arXiv subjects

Boris A. Gelman

Publications and source records attributed to Boris A. Gelman.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2019

Yields of weakly-bound light nuclei as a probe of the statistical hadronization model

The statistical hadronization model is a simple and efficient phenomenological framework in which the relative yields for very high energy heavy ion collisions are essentially determined by a single model parameter---the chemical freeze-out temperature. Recent measurements of yields of hadrons and light nuclei covering over 9 orders of magnitudes from the ALICE collaboration at the LHC were described by the model with remarkable accuracy with a chemical freeze-out temperature of 156.5 $\pm$ 1.5 MeV. A key physical question is whether the freeze-out temperature can be understood, literally, as the temperature at which the various species of an equilibrated gas of hadrons (including resonances) and nuclei chemically freeze out as the model assumes, or whether it successfully parametrizes the yield data for a different reason. The yields of weakly-bound light nuclei---the deuteron and the hypertriton---provide insights into this issue. The analysis indicates that a key assumption underlying the model---that hadrons (and nuclei), just prior to chemical freeze-out temperature, are in thermal equilibrium and are sufficiently dilute as to have particle distributions accurately described statistically by a nearly ideal gas of hadrons and nuclei with masses given by their free space values---appears to be inconsistent with the chemical freeze-out temperature output by the model, at least for these weakly-bound nuclei.

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arXiv2013

Nucleon-Nucleon Scattering and Large N(c) QCD

Nucleon-nucleon scattering observables are discussed in the context of large Nc QCD. As is well known, the baryon spectrum in the large Nc limit exhibits contracted SU(2Nf) spin-flavor sym- metry. This symmetry can be used to derive model-independent relations between proton-proton and proton-neutron total cross sections. These relations are valid in the kinematic regime in which the relative momentum of two nucleons is of order of Nc. In this semiclassical regime the nucleon-nucleon scattering can be described in the time-dependent mean field approximation. These model-independent results are compared to experimental data for spin-independent and polarized total nucleon-nucleon cross sections.

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arXiv2012

Total nucleon-nucleon cross sections in large N(c) QCD

We use contracted spin-flavor symmetry which emerges in the large Nc limit of QCD to obtain relations between proton-proton and proton-neutron total cross sections for both polarized and unpolarized scattering. The formalism used is valid in the semi-classical regime in which the relative momentum of the incident nucleons is much larger than the inverse size of the nucleon, provided that certain technical assumptions are met. The relations should be phenomenologically useful provided that Nc=3 is sufficiently large so that the large Nc results have at least semi-quantitative predictive power. The relations are model-independent in the sense that they depend on properties of large Nc QCD only and not on any particular model-dependent details of the nucleon-nucleon interaction. We compare these model-independent results to experimental data. We find the relation for spin-unpolarized scattering works well empirically. For the case of polarized scattering, the data is consistent with the relations but the cross sections are too small to make sharp predictions.

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arXiv2009

Narrow resonances and short-range interactions

Narrow resonances in systems with short-range interactions are discussed in an effective field theory (EFT) framework. An effective Lagrangian is formulated in the form of a combined expansion in powers of a momentum Q << Lambda--a short-distance scale--and an energy difference delta epsilon = |E-epsilon_0| << epsilon_0--a resonance peak energy. At leading order in the combined expansion, a two-body scattering amplitude is the sum of a smooth background term of order Q^0 and a Breit-Wigner term of order Q^2 (delta epsilon)^{-1} which becomes dominant for delta epsilon <~ Q^3. Such an EFT is applicable to systems in which short-distance dynamics generates a low-lying quasistationary state. The EFT is generalized to describe a narrow low-lying resonance in a system of charged particles. It is shown that in the case of Coulomb repulsion, a two-body scattering amplitude at leading order in a combined expansion is the sum of a Coulomb-modified background term and a Breit-Wigner amplitude with parameters renormalized by Coulomb interactions.

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arXiv2006

Classical Strongly Coupled QGP II: Screening and Equation of State

We analyze the screening and bulk energy of a classical and strongly interacting plasma of color charges, a model we recently introduced for the description of a quark-gluon plasma at T=(1-3)Tc. The partition function is organized around the Debye-Huckel limit. The linear Debye-Huckel limit is corrected by a virial expansion. For the pressure, the expansion is badly convergent even in the dilute limit. The non-linear Debye-Huckel theory is studied numerically as an alternative for moderately strong plasmas. We use Debye theory of solid to extend the analysis to the crystal phase at very strong coupling. The analytical results for the bulk energy per particle compare well with the numerical results from molecular dynamics simulation for all couplings.

