Equilibration and “Thermalization” in the Adapted Caldeira–Leggett Model

I explore the processes of equilibration exhibited by the Adapted Caldeira–Leggett (ACL) model, a small unitary “toy model” developed for numerical studies of quantum decoherence between an SHO and an environment. I demonstrate how dephasing allows equilibration to occur in a wide variety of situations. While the finite model size and other “unphysical” aspects prevent the notions of temperature and thermalization from being generally applicable, certain primitive aspects of thermalization can be realized for particular parameter values. I link the observed behaviors to intrinsic properties of the global energy eigenstates, and argue that the phenomena I observe contain elements which might be key ingredients that lead to ergodic behavior in larger more realistic systems. The motivations for this work range from curiosity about phenomena observed in earlier calculations with the ACL model to much larger questions related to the nature of equilibrium, thermalization, and the emergence of physical laws.     

“Exact” and Approximate Methods for Bayesian Inference: Stochastic Volatility Case Study

We conduct a case study in which we empirically illustrate the performance of different classes of Bayesian inference methods to estimate stochastic volatility models. In particular, we consider how different particle filtering methods affect the variance of the estimated likelihood. We review and compare particle Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), RMHMC, fixed-form variational Bayes, and integrated nested Laplace approximation to estimate the posterior distribution of the parameters. Additionally, we conduct the review from the point of view of whether these methods are (1) easily adaptable to different model specifications; (2) adaptable to higher dimensions of the model in a straightforward way; (3) feasible in the multivariate case. We show that when using the stochastic volatility model for methods comparison, various data-generating processes have to be considered to make a fair assessment of the methods. Finally, we present a challenging specification of the multivariate stochastic volatility model, which is rarely used to illustrate the methods but constitutes an important practical application.     

Thermodynamic Properties of the First-Generation Hybrid Dendrimer with “Carbosilane Core/Phenylene Shell” Structure

The molar heat capacity of the first-generation hybrid dendrimer with a “carbosilane core/phenylene shell” structure was measured for the first time in the temperature range T = 6–600 K using a precise adiabatic vacuum calorimeter and DSC. In the above temperature interval, the glass transition of the studied compound was observed, and its thermodynamic characteristics were determined. The standard thermodynamic functions (the enthalpy, the entropy, and the Gibbs energy) of the hybrid dendrimer were calculated over the range from T = 0 to 600 K using the experimentally determined heat capacity. The standard entropy of formation of the investigated dendrimer was evaluated at T = 298.15 K. The obtained thermodynamic properties of the studied hybrid dendrimer were compared and discussed with the literature data for some of the first-generation organosilicon and pyridylphenylene dendrimers.     

Research on the Prediction of A-Share “High Stock Dividend” Phenomenon—A Feature Adaptive Improved Multi-Layers Ensemble Model

Since the “high stock dividend” of A-share companies in China often leads to the short-term stock price increase, this phenomenon’s prediction has been widely concerned by academia and industry. In this study, a new multi-layer stacking ensemble algorithm is proposed. Unlike the classic stacking ensemble algorithm that focused on the differentiation of base models, this paper used the equal weight comprehensive feature evaluation method to select features before predicting the base model and used a genetic algorithm to match the optimal feature subset for each base model. After the base model’s output prediction, the LightGBM (LGB) model was added to the algorithm as a secondary information extraction layer. Finally, the algorithm inputs the extracted information into the Logistic Regression (LR) model to complete the prediction of the “high stock dividend” phenomenon. Using the A-share market data from 2010 to 2019 for simulation and evaluation, the proposed model improves the AUC (Area Under Curve) and F1 score by 0.173 and 0.303, respectively, compared to the baseline model. The prediction results shed light on event-driven investment strategies.     

