arXiv subjects

Fernanda Steffens

Publications and source records attributed to Fernanda Steffens.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Higher Mellin Moments of the Unpolarized PDF of the Pion and the Kaon from Lattice QCD

We present results on the Mellin moments of the unpolarized parton distribution function (PDF) of the pion and kaon up to the fourth order. The computation is done using one $N_f=2+1+1$ gauge ensemble of twisted mass fermions with quark masses tuned to approximately their physical values. We reconstruct the valence pion and kaon PDFs using the connected contributions to the three Mellin moments. We compare our results on the Mellin moments and the reconstructed PDFs with other lattice QCD and phenomenological determinations.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2025

First simultaneous global QCD analysis of kaon and pion parton distributions with lattice QCD constraints

We perform the first simultaneous global QCD analysis of pion and kaon parton distribution functions (PDFs), constrained by pion- and kaon-induced Drell-Yan (DY) and leading neutron electroproduction data, together with lattice QCD data on pion and kaon PDF moments. The analysis indicates a softer valence $\bar u$ distribution in the $K^-$ than in the $\pi^-$, and a significantly more peaked valence $s$-quark density in $K^-$ compared with the $\bar u$. The effective exponent governing the high-$x$ behavior of the PDF is found to be larger for $\bar u$ in the kaon, $\beta_{\bar u}^{K^-}\!= 1.6(2)$, than in the pion, $\beta_{\bar u}^{\pi^-}\!= 1.16(4)$, in the range $0.7 \leq x \leq 0.95$. From the gluon momentum fractions we find the pion's gluon content accounts for $\approx 1/3$ of the mass budget of the pion at $\mu=2~{\rm GeV}$, but only $\approx 1/4$ for the kaon.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Collins-Soper Kernel and Reduced Soft Function in Lattice QCD

We evaluate the Collins-Soper kernel and the reduced soft function in lattice QCD, incorporating $\mathcal{O}(\alpha_s)$ matching corrections. The calculation relies on the evaluation of the quasi-transverse momentum-dependent wave function with asymmetric staple-shaped quark bilinear operators and four-point meson form factors. These quantities are computed non-perturbatively using two $N_f=2+1+1$ twisted-mass fermion ensembles with the same lattice spacing of $a=0.093$ fm: the first ensemble has a lattice size of $24^3 \times 48$ and a pion mass of 346 MeV; the second one has a lattice size of $32^3 \times 64$ and a pion mass of 261 MeV. The Collins-Soper kernel and the soft function are needed for the determination of the transverse momentum-dependent parton distribution functions.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2025

Generalized Parton Distributions from Lattice QCD with Asymmetric Momentum Transfer: Unpolarized Quarks at Nonzero Skewness

We extend the formalism of asymmetric frames of reference for generalized parton distributions (GPDs) to the case of nonzero skewness, i.e., including longitudinal momentum transfer. The framework, based on Lorentz-invariant amplitudes and previously developed and numerically implemented for unpolarized, helicity and transversity GPDs at zero skewness, gives efficient access to a broad range of kinematics, making full mapping of GPDs from the lattice realistic. The general-skewness formalism is tested using lattice data with both transverse and longitudinal or only longitudinal momentum transfer, the latter being a special case with a reduced number of independent amplitudes. We extract the amplitudes in coordinate space and express the GPDs $H$ and $E$ in terms of these amplitudes. This is followed by reconstruction of quasi-distributions and their matching to the light cone. We further identify and discuss the principal challenges for nonzero skewness GPDs.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2025

Generalized Parton Distributions from Lattice QCD with Asymmetric Momentum Transfer: Tensor Case

