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Antonio Vairo

Publications and source records attributed to Antonio Vairo.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
arXiv2019

Transport coefficients from in medium quarkonium dynamics

The in medium dynamics of heavy particles are governed by transport coefficients. The heavy quark momentum diffusion coefficient, $κ$, is an object of special interest in the literature, but one which has proven notoriously difficult to estimate, despite the fact that it has been computed by weak-coupling methods at next-to-leading order accuracy, and by lattice simulations of the pure SU(3) gauge theory. Another coefficient, $γ$, has been recently identified. It can be understood as the dispersive counterpart of $κ$. Little is known about $γ$. Both $κ$ and $γ$ are, however, of foremost importance in heavy quarkonium physics as they entirely determine the in and out of equilibrium dynamics of quarkonium in a medium, if the evolution of the density matrix is Markovian, and the motion, quantum Brownian; the medium could be a strongly or weakly coupled plasma. In this paper, using the relation between $κ$, $γ$ and the quarkonium in medium width and mass shift respectively, we evaluate the two coefficients from existing 2+1 flavor lattice QCD data. The resulting range for $κ$ is consistent with earlier determinations, the one for $γ$ is the first non-perturbative determination of this quantity.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2019

Determination of the QCD coupling from the static energy and the free energy

We present two determinations of the strong coupling \(α_s\). The first one is from the static energy at three-loop accuracy, and may be considered an update of earlier determinations by some of us. The new analysis includes new lattice data at smaller lattice spacings, and reaches distances as short as \(0.0237\,{\rm fm}\). We present a comprehensive and detailed estimate of the error sources that contribute to the uncertainty of the final result, $α_s(M_Z)=0.11660^{+0.00110}_{-0.00056}$. The second determination is based on lattice data for the singlet free energy at finite temperature up to distances as small as \(0.0081\,{\rm fm}\), from which we obtain $α_s(M_Z)=0.11638^{+0.0009 5}_{-0.00087}$.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2019

Electric dipole transitions of $1P$ bottomonia

We compute the electric dipole transitions $χ_{bJ}(1P)\to γΥ(1S)$, with $J=0,1,2$, and $h_{b}(1P)\to γη_{b}(1S)$ in a model-independent way. We use potential non-relativistic QCD (pNRQCD) at weak coupling with either the Coulomb potential or the complete static potential incorporated in the leading order Hamiltonian. In the last case, the perturbative series shows very mild scale dependence and a good convergence pattern, allowing predictions for all the transition widths. Assuming $Λ_{\text{QCD}} \ll mv^2$, the precision that we reach is $k_γ^{3}/(mv)^{2} \times \mathcal{O}(v^{2})$, where $k_γ$ is the photon energy, $m$ is the mass of the heavy quark and $v$ its relative velocity. Our results are: $Γ(χ_{b0}(1P)\to γΥ(1S)) = 28^{+2}_{-2}~\text{keV}$, $Γ(χ_{b1}(1P)\to γΥ(1S)) = 37^{+2}_{-2}~\text{keV}$, $Γ(χ_{b2}(1P)\to γΥ(1S)) = 45^{+3}_{-3}~\text{keV}$ and $Γ(h_b(1P)\to γη_b(1S)) = 63^{+6}_{-6}~\text{keV}$.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2019

Color screening in (2+1)-flavor QCD

We study correlation functions of spatially separated static quark-antiquark pairs in (2+1)-flavor QCD in order to investigate onset and nature of color screening at high temperatures. We perform lattice calculations in a wide temperature range, $140 \le T \le 5814\,{\rm MeV}$, using the highly improved staggered quark action and several lattice spacings to control discretization effects. By comparing at high temperatures our lattice results to weak-coupling calculations as well as to the zero temperature result for the energy of a static quark-antiquark pair, we observe that color screening sets in at $rT \approx 0.3$. Furthermore, we also observe that in the range $0.3 \lesssim r T \lesssim 0.6$ weak-coupling calculations in the framework of suitable effective field theories provide an adequate picture of color screening.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2018

Determining the strong coupling: status and challenges

The `XIIIth Quark Confinement and the Hadron Spectrum' conference (Confinement 2018) contained a `Round Table Discussion' on the status of the determinations of the strong coupling $α_s(m_Z)$ as well as prospects for future improvements. In this contribution, we summarize the different aspects of the discussion. In particular, we cover $α_s$ determinations from inclusive observables, such as the hadronic decays of the $Z$ boson and the $τ$ lepton; from global fits of parton distribution functions (PDFs); from high-energy collider observables, and from event shapes; as well as from various observables computed by lattice QCD, specifically from the QCD static energy. There is overall good agreement between these various determinations, but there are also outliers, differing from the world average by up to $-5\%$. Nevertheless, the general agreement constitutes a beautiful and significant test of the detailed nature of the strong interactions, and provides a crucial input for high-precision calculations in QCD and beyond.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2018

