MESOSCOPIC FLUCTUATIONS OF THE GROUND-STATE SPIN OF A SMALL METAL PARTICLE

We study the statistical distribution of the ground-state spin for an ensemble of small metallic grains, using a random-matrix toy model. Using the Hartree-Fock approximation, we find that for interaction strengths well below the Stoner criterion there is already an appreciable probability that the ground state has a spin other than zero or one half. Possible relations to experiments are discussed.