arXiv subjects

Craig D. Roberts

Publications and source records attributed to Craig D. Roberts.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

Masses of ground-state mesons and baryons, including those with heavy quarks

Using a confining, symmetry-preserving regularisation of a vector$\times$vector contact interaction, we compute the spectra of ground-state pseudoscalar and vector $(f\bar g)$ mesons, scalar and axial-vector $(fg)$ diquarks, and $J^P=1/2^+, 3/2^+$ $(fgh)$ baryons, where $f,g,h \in \{u,d,s,c,b\}$. The diquark correlations are essentially dynamical and play a key role in formulating and solving the three-valence-quark baryon problems. The baryon spectrum obtained from this largely-algebraic approach reproduces the 22 known experimental masses with an accuracy of $2.9(2.4)$%. It also possesses the richness of states typical of constituent-quark models, predicting many heavy-quark baryons not yet observed. This study indicates that diquark correlations are an important component of all baryons; and owing to the dynamical character of the diquarks, it is typically the lightest allowed diquark correlation which defines the most important component of a baryon's Faddeev amplitude.

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arXiv2019

Spectrum of light- and heavy-baryons

A symmetry-preserving truncation of the strong-interaction bound-state equations is used to calculate the spectrum of ground-state $J=1/2^+$, $3/2^+$ $(qq^\prime q^{\prime\prime})$-baryons, where $q, q^\prime, q^{\prime\prime} \in \{u,d,s,c,b\}$, their first positive-parity excitations and parity partners. Using two parameters, a description of the known spectrum of 39 such states is obtained, with a mean-absolute-relative-difference between calculation and experiment of 3.6(2.7)%. From this foundation, the framework is subsequently used to predict the masses of 90 states not yet seen empirically.

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arXiv2018

Distribution Amplitudes of Heavy-Light Mesons

A symmetry-preserving approach to the continuum bound-state problem in quantum field theory is used to calculate the masses, leptonic decay constants and light-front distribution amplitudes of empirically accessible heavy-light mesons. The inverse moment of the $B$-meson distribution is particularly important in treatments of exclusive $B$-decays using effective field theory and the factorisation formalism; and its value is therefore computed: $λ_B(ζ= 2\,{\rm GeV}) = 0.54(3)\,$GeV. As an example and in anticipation of precision measurements at new-generation $B$-factories, the branching fraction for the rare $B\to γ(E_γ) \ell ν_\ell$ radiative decay is also calculated, retaining $1/m_B^2$ and $1/E_γ^2$ corrections to the differential decay width, with the result $Γ_{B\to γ\ell ν_\ell}/Γ_B = 0.47(15)$ on $E_γ> 1.5\,$GeV.

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arXiv2018

Nucleon Parton Distribution Amplitude: A scalar diquark picture

We report progress on the development of Perturbative Integral Representation Ansätze to compute the nucleon Faddeev Wave function, using an explicit quark-diquark picture. Our formalism is able to handle non-pointlike diquark and to mimic the strong, dynamical correlations observed when solving the Faddeev Equation. We then project the wave function in order to compute the leading-twist Parton Distribution Amplitude.

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arXiv2018

Nucleon-to-Roper electromagnetic transition form factors at large-$Q^2$

High-precision nucleon-resonance electroproduction data on a large kinematic domain of energy and momentum transfer have proven crucial in revealing novel features of strong interactions within the Standard Model and unfolding structural details of baryon excited states. Thus, in anticipation of new data reaching to unprecedented photon virtuality, we employ a quark-diquark approximation to the three valence-quark bound-state problem to compute $γ^\ast p \to R^+$ and $γ^\ast n \to R^0$ transition form factors on $Q^2/m_N^2 \in [0,12]$, where $m_N$ is the nucleon mass. Having simultaneously analysed both charged and neutral channels, we also provide a quark-flavour separation of the transition form factors. The results should be useful in planning new-generation experiments.

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arXiv2018

$γ^\ast γ\to η, η^\prime$ transition form factors

Using a continuum approach to the hadron bound-state problem, we calculate $γ^\ast γ\to η, η^\prime$ transition form factors on the entire domain of spacelike momenta, for comparison with existing experiments and in anticipation of new precision data from next-generation $e^+ e^-$ colliders. One novel feature is a model for the contribution to the Bethe-Salpeter kernel deriving from the non-Abelian anomaly, an element which is crucial for any computation of $η, η^\prime$ properties. The study also delivers predictions for the amplitudes that describe the light- and strange-quark distributions within the $η, η^\prime$. Our results compare favourably with available data. Important to this at large-$Q^2$ is a sound understanding of QCD evolution, which has a visible impact on the $η^\prime$ in particular. Our analysis also provides some insights into the properties of $η, η^\prime$ mesons and associated observable manifestations of the non-Abelian anomaly.

