arXiv subjects

Alessandro Conigli

Publications and source records attributed to Alessandro Conigli.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Running of the Electroweak Gauge Couplings from First Principles

We present a high-precision calculation of the hadronic running of electroweak gauge couplings from first principles. Employing lattice QCD in the low-energy regime, we achieve permille precision for virtualities $Q^2 \lesssim 12\;\mathrm{GeV}^2$. At $Q^2 \simeq 1\;\mathrm{GeV}^2$, our determination deviates by up to $7\sigma$ from estimates based on $e^+e^-$ measurements. Combining lattice QCD with perturbative QCD via the Euclidean split technique, we obtain for the electromagnetic coupling $\Delta\alpha^{(5)}_{\mathrm{had}}(M_Z^2) = 0.027821(34)_{\mathrm{lat}}(35)_{\mathrm{pQCD}}$, which is more than twice as precise as recent phenomenological determinations. We assess improvement scenarios by which the precision target for next-generation electroweak measurements could be reached.

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arXiv2026

Lattice determination of the higher-order hadronic vacuum polarization contribution to the muon $g-2$

We present the first lattice QCD calculation of the next-to-leading order (NLO) hadronic vacuum polarization (HVP) contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment with sub-percent precision. We employ the time-momentum representation combined with the spatially summed vector correlator computed on CLS ensembles with $N_{\mathrm{f}}=2+1$ flavors of $\mathrm{O}(a)$-improved Wilson fermions, spanning six lattice spacings ($0.039$-$0.097\,$fm) and a range of pion masses including the physical value. After accounting for finite-size corrections and isospin-breaking effects, we obtain in the continuum limit $a_\mu^{\mathrm{hvp,\,nlo}} = (-101.57 \pm 0.26_{\rm stat} \pm 0.54_{\rm syst}) \times 10^{-11}$, corresponding to a total relative error of 0.6$\%$. Our result lies 1.4$\sigma$ below the estimate of the 2025 White Paper update and is two times more precise. It also shows a tension of $4.6\sigma$ with data-driven evaluations based on hadronic cross section measurements prior to the CMD-3 result.

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arXiv2026

The hadronic contribution to the running of the electroweak gauge couplings

We present an updated determination of the hadronic vacuum polarization contribution to the running of the electromagnetic coupling $\Delta\alpha_{\mathrm{had}}^{(5)}(-Q^2)$, and of the electroweak mixing angle in the space-like momentum range up to $12 \ \mathrm{GeV}^2$. Using $N_f=2+1$ CLS ensembles at five values of the lattice spacing and several pion masses, including the physical point, we achieve a significantly enhanced precision over our previous result. A refined analysis strategy based on telescopic series and a new family of kernel functions enables a clean separation of distinct Euclidean regions, disentangling strong cutoff effects at short distances from the pronounced chiral dependence at larger ones. Employing the Euclidean split technique, we convert our lattice results into an ab initio estimate of $\Delta\alpha_{\mathrm{had}}^{(5)}(M_Z^2)$. A comparison with results from other lattice calculations and phenomenology is performed. We also analyze improvement scenarios required to match the projected precision of future electroweak measurements at next-generation colliders.

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arXiv2026

Heavy quark masses from step-scaling

We present a determination of the charm- and bottom-quark masses using the heavy-quark step-scaling strategy. Renormalization is performed in small volumes where relativistic bottom quarks can be simulated directly. A sequence of finite-volume simulations connects this calculation to large-volume CLS ensembles, where simulations at physical light and strange quark masses provide reliable control over low-energy hadronic physics. In all but the smallest volume, the B-scale is reached by interpolating between relativistic heavy-quark data and the static limit. The resulting quark masses are obtained with good precision, with subdominant systematic uncertainties that differ from, and thus complement, those of standard large-volume determinations.

