arXiv subjects

C. D. Roberts

Publications and source records attributed to C. D. Roberts.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2011

pi- and rho-mesons, and their diquark partners, from a contact interaction

We present a unified Dyson-Schwinger equation treatment of static and electromagnetic properties of pseudoscalar and vector mesons, and scalar and axial-vector diquark correlations, based upon a vector-vector contact-interaction. A basic motivation for this study is the need to document a comparison between the electromagnetic form factors of mesons and those diquarks which play a material role in nucleon structure. This is an important step toward a unified description of meson and baryon form factors based on a single interaction. A notable result, therefore, is the large degree of similarity between related meson and diquark form factors. The simplicity of the interaction enables computation of the form factors at arbitrarily-large spacelike-Q^2, which enables us to expose a zero in the rho-meson electric form factor at z_Q^ρ~ Sqrt[6] m_ρ. Notably, r_ρ*z_Q^ρ~ r_D*z_Q^D, where r_ρ, r_D are, respectively, the electric radii of the rho-meson and deuteron.

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arXiv2011

T(r)opical Dyson-Schwinger Equations

We provide a glimpse of recent progress in hadron physics made using QCD's Dyson-Schwinger equations, reviewing: the notion of in-hadron condensates and a putative solution of a gross problem with the cosmological constant; the dynamical generation of quark anomalous chromo- and electro-magnetic moments, and their material impact upon the proton's electric/magnetic form factor ratio; a computation that simultaneously correlates the masses of meson and baryon ground- and excited-states; and a prediction for the x->1 value of the ratio of neutron/proton distribution functions.

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arXiv2010

Abelian anomaly and neutral pion production

We show that in fully-self-consistent treatments of the pion; namely, its static properties and elastic and transition form factors, the asymptotic limit of the product Q^2 G_{γ* γπ^0}(Q^2), determined a priori by the interaction employed, is not exceeded at any finite value of spacelike momentum transfer. Furthermore, in such a treatment of a vector-vector contact-interaction one obtains a γ* γ-> π^0 transition form factor that disagrees markedly with all available data. We explain that the contact interaction produces a pion distribution amplitude which is flat and nonvanishing at the endpoints. This amplitude characterises a pointlike pion bound-state. Such a state has the hardest possible form factors; i.e., form factors which become constant at large momentum transfers and hence are in striking disagreement with completed experiments. On the other hand, interactions with QCD-like behaviour produce soft pions, a valence-quark distribution amplitude that vanishes as ~(1-x)^2 for x~1, and results that agree with the bulk of existing data. Our analysis supports a view that the large-Q^2 data obtained by the BaBar Collaboration is not an accurate measure of the γ* γ-> π^0 form factor.

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arXiv2010

Impact of dynamical chiral symmetry breaking on meson structure and interactions

We provide a glimpse of recent progress in meson physics made via QCD's Dyson-Schwinger equations with: a perspective on confinement and dynamical chiral symmetry breaking (DCSB); a pre'cis on the physics of in-hadron condensates; results for the masses of the π, σ, ρ, a_1 mesons and their first-radial excitations; and an illustration of the impact of DCSB on the pion form factor.

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arXiv2010

Exposing the dressed quark's mass

This snapshot of recent progress in hadron physics made in connection with QCD's Dyson-Schwinger equations includes: a perspective on confinement and dynamical chiral symmetry breaking (DCSB); a pre'cis on the physics of in-hadron condensates; results on the hadron spectrum, including dressed-quark-core masses for the nucleon and Delta, their first radial excitations, and the parity-partners of these states; an illustration of the impact of DCSB on the electromagnetic pion form factor, thereby exemplifying how data can be used to chart the momentum-dependence of the dressed-quark mass function; and a prediction that F_1^{p,d}/F_1^{p,u} passes through zero at Q^2\approx 5m_N^2 owing to the presence of nonpointlike scalar and axial-vector diquark correlations in the nucleon.

