Short-distance Mechanism Research Articles

SuppressedB→PVCPasymmetry:CPTconstraint

Charge Parity asymmetry in charmless B meson decays is a key issue to be understood. Many theoretical calculations have been performed using short distance factorization approaches which, in general, do not take into account the CPT invariance constraint. For each channel with CP violation there is an equal amount of CP asymmetry in another channel or other channels, with an opposite sign. This happens if these channels are coupled through final state interactions (FSI). In the specific process $B\to PV$, involving one pseudo-scalar and one vector particle in the final state, we argue that the CP asymmetry, inherent from a short distance mechanism, could be suppressed due to the CPT constraint. In this case, we propose a sensitive and practical experimental method to identify even a small CP asymmetry, which provides the values for $A_{CP}$ without the need for an amplitude analysis. This method, if applied directly to data, will enable to extract the CP asymmetry information in a model independent way and check to which extend the suggested suppression due to the CPT constraint is verified.

Identifying the structure of near-threshold states from the line shape**Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (11147022, 11035006, 11305137), Chinese Academy of Sciences (KJCX2-EW-N01), Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2009CB825200), DFG and NSFC (11261130311) through funds provided to the Sino-German CRC 110 “Symmetries and the Emergence of Structure in QCD”, and Doctor Foundation of Xinjiang University (BS110104)

We revisit the compositeness theorem proposed by Weinberg in an effective field theory (EFT) and explore criteria which are sensitive to the structure of S-wave threshold states. On a general basis, we show that the wave function renormalization constant Z, which is the probability of finding an elementary component in the wave function of a threshold state, can be explicitly introduced in the description of the threshold state. As an application of this EFT method, we describe the near-threshold line shape of the D*0D̅0 invariant mass spectrum in B→D*0D̅0K and determine a nonvanishing value of Z. It suggests that the X(3872) as a candidate of the D*0D̅0 molecule may still contain a small cc̄ core. This elementary component, on the one hand, explains its production in the B meson decay via a short-distance mechanism, and on the other hand, is correlated with the D*0D̅0 threshold enhancement observed in the D*0D̅0 invariant mass distributions. Meanwhile, we also show that if Z is non-zero, the near-threshold enhancement of the D*0D̅0 mass spectrum in the B decay will be driven by the short-distance production mechanism.

Recognition of Host Plant Volatiles by Pheidole minutula Mayr (Myrmicinae), an Amazonian Ant‐Plant Specialist

ABSTRACTIn the tropics, several ant species are obligate inhabitants of leaf pouches and other specialized structures in plants known as myrmecophytes. However, the cues used by ant queens to locate suitable host‐plants following dispersal remain poorly understood. Here we tested the hypothesis that Pheidole minutula queens use volatiles to distinguish their host Maieta guianensis (Melastomataceae) from other sympatric myrmecophytes. To do so, we used a Y‐tube olfactometer to quantify the preference for volatiles of different plant species. Our results indicate that P. minutula queens discriminate the chemical volatiles produced by its host‐plant from those of other sympatric ant‐plant species. However, queens failed to distinguish the volatiles of Maieta from those of the ant‐plant Tococa bullifera (Melastomataceae), with which P. minutula is not mutualistically associated. Nevertheless, a strong preference for Maieta over Tococa was observed during a subsequent bioassay, where the ants had physical contact with a domatium of each plant species. These results suggest that additional, short distance mechanisms are also necessary for host discrimination. Overall, our findings suggest that the high degree of compartmentalization observed in symbiotic ant–plant relationships is achieved, at least in part, by the relatively high degree of specificity in host selection displayed by foundress queens.