The calculation of generalized parton distributions (GPDs) in lattice QCD was traditionally done by calculating matrix elements in the symmetric frame. Recent advancements have significantly reduced computational costs by calculating these matrix elements in the asymmetric frame, allowing us to choose the momentum transfer to be in either the initial or final states only. The theoretical methodology requires a new parametrization of the matrix element to obtain Lorentz-invariant amplitudes, which are then related to the GPDs. The formulation and implementation of this approach have already been established for the unpolarized and helicity GPDs. Building upon this idea, we extend this formulation to the four leading-twist quark transversity GPDs ($H_T$, $E_T$, $\widetilde{H}_T$, $\widetilde{E}_T$). We also present numerical results for zero skewness using an $N_f=2+1+1$ ensemble of twisted mass fermions with a clover improvement. The light quark masses employed in these calculations correspond to a pion mass of about 260 MeV. Furthermore, we include a comparison between the symmetric and asymmetric frame calculations to demonstrate frame independence of the Lorentz-invariant amplitudes. Analysis of the matrix elements in the asymmetric frame is performed at several values of the momentum transfer squared, $-t$, ranging from 0.17 GeV$^2$ to 2.29 GeV$^2$.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2025

Quark and gluon momentum fractions in the pion and in the kaon

We present results on the momentum fraction carried by quarks and gluons in the pion and the kaon. We employ three gauge ensembles generated with $N_f=2+1+1$ Wilson twisted-mass clover-improved fermions with physical quark masses. We perform, for the first time, a continuum extrapolation directly at the physical pion. We find that the total momentum fraction carried by quarks is $\langle x \rangle_{q, R}^{\pi}= 0.575(79)$ and $\langle x \rangle_{q,R}^{K} = 0.683(50)$ and by gluons $\langle x \rangle_{g, R}^{\pi}=0.402(53)$ and $\langle x \rangle_{g, R}^{K}=0.422(67)$ in the pion and in the kaon, respectively, in the $\overline{\mathrm{MS}}$ scheme and at the renormalization scale of 2 GeV. Having computed both the quark and gluon contributions in the continuum limit, we verify the momentum sum, finding 0.984(89) for the pion and 1.13(11) for the kaon.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2024

Moments of Axial-Vector GPD from Lattice QCD: Quark Helicity, Orbital Angular Momentum, and Spin-Orbit Correlation

In this work, we present a lattice QCD calculation of the Mellin moments of the twist-2 axial-vector generalized parton distribution (GPD), $\widetilde{H}(x,\xi,t)$, at zero skewness, $\xi$, with multiple values of the momentum transfer, $t$. Our analysis employs the short-distance factorization framework on ratio-scheme renormalized quasi-GPD matrix elements. The calculations are based on an $N_f=2+1+1$ twisted mass fermions ensemble with clover improvement, a lattice spacing of $a = 0.093$ fm, and a pion mass of $m_\pi = 260$ MeV. We consider both the iso-vector and iso-scalar cases, utilizing next-to-leading-order perturbative matching while omitting the disconnected contributions and gluon mixing in the iso-scalar case. For the first time, we determine the Mellin moments of $\widetilde{H}$ up to the fifth order. From these moments, we discuss the quark helicity and orbital angular momentum contributions to the nucleon spin, as well as the spin-orbit correlations of the quarks. Additionally, we perform a Fourier transform over the momentum transfer, which allows us to explore the spin structure in the impact-parameter space.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2024

Quark and gluon momentum fractions in the pion and in the kaon

We present the full decomposition of the momentum fraction carried by quarks and gluons in the pion and the kaon. We employ three gauge ensembles generated with $N_f=2+1+1$ Wilson twisted-mass clover-improved fermions at the physical quark masses. For both mesons we perform a continuum extrapolation directly at the physical pion mass, which allows us to determine for the first time the momentum decomposition at the physical point. We find that the total momentum fraction carried by quarks is 0.532(56) and 0.618(32) and by gluons 0.388(49) and 0.408(61) in the pion and in the kaon, respectively, in the $\overline{\mathrm{MS}}$ scheme and at the renormalization scale of 2 GeV. Having computed both the quark and gluon contributions in the continuum limit, we find that the momentum sum is 0.926(68) for the pion and 1.046(90) for the kaon, verifying the momentum sum rule.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2024

Generalized parton distributions from the pseudo-distribution approach on the lattice