Poincaré invariance in NRQCD and pNRQCD revisited

We investigate how fields transform under the Poincaré group in nonrelativistic effective field theories of QCD. In constructing these transformations, we rely only on symmetries and field redefinitions to limit the number of allowed terms. By requiring invariance of the action under these transformations, nontrivial relations between Wilson coefficients for both nonrelativistic QCD and potential nonrelativistic QCD are derived. We show explicitly how the Poincaré algebra is satisfied, and how this gives complementary information on the Wilson coefficients. We also briefly discuss the implications of our results, as well as the possibility of applying this method to other types of effective field theories.

hep-th↗
arXiv2018

Heavy quarkonium suppression in a fireball

We perform a comprehensive study of the time evolution of heavy-quarkonium states in an expanding hot QCD medium by implementing effective field theory techniques in the framework of open quantum systems. The formalism incorporates quarkonium production and its subsequent evolution in the fireball including quarkonium dissociation and recombination. We consider a fireball with a local temperature that is much smaller than the inverse size of the quarkonium and much larger than its binding energy. The calculation is performed at an accuracy that is leading-order in the heavy-quark density expansion and next-to-leading order in the multipole expansion. Within this accuracy, for a smooth variation of the temperature and large times, the evolution equation can be written as a Lindblad equation. We solve the Lindblad equation numerically both for a weakly-coupled quark-gluon plasma and a strongly-coupled medium. As an application, we compute the nuclear modification factor for the $Υ(1S)$ and $Υ(2S)$ states. We also consider the case of static quarks, which can be solved analytically. Our study fulfils three essential conditions: it conserves the total number of heavy quarks, it accounts for the non-Abelian nature of QCD and it avoids classical approximations.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2018

Status of rates and rate equations for thermal leptogenesis

In many realizations of leptogenesis, heavy right-handed neutrinos play the main role in the generation of an imbalance between matter and antimatter in the early Universe. Hence, it is relevant to address quantitatively their dynamics in a hot and dense environment by taking into account the various thermal aspects of the problem at hand. The strong washout regime offers an interesting framework to carry out calculations systematically and reduce theoretical uncertainties. Indeed, any matter-antimatter asymmetry generated when the temperature of the hot plasma $T$ exceeds the right-handed neutrino mass scale $M$ is efficiently erased, and one can focus on the temperature window $T \ll M$. We review recent progresses in the thermal field theoretic derivation of the key ingredients for the leptogenesis mechanism: the right-handed neutrino production rate, the CP asymmetry in the heavy-neutrino decays and the washout rates. The derivation of evolution equations for the heavy-neutrino and lepton-asymmetry number densities, their rigorous formulation and applicability are also discussed.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2018

The Born-Oppenheimer approximation in an effective field theory language

The Born--Oppenheimer approximation is the standard tool for the study of molecular systems. It is founded on the observation that the energy scale of the electron dynamics in a molecule is larger than that of the nuclei. A very similar physical picture can be used to describe QCD states containing heavy quarks as well as light-quarks or gluonic excitations. In this work, we derive the Born--Oppenheimer approximation for QED molecular systems in an effective field theory framework by sequentially integrating out degrees of freedom living at energies above the typical energy scale where the dynamics of the heavy degrees of freedom occurs. In particular, we compute the matching coefficients of the effective field theory for the case of the $H^+_2$ diatomic molecule that are relevant to compute its spectrum up to ${\cal O}(mα^5)$. Ultrasoft photon loops contribute at this order, being ultimately responsible for the molecular Lamb shift. In the effective field theory the scaling of all the operators is homogeneous, which facilitates the determination of all the relevant contributions, an observation that may become useful for high-precision calculations. Using the above case as a guidance, we construct under some conditions an effective field theory for QCD states formed by a color-octet heavy quark-antiquark pair bound with a color-octet light-quark pair or excited gluonic state, highlighting the similarities and differences between the QED and QCD systems. Assuming that the multipole expansion is applicable, we construct the heavy-quark potential up to next-to-leading order in the multipole expansion in terms of nonperturbative matching coefficients to be obtained from lattice QCD.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2017

Quarkonium hybrids

We discuss the quarkonium hybrid spectrum from the perspective of nonrelativistic effective field theories combined with lattice QCD.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2017

Effective field theories for van der Waals interactions

Van der Waals interactions between two neutral but polarizable systems at a separation $R$ much larger than the typical size of the systems are at the core of a broad sweep of contemporary problems in settings ranging from atomic, molecular and condensed matter physics to strong interactions and gravity. We reexamine the dispersive van der Waals interactions between two hydrogen atoms. The novelty of the analysis resides in the usage of nonrelativistic EFTs of QED. In this framework, the van der Waals potential acquires the meaning of a matching coefficient in an EFT suited to describe the low energy dynamics of an atom pair. It may be computed systematically as a series in $R$ times some typical atomic scale and in the fine structure constant $α$. The van der Waals potential gets short range contributions and radiative corrections, which we compute in dimensional regularization and renormalize here for the first time. Results are given in $d$ spacetime dimensions. One can distinguish among different regimes depending on the relative size between $1/R$ and the typical atomic bound state energy $mα^2$. Each regime is characterized by a specific hierarchy of scales and a corresponding tower of EFTs. The short distance regime is characterized by $1/R \gg mα^2$ and the LO van der Waals potential is the London potential. We compute also NNNLO corrections. In the long distance regime we have $1/R\ll mα^2$. In this regime, the van der Waals potential contains contact terms, which are parametrically larger than the Casimir-Polder potential that describes the potential at large distances. In the EFT the Casimir-Polder potential counts as a NNNLO effect. In the intermediate distance regime, $1/R\sim mα^2$, a significantly more complex potential is obtained which we compare with the two previous limiting cases. We conclude commenting on the hadronic van der Waals case.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2017

