arXiv subjects

A. W. Thomas

Publications and source records attributed to A. W. Thomas.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Constraints on the dark photon from parity violation and the $W$ mass

We present an analysis of the experimental data for parity-violating electron scattering (PVES) and atomic parity-violation, including the effects of a dark photon. We derive the favored region of dark photon parameter space, which provides a good description of the experimental data from the Qweak Collaboration and the Jefferson Lab PVDIS Collaboration and simultaneously relieves the tension between the neutron skin thickness determined in the PREX-II experiment and nuclear-model predictions. In addition, we extract the parameter region required to explain the latest W-boson mass anomaly. Our results indicate that a heavy dark photon with mass above the Z boson mass is favored, while other sources of new physics beyond the Standard Model in addition to the dark photon would also be expected.

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arXiv2022

Generalized parton distributions of sea quarks in the proton from nonlocal chiral effective theory

We calculate the spin-averaged generalized parton distributions (GPDs) of sea quarks in the proton at zero skewness from nonlocal covariant chiral effective theory, including one-loop contributions from intermediate states with pseudoscalar mesons and octet and decuplet baryons. A relativistic regulator is generated from the nonlocal Lagrangian where a gauge link is introduced to guarantee local gauge invariance, with additional diagrams from the expansion of the gauge link ensuring conservation of electric charge and strangeness. Flavor asymmetries for sea quarks at zero and finite momentum transfer, as well as strange form factors, are obtained from the calculated GPDs, and results compared with phenomenological extractions and lattice QCD.

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arXiv2022

Sensitivity of Parity-violating Electron Scattering to a Dark Photon

We explore the sensitivity of the parity-violating electron scattering (PVES) asymmetry in both elastic and deep-inelastic scattering to the properties of a dark photon. Given advances in experimental capabilities in recent years, there are interesting regions of parameter space where PVES offers the chance to discover new physics in the near future. There are also cases where the existence of a dark photon could significantly alter our understanding of the structure of atomic nuclei and neutron stars as well as parton distribution functions.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

On the determination of uncertainties in parton densities

We review various methods used to estimate uncertainties in quantum correlation functions, such as parton distribution functions (PDFs). Using a toy model of a PDF, we compare the uncertainty estimates yielded by the traditional Hessian and data resampling methods, as well as from explicitly Bayesian analyses using nested sampling or hybrid Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques. We investigate how uncertainty bands derived from neural network approaches depend on details of the network training, and how they compare to the uncertainties obtained from more traditional methods with a specific underlying parametrization. Our results show that utilizing a neural network on a simplified example of PDF data has the potential to inflate uncertainties, in part due to the cross validation procedure that is generally used to avoid overfitting data.

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arXiv2022

Helicity-dependent distribution of strange quarks in the proton from nonlocal chiral effective theory

The helicity-dependent strange quark distribution in the proton, $Δs$, is calculated in a nonlocal chiral SU(3) effective field theory. The hadronic proton to meson plus octet or decuplet baryon splitting functions are derived at the one-loop level, with loop integrals rendered finite by correlation functions introduced in the nonlocal Lagrangian. Within the convolution framework, the proton strange helicity distribution is obtained using spin-flavor symmetry to constrain the input valence quark distributions in the hadronic intermediate states. The polarized strange quark distribution is found to be quite small, with the lowest moment of $Δs$ negative, but consistent with recent global QCD analyses.

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arXiv2022

Constraints on the dark photon from deep inelastic scattering

We investigate constraints on the dark photon arising from an analysis of deep inelastic scattering (DIS) data. We perform extractions of parton distribution functions (PDFs) with and without a dark photon being present and allow the dark photon mixing parameter and mass to vary. We also include the effects of vector meson dominance to ensure the correct photo-production limit. By considering the variation of the total $χ^2$ arising from such extractions we infer exclusion limits on the kinetic mixing parameter of the dark photon for dark photon mass up to $80\ {\rm GeV}$.