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arXiv2010

A proposal for testing subcritical vacuum pair production with high power lasers

We present a proposal for testing the prediction of non-equilibrium quantum field theory below the Schwinger limit. The proposed experiments should be able to detect a measurable number of gamma rays resulting from the annihilation of pairs in the focal spot of two opposing high intensity laser beams. We discuss the dependence of the expected number of gamma rays with the laser parameters and compare with the estimated background level of gamma hits for realistic laser conditions.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2010

Pion form factor from a contact interaction

In a Poincare'-covariant vector-boson-exchange theory, the pion possesses components of pseudovector origin, which materially influence its observable properties. For a range of such quantities, we explore the consequences of a momentum-independent interaction, regularised in a symmetry-preserving manner. The contact interaction, whilst capable of describing pion static properties, produces a form factor whose: evolution for Q^2>0.17GeV^2 disagrees markedly with experiment; and asymptotic power-law behaviour conflicts strongly with perturbative-QCD.

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arXiv2009

Flavourful hadronic physics

We review theoretical approaches to form factors that arise in heavy-meson decays and are hadronic expressions of non-perturbative QCD. After motivating their origin in QCD factorisation, we retrace their evolution from quark-model calculations to non-perturbative QCD techniques with an emphasis on formulations of truncated heavy-light amplitudes based upon Dyson-Schwinger equations. We compare model predictions exemplarily for the B\toπtransition form factor and discuss new results for the g_{D*Dπ} coupling in the hadronic D* decay.

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arXiv2009

Theory Support for the Excited Baryon Program at the Jlab 12 GeV Upgrade

This document outlines major directions in theoretical support for the measurement of nucleon resonance transition form factors at the JLab 12 GeV upgrade with the CLAS12 detector. Using single and double meson production, prominent resonances in the mass range up to 2 GeV will be studied in the range of photon virtuality $Q^2$ up to 12 GeV$^2$ where quark degrees of freedom are expected to dominate. High level theoretical analysis of these data will open up opportunities to understand how the interactions of dressed quarks create the ground and excited nucleon states and how these interactions emerge from QCD. The paper reviews the current status and the prospects of QCD based model approaches that relate phenomenological information on transition form factors to the non-perturbative strong interaction mechanisms, that are responsible for resonance formation.

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arXiv2009

Gauge invariance of a critical number of flavours in QED3

The fermion propagator in an arbitrary covariant gauge can be obtained from the Landau gauge result via a Landau-Khalatnikov-Fradkin transformation. This transformation can be written in a practically useful form in both configuration and momentum space. It is therefore possible to anticipate effects of a gauge transformation on the propagator's analytic properties. These facts enable one to establish that if a critical number of flavours for chiral symmetry restoration and deconfinement exists in noncompact QED3, then its value is independent of the gauge parameter. This is explicated using simple forms for the fermion-photon vertex and the photon vacuum polarisation. The illustration highlights pitfalls that must be avoided in order to arrive at valid conclusions. Landau gauge is seen to be the covariant gauge in which the propagator avoids modification by a non-dynamical gauge-dependent exponential factor, whose presence can obscure truly observable features of the theory.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2009

Neutron Stars and the High Density Equation of State

One of the key ingredients to understand the properties of neutrons stars is the equation of state at finite densities far beyond nuclear saturation. Investigating the phase structure of quark matter that might be realized in the core of NS inspires theory and observation. We discuss recent results of our work to point out our view on challenges and possibilities in this evolving field by means of a few examples.

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arXiv2008

Survey of nucleon electromagnetic form factors

A dressed-quark core contribution to nucleon electromagnetic form factors is calculated. It is defined by the solution of a Poincare' covariant Faddeev equation in which dressed-quarks provide the elementary degree of freedom and correlations between them are expressed via diquarks. The nucleon-photon vertex involves a single parameter; i.e., a diquark charge radius. It is argued to be commensurate with the pion's charge radius. A comprehensive analysis and explanation of the form factors is built upon this foundation. A particular feature of the study is a separation of form factor contributions into those from different diagram types and correlation sectors, and subsequently a flavour separation for each of these. Amongst the extensive body of results that one could highlight are: r_1^{n,u}>r_1^{n,d}, owing to the presence of axial-vector quark-quark correlations; and for both the neutron and proton the ratio of Sachs electric and magnetic form factors possesses a zero.