Generalized parton distributions (GPDs) are key quantities for the description of a hadron's three-dimensional structure. They are the current focus of all areas of hadronic physics -- phenomenological, experimental, and theoretical, including lattice QCD. Synergies between these areas are desirable and essential to achieve precise quantification and understanding of the structure of, particularly nucleons, as the basic ingredients of matter. In this paper, we investigate, for the first time, the numerical implementation of the pseudo-distribution approach for the extraction of zero-skewness GPDs for unpolarized quarks. Pseudo-distributions are Euclidean parton correlators computable in lattice QCD that can be perturbatively matched to the light-cone parton distributions of interest. Being closely related to the quasi-distributions and coming from the same lattice-extracted matrix elements, they are, however, subject to different systematic effects. We use the data previously utilized for quasi-GPDs and extend it with other momentum transfers and nucleon boosts, in particular a higher one ($P_3=1.67$ GeV) with eight-fold larger statistics than the largest one used for quasi-distributions ($P_3=1.25$ GeV). We renormalize the matrix elements with a ratio scheme and match the resulting Ioffe time distributions to the light cone in coordinate space. The matched distributions are then used to reconstruct the $x$-dependence with a fitting ansatz.We investigate some systematic effects related to this procedure, and we also compare the results with the ones obtained in the framework of quasi-GPDs. Our final results involve the invariant four-momentum transfer squared ($-t$) dependence of the flavor non-singlet ($u-d$) $H$ and $E$ GPDs.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2024

Proton Helicity GPDs from Lattice QCD

First lattice QCD calculations of $x$-dependent GPD have been performed in the (symmetric) Breit frame, where the momentum transfer is evenly divided between the initial and final hadron states. However, employing the asymmetric frame, we are able to obtain proton GPDs for multiple momentum transfers in a computationally efficient setup. In these proceedings, we focus on the helicity twist-2 GPD at zero skewness that gives access to the $\widetilde{H}$ GPD. We will cover the implementation of the asymmetric frame, its comparison to the Breit frame, and the dependence of the GPD on the squared four-momentum transfer, $-t$. The calculation is performed on an $N_f = 2+1+1$ ensemble of twisted mass fermions with a clover improvement. The mass of the pion for this ensemble is roughly 260 MeV.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2023

Unveiling generalized parton distributions through the pseudo-distribution approach

Understanding the intricate three-dimensional internal structure of the nucleon has been a long-standing challenge. The main quantitative tool to map out this structure are the generalized parton distributions (GPDs). In these proceedings, we present our exploratory results from applying the pseudo-distribution approach on the lattice, showing the unpolarized isovector $E$ GPD as an example. We use one ensemble of $N_f=2+1+1$ twisted mass fermions with a clover term, at a non-physical pion mass of $260 \textrm{ MeV}$ and a lattice spacing of $0.093 \textrm{ fm}$.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2023

Generalized Parton Distributions from Lattice QCD with Asymmetric Momentum Transfer: Axial-vector case

Recently, we made significant advancements in improving the computational efficiency of lattice QCD calculations for Generalized Parton Distributions (GPDs). This progress was achieved by adopting calculations of matrix elements in asymmetric frames, deviating from the computationally-expensive symmetric frame typically used, and allowing freedom in the choice for the distribution of the momentum transfer between the initial and final states. A crucial aspect of this approach involves the adoption of a Lorentz covariant parameterization for the matrix elements, introducing Lorentz-invariant amplitudes. This approach also allows us to propose an alternative definition of quasi-GPDs, ensuring frame independence and potentially reduce power corrections in matching to light-cone GPDs. In our previous work, we presented lattice QCD results for twist-2 unpolarized GPDs ($H$ and $E$) of quarks obtained from calculations performed in asymmetric frames at zero skewness. Building upon this work, we now introduce a novel Lorentz covariant parameterization for the axial-vector matrix elements. We employ this parameterization to compute the axial-vector GPD $\widetilde{H}$ at zero skewness, using an $N_f=2+1+1$ ensemble of twisted mass fermions with clover improvement. The light-quark masses employed in our calculations correspond to a pion mass of approximately 260 MeV.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2023