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arXiv2026

Ground-State Extraction of Heavy-Light Meson Semileptonic Decay Form Factors

We discuss the extraction of heavy-light pseudo-scalar to light pseudo-scalar decay form factors from finite time correlation functions. We place particular emphasis on the contamination from excited states employing summed ratios and input from chiral perturbation theory. The analysis is performed on four CLS ensembles with $N_f = 2+1$ flavours of $\mbox{O}(a)$-improved Wilson fermions (presently) at the $\mathrm{SU}(3)$-symmetric point with relativistic heavy-quark masses in the charm region and above. The study presented here is part of the analysis aimed at the computation of the $B \to \pi \ell \nu$ and $B_s \to K \ell \nu$ semileptonic form factors, combining the continuum-limit relativistic results with static-limit calculations.

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arXiv2026

Higher-order hadronic vacuum polarization contribution to the muon $g-2$ from lattice QCD

We present the first lattice QCD calculation of the next-to-leading order hadronic vacuum polarization contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment with sub-percent precision. We employ the time-momentum representation for the space-like kernel, which is combined with the spatially summed vector correlator computed on CLS ensembles with $N_{\mathrm{f}}=2+1$ flavors of $\mathrm{O}(a)$-improved Wilson fermions, covering six lattice spacings between $0.039$ and $0.097\,$fm and a range of pion masses including the physical value. After accounting for finite-size corrections and isospin-breaking effects, we obtain as our final, continuum-extrapolated result $a_\mu^{\mathrm{hvp,\,nlo}}=-101.57(26)_{\mathrm{stat}}(54)_{\mathrm{syst}}\times10^{-11}$. It lies below the estimate provided by the 2025 White Paper of the Muon $(g-2)$ Theory Initiative by $1.4\sigma$ but is two times more precise. It also exhibits a strong tension of $4.6\sigma$ with data-driven evaluations based on hadronic cross section measurements excluding the recent result by CMD-3.

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arXiv2025

$f_K/f_{\pi}$ in iso-symmetric QCD and the CKM matrix unitarity

We present lattice results for $f_K/f_{\pi}$ in the iso-symmetric limit of pure QCD (isoQCD) with $N_f=2+1$ flavours, along with a determination of $|V_{us}|/|V_{ud}|$ and a study on the unitarity of the first row of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix after introducing strong isospin-breaking and QED effects. The results obtained are based on a combination of a Wilson unitary action and the mixed-action setup introduced in arXiv:2309.14154, arXiv:2510.20450. The combination of the two regularisations enables a more precise control over the continuum-limit extrapolation.

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arXiv2025

Precision lattice calculation of the hadronic contribution to the running of the electroweak gauge couplings

We present an update of our lattice QCD determination of the hadronic contribution to the running of the electromagnetic coupling, $\Delta\alpha_{\mathrm{had}}^{(5)}(-Q^2)$, and of the electroweak mixing angle in the space-like momentum region up to $Q^2=12\ \mathrm{GeV}^2$. The calculation is based on CLS ensembles with $N_f=2+1$ flavours of $O(a)$-improved Wilson fermions, covering five lattice spacings between $0.039$ and $0.085$ fm and a range of pion masses, including the physical point. A refined analysis employing a telescopic window strategy allows for a clean separation of systematic effects across Euclidean distance scales. Statistical precision is further enhanced through low-mode averaging, combined with a spectral reconstruction of the vector-vector correlator at long distances on the most chiral ensembles. We confirm significant tensions of up to $7\sigma$ at space-like virtualities around $Q^2= 1\ \mathrm{GeV}^2$ between our lattice results for $\Delta\alpha_{\mathrm{had}}^{(5)}(-Q^2)$ and the corresponding data-driven estimates based on $e^+e^-$ cross section data. Combining our lattice data with perturbative QCD via the Euclidean split technique, we obtain at the $Z$-pole $\Delta\alpha_{\mathrm{had}}^{(5)}(M_Z^2) = 0.027813(33)_{\mathrm{lat}}(35)_{\mathrm{pQCD}}$, which is more than two times more precise than recent data-driven estimates. Our result deviates slightly, by $1-2\sigma$, from the value produced by global electroweak fits. For the electroweak mixing angle, we present the hadronic contribution to its running and provide a precise determination of the octet-singlet mixing component $\bar\Pi^{(0,8)}$, in good agreement with phenomenological models but with significantly higher precision.

