Semileptonic decays of BcB_c meson to S-wave charmonium states in the perturbative QCD approach

Inspired by the recent measurement of the ratio of $B_c$ branching fractions to $J/\psi \pi^+$ and $J/\psi \mu^+\nu_{\mu}$ final states at the LHCb detector, we study the semileptonic decays of $B_c$ meson to the S-wave ground and radially excited 2S and 3S charmonium states with the perturbative QCD approach. After evaluating the form factors for the transitions $B_c\rightarrow P,V$, where $P$ and $V$ denote pseudoscalar and vector S-wave charmonia, respectively, we calculate the branching ratios for all these semileptonic decays. The theoretical uncertainty of hadronic input parameters are reduced by utilizing the light-cone wave function for $B_c$ meson. It is found that the predicted branching ratios range from $10^{-6}$ up to $10^{-2}$ and could be measured by the future LHCb experiment. Our prediction for the ratio of branching fractions $\frac{\mathcal {BR}(B_c^+\rightarrow J/\Psi \pi^+)}{\mathcal {BR}(B_c^+\rightarrow J/\Psi \mu^+\nu_{\mu})}$ is in good agreement with the data. For $B_c\rightarrow V l \nu_l$ decays, the relative contributions of the longitudinal and transverse polarization are discussed in different momentum transfer squared regions. These predictions will be tested on the ongoing and forthcoming experiments.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, 5 table

Current rectification by asymmetric molecules: An ab initio study

We study current rectification effect in an asymmetric molecule HOOC-C$_6$H$_4$-(CH$_2$)$_n$ sandwiched between two Aluminum electrodes using an {\sl ab initio} nonequilibrium Green function method. The conductance of the system decreases exponentially with the increasing number $n$ of CH$_2$. The phenomenon of current rectification is observed such that a very small current appears at negative bias and a sharp negative differential resistance at a critical positive bias when $n\ge 2$. The rectification effect arises from the asymmetric structure of the molecule and the molecule-electrode couplings. A significant rectification ratio of $\sim$38 can be achieved when $n=5$.Comment: to appear in J. Chem. Phy

Geometric bionics: Lotus effect helps polystyrene nanotube films get good blood compatibility

Various biomaterials have been widely used for manufacturing biomedical applications including artificial organs, medical devices and disposable clinical apparatus, such as vascular prostheses, blood pumps, artificial kidney, artificial hearts, dialyzers and plasma separators, which could be used in contact with blood^1^. However, the research tasks of improving hemocompatibility of biomaterials have been carrying out with the development of biomedical requirements^2^. Since the interactions that lead to surface-induced thrombosis occurring at the blood-biomaterial interface become a reason of familiar current complications with grafts therapy, improvement of the blood compatibility of artificial polymer surfaces is, therefore a major issue in biomaterials science^3^. After decades of focused research, various approaches of modifying biomaterial surfaces through chemical or biochemical methods to improve their hemocompatibility were obtained^1^. In this article, we report that polystyrene nanotube films with morphology similar to the papilla on lotus leaf can be used as blood-contacted biomaterials by virtue of Lotus effect^4^. Clearly, this idea, resulting from geometric bionics that mimicking the structure design of lotus leaf, is very novel technique for preparation of hemocompatible biomaterials

Threshold effects as the origin of Zcs(4000)Z_{cs}(4000), Zcs(4220)Z_{cs}(4220) and X(4700)X(4700) observed in B+→J/ψϕK+B^+\to J/\psi \phi K^+

We investigate the $B^+\to J/\psi \phi K^+$ decay via various rescattering diagrams. Without introducing genuine exotic resonances, it is shown that the $Z_{cs}(4000)$, $Z_{cs}(4220)$ and $X(4700)$ reported by the LHCb collaboration can be simulated by the $J/\psi K^{*+}$, $\psi^\prime K^+$ and $\psi^\prime \phi$ threshold cusps, respectively. These cusps are enhanced by some nearby triangle singularities. The $X(4685)$ with $J^P=1^+$ cannot be well simulated by the threshold effects in our model, which implies that it may be a genuine resonance.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, 2 table

Effects of relative orientation of the molecules on electron transport in molecular devices

Effects of relative orientation of the molecules on electron transport in molecular devices are studied by non-equilibrium Green's function method based on density functional theory. In particular, two molecular devices, with the planer Au$_{7}$ and Ag$_{3}$ clusters sandwiched between the Al(100) electrodes are studied. In each device, two typical configurations with the clusters parallel and vertical to the electrodes are considered. It is found that the relative orientation affects the transport properties of these two devices completely differently. In the Al(100)-Au$_7$-Al(100) device, the conductance and the current of the parallel configuration are much larger than those in the vertical configuration, while in the Al(100)-Ag$_{3}$-Al(100) device, an opposite conclusion is obtained

Hexa­kis­(1-benzyl-1H-imidazole-κN 3)manganese(II) bis­(perchlorate)

In the title compound, [Mn(C10H10N2)6](ClO4)2, the MnII ion, located on an inversion center, is coordinated by six N atoms from three pairs of symmetry-related 1-benzyl-1H-imidazole ligands in a distorted octa­hedral geometry. In the crystal, weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the complex cations and perchlorate anions