The “Hockey” Assist Makes the Difference—Validation of a Defensive Disruptiveness Model to Evaluate Passing Sequences in Elite Soccer

With the growing availability of position data in sports, spatiotemporal analysis in soccer is a topic of rising interest. The aim of this study is to validate a performance indicator, namely D-Def, measuring passing effectiveness. D-Def calculates the change of the teams’ centroid, centroids of formation lines (e.g., defensive line), teams’ surface area, and teams’ spread in the following three seconds after a pass and therefore results in a measure of disruption of the opponents’ defense following a pass. While this measure was introduced earlier, in this study we aim to prove the usefulness to evaluate attacking sequences. In this study, 258 games of Dutch Eredivisie season 2018/19 were included, resulting in 13,094 attacks. D-Def, pass length, pass velocity, and pass angle of the last four passes of each attack were calculated and compared between successful and unsuccessful attacks. D-Def showed higher values for passes of successful compared to unsuccessful attacks (0.001 < p ≤ 0.029, 0.06 ≤ d ≤ 0.23). This difference showed the highest effects sizes in the penultimate pass (d = 0.23) and the maximal D-Def value of an attack (d = 0.23). Passing length (0.001 < p ≤ 0.236, 0.08 ≤ d ≤ 0.17) and passing velocity (0.001 < p ≤ 0.690, −0.09 ≤ d ≤ 0.12) showed inconsistent results in discriminating between successful and unsuccessful attacks. The results indicate that D-Def is a useful indicator for the measurement of pass effectiveness in attacking sequences, highlighting that successful attacks are connected to disruptive passing. Within successful attacks, at least one high disruptive action (pass with D-Def > 28) needs to be present. In addition, the penultimate pass (“hockey assist”) of an attack seems crucial in characterizing successful attacks.     

On “Decisions and Revisions Which a Minute Will Reverse”: Consciousness,The Unconscious and Mathematical Modeling of Thinking

This article considers a partly philosophical question: What are the ontological and epistemological reasons for using quantum-like models or theories (models and theories based on the mathematical formalism of quantum theory) vs. classical-like ones (based on the mathematics of classical physics), in considering human thinking and decision making? This question is only partly philosophical because it also concerns the scientific understanding of the phenomena considered by the theories that use mathematical models of either type, just as in physics itself, where this question also arises as a physical question. This is because this question is in effect: What are the physical reasons for using, even if not requiring, these types of theories in considering quantum phenomena, which these theories predict fully in accord with the experiment? This is clearly also a physical, rather than only philosophical, question and so is, accordingly, the question of whether one needs classical-like or quantum-like theories or both (just as in physics we use both classical and quantum theories) in considering human thinking in psychology and related fields, such as decision science. It comes as no surprise that many of these reasons are parallel to those that are responsible for the use of QM and QFT in the case of quantum phenomena. Still, the corresponding situations should be understood and justified in terms of the phenomena considered, phenomena defined by human thinking, because there are important differences between these phenomena and quantum phenomena, which this article aims to address. In order to do so, this article will first consider quantum phenomena and quantum theory, before turning to human thinking and decision making, in addressing which it will also discuss two recent quantum-like approaches to human thinking, that by M. G. D’Ariano and F. Faggin and that by A. Khrennikov. Both approaches are ontological in the sense of offering representations, different in character in each approach, of human thinking by the formalism of quantum theory. Whether such a representation, as opposed to only predicting the outcomes of relevant experiments, is possible either in quantum theory or in quantum-like theories of human thinking is one of the questions addressed in this article. The philosophical position adopted in it is that it may not be possible to make this assumption, which, however, is not the same as saying that it is impossible. I designate this view as the reality-without-realism, RWR, view and in considering strictly mental processes as the ideality-without-idealism, IWI, view, in the second case in part following, but also moving beyond, I. Kant’s philosophy.     

