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Frank Tabakin

University of Pittsburgh
Education
Ph.D, Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1963
Profile

Emeritus Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh
Ph.D, Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1963

Research

Spin observables in medium energy electromagnetic strong (hadron) reactions
Many experiments at Jefferson National Laboratory (JLAB), which provides an intense beam of 6 GeV electrons, involve polarized photons, polarized protons, and polarized targets. Precision studies of the electromagnetic production of (spin 0, 1 and 2) mesons are underway. By studying the spin characteristics of these reactions, we probe the underlying strong interaction dynamics and its relationship to basic QCD ideas. Predictions are made and subject to experimental tests. The excited states of nucleons (neutrons and protons) are examined, which is the subject called hadron spectroscopy.

Quantum Computing
As a "spin–off" of the above studies of spin observables using density matrix methods, I have initiated a research program on quantum computing (QC) and information. " QDENSITY, " a Mathematica simulation of the basic QC teleportation, Grover's search, and Shor's factorization algorithims has been published. A large scale parallel supercomputer QC simulation (called QCMPI) based on various density matrix evolution models was published and is available on the web.  In 2010, an updated version of " QDENSITY, "  called QCWAVE, was completed. QCWAVE includes a multiverse approach to the affect of noise on quantum algorithms and includes simulation of quantum error correction, using parallel computing features of Mathematica 7.0/8.0.  It is available at  http://www.pitt.edu/~tabakin/QW. In 2016, QDENSITY/QCWAVE was extended to qutrit and hybrid qubit/qutrit systems.  A paper "Model Dynamics for Quantum Computing" will be submitted soon.

Numerical methods for solving nonlinear physics problems
In this collaboration with Victor Mandelzweig (Hebrew University, Israel), methods for solving nonlinear problems in Physics have been developed and applied to several fields of Physics. The methods we have developed combine a quasilinearization technique combined with using a wavelet basis for solving particularly difficult equations.
In addition to electromagnetic interactions, over the years I have studied strong interactions, the nuclear many–body problem, proton–antiproton reactions, and a variety of other mesonic and nucleon interactions. Numerous PhD thesis have been written on these subjects under my supervision.

Most Cited Publications

"Nuclear saturation and the smoothness of nucleon-nucleon potentials," Haftel, M.I., Tabakin, F. Nuclear Physics, Section A 158(1), 1-42 (1970)
"An effectiv interaction for nuclear hartee-fock calculations," Tabakin, F. Annals of Physics 30(1), 51-94 (1964)
"Quasilinearlization approach to nonlinear problems in physics with application to nonlinear ODEs," Mandelzweig, V.B., Tabakin, F. Computer Physics Communications 141(2), 268-281 (2001)
"Improved theoretical pion-nucleus optical potentials," Landau, R.H., Phatak, S.C., Tabakin, F. Annals of Physics 78(2), 299-339 (1973)
"Completeness rules for spin observables in pseudoscalar meson photoproduction," Chiang, Wen-Tai, and Frank Tabakin, Physical Review C 55, no. 4 (1997)

Recent Publications

"Model dynamics for quantum computing." Tabakin, F.  Annals of Physics, 383, 33–78.
"QDENSITY/QCWAVE: A Mathematica quantum computer simulation update." Tabakin, F. Computer Physics Communications, 201, 171–172.
"QCMPI: A parallel environment for quantum computing." Tabakin, F., & Juliá-Díaz, B. Computer Physics Communications, 180(6), 948–964.
"Analytic calculation of energies and wave functions of the quartic and pure quartic oscillators." Liverts, E. Z., Mandelzweig, V. B., & Tabakin, F. Journal of Mathematical Physics, 47(6).
" Coupled channel study of K+ photoproduction." Julia-Diaz, B., Saghai, B., Lee, T. S. H., & Tabakin, F. In Proceedings of the Workshop on the Physics of Excited Nucleons, NSTAR 2005 (pp. 298–301).