0000000000041026
AUTHOR
Maxwell T. Hansen
Relativistic, model-independent, multichannel $2\to2$ transition amplitudes in a finite volume
We derive formalism for determining $\textbf{2} + \mathcal J \to \textbf{2}$ infinite-volume transition amplitudes from finite-volume matrix elements. Specifically, we present a relativistic, model-independent relation between finite-volume matrix elements of external currents and the physically observable infinite-volume matrix elements involving two-particle asymptotic states. The result presented holds for states composed of two scalar bosons. These can be identical or non-identical and, in the latter case, can be either degenerate or non-degenerate. We further accommodate any number of strongly-coupled two-scalar channels. This formalism will, for example, allow future lattice QCD calcu…
Three-particle quantization condition: an update
We give an update on our derivation of a quantization condition relating the finite-volume spectrum of three particles in a cubic box to infinite-volume scattering quantities. We have discovered and fixed technical problems in the derivation sketched in the proceedings of last year's lattice conference [arXiv:1311.4848], and have presented a detailed description of the corrected derivation in Ref. [arXiv:1408.5933]. Here we give an overview of the problems and their solutions, and describe open questions.
Perturbative results for two and three particle threshold energies in finite volume
We calculate the energy of the state closest to threshold for two and three identical, spinless particles confined to a cubic spatial volume with periodic boundary conditions and with zero total momentum in the finite-volume frame. The calculation is performed in relativistic quantum field theory with particles coupled via a $\lambda \phi^4$ interaction, and we work through order $\lambda^3$. The energy shifts begin at ${\cal O}(1/L^3)$, and we keep subleading terms proportional to $1/L^4$, $1/L^5$ and $1/L^6$. These terms allow a non-trivial check of the results obtained from quantization conditions that hold for arbitrary interactions, namely that of L\"uscher for two particles and our re…
Relating the finite-volume spectrum and the two-and-three-particle S matrix for relativistic systems of identical scalar particles
Working in relativistic quantum field theory, we derive the quantization condition satisfied by coupled two- and three-particle systems of identical scalar particles confined to a cubic spatial volume with periodicity $L$. This gives the relation between the finite-volume spectrum and the infinite-volume $\textbf 2 \to \textbf 2$, $\textbf 2 \to \textbf 3$ and $\textbf 3 \to \textbf 3$ scattering amplitudes for such theories. The result holds for relativistic systems composed of scalar particles with nonzero mass $m$, whose center of mass energy lies below the four-particle threshold, and for which the two-particle $K$ matrix has no singularities below the three-particle threshold. The quan…
From deep inelastic scattering to heavy-flavor semi-leptonic decays: Total rates into multi-hadron final states from lattice QCD
We present a new technique for extracting decay and transition rates into final states with any number of hadrons. The approach is only sensitive to total rates, in which all out-states with a given set of QCD quantum numbers are included. For processes involving photons or leptons, differential rates with respect to the non-hadronic kinematics may also be extracted. Our method involves constructing a finite-volume Euclidean four-point function, whose corresponding spectral function measures the decay and transition rates in the infinite-volume limit. This requires solving the inverse problem of extracting the spectral function from the correlator and also necessitates a smoothing procedure…
Multichannel0→2and1→2transition amplitudes for arbitrary spin particles in a finite volume
We present a model-independent, nonperturbative relation between finite-volume matrix elements and infinite-volume $\mathbf{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathbf{2}$ and $\mathbf{1}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathbf{2}$ transition amplitudes. Our result accommodates theories in which the final two-particle state is coupled to any number of other two-body channels, with all angular momentum states included. The derivation uses generic, fully relativistic field theory and is exact up to exponentially suppressed corrections in the lightest particle mass times the box size. This work distinguishes itself from previous studies by accommodating particles with any intrinsic spin. To illustrate the utilit…
On the effect of excited states in lattice calculations of the nucleon axial charge
Excited-state contamination is one of the dominant uncertainties in lattice calculations of the nucleon axial-charge, $g_A$. Recently published results in leading-order chiral perturbation theory (ChPT) predict the excited-state contamination to be independent of the nucleon interpolator and positive. However, empirical results from numerical lattice calculations show negative contamination (downward curvature), indicating that present-day calculations are not in the regime where the leading-order ChPT predictions apply. In this paper we show that, under plausible assumptions, one can reproduce the behavior of lattice correlators by taking into account final-state $N \pi$ interactions, in p…
Applying the relativistic quantization condition to a three-particle bound state in a periodic box
Using our recently developed relativistic three-particle quantization condition, we study the finite-volume energy shift of a spin-zero three-particle bound state. We reproduce the result obtained using non-relativistic quantum mechanics by Meissner, Rios and Rusetsky, and generalize the result to a moving frame.