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arXiv2018

Mass-dependence of pseudoscalar meson elastic form factors

A continuum approach to quark-antiquark bound-states is used to determine the electromagnetic form factors of pion-like mesons with masses $m_{0^-}/{\rm GeV}=0.14$, $0.47$, $0.69$, $0.83$ on a spacelike domain that extends to $Q^2 \lesssim 10\,$GeV$^2$. The results enable direct comparisons with contemporary lattice-QCD calculations of heavy-pion form factors at large values of momentum transfer and aid in understanding them. They also reveal, inter alia, that the form factor of the physical pion provides the best opportunity for verification of the factorised hard-scattering formula relevant to this class of exclusive processes and that this capacity diminishes steadily as the meson mass increases.

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arXiv2018

Proton tensor charges from a Poincaré-covariant Faddeev equation

The proton's tensor charges are calculated at leading order in a symmetry-preserving truncation of all matter-sector equations relevant to the associated bound-state and scattering problems. In particular, the nucleon three-body bound-state equation is solved without using a diquark approximation of the two-body scattering kernel. The computed charges are similar to those obtained in contemporary simulations of lattice-regularised quantum chromodynamics, an outcome which increases the tension between theory and phenomenology. Curiously, the theoretical calculations produce a value of the scale-invariant ratio $(-δ_T d/δ_T u)$ which matches that obtained in simple quark models, even though the individual charges are themselves different. The proton's tensor charges can be used to constrain extensions of the Standard Model using empirical limits on nucleon electric dipole moments.

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arXiv2018

New Perspective on Hybrid Mesons

It is thought that strong interactions within the Standard Model can generate bound-states in which non-Abelian gauge-bosons play a dual role, serving both as force and matter fields. In this context we introduce a novel approach to the hybrid-meson (valence-gluon+quark+antiquark) bound-state problem in relativistic quantum field theory. Exploiting the existence of strong two-body correlations in the gluon-quark, $q_g=[gq]$, and gluon-antiquark, $\bar q_g=[g\bar q]$ channels, we argue that a sound description of hybrid properties can be obtained by solving a coupled-pair of effectively two-body equations; and, consequently, that hybrids may be viewed as highly-correlated $q_g \bar q \leftrightarrow q \bar q_g$ bound-states. Analogies may be drawn between this picture of hybrid structure and that of baryons, in which quark+quark (diquark) correlations play a key role. The potential of this formulation is illustrated by calculating the spectrum of light-quark isovector hybrid mesons.

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arXiv2018

Pion and kaon valence-quark quasiparton distributions

Algebraic Ansaetze for the Poincaré-covariant Bethe-Salpeter wave functions of the pion and kaon are used to calculate their light-front wave functions (LFWFs), parton distribution amplitudes (PDAs), quasi-PDAs (qPDAs), valence parton distribution functions (PDFs), and quasi-PDFs (qPDFs). The LFWFs are broad, concave functions; and the scale of flavour-symmetry violation in the kaon is roughly 15%, being set by the ratio of emergent masses in the $s$-and $u$-quark sectors. qPDAs computed with longitudinal momentum $P_z =1.75\,$GeV provide a semiquantitatively accurate representation of the objective PDA; but even with $P_z=3\,$GeV, they cannot provide information about this amplitude's endpoint behaviour. On the valence-quark domain, similar outcomes characterise qPDFs. In this connection, however, the ratio of kaon-to-pion $u$-quark qPDFs is found to provide a good approximation to the true PDF ratio on $0.3\lesssim x \lesssim 0.8$, suggesting that with existing resources computations of ratios of quasi-parton-distributions can yield results that support empirical comparison.