Errata to “Cyclic strength of imperfectly saturated sands and analysis of liquefaction”: [Proc. Jpn. Acad., Ser. B 80, No. 8, 372–391 (2004)]

The simplified method of analysis to assess liquefaction potential of a given sand deposit is briefly introduced in the first part of this paper. Then, recent advances in the laboratory testing for evaluating liquefaction resistance are described with a particular emphasis on the sand partly saturated with water. As a means to identify the degree of saturation which is applicable for both field deposits and laboratory samples, the use of the longitudinal wave (P-wave) is proposed based on a suite of data obtained from the triaxial tests in the laboratory. It is recommended that the non-destructive P-wave measurements be carried out first to determine the degree of saturation, and then the cyclic triaxial tests involving large destructive strains should be performed to determine the cyclic strength on the same sample of the sand. In order to demonstrate usefulness of the proposed approach, two sets of undisturbed samples were secured from two sites; one is located in Sakai-minato city which has suffered severe liquefaction at the time of the 2000 Tottoriken-Seibu earthquake and the other site is located in Koshigaya city, Saitama, where likelihood of liquefaction to occur in a future earthquake is of major concern. Penetration tests and in-situ velocity logging were also conducted at these two sites. By adjusting the P-wave velocity of the undisturbed samples in the laboratory so as to have the same velocity in the field, the in-situ state of saturation was reproduced in the laboratory samples. Then, the cyclic loading tests were conducted to determine the cyclic strength of intact samples. The results of the laboratory tests as above were incorporated into the simple method of liquefaction analysis described in the first section of this paper. The analysis seems to yield results which are in reasonably good agreement with what was observed at the time of the earthquake.     

Reply to Pessoa,P.; Arderucio Costa,B. Comment on “Tsallis,C. Black Hole Entropy: A Closer Look. Entropy 2020, 22, 17”

In the present Reply we restrict our focus only onto the main erroneous claims by Pessoa and Costa in their recent Comment (Entropy 2020, 22, 1110).     

Errata to “A revised taxonomy of the ammonoid genus Desmoceras from Japan and southern Sakhalin”: [Proc. Jpn. Acad., Ser. B 80, No. 5, 225–229 (2004)]

Based on the stratigraphically well sorted material from Japan and southern Sakhalin, the ammonoid species belonging to the genus Desmoceras are classified as follows in ascending order: D. latidorsatum (Michelin) (Middle to mid-Upper Albian), D. dawsoni shikokuense (Yabe and Shimizu) (Upper Albian), D. kossmati Matsumoto (uppermost Albian–Lower Cenomanian), D. japonicum Yabe (uppermost Albian–Cenomanian), and D. ezoanum Matsumoto (mid-Upper Cenomanian–mid-Lower Turonian). D. japonicum can be subdivided into the earlier and later subspecies. D. poronaicum Yabe is a junior synonym of D. japonicum. Despite the scarcely ornamented shell, each taxon can be defined by its own characters.     

Exclusive decays of heavy mesons: Nuc. Phys. B0201 (1982

Polyakov's string theory described by the Liouville equation is here formulated in terms of planar Feynman diagrams, The main idea in such formulation is to relate the metric of the string surface to the density of vertices. Further topological considerations are then discussed.     

Electrical switching studies on As<Subscript>40</Subscript>Te<Subscript>60-x</Subscript>Se<Subscript>x</Subscript> and As<Subscript>35</Subscript>Te<Subscript>65-x</Subscript>Se<Subscript>x</Subscript> glasses

The I–V characteristics of bulk As₄₀Te_60-xSe_x and As₃₅Te_65-xSe_x glasses have been studied with a current sweep of 0–18 mA-0, over a wide range of compositions (4≤x≤22). All the glasses studied showed a threshold electrical switching behaviour. The number of switching cycles withstood by the samples has been found to depend on the ON-state current. It is seen that the switching voltages increase with increase in selenium content. Further, the switching voltages are found to be almost independent of the thickness of the sample (d), in the range 0.18–0.3 mm. Also, the switching voltages and the number of switching cycles withstood by the samples are found to decrease with temperature. Received: 6 November 2002 / Accepted: 8 November 2002 / Published online: 29 January 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +91-80/360-0135, E-mail: sasokan@isu.iisc.ernet.in     

Spin-wave resonances in Eu<Subscript>0.8</Subscript>Ce<Subscript>0.2</Subscript>Mn<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript> and EuMn<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript> multiferroics

Spin-wave resonances have been observed in superlattices arising due to the phase separation and self-organization of charge carriers in Eu_0.8Ce_0.2Mn₂O₅ single crystals. The resonances are found within the 5–80 K temperature range at frequencies close to 30 GHz. Similar resonances with intensities about an order of magnitude lower are also observed in EuMn₂O₅. The latter suggests the existence of charge transfer processes between the manganese ions of different valences in EuMn₂O₅.     

