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Christopher Monahan

Publications and source records attributed to Christopher Monahan.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Femtoscale imaging of the proton with Ioffe-time distributions

Mapping how strongly interacting constituents are distributed within protons is a key goal of nuclear physics and a major direction of the future Electron Ion Collider program. We propose a novel space-time description of hadron structure in terms of impact-parameter Ioffe-time distributions, relating spatial density in the plane transverse to the proton momentum and the time between the probe's absorption and the product's emission in the longitudinal direction. Using lattice Quantum Chromodynamics, we perform the first calculation of the Ioffe-time-dependent mean squared proton radii and compare our results with estimates in the Goloskokov-Kroll model. We derive a relationship between the experimentally measurable Compton form factor and the generalized Ioffe-time distribution, which allows us to perform the first extraction of the Compton form factor from lattice calculations.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2026

Reconstructing the full kinematic dependence of GPDs from pseudo-distributions

We propose a reconstruction of the full $(x, \xi, t)$ dependence of unpolarized isovector proton generalized parton distributions (GPDs) $H^{u-d}$ and $E^{u-d}$ from lattice QCD data in the pseudo-distribution formalism. For the first time, we extract double distributions (DDs) directly from lattice data, enforcing therefore an important property of GPDs linked to Lorentz symmetry. We use the flexible framework of multidimensional Gaussian process regression to regularize the inverse problem and present an assessment of the impact of model dependence on the systematic uncertainty. Our lattice ensemble corresponds to a pion mass $m_\pi = 358$~MeV and a lattice spacing $a = 0.094$~fm. We use larger hadron momenta, up to 2.7~GeV, and kinematic coverage compared to our previous computations and extract additional skewness-dependent moments of the GPD.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2024

Non-local Nucleon Matrix Elements in the Rest Frame

Extracting parton structure from lattice quantum chromodynamics (QCD) calculations requires studying the coordinate scale $z_3$ dependence of the matrix elements of bilocal operators. The most significant contribution comes from the $z_3$ dependence induced by ultraviolet (UV) renormalization of the Wilson line. We demonstrate that the next-to-leading order perturbative calculations of the renormalization factor can describe, to a few percent accuracy, the logarithm of the lattice QCD rest frame matrix elements with separations up to distances of 0.6~fm on multiple lattice spacings. The residual discrepancies can be modeled by a leading effect from the structure of the nucleon.

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arXiv2024

Towards Unpolarized GPDs from Pseudo-Distributions

We present an exploration of the unpolarized isovector proton generalized parton distributions (GPDs) $H^{u-d}(x, \xi, t)$ and $E^{u-d}(x, \xi, t)$ in the pseudo-distribution formalism using distillation. Taking advantage of the large kinematic coverage made possible by this approach, we present results on the moments of GPDs up to the order $x^3$ -- including their skewness dependence -- at a pion mass $m_\pi = 358$ MeV and a lattice spacing $a = 0.094$ fm.

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arXiv2022

Lattice QCD and Particle Physics

Contribution from the USQCD Collaboration to the Proceedings of the US Community Study on the Future of Particle Physics (Snowmass 2021).

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arXiv2022

Lattice QCD Calculations of Parton Physics

In this document, we summarize the status and challenges of calculating parton physics in lattice QCD for the US Particle Physics Community Planning Exercise (a.k.a. "Snowmass"). While PDF-moments calculations have been very successful and been continuously improved, new methods have been developed to calculate distributions directly in $x$-space. Many recent lattice studies have been focused on calculating isovector PDFs of the pion and nucleon, learning to control systematics associated with excited-state contamination, renormalization and continuum extrapolations, pion-mass and finite-volume effects, etc. Although in some cases, the lattice results are already competitive with experimental data, to reach the level of precision in a wide range of $x$ for unpolarized nucleon PDFs impactful for future collider physics remains a challenge, and may require exascale supercomputing power. The new theoretical methods open the door for calculating other partonic observables which will be the focus of the experimental program in nuclear physics, including generalized parton distributions and transverse-momentum dependent PDFs. A fruitful interplay between experimental data and lattice-QCD calculations will usher in a new era for parton physics and hadron structure.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2021

