arXiv subjects

Evgeny Epelbaum

Publications and source records attributed to Evgeny Epelbaum.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2024

Solving the left-hand cut problem in lattice QCD: $T_{cc}(3875)^+$ from finite volume energy levels

We discuss a novel effective-field-theory-based approach for extracting two-body scattering information from finite volume energies, serving as an alternative to Lüscher's method. By explicitly incorporating one-pion exchange, we overcome the challenging left-hand cut problem in Lüscher's method and can handle finite volume energy levels both below and above the left-hand cut. Applied to the lattice data for $DD^*$ scattering at a pion mass of 280 MeV, as an illustrative example, our results reveal the significant impact of the one-pion exchange on P-wave and S-wave phase shifts. The pole position of the $T_{cc}(3875)^+$ state, extracted from the finite-volume energy levels at this pion mass while taking into account left-hand cut effects, range corrections and partial-wave mixing, is consistent with a near-threshold resonance. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that two-body scattering information can be reliably extracted from lattice spectra including the left-hand cut.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2023

Towards consistent nuclear interactions from chiral Lagrangians II: Symmetry preserving regularization

Low-energy nuclear structure and reactions can be described in a systematically improvable way using the framework of chiral effective field theory. This requires solving the quantum mechanical many-body problem with regularized nuclear forces and current operators, derived from the most general effective chiral Lagrangian. To maintain the chiral and gauge symmetries, a symmetry preserving cutoff regularization has to be employed when deriving nuclear potentials. Here, we discuss various regularization techniques and show how this task can be accomplished by regularizing the pion field in the effective chiral Lagrangian using the gradient flow method. The actual derivation of the nuclear forces and currents from the regularized effective Lagrangian can be carried out utilizing the novel path-integral approach introduced in our earlier paper.

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arXiv2023

Towards consistent nuclear interactions from chiral Lagrangians I: The path-integral approach

Low-energy nuclear interactions have been extensively studied in the framework of chiral effective field theory. The corresponding potentials have been worked out using dimensional regularization to evaluate ultraviolet divergent loop integrals. An additional cutoff is then introduced in the nuclear Schrödinger equation to calculate observables. Recently, we have shown that such a mixture of two regularization schemes violates chiral symmetry when applied beyond the two-nucleon system and/or to processes involving external probes. To solve this issue, three- and four-nucleon forces as well as exchange current operators need to be re-derived using symmetry-preserving cutoff regularization. While it is possible to introduce a symmetry-preserving cutoff already in the effective chiral Lagrangian, the appearance of high-order time derivatives of the pion field, caused by the regulator, makes the standard Hamiltonian-based methods not well suited for the calculation of nuclear potentials. Here, we propose a new approach to derive nuclear interactions using the path integral method with no reliance on the canonical quantization. To this aim, the interaction part of the action is brought to an instantaneous form via suitably chosen nonlocal field redefinitions. Loop contributions to the nuclear potentials are then generated through the functional determinant, induced by the field redefinitions. We discuss in detail the application of these ideas to the case of a regularized Yukawa-type model of pion-nucleon interactions. Our new method allows to perform a systematic quantum mechanical reduction within the quantum field theory framework and opens the way for deriving consistently regularized nuclear forces and current operators from the effective chiral Lagrangian.

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arXiv2023

Role of left-hand cut contributions on pole extractions from lattice data: Case study for $T_{cc}(3875)^+$

We discuss recent lattice data for the $T_{cc}(3875)^+$ state to stress, for the first time, a potentially strong impact of left-hand cuts from the one-pion exchange on the pole extraction for near-threshold exotic states. In particular, if the left-hand cut is located close to the two-particle threshold, which happens naturally in the $DD^*$ system for the pion mass exceeding its physical value, the effective-range expansion is valid only in a very limited energy range up to the cut and as such is of little use to reliably extract the poles. Then, an accurate extraction of the pole locations requires the one-pion exchange to be implemented explicitly into the scattering amplitudes. Our findings are general and potentially relevant for a wide class of hadronic near-threshold states.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