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arXiv2025

Hadronic physics from a Wilson fermion mixed-action approach: Setup and scale setting

We introduce a lattice QCD mixed action approach that employs Wilson-type quarks in the sea and valence sectors. The sea sector is based on gauge ensembles with $N_{\rm f}=2+1$ flavours of non-perturbatively O($a$)-improved Wilson fermions generated by the Coordinated Lattice Simulations (CLS) initiative. The parameter space of the considered ensembles encompasses five values of the lattice spacing, a range of pion masses extending down to the physical point, and large physical volumes. In the valence sector, we employ Wilson twisted-mass fermions at maximal twist, using the same massless Wilson-Dirac operator in both the sea and valence sectors. We describe the strategy applied for the required matching of the sea and valence quark masses along the target renormalised chiral trajectory. A precise universality test is then conducted by comparing the continuum-limit results of the mixed-action approach and of the unitary setup, in which the same Wilson fermion regularisation is employed in the sea and in the valence. As a key application, we conduct a scale setting procedure based on lattice determinations of the masses and decay constants of the pion and kaon, as well as the gradient flow scale $t_0$. The scale setting can consequently be performed in three distinct ways, utilising the unitary setup, the mixed action approach, and their combination. We observe that the latter combination results in enhanced control of the systematic uncertainties, thereby yielding a precise determination of the physical value of $t_0$.

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arXiv2025

The hadronic contribution to the running of $\alpha$ and the electroweak mixing angle

We report on our update to [1] on the hadronic running of electroweak couplings from $O(a)$-improved Wilson fermions with $N_f=2+1$ flavours. The inclusion of additional ensembles at very fine lattice spacings together with a number of techniques to split the different contributions for a better control of cutoff effects allows us to substantially improve the precision. We employ two different discretizations of the vector current to compute the subtracted Hadronic Vacuum Polarization (HVP) functions $\bar{\mathit{\Pi}}^{\gamma\gamma}$ and $\bar{\mathit{\Pi}}^{Z\gamma}$ for Euclidean time momenta up to $Q^2\leq 9 \ \mathrm{GeV}^2$ . To reduce cutoff effects in the short distance region we apply a suitable subtraction to the TMR kernel function, which cancels the leading $x_0^4$ behaviour. The subtracted term is then computed in perturbative QCD using the Adler function and added back to compensate for the subtraction. Chiral-continuum extrapolations are performed with five values of the lattice spacing and several pion masses, including its physical value, and several fit ans\"atze are explored to estimate the systematics arising from model selection. Our results show excellent prospects for high-precision estimates of $\Delta\alpha_{\mathrm{had}}^{(5)}(M_Z^2)$ at the Z-pole.

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arXiv2025

Machine-learning techniques as noise reduction strategies in lattice calculations of the muon $g-2$

Lattice calculations of the hadronic contributions to the muon anomalous magnetic moment are numerically highly demanding due to the necessity of reaching total errors at the sub-percent level. Noise-reduction techniques such as low-mode averaging have been applied successfully to determine the vector-vector correlator with high statistical precision in the long-distance regime, but display an unfavourable scaling in terms of numerical cost. This is particularly true for the mixed contribution in which one of the two quark propagators is described in terms of low modes. Here we report on an ongoing project aimed at investigating the potential of machine learning as a cost-effective tool to produce approximate estimates of the mixed contribution, which are then bias-corrected to produce an exact result. A second example concerns the determination of electromagnetic isospin-breaking corrections by combining the predictions from a trained model with a bias correction.

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arXiv2024

Determination of the Gradient Flow Scale $t_0$ from a Mixed Action with Wilson Twisted Mass Valence Quarks

We perform the scale setting procedure of a mixed action setup consisting of valence Wilson twisted mass fermions at maximal twist on CLS ensembles with $N_f=2+1$ flavours of $O(a)$-improved Wilson sea quarks. We determine the gradient flow scale $t_0$ using pion and kaon masses and decay constants in the isospin symmetric limit of QCD as external physical input. We employ model variation techniques to explore the systematic uncertainties in the extraction of the ground state signal of lattice observables, as well as for the continuum-chiral extrapolations. We observe that the combined analysis of the mixed action data with that based on $O(a)$-improved Wilson valence quarks, provides an improved control of the extrapolation of $t_0$ to the physical point.