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arXiv2021

Isovector EMC effect from global QCD analysis with MARATHON data

We report the results of a Monte Carlo global QCD analysis of unpolarized parton distribution functions (PDFs), including for the first time constraints from ratios of $^3$He to $^3$H structure functions recently obtained by the MARATHON experiment at Jefferson Lab. Our simultaneous analysis of nucleon PDFs and nuclear effects in $A=2$ and $A=3$ nuclei reveals the first indication for an isovector nuclear EMC effect in light nuclei. We find that while the MARATHON data yield relatively weak constraints on the $F_2^n/F_2^p$ neutron to proton structure function ratio and on the $d/u$ PDF ratio, they suggest an enhanced nuclear effect on the $d$-quark PDF in the bound proton, questioning the assumptions commonly made in nuclear PDF analyses.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Hidden charm mesons in nuclear matter and nuclei

Recent results for the $η_c$- and $J/ψ$-nucleus bound state energies for various nuclei are presented. The attractive potentials for the $η_c$ and $J/ψ$ mesons in the nuclear medium originate, respectively, from the in-medium enhanced $DD^{*}$ and $D\bar{D}$ loops in the $η_c$ and $J/ψ$ self energies. Our results suggest that the $η_c$ and $J/ψ$ mesons should form bound states with all the nuclei considered.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2021

Charmonium in nuclear matter and nuclei

We present results for the $η_c$-nucleus bound state energies for various nuclei using an effective Lagrangians approach. The attractive potentials for the $η_c$ in the nuclear medium originate from the medium-modified intermediate $D D^{*}$ state in the $η_c$ self energy, using the local density approximation. Our results suggest that the $η_c$ should form bound states with all the nuclei considered

nucl-th↗

arXiv2021

Chiral extrapolation of the charged-pion magnetic polarizability with Padé approximant

The background magnetic-field formalism of Lattice QCD has been used recently to calculate the magnetic polarizability of the charged pion. These $n_f = 2 + 1$ numerical simulations are electro-quenched, such that the virtual sea-quarks of the QCD vacuum do not interact with the background field. To understand the impact of this, we draw on partially quenched chiral perturbation theory. In this case, the leading term proportional to $1/M_π$ arises at tree level from $\mathcal{L}_4$. To describe the results from lattice QCD, while maintaining the exact leading terms of chiral perturbation theory, we introduce a Padé approximant designed to reproduce the slow variation observed in the lattice QCD results. Two-loop contributions are introduced to assess the systematic uncertainty associated with higher-order terms of the expansion. Upon extrapolation, the magnetic polarizability of the charged pion at the physical pion mass is found to be $β_{π^\pm}=-1.70\,(14)_{\rm stat}(25)_{\rm syst}\times 10^{-4}$ fm$^3$, in good agreement with the recent experimental measurement.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2021

Equation of State of Hot Dense Hyperonic Matter in the Quark-Meson-Coupling (QMC-A) model

We report a new equation of state (EoS) of cold and hot hyperonic matter constructed in the framework of the quark-meson-coupling (QMC-A) model. The QMC-A EoS yields results compatible with available nuclear physics constraints and astrophysical observations. It covers the range of temperatures from T=0 to 100 MeV, entropies per particle S/A between 0 and 6, lepton fractions from Y$_L$=0.0 to 0.6, and baryon number densities n$_B$=0.05-1.2 fm$^{-3}$. Applications of the QMC-A EoS are made to cold neutron stars (NS) and to hot proto-neutron stars (PNS) in two scenarios, (i) lepton rich matter with trapped neutrinos and (ii) deleptonized chemically equilibrated matter. We find that the QMC-A model predicts hyperons in amounts growing with increasing temperature and density, thus suggesting not only their presence in PNS but also, most likely, in NS merger remnants. The nucleon-hyperon phase transition is studied through the adiabatic index and the speed of sound c$_s$. It is shown that the lowering of (c$_s$/c)$^2$ to and below the conformal limit of 1/3 is a general consequence of instabilities due to any phase transition and is not a unique fingerprint of the hadron-quark matter transition. Rigid rotation of cold and hot stars, their moments of inertia and Kepler frequencies are also explored. The QMC-A model results are compared with two relativistic models, the chiral mean field model (CMF), and the generalized relativistic density functional with hyperons (GRDF-Y). Similarities and differences are discussed.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2021

Relativistic mean-field corrections for interactions of dark matter particles with nucleons

We investigate the interactions of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPS) with nucleons in nuclear medium by taking into account the effect of nuclear dynamics. We derive the nonrelativistic effective operators starting from the relativistic mean-field approximation. Certain interactions receive non-negligible corrections, which may significantly change the sensitivities of WIMP-nucleus scattering cross section to these effective operators.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