Topology of the O(3) non-linear sigma model under the gradient flow

The O(3) non-linear sigma model (NLSM) is a prototypical field theory for QCD and ferromagnetism, and provides a simple system in which to study topological effects. In lattice QCD, the gradient flow has been demonstrated to remove ultraviolet singularities from the topological susceptibility. In contrast, lattice simulations of the NLSM find that the topological susceptibility diverges in the continuum limit, even in the presence of the gradient flow. We introduce a $\theta$-term and analyze the topological charge as a function of $\theta$ under the gradient flow. Our results show that divergence persists in the presence of the flow, even at non-zero $\theta$.

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arXiv2018

Recent Developments in $x$-dependent Structure Calculations

First principles calculations of the Bjorken-$x$ dependence of hadron structure have been a long-standing challenge for lattice QCD. This year marks a significant milestone: the first determinations of parton distribution functions, which capture the longitudinal momentum structure of fast-moving hadrons, at physical pion masses. Moreover, there has been significant progress in our understanding of the theoretical frameworks underpinning these calculations, although not all sources of systematic uncertainty have been fully explored. I review the various approaches to extracting $x$-dependent hadron structure from lattice QCD and highlight recent results in both the meson and baryon sectors.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2018

Renormalization of CP-Violating Pure Gauge Operators in Perturbative QCD Using the Gradient Flow

We use the Yang-Mills gradient flow to study the mixing of CP-violating pure gauge operators in continuum QCD with special attention to Weinberg's d=6 purely gluonic operator. The gradient flow allows for a relatively clear derivation of the Wilson coefficients of the CP-violating effective Hamiltonian. This calculation is the first step towards a high-energy matching of matrix elements involving the CP-violating operators between the perturbative and lattice regimes.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2018

Parton distribution functions from reduced Ioffe-time distributions

We show that the correct way to extract parton distribution functions from the reduced Ioffe-time distribution (RITD), a ratio of the Ioffe-time distribution for a moving hadron and a hadron at rest, is through a factorization formula. This factorization exists because, at small distances, forming the ratio does not change the infrared behavior of the numerator, which is factorizable. We illustrate the effect of such a factorization by applying it to results in the literature.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2018

Parton distributions and lattice QCD calculations: a community white paper

In the framework of quantum chromodynamics (QCD), parton distribution functions (PDFs) quantify how the momentum and spin of a hadron are divided among its quark and gluon constituents. Two main approaches exist to determine PDFs. The first approach, based on QCD factorization theorems, realizes a QCD analysis of a suitable set of hard-scattering measurements, often using a variety of hadronic observables. The second approach, based on first-principle operator definitions of PDFs, uses lattice QCD to compute directly some PDF-related quantities, such as their moments. Motivated by recent progress in both approaches, in this document we present an overview of lattice-QCD and global-analysis techniques used to determine unpolarized and polarized proton PDFs and their moments. We provide benchmark numbers to validate present and future lattice-QCD calculations and we illustrate how they could be used to reduce the PDF uncertainties in current unpolarized and polarized global analyses. This document represents a first step towards establishing a common language between the two communities, to foster dialogue and to further improve our knowledge of PDFs.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2017

Improving the theoretical prediction for the $B_s-\bar{B}_s$ width difference: matrix elements of next-to-leading order $ΔB=2$ operators

We present lattice QCD results for the matrix elements of $R_2$ and other dimension-7, $ΔB = 2$ operators relevant for calculations of $ΔΓ_s$, the $B_s-\bar{B}_s$ width difference. We have computed correlation functions using 5 ensembles of the MILC Collaboration's 2+1+1-flavour gauge field configurations, spanning 3 lattice spacings and light sea quarks masses down to the physical point. The HISQ action is used for the valence strange quarks, and the NRQCD action is used for the bottom quarks. Once our analysis is complete, the theoretical uncertainty in the Standard Model prediction for $ΔΓ_s$ will be substantially reduced.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2017