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arXiv2023

A strategy for B-physics observables in the continuum limit

In a somewhat forgotten paper [1] it was shown how to perform interpolations between relativistic and static computations in order to obtain results for heavy-light observables for masses from, say, $m_{\rm charm}$ to $m_{\rm bottom}$. All quantities are first continuum extrapolated and then interpolated in $1/m_h=1/m_{\rm heavy}$. Large volume computations are combined with finite volume ones where a relativistic bottom quark is accessible with small $am_{\rm bottom}$. We discuss how this strategy is extended to semi-leptonic form factors and other quantities of phenomenological interest. The essential point is to form quantities where the limit $m_h\to\infty$ is approached with power corrections O$(1/m_h)$ only. Perturbative corrections $\sim\alpha_s(m_h)^{\gamma+n}$ are cancelled in the construction of the observables. We also point out how such an approach can help to control systematics in semi-leptonic decays with just large volume data. First numerical results with $N_f = 2 + 1$ and lattice spacings down to 0.039 fm are presented in [2].

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arXiv2023

$m_B$ and $f_{B^{(\star)}}$ in $2+1$ flavour QCD from a combination of continuum limit static and relativistic results

We present preliminary results for B-physics from a combination of non-perturbative results in the static limit with relativistic computations satisfying $am_{\mathrm{heavy}}\ll 1$. Relativistic measurements are carried out at the physical b-quark mass using the Schr\"{o}dinger Functional in a $0.5 \ \mathrm{fm}$ box. They are connected to large volume observables through step scaling functions that trace the mass dependence between the physical charm region and the static limit, such that B-physics results can be obtained by interpolation; the procedure is designed to exactly cancel the troublesome $\alpha_s(m_{\mathrm{heavy}})^{n+\gamma}$ corrections to large mass scaling. Large volume computations for both static and relativistic quantities use CLS $N_f=2+1$ ensembles at $m_u=m_d=m_s$, and with five values of the lattice spacing down to $0.039$ fm. Our preliminary results for the b-quark mass and leptonic decay constants have competitive uncertainties, which are furthermore dominated by statistics, allowing for substantial future improvement. Here we focus on numerical results, while the underlying strategy is discussed in a companion contribution.

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arXiv2023

Hadronic physics from a Wilson fermion mixed-action approach: Charm quark mass and $D_{(s)}$ meson decay constants

We present our first set of results for charm physics, using the mixed-action setup introduced in a companion paper. Maximally twisted Wilson valence fermions are used on a sea of non-perturbatively $O(a)$-improved Wilson fermions, made up by CLS $N_{\mathrm{\scriptstyle f}}=2+1$ ensembles. Our charm-sector observables are free from $O(am_c)$ discretisation effects, without need of tuning any improvement coefficient, and show continuum-limit scaling properties consistent with leading cutoff effects of $O(a^2)$. We consider a subset of CLS ensembles -- including four values of the lattice spacing and pion masses down to 200 MeV -- allowing to take the continuum limit and extrapolate to the physical pion mass. A number of techniques are incorporated in the analysis in order to estimate the systematic uncertainties of our results for the charm quark mass and the $D_{(s)}$-meson decay constants. This first study of observables in the charm sector, where the emphasis has been on the control of the methodology, demonstrates the potential of our setup to achieve high-precision results.

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arXiv2022

Towards precision charm physics with a mixed action

We report on our first set of results for charm physics, using a mixed-action setup with maximally twisted valence fermions on CLS $N_f=2+1$ ensembles. This setup avoids the need of improvement coefficients to subtract $O(am_c)$ effects. The charm quark mass, $D$ and $D_s$ decay constants are computed on a subset of CLS ensembles, which allows to take the continuum limit and extrapolate to the physical pion mass, and assess the scaling properties. Special attention is paid to the implementation of techniques to deal with systematic uncertainties. Our results show excellent prospects for high-precision computations on the full set of ensembles.

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