Mixed spin- and spin- Ising models with random nearest-neighbour interactions

Using the effective field theory with correlations, we study mixed spin?3/2 and spin?1/2 Ising models with random bonds and crystal-field interactions on the honeycomb lattice. The nearest-neighbour couplings J_ij are taken as random variables with distribution P(J_ij) = pδ(J_ij ? J)+(1 ? p)δ(J_ij ? αJ), where J > 0 and |α| ≤ 1. In a certain range of negative values of α, the phase diagrams exhibit re-entrant behaviour. In detail, we investigate separately two kinds of disorder: Bond dilution (α = 0) and random ±J interactions (α = ?1). In both cases, the influence of the an-isotropy on the phase diagrams shows some new outstanding features.     

Neutron scattering study of combustion-synthesized Ce<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Cu<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>O<Subscript>2−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>

Powder neutron diffraction and Hi-Q neutron diffraction data have been recorded and analysed in order to obtain the local and long range order of Cu in Cudoped CeO₂ with three doping levels of Cu. Rietveld method and MCGR techniques of data analysis for the two types of data reveal that the Cu ion is in the 2+ oxidation state and has a vacancy in its first coordination shell. These deductions from the data analysis fit well with the mechanism of catalysis we propose.     

GaSe<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">S</Emphasis><Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> solid solutions

The most probable parameters of the pure, doped, and mixed GaSe_1−xS_x (x ≤ 0.4) crystals (solid solutions) are presented together with the results of investigations of their crystal structure and defects, optical and mechanical properties, and damage thresholds. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 6, pp. 35–40, June, 2007.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">B</Emphasis><Stack><Subscript>s</Subscript><Superscript>0</Superscript></Stack> physics at LHCb

The LHCb experiment is in preparation, to be ready for the start of the LHC. The physics which will be performed by LHCb is reviewed, focussing on what can be learnt fromB _s ⁰ mesons.     

Superconductivity in Ti-doped iron-arsenide compound Sr<Subscript>4</Subscript>Cr<Subscript>0.8</Subscript>Ti<Subscript>1.2</Subscript>O<Subscript>6</Subscript>Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>As<Subscript>2</Subscript>

Superconductivity was achieved in Ti-doped iron-arsenide compound Sr₄Cr_0.8Ti_1.2O₆Fe₂As₂ (abbreviated as Cr-FeAs-42622). The X-ray diffraction measurement shows that this material has a layered structure with the space group of P4/nmm, and with the lattice constants a = b = 3.9003 Å and c = 15.8376 Å. Clear diamagnetic signals in ac susceptibility data and zero-resistance in resistivity data were detected at about 6 K, confirming the occurrence of bulk superconductivity. Meanwhile we observed a superconducting transition in the resistive data with the onset transition temperature at 29.2 K, which may be induced by the nonuniform distribution of the Cr/Ti content in the FeAs-42622 phase.     

O<Subscript>2</Subscript> photodesorption from a Ag<Subscript>8</Subscript>O<Stack><Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>-</Superscript></Stack> cluster

The decay path of an Ag₈(O₂)^- cluster photoexcited by a 3.1 eV photon is elucidated using time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. Photoabsorption results in the formation of an excited state giving rise to a peak in the photoelectron spectra with well-resolved vibrational finestructure. With a lifetime of about 100 fs this bound state decays into an anti-bonding state which dissociates into O₂ and Ag₈^- on a timescale of 10 ps. In the photoelectron spectra, this corresponds to a broad maximum shifting gradually towards higher binding energy while the O₂ and Ag₈^- separate. Finally, the spectrum of bare Ag₈^- appears. This process is unique to small clusters, because on metal surfaces excited state lifetimes are too short to allow for direct dissociation.