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arXiv2018

Process-independent effective coupling. From QCD Green's functions to phenomenology

This article reports on a very recent proposal for a new type of process-independent QCD effective charge [Phys.Rev.D96(2017)054026] defined, as an anologue of the Gell-Mann-Low effective charge in QCD, on the ground of nothing but the knowledge of the gauge-field two-point Green's function, albeit modified within a particular computational framework; namely, the combination of pinch technique and background field method which makes possible a systematic rearranging of classes of diagrams in order to redefine the Green's function and have them obey linear QED-like Slavnov-Taylor identities. We have here calculated that effective charge, shown how strikingly well it compares to a process-dependent effective charge based on the Bjorken sum rule; and, finally, employed it in an exploratory calculation of the proton electromagnetic form factor in the hard scattering regime.

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arXiv2018

Poincaré-covariant analysis of heavy-quark baryons

We use a symmetry-preserving truncation of meson and baryon bound-state equations in quantum field theory in order to develop a unified description of systems constituted from light- and heavy-quarks. In particular, we compute the spectrum and leptonic decay constants of ground-state pseudoscalar- and vector-mesons: $q^\prime \bar q$, $Q^\prime \bar Q$, with $q^\prime,q=u,d,s$ and $Q^\prime,Q = c,b$; and the masses of $J^P=3/2^+$ baryons and their first positive-parity excitations, including those containing one or more heavy quarks. This Poincaré-covariant analysis predicts that such baryons have a complicated angular momentum structure. For instance, the ground states are all primarily $S$-wave in character, but each possesses $P$-, $D$- and $F$-wave components, with the $P$-wave fraction being large in the $qqq$ states; and the first positive-parity excitation in each channel has a large $D$-wave component, which grows with increasing current-quark mass, but also exhibits features consistent with a radial excitation. The configuration space extent of all such baryons decreases as the mass of the valence-quark constituents increases.

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arXiv2018

N* Structure and Strong QCD

In attempting to match QCD with Nature, it is necessary to confront the many complexities of strong, nonlinear dynamics in relativistic quantum field theory, e.g. the loss of particle number conservation, the frame and scale dependence of the explanations and interpretations of observable processes, and the evolving character of the relevant degrees-of-freedom. The peculiarities of QCD ensure that it is also the only known fundamental theory with the capacity to sustain massless elementary degrees-of-freedom, gluons and quarks; and yet gluons and quarks are predicted to acquire mass dynamically so that the only massless systems in QCD are its composite Nambu-Goldstone bosons. All other everyday bound states possess nuclear-size masses, far in excess of anything that can directly be tied to the Higgs boson. These observations highlight fundamental questions within the Standard Model: what is the source of the mass for the vast bulk of visible matter in the Universe, how is its appearance connected with confinement; how is this mass distributed within hadrons and does the distribution differ from one hadron to another? This contribution sketches insights drawn using modern methods for the continuum bound-state problem in QCD, and how they have been informed by empirical information on the hadron spectrum and nucleon-to-resonance transition form factors.

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arXiv2018

Nucleon viewed as a Borromean Bound-State

We explain how the emergent phenomenon of dynamical chiral symmetry breaking ensures that Poincaré covariant analyses of the three valence-quark scattering problem in continuum quantum field theory yield a picture of the nucleon as a Borromean bound-state, in which binding arises primarily through the sum of two separate contributions. One involves aspects of the non-Abelian character of Quantum Chromodynamics that are expressed in the strong running coupling and generate tight, dynamical color-antitriplet quark-quark correlations in the scalar-isoscalar and pseudovector-isotriplet channels. This attraction is magnified by quark exchange associated with diquark breakup and reformation, which is required in order to ensure that each valence-quark participates in all diquark correlations to the complete extent allowed by its quantum numbers. Combining these effects, we arrive at a properly antisymmetrised Faddeev wave function for the nucleon and calculate, e.g. the flavor-separated versions of the Dirac and Pauli form factors and the proton's leading-twist parton distribution amplitude. We conclude that available data and planned experiments are capable of validating the proposed picture.

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arXiv2017

Light-meson masses in an unquenched quark model

We perform a coupled-channels calculation of the masses of light mesons with the quantum numbers $IJ^{P=-}$, $(I,J)=0,1$, by including $q\bar{q}$ and $(q\bar{q})^2$ components in a nonrelativistic chiral quark model. The coupling between two- and four-quark configurations is realized through a $^3P_0$ quark-pair creation model. With the usual form of this operator, the mass shifts are large and negative, an outcome which raises serious issues of validity for the quenched quark model. Herein, therefore, we introduce some improvements of the $^3P_0$ operator in order to reduce the size of the mass shifts. By introducing two simple factors, physically well motivated, the coupling between $q\bar{q}$ and $(q\bar{q})^2$ components is weakened, producing mass shifts that are around 10-20% of hadron bare masses.