Momentum anisotropy effects for quarkonium in a weakly-coupled quark-gluon plasma below the melting temperature

In the early stages of heavy-ion collisions, the hot QCD matter expands more longitudinally than transversely. This imbalance causes the system to become rapidly colder in the longitudinal direction and a local momentum anisotropy appears. In this paper, we study the heavy-quarkonium spectrum in the presence of a small plasma anisotropy. We work in the framework of pNRQCD at finite temperature. We inspect arrangements of non-relativistic and thermal scales complementary to those considered in the literature. In particular, we consider temperatures larger and Debye masses smaller than the binding energy, which is a temperature range relevant for presently running LHC experiments. In this setting we compute the leading thermal corrections to the binding energy and the thermal width induced by quarkonium gluo-dissociation.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2016

Quarkonium suppression in heavy-ion collisions: an open quantum system approach

We address the evolution of heavy-quarkonium states in an expanding quark-gluon plasma by implementing effective field theory techniques in the framework of open quantum systems. In this setting we compute the nuclear modification factors for quarkonia that are $S$-wave Coulombic bound states in a strongly-coupled quark-gluon plasma. The calculation is performed at an accuracy that is leading-order in the heavy-quark density expansion and next-to-leading order in the multipole expansion. The quarkonium density-matrix evolution equations can be written in the Lindblad form, and, hence, they account for both dissociation and recombination. Thermal mass shifts, thermal widths and the Lindblad equation itself depend on only two non-perturbative parameters: the heavy-quark momentum diffusion coefficient and its dispersive counterpart. Finally, by numerically solving the Lindblad equation, we provide results for the $Υ(1S)$ and $Υ(2S)$ suppression.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2016

CP asymmetry in heavy Majorana neutrino decays at finite temperature: the hierarchical case

We consider the simplest realization of leptogenesis with one heavy Majorana neutrino species much lighter than the other ones. In this scenario, when the temperature of the early universe is smaller than the lightest Majorana neutrino mass, we compute at first order in the Standard Model couplings and, for each coupling, at leading order in the termperature the CP asymmetry in the decays of the lightest neutrino into leptons and anti-leptons. We perform the calculation using a hierarchy of two effective field theories organized as expansions in the inverse of the heavy-neutrino masses. In the ultimate effective field theory, leading thermal corrections proportional to the Higgs self coupling and the gauge couplings are encoded in one single operator of dimension five, whereas corrections proportional to the top Yukawa coupling are encoded in four operators of dimension seven, which we compute.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2016

CP asymmetry in heavy Majorana neutrino decays at finite temperature: the nearly degenerate case

In a model where Majorana neutrinos heavier than the electroweak scale couple to Standard Model Higgs bosons and leptons, we compute systematically thermal corrections to the direct and indirect CP asymmetries in the Majorana neutrino decays. These are key ingredients entering the equations that describe the thermodynamic evolution of the induced lepton-number asymmetry eventually leading to the baryon asymmetry in the universe. We compute the thermal corrections in an effective field theory framework that assumes the temperature smaller than the masses of the Majorana neutrinos and larger than the electroweak scale, and we provide the leading corrections in an expansion of the temperature over the mass. In this work, we consider the case of two Majorana neutrinos with nearly degenerate masses.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2016

Long-range properties of $1S$ bottomonium states

In the framework of weakly-coupled pNRQCD, we derive, first, an analytical expression for the chromo-polarizability of $1S$-bottomonium states in agreement with previous determinations. Then we use the QCD trace anomaly to obtain the two-pion production amplitude for the chromo-polarizability operator and match the result to a chiral effective field theory with $1S$-bottomonium states and pions as degrees-of-freedom. In this chiral effective field theory we compute some long-range properties of the $1S$ bottomonium generated by the pion coupling such as the leading chiral logarithm to the $1S$-bottomonium mass and the van der Waals potential between two $1S$-bottomonium states. Both results improve on previously known expressions.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2015

The Polyakov loop at next-to-next-to leading order

We calculate the next-to-next-to-leading correction to the expectation value of the Polyakov loop or equivalently to the free energy of a static charge. This correction is of order $g^5$. We show that up to this order the free energy of the static charge is proportional to the quadratic Casimir operator of the corresponding representation. We also compare our perturbative result with the most recent lattice results in SU(3) gauge theory.

hep-ph↗