Sabadini

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We show that de Branges–Rovnyak spaces include as special cases a number of spaces, such as the Hardy space, the Fock space, the Hardy–Sobolev space and the Dirichlet space. We present a general framework in which all these spaces can be obtained by specializing a sequence that appears in the construction. We show how to exploit this approach to solve interpolation problems in the Fock space.

Topological Bound States For Quantum Charges, Yakir Aharonov, Ismael L. Paiva, Jeff Tollaksen, Mordecai Waegell

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We discuss how, in appropriately designed configurations, solenoids carrying a semifluxon can be used as topological energy barriers for charged quantum systems. We interpret this phenomenon as a consequence of the fact that such solenoids induce nodal lines in the wave function describing the charge, which on itself is a consequence of the Aharonov-Bohm effect. Moreover, we present a thought experiment with a cavity where two solenoids are sufficient to create bound states.

Assessing Environmentally Sensitive Land To Desertification Using Medalus Method In Mongolia, Eun Jung Lee, Dongfan Piao, Cholho Song, Jiwon Kim, Chul-Hee Lim, Eunji Kim, Jooyeon Moon, Menas Kafatos, Munkhnsan Lamchin, Seong Woo Jeon, Woo-Kyun Lee

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Desertification is a global phenomenon caused by various processes, including climate change, vegetation processes, and human activities. The need to combat desertification is increasing in many countries. A reasonable assessment of the vulnerability or sensitivity of land cover to desertification at national scales is crucial to formulate appropriate strategies or policies for combating it. The main purpose of this work was to quantitatively assess the sensitivity of land cover to desertification in Mongolia using the MEDALUS approach. The MEDALUS method is a widely known technique for assessing desertification in the Mediterranean area. In this study, the method was adjusted to …

Coccidioidomycosis: Medical And Spatio-Temporal Perspectives, Nikias Sarafoglou, Rafael Laniado-Laborin, Menas Kafatos

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Coccidioidomycosis (CM) is a disease of major public health importance due to the challenges in its diagnosis and treatment. To understand CM requires the attributes of a multidisciplinary network analysis to appreciate the complexity of the medical, the environmental and the social issues involved: public health, public policy, geology, atmospheric science, agronomy, social sciences and finally humanities, all which provide insight into this population transformation.

In section 1 of this paper, we describe the CM-epidemiology, the clinical features, the diagnosis and finally the treatment.

In section 2, we highlight the most important contributions and controversies in the history of the …

Diffraction-Based Interaction-Free Measurements, Spencer Rogers, Yakir Aharonov, Cyril Elouard, Andrew N. Jordan

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We introduce diffraction-based interaction-free measurements. In contrast with previous work where a set of discrete paths is engaged, good-quality interaction-free measurements can be realized with a continuous set of paths, as is typical of optical propagation. If a bomb is present in a given spatial region—so sensitive that a single photon will set it off—its presence can still be detected without exploding it. This is possible because, by not absorbing the photon, the bomb causes the single photon to diffract around it. The resulting diffraction pattern can then be statistically distinguished from the bomb-free case. We work out the case …

Urban Health Related Air Quality Indicators Over The Middle East And North Africa Countries Using Multiple Satellites And Aeronet Data, Maram El-Nadry, Wenzhao Li, Hesham El-Askary, Mohamed A. Awad, Alaa Ramadan Awad

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Air pollution is reported as one of the most severe environmental problems in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Remotely sensed data from newly available TROPOMI - TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument on board Sentinel-5 Precursor, shows an annual mean of high-resolution maps of selected air quality indicators (NO2, CO, O3, and UVAI) of the MENA countries for the first time. The correlation analysis among the aforementioned indicators show the coherency of the air pollutants in urban areas. Multi-year data from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) stations from nine MENA countries are utilized here to study the aerosol optical depth …

Gamma Ray And Radon Anomalies In Northern Taiwan As A Possible Preearthquake Indicator Around The Plate Boundary, Ching-Chou Fu, Lou-Chuang Lee, Tsanyao Frank Yang, Cheng-Horng Lin, Cheng-Hong Chen, Vivek Walia, Tsung-Kwei Liu, Dimitar Ouzounov, Gioacchino Giuliani, Tzu-Hua Lai, Peng-Kang Wang

