Using Lanczos exact diagonalization, we investigate the effects of the competition between the electro-electron and electron-phonon interactions in the context of the 1-D tight-binding Peierls-Hubbard Hamiltonian, studying various structural, optical, and vibrational properties of strongly correlated systems. We use polyacetylene as our experimental guide, and perform a parameter space search to determine the level at which a unique set of parameters can model this prototypical conducting polymer and, more generally, the applicability of the simple'' 1-D Peierls-Hubbard Hamiltonian to these highly interesting materials. 9 refs., 3 tabs.

We provide a comprehensive, up-to-date analysis of possible New Physics contributions to the mass difference {Delta}M{sub D} in D{sup 0}-{bar D}{sup 0} mixing. We consider the most general low energy effective Hamiltonian and include leading order QCD running of effective operators. We then explore an extensive list of possible New Physics models that can generate these operators, which we organize as including Extra Fermions, Extra Gauge Bosons, Extra Scalars, Extra Space Dimensions and Extra Symmetries. For each model we place restrictions on the allowed parameter space using the recent evidence for observation of D meson mixing. In many scenarios, we find strong constraints that surpass those from other search techniques and provide an important test of flavor changing neutral currents in the up-quark sector. We also review the recent BaBar and Belle findings, and describe the current status of the Standard Model predictions of D{sup 0}-{bar D}{sup 0} mixing.