50 Years of Quantum Chromodynamics

This paper presents a comprehensive review of both the theory and experimental successes of Quantum Chromodynamics, starting with its emergence as a well defined theory in 1972-73 and following developments and results up to the present day. Topics include a review of the earliest theoretical and experimental foundations; the fundamental constants of QCD; an introductory discussion of lattice QCD, the only known method for obtaining exact predictions from QCD; methods for approximating QCD, with special focus on effective field theories; QCD under extreme conditions; measurements and predictions of meson and baryon states; a special discussion of the structure of the nucleon; techniques for study of QCD at high energy, including treatment of jets and showers; measurements at colliders; weak decays and quark mixing; and a section on the future, which discusses new experimental facilities or upgrades currently funded. The paper is intended to provide a broad background for Ph.D. students and postdocs starting their career. Some contributions include personal accounts of how the ideas or experiments were developed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Nuclear Forces for Precision Nuclear Physics -- a collection of perspectives

This is a collection of perspective pieces contributed by the participants of the Institute of Nuclear Theory's Program on Nuclear Physics for Precision Nuclear Physics which was held virtually from April 19 to May 7, 2021. The collection represents the reflections of a vibrant and engaged community of researchers on the status of theoretical research in low-energy nuclear physics, the challenges ahead, and new ideas and strategies to make progress in nuclear structure and reaction physics, effective field theory, lattice QCD, quantum information, and quantum computing. The contributed pieces solely reflect the perspectives of the respective authors and do not represent the viewpoints of the Institute for Nuclear theory or the organizers of the program.

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arXiv2021

Ab initio nuclear thermodynamics from lattice effective field theory

We show that the {\it ab initio} calculations of nuclear thermodynamics can be performed efficiently using lattice effective field theory. The simulations use a new approach called the pinhole trace algorithm to calculate thermodynamic observables for a fixed number of protons and neutrons enclosed in a finite box. In this framework, we calculate the equation of state, the liquid-vapor coexistence line and the critical point of neutral symmetric nuclear matter with high precision. Since the algorithm uses a canonical ensemble with a fixed number of particles, it provides a sizable computational advantage over grand canonical ensemble simulations that can be a factor of several thousands to as much as several millions for large volume simulations.

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arXiv2021

Hidden spin-isospin exchange symmetry

The strong interactions among nucleons have an approximate spin-isospin exchange symmetry that arises from the properties of quantum chromodynamics in the limit of many colors, $N_c$. However this large-$N_c$ symmetry is well hidden and reveals itself only when averaging over intrinsic spin orientations. Furthermore, the symmetry is obscured unless the momentum resolution scale is close to an optimal scale that we call $Λ_{{\rm large-}N_c}$. We show that the large-$N_c$ derivation requires a momentum resolution scale of $Λ_{{\rm large-}N_c} \sim 500$ MeV. We derive a set of spin-isospin exchange sum rules and discuss implications for the spectrum of $^{30}$P and applications to nuclear forces, nuclear structure calculations, and three-nucleon interactions.

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arXiv2020

Ab initio nuclear thermodynamics

We propose a new Monte Carlo method called the pinhole trace algorithm for {\it ab initio} calculations of the thermodynamics of nuclear systems. For typical simulations of interest, the computational speedup relative to conventional grand-canonical ensemble calculations can be as large as a factor of one thousand. Using a leading-order effective interaction that reproduces the properties of many atomic nuclei and neutron matter to a few percent accuracy, we determine the location of the critical point and the liquid-vapor coexistence line for symmetric nuclear matter with equal numbers of protons and neutrons. We also present the first {\it ab initio} study of the density and temperature dependence of nuclear clustering.