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Taiwan is tectonically situated in an oblique collision zone between the Philippine Sea Plate (PSP) and the Eurasian Plate (EP). Continuous observations of gamma rays at the Yangmingshan (YMSG) station and soil radon at the Tapingti (TPT) station were recorded in the volcanic area and around a major fault zone, respectively, in Taiwan for seismic studies. A number of anomalous high gamma ray counts and radon concentrations at certain times were found. It is noted that significant increases of soil radon concentrations were observed and followed by the increase in gamma rays a few days to a few weeks before …

Editorial: Machine Learning In Biomolecular Simulations, Gennady M. Verkhivker, Vojtech Spiwok, Francesco Luigi Gervasio

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

"Interest in machine learning is growing in all fields of science, industry, and business. This interest was not primarily initiated by new theoretical findings. Interestingly, the theoretical basis of the majority of machine learning techniques, such as artificial neural networks, decision trees, or kernel methods, have been known for a relatively long time. Instead, there are other effects that triggered the recent boom of machine learning."

Studying The Impact On Urban Health Over The Greater Delta Region In Egypt Due To Aerosol Variability Using Optical Characteristics From Satellite Observations And Ground-Based Aeronet Measurements, Wenzhao Li, Elham Ali, Islam Abou Al-Magd, Moustafa Mohamed Mourad, Hesham El-Askary

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

This research addresses the aerosol characteristics and variability over Cairo and the Greater Delta region over the last 20 years using an integrative multi-sensor approach of remotely sensed and PM10 ground data. The accuracy of these satellite aerosol products is also evaluated and compared through cross-validation against ground observations from the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) project measured at local stations. The results show the validity of using Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors on the Terra and Aqua platforms for quantitative aerosol optical depth (AOD) assessment as compared to Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), Sea-viewingWide Field-of-view …

Benchmarks Of Nonclassicality For Qubit Arrays, Mordecai Waegell, Justin Dressel

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We present a set of practical benchmarks for N-qubit arrays that economically test the fidelity of achieving multi-qubit nonclassicality. The benchmarks are measurable correlators similar to two-qubit Bell correlators, and are derived from a particular set of geometric structures from the N-qubit Pauli group. These structures prove the Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger (GHZ) theorem, while the derived correlators witness genuine N-partite entanglement and establish a tight lower bound on the fidelity of particular stabilizer state preparations. The correlators need only M ≤ N + 1 distinct measurement settings, as opposed to the 2^2N − 1 settings that would normally be …

A Panorama On Superoscillations, Fabrizio Colombo, Irene Sabadini, Daniele Carlo Struppa

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose of this note is to give an overview on superoscillating sequences and some of their properties. We discuss their persistence in time under Schrödinger equation, we propose various classes of superoscillating functions and we also briefly mention how they can be used to approximate some generalized functions.

Weak Value Amplification For Nonunitary Evolution, Wei-Tao Liu, Julián Martínez-Rincón, John C. Howell

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We discuss interferometric parameter estimation of the amplitude, instead of the phase, via weak value amplification. The considered weak interaction introduces modulation on the amplitude of the wave function; therefore, the two-party state experiences a nonunitary evolution. With the same pre- and postselection states as those of original weak value amplification, a much larger anomalous amplification factor can be attained. The shift in the intensity profile at the dark port and the signal-to-noise ratio for the parameter of interest get further amplified by the weak value, compared to phase-based weak value amplification. Although the nonunitary evolution introduces loss, more information …

Estimating Live Fuel Moisture Using Smap L-Band Radiometer Soil Moisture For Southern California, Usa, Shenyue Jia, Seung Hee Kim, Son V. Nghiem, Menas Kafatos

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Live fuel moisture (LFM) is a field-measured indicator of vegetation water content and a crucial observation of vegetation flammability. This study presents a new multi-variant regression model to estimate LFM in the Mediterranean ecosystem of Southern California, USA, using the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) L-band radiometer soil moisture (SMAP SM) from April 2015 to December 2018 over 12 chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum) LFM sites. The two-month lag between SMAP SM and LFM was utilized either as steps to synchronize the SMAP SM to the LFM series or as the leading time window to calculate the accumulative SMAP SM. …

