Nuclear Masses, Chaos, and the Residual Interaction

We interpret the discrepancy between semiempirical nuclear mass formulas and actual nuclear masses in terms of the residual interaction. We show that correlations exist among all binding energies and all separation energies throughout the valley of stability. We relate our approach to chaotic motion in nuclei.Comment: 9 page

Characteristics of a 9mm triple-beam tuning fork resonant sensor

This paper describes the design and testing of the first miniaturised metallic triple-beam tuning fork resonant sensors for use in force, pressure and torque measurement applications. The new devices with 9mm length vibrating tines have resulted in over a 40% reduction in size when compared to previously tested resonators. The four fold increase in operating frequency to 26 kHz, with Q factors in air up to 4000, provides additional benefits for resolution, accuracy, range and overload capability. Measurement repeatability of at least 0.02% of span levels for torque transducers employing the sensors are quoted. Results of characterisation over the temperature range -30oC to +90oC are given

Crossover from Orthogonal to Unitary Symmetry for Ballistic Electron Transport in Chaotic Microstructures

We study the ensemble-averaged conductance as a function of applied magnetic field for ballistic electron transport across few-channel microstructures constructed in the shape of classically chaotic billiards. We analyse the results of recent experiments, which show suppression of weak localization due to magnetic field, in the framework of random-matrix theory. By analysing a random-matrix Hamiltonian for the billiard-lead system with the aid of Landauer's formula and Efetov's supersymmetry technique, we derive a universal expression for the weak-localization contribution to the mean conductance that depends only on the number of channels and the magnetic flux. We consequently gain a theoretical understanding of the continuous crossover from orthogonal symmetry to unitary symmetry arising from the violation of time-reversal invariance for generic chaotic systems.Comment: 49 pages, latex, 9 figures as tar-compressed uuencoded fil

Conformal Sigma-Models on Supercoset Targets

We investigate the quantum behaviour of sigma models on coset superspaces G/H defined by Z_{2n} gradings of G. We find that, whenever G has vanishing Killing form, there is a choice of WZ term which renders the model quantum conformal, at least to one loop. The choice coincides with that for which the model is known to be classically integrable. This generalizes results for models associated to Z_4 gradings, including IIB superstrings in AdS_5\times S^5.Comment: 16 pages, corrected footnote 4 and minor typos, added reference

Towards a Field Theory of the Plateau Transition

We suggest a procedure for calculating correlation functions of the local densities of states (DOS) at the plateau transitions in the Integer Quantum Hall effect (IQHE). We argue that their correlation functions are appropriately described in terms of the SL($2,{\Bbb C}$)/SU(2) WZNW model (at the usual Ka{\v c}--Moody point and with the level $6 \leq k \leq 8$). In this model we have identified the operators corresponding to the local DOS, and derived the partial differential equation determining their correlation functions. The OPEs for powers of the local DOS obtained from this equation are in agreement with available results.Comment: typos corrected, a revised versio

Weak Charge Quantization as an Instanton of Interacting sigma-model

Coulomb blockade in a quantum dot attached to a diffusive conductor is considered in the framework of the non-linear sigma-model. It is shown that the weak charge quantization on the dot is associated with instanton configurations of the Q-field in the conductor. The instantons have a finite action and are replica non--symmetric. It is argued that such instantons may play a role in the transition regime to the interacting insulator.Comment: 4 pages. The 2D case substantially modifie

Energy averages and fluctuations in the decay out of superdeformed bands

We derive analytic formulae for the energy average (including the energy average of the fluctuation contribution) and variance of the intraband decay intensity of a superdeformed band. Our results may be expressed in terms of three dimensionless variables: $\Gamma^{\downarrow}/\Gamma_S$, $\Gamma_N/d$, and $\Gamma_N/(\Gamma_S+\Gamma^{\downarrow})$. Here $\Gamma^{\downarrow}$ is the spreading width for the mixing of a superdeformed (SD) state $|0>$ with the normally deformed (ND) states $|Q>$ whose spin is the same as $|0>$'s. The $|Q>$ have mean level spacing $d$ and mean electromagnetic decay width $\Gamma_N$ whilst $|0>$ has electromagnetic decay width $\Gamma_S$. The average decay intensity may be expressed solely in terms of the variables $\Gamma^{\downarrow}/\Gamma_S$ and $\Gamma_N/d$ or, analogously to statistical nuclear reaction theory, in terms of the transmission coefficients $T_0(E)$ and $T_N$ describing transmission from the $|Q>$ to the SD band via $|0\angle$ and to lower ND states. The variance of the decay intensity, in analogy with Ericson's theory of cross section fluctuations depends on an additional variable, the correlation length \Gamma_N/(\Gamma_S+\Gamma^{\downarrow})=\frac{d}{2\pi}T_N/(\Gamma_S+\Gamma^{\d ownarrow}). This suggests that analysis of an experimentally obtained variance could yield the mean level spacing $d$ as does analysis of the cross section autocorrelation function in compound nuclear reactions. We compare our results with those of Gu and Weidenm\"uller.Comment: revtex4, 14 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Physical Review

Interacting electrons in disordered potentials: Conductance versus persistent currents

An expression for the conductance of interacting electrons in the diffusive regime as a function of the ensemble averaged persistent current and the compressibility of the system is presented. This expression involves only ground-state properties of the system. The different dependencies of the conductance and persistent current on the electron-electron interaction strength becomes apparent. The conductance and persistent current of a small system of interacting electrons are calculated numerically and their variation with the strength of the interaction is compared. It is found that while the persistent current is enhanced by interactions, the conductance is suppressed.Comment: REVTeX, 4 pages, 3 figures, all uuencoded, accepted for publication in PR

Disordered Dirac Fermions: the Marriage of Three Different Approaches

We compare the critical multipoint correlation functions for two-dimensional (massless) Dirac fermions in the presence of a random su(N) (non-Abelian) gauge potential, obtained by three different methods. We critically reexamine previous results obtained using the replica approach and in the limit of infinite disorder strength and compare them to new results (presented here) obtained using the supersymmetric approach to the N=2 case. We demonstrate that this menage a trois of different approaches leads to identical results. Remarkable relations between apparently different conformal field theories (CFTs) are thereby obtained. We further establish a connection between the random Dirac fermion problem and the c=-2 theory of dense polymers. The presence of the c=-2 theory may be seen in all three different treatments of the disorder.Comment: 38 pages, extended version submitted to NP

Weak Localization and Integer Quantum Hall Effect in a Periodic Potential

We consider magnetotransport in a disordered two-dimensional electron gas in the presence of a periodic modulation in one direction. Existing quasiclassical and quantum approaches to this problem account for Weiss oscillations in the resistivity tensor at moderate magnetic fields, as well as a strong modulation-induced modification of the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations at higher magnetic fields. They do not account, however, for the operation at even higher magnetic fields of the integer quantum Hall effect, for which quantum interference processes are responsible. We then introduce a field-theory approach, based on a nonlinear sigma model, which encompasses naturally both the quasiclassical and quantum-mechanical approaches, as well as providing a consistent means of extending them to include quantum interference corrections. A perturbative renormalization-group analysis of the field theory shows how weak localization corrections to the conductivity tensor may be described by a modification of the usual one-parameter scaling, such as to accommodate the anisotropy of the bare conductivity tensor. We also show how the two-parameter scaling, conjectured as a model for the quantum Hall effect in unmodulated systems, may be generalized similarly for the modulated system. Within this model we illustrate the operation of the quantum Hall effect in modulated systems for parameters that are realistic for current experiments.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, ReVTeX; revised version with condensed introduction; two figures taken out; reference adde