# All Questions

1answer
84 views

### What is the Holevo-Schumacher-Westmoreland capacity of a Pauli channel?

Suppose you are given an $n$-qubit quantum channel defined as $\mathcal{E}(\rho) = \sum_{i} p_i X_i \rho X_i^\dagger$, where $X_i$ denotes an $n$-fold tensor product of Pauli matrices and $\{p_i\}$ is ...
5answers
588 views

### Does $E$ really equal $mc^2$?

I'm currently in a debate with a co-worker. If mass is sped up to the speed of light, does the mass become energy?
2answers
127 views

### Relevance of SIC-POVMs to quantum information

What is the real relevance of SIC-POVMs (symmetric informationally complete POVMs) to concrete tasks in quantum information theory? A lot of work has been put into giving explicit constructions, and ...
2answers
446 views

3answers
507 views

1answer
95 views

### Why isn't sunset time in sync with solstice?

The winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere in 2011 is on December 22. But if I look at the sunset times for a location such as Washington, DC on the USNO site, the sunset time starts reversing ...
1answer
71 views

### How must you spin the ball to make it alternate between 2 positions? [closed]

Assume any parameters you may need. Thanks in advance.
1answer
332 views

### Nonlinear polarization (second and third order)

Why does second order nonlinear polarization occur only in crystal materials with a non-centrosymmetric crystal structure? (Nonlinear effects at crystal surfaces are an exception). Why does third ...
5answers
228 views

### Usefullness of an only qualitative understanding of momentum?

A few days ago I had a discussion with a friend who wants to become a physics teacher (in Germany). He told me that from a pedagogical/didactial point of view it seems to be a good idea to introduce ...
1answer
395 views

### Transmission and reflection

What is the transmission amplitude of a wavefunction $\phi(x)=e^{ikx}(\tanh x -ik)$? I would have thought that it is $\tanh x -ik$ since this is the factor associated with the forward travelling ...
3answers
1k views

### Does conservation of momentum really imply Newton's third law?

I often heard that conservation of momentum is nothing else than Newton's third law. Ok, If you have only two interacting particles in the universe, this seems to be quite obvious. However if you ...
2answers
3k views

### Difference between momentum and kinetic energy

From a mathematical point of view it seems to be clear what's the difference between momentum and $mv$ and kinetic energy $\frac{1}{2} m v^2$. Now my problem is the following: Suppose you want to ...
2answers
347 views

### Would a positron energy weapon cause the same effects as Zat Gun from SG-1 from assuming normal Physics?

question stems from the following answer on SciFi StackExchange: http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/6404/in-stargate-is-there-an-in-universe-explanation-of-the-cumulative-effect-of-zat/6405#6405 ...
6answers
322 views

### Classic Literature in Quantum Gravity?

I've seen it said in various places that a major reason people like string theory as a theory of quantum gravity is that it does a good job of matching our prejudices about how a quantum gravity ...
2answers
215 views

### Alternative definitions of potential?

I hope this question is simple and can be quickly cleared up. In a 1D conservative dynamical system, I've always been taught that the potential function is the function $V(x)$ such that: ...
2answers
167 views

### A resource theory of quantum discord?

Local Operations and Classical Communication (LOCC) is the classic paradigm for studying entanglement. These are things that are `cheap' and unable to produce entanglement as a resource for a quantum ...
1answer
200 views

### Clarification of equilibrium expression for upside down can in water

Let's say I initially have an open, empty, soda can. I then turn it over and lower it into a bowl of water, and then release it. Obviously water rises to some level in the cup and then there is air at ...
4answers
578 views

### Is QFT mathematically self-consistent?

After recently going through a short program of self-study in quantum mechanics, I was surprised to find a quote attributed to Feynman essentially saying he was extremely bothered by the computational ...
1answer
303 views

### Canonical quantization of quantum field

The canonical quantization of a quantum field prescribes that given a lagrangian, one can quantize the theory by imposing the commutation relations between the field operators and their conjugated ...
3answers
1k views

### Can Laplace's equation be solved using Fourier transform instead of Fourier series?

Sorry for the long text, but I am unable to make my question more compact. Any periodic function can be Fourier expanded. Usually, they say in mathematical physics books, if the function is not ...
1answer
362 views

### What are some predictions from string theory that say some crystalline materials “will end up in one of many lowest-energy ground states?”

I am referring to this recent "news feature" by Zeeya Merali from Nature magazine www.nature.com/uidfinder/10.1038/478302a. Here is the specific quote: "To make matters worse, some of the testable ...
0answers
446 views

### Could this model have soliton solutions?

$\mathcal{L}=i\bar{\Psi}\gamma^\mu\partial_\mu\Psi-m\bar{\Psi}\Psi+\frac{1}{2}g(\bar{\Psi}\Psi)^2$ Field equation $(i\gamma^\mu\partial_\mu-m+g\bar{\Psi}\Psi)\Psi=0$ Could this model have soliton ...
1answer
242 views

### What is the definition of a 2-cocycle in Quantum Mechanics

I'm having this lecture on QM and we are giving an introduction on Lie Groups. So... this week we have been talking about central extensions of LG (such as Galilean) and related to this popped up ...
1answer
179 views

### Fluid Dynamics: Bernoulli Air Tunnel

I have the following question as part of a lab intro to explain the more complicated stuff I'l actually have to submit in the lab. I put all the questions here just to show my thought pattern/what ...
1answer
143 views

### Expected value inequality

Why is $\langle p^2\rangle >0$ where $p=-i\hbar{d\over dx}$, (noting the strict inequality) for all normalized wavefunctions? I would have argued that because we can't have $\psi=$constant, but ...
1answer
545 views

### Free Body Diagram of Fluid Statics Problem

I need help determining the forces, and the direction of them in this fluid statics problem. A hollow cylinder with closed ends is 300mm in diameter and 450mm tall. It has a mass of 27kg and a tiny ...
2answers
255 views

### Will the water added to an ice piece freeze?

Water, at room temperature is poured into a hole made of a block of melting ice(kept at room temperature).I was wondering if the water will ever freeze? Thank you.
1answer
258 views

### What's the big deal with Nd:YAG rods?

I see the prices of Nd:YAG rods for lasers, and could someone explain why they are so expensive? Do they need to be mono-crystalline or something? Will Nd:YAG laser work with ...
5answers
359 views

### Which subjects in physics should I choose if I want to help tackling today's energy and environment related problems? [closed]

I was wondering what subjects a freshman in mathematics ought to choose in the future if s/he wanted to help working on energy and environment-related issues we are currently facing, and will very ...
1answer
39 views

### How do you transform between theoretical Hertzsprung-Russell Diagrams and Colour-Magnitude Diagrams?

When discussing stars, theorists tend to use effective temperature $T_\text{eff}$ and luminosity $L$ (on logarithmic scales). Observers, on the other hand, usually talk about observed colours and ...
1answer
448 views

### Hyperfine structure vs Lamb shift in the hydrogen atom

The hyperfine structure of the energy levels of the hydrogen atom refers to the shifts in the evergy levels due to the magnetic moments of the nucleus and of the electron. This is an effect of ...

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