On the statistical significance of the conductance quantization

Recent experiments on atomic-scale metallic contacts have shown that the quantization of the conductance appears clearly only after the average of the experimental results. Motivated by these results we have analyzed a simplified model system in which a narrow neck is randomly coupled to wide ideal leads, both in absence and presence of time reversal invariance. Based on Random Matrix Theory we study analytically the probability distribution for the conductance of such system. As the width of the leads increases the distribution for the conductance becomes sharply peaked close to an integer multiple of the quantum of conductance. Our results suggest a possible statistical origin of conductance quantization in atomic-scale metallic contacts.Comment: 4 pages, Tex and 3 figures. To be published in PR

Entropic Tightening of Vibrated Chains

We investigate experimentally the distribution of configurations of a ring with an elementary topological constraint, a ``figure-8'' twist. Using vibrated granular chains, which permit controlled preparation and direct observation of such a constraint, we show that configurations where one of the loops is tight and the second is large are strongly preferred. This agrees with recent predictions for equilibrium properties of topologically-constrained polymers. However, the dynamics of the tightening process weakly violate detailed balance, a signature of the nonequilibrium nature of this system.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Angle-resolved photoemission in doped charge-transfer Mott insulators

A theory of angle-resolved photoemission (ARPES) in doped cuprates and other charge-transfer Mott insulators is developed taking into account the realistic (LDA+U) band structure, (bi)polaron formation due to the strong electron-phonon interaction, and a random field potential. In most of these materials the first band to be doped is the oxygen band inside the Mott-Hubbard gap. We derive the coherent part of the ARPES spectra with the oxygen hole spectral function calculated in the non-crossing (ladder) approximation and with the exact spectral function of a one-dimensional hole in a random potential. Some unusual features of ARPES including the polarisation dependence and spectral shape in YBa2Cu3O7 and YBa2Cu4O8 are described without any Fermi-surface, large or small. The theory is compatible with the doping dependence of kinetic and thermodynamic properties of cuprates as well as with the d-wave symmetry of the superconducting order parameter.Comment: 8 pages (RevTeX), 10 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Diets and trophic structure of fish assemblages in a large and unexplored subtropical river: The Uruguay river

This article belongs to the Special Issue Trophic Interactions in Warm Freshwater EcosystemsThe Neotropics represent a hotspot for freshwater biodiversity with vast number of fish species of scarce ecological knowledge. This holds true for the Uruguay River, where fish assemblages and their diets remain unexplored. Fish assemblages were surveyed in 14 sites along the river main course, from headwaters to mouth (approximately 1800 km), with the aim to identify the trophic roles of fishes and to describe trophic structure of these assemblages, following standardized sampling campaigns and laboratory procedures. One hundred species (2309 gut contents) were analysed and classified into four trophic groups subdivided into eight lower-level groups: Piscivore, piscivore-invertivore, detritivore, omnivore-detritivore, omnivore-invertivore, omnivore-planktivore and omnivore-herbivore. The trophic structure of the assemblages varied along the river, with the relative species richness of fish consuming terrestrial invertebrates increasing towards the middle river section, probably driven by the large floodplains in that areas, supporting global theories such as the flood pulse concept. This study describes the feeding habits of fish along the Uruguay River, being the first dietary description for 29 species. This knowledge is essential for management and conservation, serving as baseline in the context of future environmental changes while generating novel evidence on the functioning of ecosystems in this scarcely studied climatic region

Branching Fractions for D0 -> K+K- and D0 -> pi+pi-, and a Search for CP Violation in D0 Decays

Using the large hadroproduced charm sample collected in experiment E791 at Fermilab, we have measured ratios of branching fractions for the two-body singly-Cabibbo-suppressed charged decays of the D0: (D0 -> KK)/(D0 -> Kpi) = 0.109 +- 0.003 +- 0.003, (D0 -> pipi)/(D0 -> Kpi) = 0.040 +- 0.002 +- 0.003, and (D0 -> KK)/(D0 -> pipi) = 2.75 +- 0.15 +- 0.16. We have looked for differences in the decay rates of D0 and D0bar to the CP eigenstates K+K- and pi+pi-, and have measured the CP asymmetry parameters A_CP(K+K-) = -0.010 +- 0.049 +- 0.012 and A_CP(pi+pi-) = -0.049 +- 0.078 +- 0.030, both consistent with zero.Comment: 10 Postscript pages, including 2 figures. Submitted to Phys. Lett.

Search for Rare and Forbidden Dilepton Decays of the D+, Ds, and D0 Charmed Mesons

We report the results of a search for flavor-changing neutral current, lepton-flavor violating, and lepton-number violating decays of D+, Ds, and D0 mesons (and their antiparticles) into modes containing muons and electrons. Using data from Fermilab charm hadroproduction experiment E791, we examine the pi,l,l and K,l,l decay modes of D+ and Ds and the l+l- decay modes of D0. No evidence for any of these decays is found. Therefore, we present branching-fraction upper limits at 90% confidence level for the 24 decay modes examined. Eight of these modes have no previously reported limits, and fourteen are reported with significant improvements over previously published results.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, LaTeX, elsart.cls, epsf.sty, amsmath.sty Submitted to Physics Letters

Measurement of the form-factor ratios for D+ --> K* l nu

The form factor ratios rv=V(0)/A1(0), r2=A2(0)/A1(0) and r3=A3(0)/A1(0) in the decay D+ --> K* l nu, K* -->K-pi+ have been measured using data from charm hadroproduction experiment E791 at Fermilab. From 3034 (595) signal (background) events in the muon channel, we obtain rv=1.84+-0.11+-0.09, r2=0.75+-0.08+-0.09 and, as a first measurement of r3, we find 0.04+-0.33 +-0.29. The values of the form factor ratios rv and r2 measured for the muon channel are combined with the values of rv and r2 that we have measured in the electron channel. The combined E791 results for the muon and electron channels are rv=1.87+-0.08+-0.07 and r2=0.73+-0.06+-0.08.Comment: 9 pages + 3 figures ; submitted to PL

Differential cross sections, charge production asymmetry, and spin-density matrix elements for D*(2010) produced in 500 GeV/c pi^- nucleon interactions

We report differential cross sections for the production of D*(2010) produced in 500 GeV/c pi^- nucleon interactions from experiment E791 at Fermilab, as functions of Feynman-x (x_F) and transverse momentum squared (p_T^2). We also report the D* +/- charge asymmetry and spin-density matrix elements as functions of these variables. Investigation of the spin-density matrix elements shows no evidence of polarization. The average values of the spin alignment are \eta= 0.01 +- 0.02 and -0.01 +- 0.02 for leading and non-leading particles, respectively.Comment: LaTeX2e (elsart.cls). 13 pages, 6 figures (eps files). Submitted to Physics Letters