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arXiv2008

Dynamical Schwinger effect and high-intensity lasers. Realising nonperturbative QED

We consider the possibility of experimental verification of vacuum e^+e^- pair creation at the focus of two counter-propagating optical laser beams with intensities 10^{20}-10^{22} W/cm^2, achievable with present-day petawatt lasers, and approaching the Schwinger limit: 10^{29} W/cm^2 to be reached at ELI. Our approach is based on the collisionless kinetic equation for the evolution of the e^+ and e^- distribution functions governed by a non-Markovian source term for pair production. As possible experimental signals of vacuum pair production we consider e^+e^- annihilation into gamma-pairs and the refraction of a high-frequency probe laser beam by the produced e^+e^- plasma. We discuss the dependence of the dynamical pair production process on laser wavelength, with special emphasis on applications in the X-ray domain (X-FEL), as well as the prospects for μ^+μ^- and π^+π^- pair creation at high-intensity lasers. We investigate perspectives for using high-intensity lasers as ``boosters'' of ion beams in the few-GeV per nucleon range, which is relevant, e.g., to the exploration of the QCD phase transition in laboratory experiments.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2008

Form Factors and Dyson-Schwinger Equations

A synopsis exemplifying the employment of Dyson-Schwinger equations in the calculation and explanation of hadron electromagnetic form factors and related phenomena. In particular the contribution: presents the pion form factor computed simultaneously at spacelike and timelike momenta; reports aspects of the evolution of the nucleon and Delta masses with current-quark mass and the correlation of their mass difference with that between scalar and axial-vector diquarks; describes an estimate of the s-quark content of a dressed u-quark and its impact on the nucleon's strangeness magnetic moment; and comments upon the domain within which a pseudoscalar meson cloud can materially contribute to hadron form factors.

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arXiv2008

On unifying the description of meson and baryon properties

A Poincare' covariant Faddeev equation is presented, which enables the simultaneous prediction of meson and baryon observables using the leading-order in a truncation of the Dyson-Schwinger equations that can systematically be improved. The solution describes a nucleon's dressed-quark core. The evolution of the nucleon mass with current-quark mass is discussed. A nucleon-photon current, which can produce nucleon form factors with realistic Q^2-evolution, is described. Axial-vector diquark correlations lead to a neutron Dirac form factor that is negative, with r_1^{nu}>r_1^{nd}. The proton electric-magnetic form factor ratio falls with increasing Q^2.

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arXiv2008

Regarding confinement and dynamical chiral symmetry breaking in QED3

We establish that QED3 can possess a critical number of flavours, N_f^c, associated with dynamical chiral symmetry breaking if, and only if, the fermion wave function renormalisation and photon vacuum polarisation are homogeneous functions at infrared momenta when the fermion mass function vanishes. The Ward identity entails that the fermion-photon vertex possesses the same property and ensures a simple relationship between the homogeneity degrees of each of these functions. Simple models for the photon vacuum polarisation and fermion-photon vertex are used to illustrate these observations. The existence and value of N_f^c are contingent upon the precise form of the vertex but any discussion of gauge dependence is moot. We introduce an order parameter for confinement. Chiral symmetry restoration and deconfinement are coincident owing to an abrupt change in the analytic properties of the fermion propagator when a nonzero scalar self-energy becomes insupportable.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2008

Current quark mass dependence of nucleon magnetic moments and radii

A calculation of the current-quark-mass-dependence of nucleon static electromagnetic properties is necessary in order to use observational data as a means to place constraints on the variation of Nature's fundamental parameters. A Poincare' covariant Faddeev equation, which describes baryons as composites of confined-quarks and -nonpointlike-diquarks, is used to calculate this dependence The results indicate that, like observables dependent on the nucleons' magnetic moments, quantities sensitive to their magnetic and charge radii, such as the energy levels and transition frequencies in Hydrogen and Deuterium, might also provide a tool with which to place limits on the allowed variation in Nature's constants.

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arXiv2008

Perspective on rainbow-ladder truncation

Prima facie the systematic implementation of corrections to the rainbow-ladder truncation of QCD's Dyson-Schwinger equations will uniformly reduce in magnitude those calculated mass-dimensioned results for pseudoscalar and vector meson properties that are not tightly constrained by symmetries. The aim and interpretation of studies employing rainbow-ladder truncation are reconsidered in this light.

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