New Bound on gamma from B^+- -> pi K Decays

A bound on the angle gamma of the unitarity triangle is derived using experimental information on the CP-averaged branching ratios for the rare decays B^+- -> pi^+- K^0 and B^+- -> pi^0 K^+-. The theoretical description is cleaner than the Fleischer-Mannel analysis of the decays B^+- -> pi^+- K^0 and B^0 -> pi^-+ K^+- in that the two decay rates differ only in a single isospin amplitude, which has a simple structure in the SU(3) limit. As a consequence, electroweak penguin contributions and strong rescattering effects can be taken into account in a model-independent way. The resulting bound excludes values of cos(gamma) around 0.6 and is thus largely complementary to indirect constraints derived from a global analysis of the unitarity triangle.Comment: minor corrections, version to appear in Physics Letters

Cross ratios between Dalitz plot amplitudes in three-body D0D^0 decays

A recent study of $D^0 \to \pi^0 K^+ K^-$ and $D^0 \to K_S \pi^+\pi^-$ describes a flavor-symmetric approach to calculate relative amplitudes and phases, for characteristic interferences between $D$ decays to a light pseudoscalar $P$ and a light vector $V$, on Dalitz plots for $D \to PPP$ decays. The flavor-symmetric approach used an earlier fit to $D \to P V$ decay rates and was found to agree fairly well with experiments for $D^0 \to \pi^0 \pi^+ \pi^-$ but not as well for $D^0 \to \pi^0 K^+ K^-$ and $D^0 \to K_S \pi^+\pi^-$. The present work extends this investigation to include $D^0 \to K^- \pi^+ \pi^0$. We use an SU(3) flavor symmetry relationship between ratios of Cabibbo-favored (CF) $D \to P V$ amplitudes in $D^0 \to K^- \pi^+ \pi^0$ and ratios of singly- Cabibbo-suppressed (SCS) $D \to P V$ amplitudes in $D^0 \to \pi^0 K^+ K^-$ and $D^0 \to \pi^0 \pi^+ \pi^-$. We observe that experimental values for Dalitz plot cross ratios obey this relationship up to discrepancies noted previously. The need for an updated Dalitz plot analysis of $D^0 \to K^- \pi^+ \pi^0$ is emphasized.Comment: 9 pages, one figure. Submitted to Phys. Rev. D (Brief Reports). Additional comparisons with previous result

Using sentence combining in technical writing classes

Sentence combining exercises are advanced as a way to teach technical writing style without reliance upon abstractions, from which students do not learn. Such exercises: (1) give students regular writing practice; (2) teach the logic of sentence structure, sentence editing, and punctuation; (3) paragraph development and organization; and (4) rhetorical stance. Typical sentence, paragraph, and discourse level sentence combining exercises are described

Magnetism of CuX2 frustrated chains (X = F, Cl, Br): the role of covalency

Periodic and cluster density-functional theory (DFT) calculations, including DFT+U and hybrid functionals, are applied to study magnetostructural correlations in spin-1/2 frustrated chain compounds CuX2: CuCl2, CuBr2, and a fictitious chain structure of CuF2. The nearest-neighbor and second-neighbor exchange integrals, J1 and J2, are evaluated as a function of the Cu-X-Cu bridging angle, theta, in the physically relevant range 80-110deg. In the ionic CuF2, J1 is ferromagnetic for theta smaller 100deg. For larger angles, the antiferromagnetic superexchange contribution becomes dominant, in accord with the Goodenough-Kanamori-Anderson rules. However, both CuCl2 and CuBr2 feature ferromagnetic J1 in the whole angular range studied. This surprising behavior is ascribed to the increased covalency in the Cl and Br compounds, which amplifies the contribution from Hund's exchange on the ligand atoms and renders J1 ferromagnetic. At the same time, the larger spatial extent of X orbitals enhances the antiferromagnetic J2, which is realized via the long-range Cu-X-X-Cu paths. Both, periodic and cluster approaches supply a consistent description of the magnetic behavior which is in good agreement with the experimental data for CuCl2 and CuBr2. Thus, owing to their simplicity, cluster calculations have excellent potential to study magnetic correlations in more involved spin lattices and facilitate application of quantum-chemical methods

Isospin Considerations in Correlations of Pions and BB mesons

The correlations between a $B$ meson and a pion produced nearby in phase space should respect isospin reflection symmetry $I_3 \to -I_3$. Thus, one generally expects similar $\pi^+ B^0$ and $\pi^- B^+$ correlations (non-exotic channels), and similar $\pi^- B^0$ and $\pi^+ B^+$ correlations (exotic channels). Exceptions include (a) fragmentation processes involving exchange of quarks with the producing system, (b) misidentification of charged kaons as charged pions, and (c) effects of decay products of the associated $\overline{B}$. All of these can affect the apparent signal for correlations of charged $B$ mesons with charged hadrons. The identification of the flavor of neutral $B$ mesons through the decay $B^0 \to K^{*0} J/\psi$ requires good particle identification in order that the decay $K^{*0} \to K^+ \pi^-$ not be mistaken for $\overline{K}^{*0} \to K^- \pi^+$, in which case the correlations of neutral $B$ mesons with hadrons can be underestimated.Comment: LaTeX EPSF file; 8 uuencoded figures to be submitted separatel

Microscopic magnetic modeling for the SS=1/2 alternating chain compounds Na3_3Cu2_2SbO6_6 and Na2_2Cu2_2TeO6_6

The spin-1/2 alternating Heisenberg chain system Na$_3$Cu$_2$SbO$_6$ features two relevant exchange couplings: $J_{1a}$ within the structural Cu$_2$O$_6$ dimers and $J_{1b}$ between the dimers. Motivated by the controversially discussed nature of $J_{1a}$, we perform extensive density-functional-theory (DFT) calculations, including DFT+$U$ and hybrid functionals. Fits to the experimental magnetic susceptibility using high-temperature series expansions and quantum Monte Carlo simulations yield the optimal parameters $J_{1a}$ = $-$217 K and $J_{1b}$ = 174 K with the alternation ratio $\alpha = J_{1a}/J_{1b} \simeq$ $-$1.25. For the closely related system Na$_2$Cu$_2$TeO$_6$, DFT yields substantially enhanced $J_{1b}$, but weaker $J_{1a}$. The comparative analysis renders the buckling of the chains as the key parameter altering the magnetic coupling regime. Numerical simulation of the dispersion relations of the alternating chain model clarify why both antiferromagnetic and ferrromagnetic $J_{1a}$ can reproduce the experimental magnetic susceptibility data.Comment: published version: 11 pages, 8 figures, 5 tables + Supplemental materia