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arXiv2020

Subleading contributions to the nuclear scalar isoscalar currents

We extend our recent analyses of the nuclear vector, axial-vector and pseudoscalar currents and derive the leading one-loop corrections to the two-nucleon scalar current operator in the framework of chiral effective field theory using the method of unitary transformation. We also show that the scalar current operators at zero momentum transfer are directly related to the quark mass dependence of the nuclear forces.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2020

Box diagram contribution to the axial two-nucleon current

Recently, we have worked out the axial two-nucleon current operator to leading one-loop order in chiral effective field theory using the method of unitary transformation. Our final expressions, however, differ from the ones derived by the JLab-Pisa group using time-ordered perturbation theory (Phys. Rev. C 93, no. 1, 015501 (2016) Erratum: [Phys. Rev. C 93, no. 4, 049902 (2016)] Erratum: [Phys. Rev. C 95, no. 5, 059901 (2017)]). In this paper we consider the box diagram contribution to the axial current and demonstrate that the results obtained using the two methods are unitary equivalent at the Fock-space level. We adjust the unitary phases by matching the corresponding two-pion exchange nucleon-nucleon potentials and rederive the box diagram contribution to the axial current operator following the approach of the JLab-Pisa group, thereby reproducing our original result. We provide a detailed information on the calculation including the relevant intermediate steps in order to facilitate a clarification of this disagreement.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2019

Scattering phase shifts and mixing angles for an arbitrary number of coupled channels on the lattice

We present a lattice method for determining scattering phase shifts and mixing angles for the case of an arbitrary number of coupled channels. Previous nuclear lattice effective field theory simulations were restricted to mixing of up to two partial waves for scattering of two spin-$1/2$ particles, which is insufficient for analyzing nucleon-nucleus or nucleus-nucleus scattering processes. In the proposed method, the phase shifts and mixing angles are extracted from the radial wave functions obtained by projecting the three-dimensional lattice Hamiltonian onto the partial wave basis. We use a spherical wall potential as a boundary condition along with a channel-mixing auxiliary potential to construct the full-rank $S$ matrix. Our method can be applied to particles with any spin, but we focus here on scattering of two spin-$1$ bosons involving up to four coupled channels. For a considered test potential, the phase shifts and mixing angles extracted on the lattice are shown to agree with the ones calculated by solving the Schrödinger equation in the continuum.

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arXiv2019

Essential elements for nuclear binding

How does nuclear binding emerge from first principles? Our current best understanding of nuclear forces is based on a systematic low-energy expansion called chiral effective field theory. However, recent {\it ab initio} calculations of nuclear structure have found that not all chiral effective field theory interactions give accurate predictions with increasing nuclear density. In this letter we address the reason for this problem and the first steps toward a solution. Using nuclear lattice simulations, we deduce the minimal nuclear interaction that can reproduce the ground state properties of light nuclei, medium-mass nuclei, and neutron matter simultaneously with no more than a few percent error in the energies and charge radii. We find that only four parameters are needed. With these four parameters one can accurately describe neutron matter up to saturation density and the ground state properties of nuclei up to calcium. Given the absence of sign oscillations in these lattice Monte Carlo simulations and the mild scaling of computational effort scaling with nucleon number, this work provides a pathway to high-quality simulations in the future with as many as one or two hundred nucleons.

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arXiv2019

An update on fine-tunings in the triple-alpha process

The triple-alpha process, whereby evolved stars create carbon and oxygen, is believed to be fine-tuned to a high degree. Such fine-tuning is suggested by the unusually strong temperature dependence of the triple-alpha reaction rate at stellar temperatures. This sensitivity is due to the resonant character of the triple-alpha process, which proceeds through the so-called "Hoyle state" of $^{12}$C with spin-parity $0^+$. The question of fine-tuning can be studied within the {\it ab initio} framework of nuclear lattice effective field theory, which makes it possible to relate {\it ad hoc} changes in the energy of the Hoyle state to changes in the fundamental parameters of the nuclear Hamiltonian, which are the light quark mass $m_q$ and the electromagnetic fine-structure constant. Here, we update the effective field theory calculation of the sensitivity of the triple-alpha process to small changes in the fundamental parameters. In particular, we consider recent high-precision lattice QCD calculations of the nucleon axial coupling $g_A$, as well as new and more comprehensive results from stellar simulations of the production of carbon and oxygen. While the updated stellar simulations allow for much larger {\it ad hoc} shifts in the Hoyle state energy than previously thought, recent lattice QCD results for the nucleon S-wave singlet and triplet scattering lengths now disfavor the scenario of no fine-tuning in the light quark mass $m_q$.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2019

