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Quantum Solvers for Plane-Wave Hamiltonians: Abridging Virtual Spaces Through the Optimization of Pairwise Correlations

For many-body methods such as MCSCF and CASSCF, in which the number of one-electron orbitals is optimized and independent of the basis set used, there are no problems with using plane-wave basis sets. However, for methods currently used in quantum computing such as select configuration interaction (CI) and coupled cluster (CC) methods, it is necessary to have a virtual space that is able to capture a significant amount of electron-electron correlation in the system. The virtual orbitals in a pseudopotential plane-wave Hartree–Fock calculation, because of Coulomb repulsion, are often scattering states that interact very weakly with the filled orbitals. As a result, very little correlation energy is captured from them. The use of virtual spaces derived from the one-electron operators has also been tried, and while some correlations are captured, the amount is quite low. To overcome these limitations, we have been developing new classes of algorithms to define virtual spaces by optimizing orbitals from small pairwise CI Hamiltonians, which we term as correlation optimized virtual orbitals with the abbreviation COVOs. With these procedures, we have been able to derive virtual spaces, containing only a few orbitals, which are able to capture a significant amount of correlation. The focus in this manuscript is on using these derived basis sets to target full CI (FCI) quality results for H2 on near-term quantum computers. However, the initial results for this approach were promising. We were able to obtain good agreement with FCI/cc-pVTZ results for this system with just 4 virtual orbitals, using both FCI and quantum simulations. The quality of the results using COVOs suggests that it may be possible to use them in other many-body approaches, including coupled cluster and Møller–Plesset perturbation theories, and open up the door to many-body calculations for pseudopotential plane-wave basis set methods.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Single radio frequency bucket injection in the 88-Inch Cyclotron using a pulsed high voltage chopper

A single radio frequency bucket of the 88-Inch Cyclotron is filled using a fast chopper located in the axial line. The bucket then accelerates until it reaches the deflector, at which point, it is extracted as a train of bunches. This phenomenon can be attributed to the characteristic multi-turn extraction of the cyclotron and, by simplifying the complex dynamics of a cyclotron, corresponds to the conceptual transfer function of the cyclotron. In conclusion, the confirmation of the single radio frequency bucket injection was achieved by operating the cyclotron in the third harmonic mode and observing the absence of intermediate bunches during the multiple-bunch extraction.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Stable hypermutators revealed by the genomic landscape of genes involved in genome stability among yeast species

Mutator phenotypes are short-lived due to the rapid accumulation of deleterious mutations. Yet, recent observations reveal that certain fungi can undergo prolonged accelerated evolution after losing genes involved in DNA repair. Here, we surveyed 1,154 yeast genomes representing nearly all known yeast species of the subphylum Saccharomycotina (phylum Ascomycota) to examine the relationship between reduced gene repertoires broadly associated with genome stability functions (e.g., DNA repair, cell cycle) and elevated evolutionary rates. We identified three distantly related lineages—encompassing 12% of species—that had both the most streamlined sets of genes involved in genome stability (specifically DNA repair) and the highest evolutionary rates in the entire subphylum. Two of these “faster-evolving lineages” (FELs)—a subclade within the order Pichiales and the Wickerhamiella/Starmerella (W/S) clade (order Dipodascales)—are described here for the first time, while the third corresponds to a previously documented Hanseniaspora FEL. Examination of genome stability gene repertoires revealed a set of genes predominantly absent in these three FELs, suggesting a potential role in the observed acceleration of evolutionary rates. In the W/S clade, genomic signatures are consistent with a substantial mutational burden, including pronounced A|T bias and endogenous DNA damage. Interestingly, we found that the W/S clade also contains DNA repair genes possibly acquired through horizontal gene transfer, including a photolyase of bacterial origin. These findings highlight how hypermutators can persist across macroevolutionary timescales, potentially linked to the loss of genes related with genome stability, with horizontal gene transfer as a possible avenue for partial functional compensation.

DNA repair↗

Properties of the 256 Db decay chain

Experiments were performed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's 88-Inch Cyclotron Facility to study the decays of neutron-deficient dubnium isotopes. These isotopes were produced in the 206 Pb( 51 V, xn) 255,256 Db reaction, and excitation functions were measured. This article reports on the observed properties of the 256 Db decay chain. The produced 256 Db nuclei were separated from unreacted-beam material and reaction byproducts with the Berkeley Gas-filled Separator (BGS) before being implanted into a double-sided silicon strip detector at the BGS focal plane. Decay properties of 256 Db and its daughters were then extracted from the analysis of correlations between implanted Db nuclei with α decay chains and spontaneous fission (SF) events. In total, 86 decay chains and 38 SF events were observed, giving increased statistics as compared to previous studies. In conclusion, improved decay data are presented for 256 Db and its daughter isotopes 252 Lr, 252 No, 248 Md, 248 Fm, 244 Es, and 244 Cf.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Spontaneous fission of the odd- Z isotope 255 Db

Experiments conducted at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's 88-Inch Cyclotron Facility aimed to produce and study the decay of the previously unobserved isotope 255 Db. This isotope was produced in the 206 Pb( 51 V, 2⁢n) 255 Db reaction, separated from unreacted beam material and reaction by-products with the Berkeley Gas-filled Separator, and then implanted into a double-sided silicon-strip detector at the BGS focal plane. Decay properties of 255 Db were determined from the analysis of evaporation residue (EVR) fission and EVR-α–α correlations. The properties of this new isotope of dubnium differ dramatically from those of its neighboring Db isotopes. 255 Db was found to decay primarily by spontaneous fission (SF) with a small α-decay branch, where the average half-life of the observed decays was t 1/2 = 2.6$^{+0.4}_{– 0.3}$ ms. Theoretical calculations were performed using the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin approximation, with parameters calculated within a self-consistent microscopic approach, to see if these unique properties could be reproduced. A SF half-life estimate is obtained that closely matches the measured value, while simultaneously pointing out the sensitivities that need to be further constrained in future work.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Toward the Discovery of New Elements: Production of Livermorium (𝑍 = 116) with 50 Ti

The 244 Pu ⁢(50 Ti ,𝑥⁢𝑛)⁢ 294−𝑥 Lv reaction was investigated at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s 88-Inch Cyclotron. The experiment was aimed at the production of a superheavy element with 𝑍 ≥114 by irradiating an actinide target with a beam heavier than 48 Ca. Produced Lv ions were separated from the unwanted beam and nuclear reaction products using the Berkeley Gas-filled Separator and implanted into a newly commissioned focal-plane detector system. Two decay chains were observed and assigned to the decay of 290 Lv . The production cross section was measured to be 𝜎 prod = 0.44($^{+0.58}_{−0.28}$) pb at a center-of-target center-of-mass energy of 220(3) MeV. Furthermore, this represents the first published measurement of the production of a superheavy element near the “island of stability,” with a beam of 50 Ti and is an essential precursor in the pursuit of searching for new elements beyond 𝑍 =118.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