Embedding Quantum Mechanics Into a Broader Noncontextual Theory: A Conciliatory Result

The extended semantic realism (ESR) model embodies the mathematical formalism of standard (Hilbert space) quantum mechanics in a noncontextual framework, reinterpreting quantum probabilities as conditional instead of absolute. We provide here an improved version of this model and show that it predicts that, whenever idealized measurements are performed, a modified Bell-Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (BCHSH) inequality holds if one takes into account all individual systems that are prepared, standard quantum predictions hold if one considers only the individual systems that are detected, and a standard BCHSH inequality holds at a microscopic (purely theoretical) level. These results admit an intuitive explanation in terms of an unconventional kind of unfair sampling and constitute a first example of the unified perspective that can be attained by adopting the ESR model.     

Automatic structures for semigroup constructions

We survey results concerning automatic structures for semigroup constructions, providing references and describing the corresponding automatic structures. The constructions we consider are: free products, direct products, Rees matrix semigroups, Bruck-Reilly extensions and wreath products.     

Structural and photophysical properties of anthracenyl and carbazolyl groups in silicone-based polymers

This paper describes a simple methodology to attach luminescent groups (anthracenyl and carbazolyl) to polysiloxanes (silicone), using hydrosilylation reactions between the Si–H groups from the silicone precursor to vinyl derivatives of the lumophores. The photophysical properties of these luminescent silicones were studied using both steady-state and dynamical photoluminescence spectroscopy. A strong correlation was obtained between the structural characteristics of the anthracenyl- and carbazolyl-based polysiloxanes, depending on the amount and the position of the Si–H bonds in the silicone precursors. For sparsely distributed Si–H groups, both the anthracenyl-labeled and carbazolyl-labeled polysiloxanes showed photophysical properties (fluorescence spectrum and fluorescence decays) similar to those of 1-alkyl anthracenyl and 1-alkyl carbazolyl derivatives, respectively. Nevertheless, for closely spaced Si–H groups, emission and decay are different. The presence of excimers was observed for anthracenyl but not for carbazolyl polysiloxanes. This latter observation is quite different from that observed for carbon-based polymers for which the carbazolyl excimer formation is a very common process probably due to the differences in the silicone structure.     

The Effect of Spontaneous Collapses on Neutrino Oscillations

We compute the effect of collapse models on neutrino oscillations. The effect of the collapse is to modify the evolution of the spatial part of the wave function and we will show that this indirectly amounts to a change on the flavor components. For the analysis we use the mass proportional CSL model, and perform the calculation to second order perturbation theory. As we will show, the CSL effect is very small—mainly due to the very small mass of neutrinos—and practically undetectable.