On the Speed of Sound in Hyperonic Stars

We build upon the remarkable, model independent constraints on the equation of state of dense baryonic matter established recently by Annala et al. [1]. Using the quark-meson coupling model, an approach to nuclear structure based upon the self-consistent adjustment of hadron structure to the local meson fields, we show that, once hyperons are allowed to appear in dense matter in \b{eta}-equilibrium, the equation of state is consistent with those constraints. As a result, while one cannot rule out the occurence of quark matter in the cores of massive neutron stars, the available constraints are also compatible with the presence of hyperons.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2020

Strange quark helicity in the proton from chiral effective theory

We compute the helicity-dependent strange quark distribution in the proton in the framework of chiral effective theory. Starting from the most general chiral SU(3) Lagrangian that respects Lorentz and gauge invariance, we derive the complete set of hadronic splitting functions at the one meson loop level, including the octet and decuplet rainbow, tadpole, Kroll-Ruderman and octet-decuplet transition configurations. By matching hadronic and quark level operators, we obtain generalized convolution formulas for the quark distributions in the proton in terms of hadronic splitting functions and quark distributions in the hadronic configurations, and from these derive model-independent relations for the leading nonanalytic behavior of their moments. Within the limits of parameters of the Pauli-Villars regulators derived from inclusive hyperon production, we find that the polarized strange quark distribution is rather small and mostly negative.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

$η_{c}$-nucleus bound states

$η_c$-nucleus bound state energies are calculated for various nuclei. Essential input for the calculations, namely the medium-modified $D$ and $D^{*}$ meson masses, as well as the density distributions in nuclei, are calculated within the quark-meson coupling (QMC) model. The attractive potentials for the $η_c$ meson in the nuclear medium originate from the in-medium enhanced $DD^{*}$ loops in the $η_c$ self-energy. Our results suggest that the $η_c$ meson should form bound states with all the nuclei considered.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Chiral extrapolation of the magnetic polarizability of the neutral pion

The magnetic polarizability of the neutral pion has been calculated in the background magnetic-field formalism of Lattice QCD. In this investigation, the chiral extrapolation of these lattice results is considered in a formalism preserving the exact leading nonanalytic terms of chiral perturbation theory. The $n_f = 2 + 1$ numerical simulations are electro-quenched, such that the virtual sea-quarks of the QCD vacuum do not interact with the background field. To understand the impact of this, we draw on partially quenched chiral perturbation theory and identify the leading contributions of quark-flow connected and disconnected diagrams. While electro-quenching does not impact the leading-loop contribution to the magnetic polarizability, the loops which generate the leading term have yet to be considered in lattice QCD simulations. Lattice QCD results are used to constrain the analytic terms in the chiral expansion and supplementing those with the two-loop result from chiral perturbation theory enables an evaluation of the polarizability at the physical quark mass. The resulting magnetic polarizability of the neutral pion is $β_{π^0}=3.44(19)^{\rm stat}(37)^{\rm syst}\times 10^{-4}$ fm$^3$, which lies just above the $1 σ$ error bound of the experimental measurement.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2020

Do short-range correlations cause the nuclear EMC effect in the deuteron?

The relative contributions to the valence nuclear EMC effect in the deuteron arising from off-shell effects and Fermi motion are examined in models which include nuclear binding and off-shell effects. Contrary to expectations, the effect of Fermi motion overwhelms the off-shell effects for nucleons in short-range correlations (SRCs), calling into question the hypothesized causal connection between SRCs and the EMC effect.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

E_6 inspired composite Higgs model and baryon asymmetry generation

The breakdown of SU(6) global symmetry down to its SU(5) subgroup near the scale f > 10 TeV in the strongly interacting sector within the E_6 inspired composite Higgs model (E6CHM) gives rise to a set of pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone bosons (pNGBs) that involves one Standard Model (SM) singlet scalar, a SM-like Higgs doublet and an SU(3)_C triplet of scalar fields, $T$. We argue that the baryon number violation in the E6CHM can induce the observed matter-antimatter asymmetry if CP is violated. The coloured triplet of scalar fields with mass in the few TeV range plays a key role in this process and may lead to a distinct new physics signal that can be detected at the LHC in the near future.

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