Finite continuum quasi distributions from lattice QCD

We present a new approach to extracting continuum quasi distributions from lattice QCD. Quasi distributions are defined by matrix elements of a Wilson-line operator extended in a spatial direction, evaluated between nucleon states at finite momentum. We propose smearing this extended operator with the gradient flow to render the corresponding matrix elements finite in the continuum limit. This procedure provides a nonperturbative method to remove the power-divergence associated with the Wilson line and the resulting matrix elements can be directly matched to light-front distributions via perturbation theory.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2017

Smeared quasidistributions in perturbation theory

Quasi and pseudo distributions provide a new approach to determining parton distribution functions (PDFs) from first principles' calculations of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). Here I calculate the flavor nonsinglet unpolarized quasi distribution at one loop in perturbation theory, using the gradient flow to remove ultraviolet divergences. I demonstrate that, as expected, the gradient flow does not change the infrared structure of the quasi distribution at one loop and use the results to match the smeared matrix elements to those in the $\ms$ scheme. This matching calculation is required to relate numerical results obtained from nonperturbative lattice QCD computations to light-front PDFs extracted from global analyses of experimental data.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2017

Möbius domain-wall fermions on gradient-flowed dynamical HISQ ensembles

We report on salient features of a mixed lattice QCD action using valence Möbius domain-wall fermions solved on the dynamical $N_f=2+1+1$ HISQ ensembles generated by the MILC Collaboration. The approximate chiral symmetry properties of the valence fermions are shown to be significantly improved by utilizing the gradient-flow scheme to first smear the HISQ configurations. The greater numerical cost of the Möbius domain-wall inversions is mitigated by the highly efficient QUDA library optimized for NVIDIA GPU accelerated compute nodes. We have created an interface to this optimized QUDA solver in Chroma. We provide tuned parameters of the action and performance of QUDA using ensembles with the lattice spacings $a \simeq \{0.15, 0.12, 0.09\}$ fm and pion masses $m_π\simeq \{310, 220,130\}$ MeV. We have additionally generated two new ensembles with $a\sim0.12$ fm and $m_π\sim\{400, 350\}$ MeV. With a fixed flow-time of $t_{gf}=1$ in lattice units, the residual chiral symmetry breaking of the valence fermions is kept below 10\% of the light quark mass on all ensembles, $m_{res} \lesssim 0.1\times m_l$, with moderate values of the fifth dimension $L_5$ and a domain-wall height $M_5 \leq 1.3$. As a benchmark calculation, we perform a continuum, infinite volume, physical pion and kaon mass extrapolation of $F_{K^\pm}/F_{π^\pm}$ and demonstrate our results are independent of flow-time, and consistent with the FLAG determination of this quantity at the level of less than one standard deviation.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2017

Quasi parton distributions and the gradient flow

We propose a new approach to determining quasi parton distribution functions (PDFs) from lattice quantum chromodynamics. By incorporating the gradient flow, this method guarantees that the lattice quasi PDFs are finite in the continuum limit and evades the thorny, and as yet unresolved, issue of the renormalization of quasi PDFs on the lattice. In the limit that the flow time is much smaller than the length scale set by the nucleon momentum, the moments of the smeared quasi PDF are proportional to those of the light-front PDF. We use this relation to derive evolution equations for the matching kernel that relates the smeared quasi PDF and the light-front PDF. As part of this discussion, we elucidate the relationship between the quasi and light-front PDFs.

hep-lat↗
arXiv2015

The gradient flow in simple field theories

The gradient flow is a valuable tool for the lattice community, with applications from scale-setting to implementing chiral fermions. Here I focus on the gradient flow as a means to suppress power-divergent mixing. Power-divergent mixing stems from the hypercubic symmetry of the lattice regulator and is a particular difficulty for calculations of, for example, high moments of parton distribution functions. The gradient flow removes power-divergent mixing on the lattice, provided the flow time is kept fixed in physical units, at the expense of introducing a new physical scale in the continuum. One approach to dealing with this new scale is the smeared operator product expansion, a formalism that systematically connects nonperturbative calculations of flowed operators to continuum physics. I study the role of the gradient flow in suppressing power-divergent mixing and present the first nonperturbative study in scalar field theory.

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