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arXiv2006

Classical Strongly Coupled QGP I: The Model and Molecular Dynamics Simulations

We propose a model for the description of strongly interacting quarks and gluon quasiparticles at $T=(1-3)T_c$, as a classical and nonrelativistic colored Coulomb gas. The sign and strength of the inter-particle interactions are fixed by the scalar product of their classical {\it color vectors} subject to Wong's equations. The model displays a number of phases as the Coulomb coupling is increased ranging from a gas, to a liquid, to a crystal with antiferromagnetic-like color ordering. We analyze the model using Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations and discuss the density-density correlator in real time. We extract pertinent decorrelation times, diffusion and viscosity constants for all phases. The classical results when extrapolated to the sQGP suggest that the phase is liquid-like, with a diffusion constant $D\approx 0.1/T$ and a bulk viscosity to entropy density ratio $η/s\approx 1/3$.

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arXiv2005

Cold Strongly Coupled Atoms Make a Near-perfect Liquid

Feshbach resonances of trapped ultracold alkali atoms allow to vary the atomic scattering length a. At very large values of a the system enters an universal strongly coupled regime in which its properties--the ground state energy, pressure {\it etc.}--become independent of a. We discuss transport properties of such systems. In particular, the universality arguments imply that the shear viscosity of ultracold Fermi atoms at the Feschbach resonance is proportional to the particle number density n, and the Plank constant \hbar η=\hbar n α_η, where α_ηis a universal constant. Using Heisenberg uncertainty principle and Einstein's relation between diffusion and viscosity we argue that the viscosity has the lower bound given by α_η \leq (6π)^{-1}. We relate the damping of low-frequency density oscillations of ultracold optically trapped ^{6}Li atoms to viscosity and find that the value of the coefficient α_ηis about 0.3. We also show that such a small viscosity can not be explained by kinetic theory based on binary scattering. We conclude that the system of ultracold atoms near the Feshbach resonance is a near-ideal liquid.

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arXiv2004

An effective field theory for coupled-channel scattering

The problem of describing low-energy two-body scattering for systems with two open channels with different thresholds is addressed in the context of an effective field theory. In particular, the problem where the threshold is unnaturally small and the cross section at low energy is unnaturally large is considered. It is shown that the lowest-order point coupling associated with the mixing of the channels scales as $Λ^{-2}$ rather than $Λ^{-1}$ (the scaling of the same-channel coupling and the scaling in a single-channel case) where $Λ$ is the ultraviolet cutoff. The renormalization of the theory at lowest order is given explicitly. The treatment of higher orders is straightforward. The potential implications for systems with deep open channels are discussed.

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arXiv2003

New near-threshold mesons

We show that under a number of rather plausible assumptions QCD spectrum may contain a number of mesons which have not been predicted or observed. Such states will have the quantum numbers of two existing mesons and masses very close to the dissociation threshold into the two mesons. Moreover, at least one of the two mesonic constituents itself must be very close to its dissociation threshold. In particular, one might expect the existence of loosely bound systems of $D$ and $\D$; similarly, $K$ and $\ff$, $\bar{K}$ and $\ff$, $K$ and $å$ and $\bar{K}$ and $å$ can be bound. The mechanism for binding in these cases is the S-wave kaon exchange. The nearness of one of the constituents to its decay threshold into a kaon plus a remainder, implies that the range of the kaon exchange force becomes abnormally long--significantly longer than $1/m_K$ which greatly aids the binding.

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arXiv2002

Does A Narrow Tetraquark $cc\bar{u}\bar{d}$ State Exist?

The existence of a shallow or virtual tetraquark state, $cc\bar{u}\bar{d}$, is discussed. Using the putative masses for the doubly charmed baryons ($ccu/ccd$) from SELEX, the mass of the $cc\bar{u}\bar{d}$ state is estimated to be about $3.9 GeV$, only slightly above the $DD^*$ threshold. The experimental signatures for various $cc\bar{u}\bar{d}$ masses are also discussed.

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arXiv2002

Heavy Baryons: A Combined Large N_c and Heavy Quark Expansion for Electroweak Currents

The combined large N_c and heavy quark limit for baryons containing a single heavy quark is discussed. The combined large N_c and heavy quark expansion of the heavy quark bilinear operators is obtained. In the combined expansion the corrections proportional to m_N/m_Q are summed to all orders. In particular, the combined expansion can be used to determine semileptonic form factors of heavy baryons in the combined limit.