Coral Reef Change Detection In Remote Pacific Islands Using Support Vector Machine Classifiers, Justin J. Gapper, Hesham El-Askary, Erik Linstead, Thomas Piechota

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Despite the abundance of research on coral reef change detection, few studies have been conducted to assess the spatial generalization principles of a live coral cover classifier trained using remote sensing data from multiple locations. The aim of this study is to develop a machine learning classifier for coral dominated benthic cover-type class (CDBCTC) based on ground truth observations and Landsat images, evaluate the performance of this classifier when tested against new data, then deploy the classifier to perform CDBCTC change analysis of multiple locations. The proposed framework includes image calibration, support vector machine (SVM) training and tuning, statistical assessment …

Incorporating Antecedent Soil Moisture Into Streamflow Forecasting, Abdoul Oubeidillah, Glenn Tootle, Thomas Piechota

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

This study incorporates antecedent (preceding) soil moisture into forecasting streamflow volumes within the North Platte River Basin, Colorado/Wyoming (USA). The incorporation of antecedent soil moisture accounts for infiltration and can improve streamflow predictions. Current Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) forecasting methods are replicated, and a comparison is drawn between current NRCS forecasts and proposed forecasting methods using antecedent soil moisture. Current predictors used by the NRCS in regression-based streamflow forecasting include precipitation, streamflow persistence (previous season streamflow volume) and snow water equivalent (SWE) from SNOTEL (snow telemetry) sites. Proposed methods utilize antecedent soil moisture as a predictor variable in addition …

Integration Of Random Forest Classifiers And Deep Convolutional Neural Networks For Classification And Biomolecular Modeling Of Cancer Driver Mutations, Steve Agajanian, Odeyemi Oluyemi, Gennady M. Verkhivker

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Development of machine learning solutions for prediction of functional and clinical significance of cancer driver genes and mutations are paramount in modern biomedical research and have gained a significant momentum in a recent decade. In this work, we integrate different machine learning approaches, including tree based methods, random forest and gradient boosted tree (GBT) classifiers along with deep convolutional neural networks (CNN) for prediction of cancer driver mutations in the genomic datasets. The feasibility of CNN in using raw nucleotide sequences for classification of cancer driver mutations was initially explored by employing label encoding, one hot encoding, and embedding to …

Assessment Of Agricultural Drought Considering The Hydrological Cycle And Crop Phenology In The Korean Peninsula, Chul-Hee Lim, Seung Hee Kim, Jong Ahn Chun, Menas Kafatos, Woo-Kyun Lee

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Hydrological changes attributable to global warming increase the severity and frequency of droughts, which in turn affect agriculture. Hence, we proposed the Standardized Agricultural Drought Index (SADI), which is a new drought index specialized for agriculture and crops, and evaluated current and expected droughts in the Korean Peninsula. The SADI applies crop phenology to the hydrological cycle, which is a basic element that assesses drought. The SADI of rice and maize was calculated using representative hydrological variables (precipitation, evapotranspiration, and runoff) of the crop growing season. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of SADI, the three-month Standardized Precipitation Index, which …

Land – Atmosphere – Meteorological Coupling Associated With The 2015 Gorkha (M 7.8) And Dolakha (M 7.3) Nepal Earthquakes, Feng Jing, Ramesh P. Singh, Xuhui Shen

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Multiple parameters (brightness temperature, soil moisture, surface latent heat flux, surface air temperature and carbon monoxide) before and after the 2015 Nepal M7.8 Gorkha main earthquake and M7.3 Dolakha aftershock were analysed using satellite observation data. The thermal anomalies from optical and microwave data appear about two months prior to the 2015 Gorkha earthquake. Some of the parameters show anomalous changes at different altitudes about 20 days prior to the main earthquake event and 10 days prior to the strong aftershock. Our results show that pre-earthquake anomalous signals propagate from the in situ to the top of atmosphere, and the …