Galilean invariance restoration on the lattice

We consider the breaking of Galilean invariance due to different lattice cutoff effects in moving frames and a nonlocal smearing parameter which is used in the construction of the nuclear lattice interaction. The dispersion relation and neutron-proton scattering phase shifts are used to investigate the Galilean invariance breaking effects and ways to restore it. For $S$-wave channels, ${}^1S_0$ and ${}^3S_1$, we present the neutron-proton scattering phase shifts in moving frames calculated using both Lüscher's formula and the spherical wall method, as well as the dispersion relation. For the $P$ and $D$ waves, we present the neutron-proton scattering phase shifts in moving frames calculated using the spherical wall method. We find that the Galilean invariance breaking effects stemming from the lattice artifacts partially cancel those caused by the nonlocal smearing parameter. Due to this cancellation, the Galilean invariance breaking effect is small, and the Galilean invariance can be restored by introducing Galilean invariance restoration operators.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2018

Neutron-proton scattering with lattice chiral effective field theory at next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order

We present a new lattice formulation of chiral effective field theory interactions with a simpler decomposition into spin channels. With these interactions the process of fitting to the empirical scattering phase shifts is simplified, and the resulting lattice phase shifts are more accurate than in previous studies. We present results for the neutron-proton system up to next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order for lattice spacings of $1.97$, $1.64$, $1.32$, and $0.99~{\rm fm}$. Our results provide a pathway to $\textit{ab initio}$ lattice calculations of nuclear structure, reactions, and thermodynamics with accurate and systematic control over the chiral nucleon-nucleon force.

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arXiv2017

Ab initio calculations of the isotopic dependence of nuclear clustering

Nuclear clustering describes the appearance of structures resembling smaller nuclei such as alpha particles (4He nuclei) within the interior of a larger nucleus. While clustering is important for several well-known examples, much remains to be discovered about the general nature of clustering in nuclei. In this letter we present lattice Monte Carlo calculations based on chiral effective field theory for the ground states of helium, beryllium, carbon, and oxygen isotopes. By computing model-independent measures that probe three- and four-nucleon correlations at short distances, we determine the shape of the alpha clusters and the entanglement of nucleons comprising each alpha cluster with the outside medium. We also introduce a new computational approach called the pinhole algorithm, which solves a long-standing deficiency of auxiliary-field Monte Carlo simulations in computing density correlations relative to the center of mass. We use the pinhole algorithm to determine the proton and neutron density distributions and the geometry of cluster correlations in 12C, 14C, and 16C. The structural similarities among the carbon isotopes suggest that 14C and 16C have excitations analogous to the well-known Hoyle state resonance in 12C.

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arXiv2017

Effective forces between quantum bound states

Recent ab initio lattice studies have found that the interactions between alpha particles (4He nuclei) are sensitive to seemingly minor details of the nucleon-nucleon force such as interaction locality. In order to uncover the essential physics of this puzzling phenomenon without unnecessary complications, we study a simple model involving two-component fermions in one spatial dimension. We probe the interaction between two bound dimers for several different particle-particle interactions and measure an effective potential between the dimers using external point potentials which act as numerical tweezers. We find that the strength and range of the local part of the particle-particle interactions play a dominant role in shaping the interactions between the dimers and can even determine the overall sign of the effective potential.

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