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arXiv2017

Parton distribution amplitudes: revealing diquarks in the proton and Roper resonance

We present the first quantum field theory calculation of the pointwise behaviour of the leading-twist parton distribution amplitudes (PDAs) of the proton and its lightest radial excitation. The proton's PDA is a broad, concave function, whose maximum is shifted relative to the peak in QCD's conformal limit expression for this PDA; an effect which signals the presence of both scalar and pseudovector diquark correlations in the nucleon, with the scalar generating around 60% of the proton's normalisation. The radial-excitation is constituted similarly, and the pointwise form of its PDA, which is negative on a material domain, is the result of marked interference between the contributions from both types of diquark; particularly, the locus of zeros that highlights its character as a radial excitation. These features originate with the emergent phenomenon of dynamical chiral-symmetry breaking in the Standard Model.

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arXiv2017

Structure of the nucleon's low-lying excitations

A continuum approach to the three valence-quark bound-state problem in quantum field theory is used to perform a comparative study of the four lightest $(I=1/2,J^P = 1/2^\pm)$ baryon isospin-doublets in order to elucidate their structural similarities and differences. Such analyses predict the presence of nonpointlike, electromagnetically-active quark-quark (diquark) correlations within all baryons; and in these doublets, isoscalar-scalar, isovector-pseudovector, isoscalar-pseudoscalar, and vector diquarks can all play a role. In the two lightest $(1/2,1/2^+)$ doublets, however, scalar and pseudovector diquarks are overwhelmingly dominant. The associated rest-frame wave functions are largely $S$-wave in nature; and the first excited state in this $1/2^+$ channel has the appearance of a radial excitation of the ground state. The two lightest $(1/2,1/2^-)$ doublets fit a different picture: accurate estimates of their masses are obtained by retaining only pseudovector diquarks; in their rest frames, the amplitudes describing their dressed-quark cores contain roughly equal fractions of even- and odd-parity diquarks; and the associated wave functions are predominantly $P$-wave in nature, but possess measurable $S$-wave components. Moreover, the first excited state in each negative-parity channel has little of the appearance of a radial excitation. In quantum field theory, all differences between positive- and negative-parity channels must owe to chiral symmetry breaking, which is overwhelmingly dynamical in the light-quark sector. Consequently, experiments that can validate the contrasts drawn herein between the structure of the four lightest $(1/2,1/2^\pm)$ doublets will prove valuable in testing links between emergent mass generation and observable phenomena and, plausibly, thereby revealing dynamical features of confinement.

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arXiv2017

Roper resonance -- solution to the fifty year puzzle

For half a century, the Roper resonance has defied understanding. Discovered in 1963, it appears to be an exact copy of the proton except that its mass is 50% greater. The mass is the first problem: it is difficult to explain with any theoretical tool that can validly be used to study quantum chromodynamics [QCD]. In the last decade, a new challenge has appeared, viz. precise information on the proton-to-Roper electroproduction transition form factors, reaching $Q^2\approx 4.5\,$GeV$^2$. This scale probes the domain within which hard valence-quark degrees-of-freedom could be expected to determine form factor behavior. Hence, with this new data the Roper resonance becomes a problem for strong-QCD [sQCD]. An explanation of how and where the Roper resonance fits into the emerging spectrum of hadrons cannot rest on a description of its mass alone. Instead, it must combine this with a detailed understanding of the Roper's structure and how that is revealed in the transition form factors. Furthermore, it must unify all this with a similarly complete picture of the proton. This is a prodigious task, but a ten-year international effort, drawing together experimentalists and theorists, has presented a solution to the puzzle. Namely, the Roper is at heart the proton's first radial excitation, consisting of a dressed-quark core augmented by a meson cloud that reduces the core mass by approximately 20% and materially alters its electroproduction form factors on $Q^2<2m_N^2$, where $m_N$ is the proton's mass. We describe the experimental motivations and developments which enabled electroproduction data to be procured within a domain that is unambiguously the purview of sQCD, thereby providing a real challenge and opportunity for modern theory; and survey the developments in reaction models and QCD theory that have enabled this conclusion to be drawn about the nature of the Roper resonance.

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