Functional determinants by contour integration methods

We present a simple and accessible method which uses contour integration methods to derive formulae for functional determinants. To make the presentation as clear as possible, the general idea is first illustrated on the simplest case: a second order differential operator with Dirichlet boundary conditions. The method is applicable to more general situations, and we discuss the way in which the formalism has to be developed to cover these cases. In particular, we also show that simple and elegant formulae exist for the physically important case of determinants where zero modes exist, but have been excluded.     

Localization: The effect of a weak magnetic field

The effect of a weak magnetic field on the diffusion of noninteracting electrons in a disordered system is studied in a nonlinear-model context. The effective Lagrangian describing the soft modes of the system in the weak field limit is derived. The result does not have the simple form that has been suggested by several authors. Therefore the crossover of the system under a weak perturbing magnetic field is not analogous to that found in spin systems.