The Nature Of The Heisenberg-Von Neumann Cut: Enhanced Orthodox Interpretation Of Quantum Mechanics, Ashok Narasimhan, Deepak Chopra, Menas Kafatos

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We examine the issue of the Heisenberg-von Neumann cut in light of recent interpretations of quantum eraser experiments which indicate the possibility of a universal Observer outside space-time at an information level of existence. The delayed-choice aspects of observation, measurement, the role of the observer, and information in the quantum framework of the universe are discussed. While traditional double-slit experiments are usually interpreted as indicating that the collapse of the wave function involves choices by an individual observer in space-time, the extension to quantum eraser experiments brings in some additional subtle aspects relating to the role of observation and what …

Roadmap On Superoscillations, Michael Berry, Nicolay Zheludev, Yakir Aharonov, Fabrizio Colombo, Irene Sabadini, Daniele C. Struppa, Jeff Tollaksen, Edward T. F. Rogers, Fei Qin, Minghui Hong, Xiangang Luo, Roei Remez, Ady Arie, Jörg B. Götte, Mark R. Dennis, Alex M. H. Wong, George V. Eleftheriades, Yaniv Eliezer, Alon Bahabad, Gang Chen, Zhongquan Wen, Gaofeng Liang, Chenglong Hao, C-W Qiu, Achim Kempf, Eytan Katzav, Moshe Schwartz

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Superoscillations are band-limited functions with the counterintuitive property that they can vary arbitrarily faster than their fastest Fourier component, over arbitrarily long intervals. Modern studies originated in quantum theory, but there were anticipations in radar and optics. The mathematical understanding—still being explored—recognises that functions are extremely small where they superoscillate; this has implications for information theory. Applications to optical vortices, sub-wavelength microscopy and related areas of nanoscience are now moving from the theoretical and the demonstrative to the practical. This Roadmap surveys all these areas, providing background, current research, and anticipating future developments.

Tropospheric And Ionospheric Anomalies Induced By Volcanic And Saharan Dust Events As Part Of Geosphere Interaction Phenomena, Valerio Tramutoli, Francesco Marchese, Alfredo Falconieri, Carolina Filizzola, Nicola Genzano, Katsumi Hattori, Mariano Lisi, Jann-Yenq Liu, Dimitar Ouzounov, Michel Parrot, Nicola Pergola, Sergey Pulinets

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

In this work, we assessed the possible relation of ionospheric perturbations observed by Detection of Electro-Magnetic Emissions Transmitted from Earthquake Regions (DEMETER), Global Positioning System total electron content (GPS TEC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-derived outgoing longwave-Earth radiation (OLR), and atmospheric chemical potential (ACP) measurements, with volcanic and Saharan dust events identified by ground and satellite-based medium infrared/thermal infrared (MIR/TIR) observations. The results indicated that the Mt. Etna (Italy) volcanic activity of 2006 was probably responsible for the ionospheric perturbations revealed by DEMETER on 4 November and 6 December and by GPS TEC observations on 4 November and 12 …

Realization Of Tensor Product And Of Tensor Factorization Of Rational Functions, Daniel Alpay, Izchak Lewkowicz

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We study the state space realization of a tensor product of a pair of rational functions. At the expense of “inflating” the dimensions, we recover the classical expressions for realization of a regular product of rational functions. Under an additional assumption that the limit at infinity of a given rational function exists and is equal to identity, we introduce an explicit formula for a tensor factorization of this function.

A More Powerful Unconditional Exact Test Of Homogeneity For 2 × C Contingency Table Analysis, Louis Ehwerhemuepha, Heng Sok, Cyril Rakovski

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The classical unconditional exact p-value test can be used to compare two multinomial distributions with small samples. This general hypothesis requires parameter estimation under the null which makes the test severely conservative. Similar property has been observed for Fisher's exact test with Barnard and Boschloo providing distinct adjustments that produce more powerful testing approaches. In this study, we develop a novel adjustment for the conservativeness of the unconditional multinomial exact p-value test that produces nominal type I error rate and increased power in comparison to all alternative approaches. We used a large simulation study to empirically estimate the …