Expressing the three-particle finite-volume spectrum in terms of the three-to-three scattering amplitude
In this article we complete our formalism relating the finite-volume energy spectrum of a scalar quantum field theory to the three-to-three scattering amplitude, ${\cal M}_3$. In previous work we found a quantization condition relating the spectrum to a non-standard infinite-volume quantity, denoted ${\cal K}_{{\rm df},3}$. Here we present the relation between ${\cal K}_{{\rm df},3}$ and ${\cal M}_3$. We then discuss briefly how our now completed formalism can be practically implemented to extract ${\cal M}_3$ from the finite-volume energy spectrum.
The role of the Euclidean signature in lattice calculations of quasi-distributions and other non-local matrix elements
Lattice quantum chromodynamics (QCD) provides the only known systematic, nonperturbative method for first-principles calculations of nucleon structure. However, for quantities such as lightfront parton distribution functions (PDFs) and generalized parton distributions (GPDs), the restriction to Euclidean time prevents direct calculation of the desired observable. Recently, progress has been made in relating these quantities to matrix elements of spatially nonlocal, zero-time operators, referred to as quasidistributions. Even for these time-independent matrix elements, potential subtleties have been identified in the role of the Euclidean signature. In this work, we investigate the analytic …
Progress in three-particle scattering from LQCD
We present the status of our formalism for extracting three-particle scattering observables from lattice QCD (LQCD). The method relies on relating the discrete finite-volume spectrum of a quantum field theory with its scattering amplitudes. As the finite-volume spectrum can be directly determined in LQCD, this provides a method for determining scattering observables, and associated resonance properties, from the underlying theory. In a pair of papers published over the last two years, two of us have extended this approach to apply to relativistic three-particle scattering states. In this talk we summarize recent progress in checking and further extending this result. We describe an extensio…
Progress on the three-particle quantization condition
We report progress on extending the relativistic model-independent quantization condition for three particles, derived previously by two of us, to a broader class of theories, as well as progress on checking the formalism. In particular, we discuss the extension to include the possibility of 2->3 and 3->2 transitions and the calculation of the finite-volume energy shift of an Efimov-like three-particle bound state. The latter agrees with the results obtained previously using non-relativistic quantum mechanics.
Numerical exploration of three relativistic particles in a finite volume including two-particle resonances and bound states
In this work, we use an extension of the quantization condition, given in Ref. [1], to numerically explore the finite-volume spectrum of three relativistic particles, in the case that two-particle subsets are either resonant or bound. The original form of the relativistic three-particle quantization condition was derived under a technical assumption on the two-particle K matrix that required the absence of two-particle bound states or narrow two-particle resonances. Here we describe how this restriction can be lifted in a simple way using the freedom in the definition of the K-matrix-like quantity that enters the quantization condition. With this in hand, we extend previous numerical studie…
Extracting three-body observables from finite-volume quantities
Scattering and transition amplitudes with three-hadron final states play an important role in nuclear and particle physics. However, predicting such quantities using numerical Lattice QCD is very difficult, in part because of the effects of Euclidean time and finite volume. In this review we highlight recent formal developments that work towards overcoming these issues. We organize the presentation into three parts: large volume expansions, non-relativistic nonperturbative analyses, and nonperturbative studies based in relativistic field theory. In the first part we discuss results for ground state energies and matrix elements given by expanding in inverse box length, $1/L$. We describe com…
Total decay and transition rates from LQCD
We present a new technique for extracting total transition rates into final states with any number of hadrons from lattice QCD. The method involves constructing a finite-volume Euclidean four-point function whose corresponding infinite-volume spectral function gives access to the decay and transition rates into all allowed final states. The inverse problem of calculating the spectral function is solved via the Backus-Gilbert method, which automatically includes a smoothing procedure. This smoothing is in fact required so that an infinite-volume limit of the spectral function exists. Using a numerical toy example we find that reasonable precision can be achieved with realistic lattice data. …