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arXiv2002

Nucleon-Nucleon Scattering Observables in Large-$N_c$ QCD

Nucleon-nucleon scattering observables are considered in the context of the large $N_c$ limit of QCD for initial states with moderately high momenta ($p \sim N_c$). The scattering is studied in the framework of the time-dependent mean-field approximation. We focus on the dependence of those observables on the spin and isospin of the initial state which may be computed using time-dependent mean-field theory. We show that, up to corrections, all such observables must be invariant under simultaneous spin and isospin flips ({\it i.e.} rotations through $π/2$ in both spin and isospin) acting on either particle. All observables of this class obtained from spin unpolarized measurements must be isospin independent up to $1/N_c$ corrections. Moreover, it can be shown that the leading correction is of relative order $1/N_c^2$ rather than $1/N_c$.

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arXiv2001

The Nucleon-Nucleon Interaction and Large N_c QCD

The nature of the nonrelativistic nucleon-nucleon potential in the large N_c limit is discussed. In particular, we address the consistency of the meson exchange picture of nucleon interactions. It is shown that the nonrelativistic nucleon-nucleon potential extracted from the Feynmann graphs up to and including two-meson exchange diagrams satisfies the spin-flavor counting rules of Kaplan and Savage, and Kaplan and Manohar, provided the nucleon momenta is of order N_{c}^{0}. The key to this is a cancelation of the retardation effect of the box graphs against the contributions of the crossed-box diagram. The consistency requires including $Δ$ as an intermediate state.

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arXiv2001

Model-Independent Predictions for Low Energy Isoscalar Heavy Baryon Observables in the Combined Heavy Quark and Large $N_c$ Expansion

Model-independent predictions for excitation energies, semileptonic form factors and electromagnetic decay rates of isoscalar heavy baryons and their low energy excited states are discussed in terms of the combined heavy quark and large $N_c$ expansion. At leading order, the observables are completely determined in terms of the known excitation energy of the first excited state of $Λ_c$. At next-to-leading order in the combined expansion all heavy baryon observables can be expressed in a model-independent way in terms of two experimentally measurable quantities. We list predictions at leading and next-to-leading order.

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arXiv2001

Excited Heavy Baryons and Their Symmetries III: Phenomenology

Phenomenological applications of an effective theory of low-lying excited states of charm and bottom isoscalar baryons are discussed at leading and next-to-leading order in the combined heavy quark and large $N_c$ expansion. The combined expansion is formulated in terms of the counting parameter $λ\sim 1/m_Q, 1/N_c$; the combined expansion is in powers of $λ^{1/2}$. We work up to next-to-leading order. We obtain model-independent predictions for the excitation energies, the semileptonic form factors and electromagnetic decay rates. The spin-averaged mass of the doublet of the first orbitally excited sate of $Λ_b$ is predicted to be approximately $5920 MeV$. It is shown that in the combined limit at leading and next-to-leading order there is only one independent form factor describing $Λ_b \to Λ_c \ell \barν$; similarly, $Λ_b \to Λ_{c}^{*} \ell \barν$ and $Λ_b \to Λ_{c1} \ell \barν$ decays are described by a single independent form factor. These form factors are calculated at leading and next-to-leading order in the combined expansion. The electromagnetic decay rates of the first excited states of $Λ_c$ and $Λ_b$ are determined at leading and next-to leading order. The ratio of radiative decay rates $Γ(Λ_{c}^{*} \to Λ_c γ) / Γ(Λ_{b1} \to Λ_b γ)$ is predicted to be approximately 0.2, greatly different from the heavy quark effective theory value of unity.

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arXiv2001

Excited Heavy Baryons and Their Symmetries II: Effective Theory

We develop an effective theory for heavy baryons and their excited states. The approach is based on the contracted O(8) symmetry recently shown to emerge from QCD for these states in the combined large N_c and heavy quark limits. The effective theory is based on perturbations about this limit; a power counting scheme is developed in which the small parameter is lambda^{1/2} where lambda ~ 1/N_c, Lambda /m_Q (with Lambda being a typical strong interaction scale). We derive the effective Hamiltonian for strong interactions at next-to-leading order. The next-to-leading order effective Hamiltonian depends on only two parameters beyond the known masses of the nucleon and heavy meson. We also show that the effective operators for certain electroweak transitions can be obtained with no unknown parameters at next-to-leading order.

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