Chiral-even axial twist-3 GPDs of the proton from lattice QCD

This work presents the first lattice-QCD calculation of the twist-3 axial quark GPDs for the proton using the large-momentum effective theory approach. We calculate matrix elements with momentum-boosted proton states and a non-local axial operator. The calculation is performed using one ensemble of two degenerate light, a strange and a charm quark ($N_f=2+1+1$) of maximally twisted mass fermions with a clover term. The ensemble has a volume $32^3\times64$, lattice spacing 0.0934 fm, and corresponds to a pion mass of 260 MeV. The matrix elements are calculated for three values of the proton momentum, namely 0.83, 1.25, and 1.67 GeV. The light-cone GPDs are defined in the symmetric frame, which we implement here with a (negative) 4-momentum transfer squared of 0.69, 1.38, and 2.76 GeV$^2$, all at zero skewness. We also conduct several consistency checks, including assessing the local limit of the twist-3 GPDs and examining the Burkhardt-Cottingham-type as well as Efremov-Teryaev-Leader-type sum rules.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2023

Nonperturbative renormalization of asymmetric staple-shaped operators in twisted mass lattice QCD

Staple-shaped Wilson line operators are necessary for the study of transverse momentum-dependent parton distribution functions (TMDPDFs) in lattice QCD and beyond. In this work, we study the renormalization of such operators in the general case of an asymmetric staple. We analyze the mixing pattern of these operators using their symmetry properties, where we find that the possible mixing is restricted within groups of four operators. We then present numerical results using the regularization independent momentum subtraction (RI/MOM) scheme to study the importance of mixing using one operator in particular, the $\gamma_0$ operator. Based on these results, we consider the short distance ratio (SDR) scheme, which is desirable in the absence of mixing. Finally, we investigate a variant of the RI/MOM scheme, where the renormalization factors are computed at short distances.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2023

Moments of proton GPDs from the OPE of nonlocal quark bilinears up to NNLO

For the first time, we present a lattice QCD determination of Mellin moments of unpolarized generalized parton distributions (GPDs) of the proton from an analysis of the quasi-GPD matrix elements within the short-distance factorization framework. We perform our calculation on an $N_f$=2+1+1 twisted mass fermions ensemble with a clover improvement at lattice spacing $a=0.093$ fm and a pion mass of $m_\pi=260$ MeV. Focusing on the zero-skewness case, the iso-vector and iso-scalar quasi-GPDs are calculated from the $\gamma_0$ definition, as well as a recently proposed Lorentz-invariant definition. We utilize data on both symmetric and asymmetric kinematic frames, which allows us to obtain the Mellin moments for several values of the momentum transfer, $-t$, in the range 0.17 to $2.77~\rm{GeV}^2$. We use the ratio scheme for GPDs, i.e. renormalization group invariant ratios with leading-twist factorization formula and perturbatively calculated matching coefficients up to the next-next-to-leading order (NNLO) to extract Mellin moments of GPDs, which are consistent with renormalization-group improved results. We compare our determination from quasi-GPDs with the results extracted using standard calculations of Mellin moments of local operators, specifically those related to the electromagnetic and gravitational form factors. We estimated the moments of GPDs up to the fifth ones for the first time. By extrapolating the Mellin moments to $-t=0$, we obtained the quark charges, momentum fraction, as well as the angular momentum contributions to the proton spin. The impact parameter space interpretation of the GPD moments is discussed, which provides insights into the spatial distribution of unpolarized quarks and their correlations in the transverse plane of an unpolarized or transversely polarized proton.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2023

Generalized Parton Distributions from Lattice QCD

In recent years, there has been a breakthrough in lattice calculations of $x$-dependent partonic distributions. This encompasses also distributions describing the 3D structure of the nucleon, such as generalized parton distributions (GPDs). We report a new method of accessing GPDs in asymmetric frames of reference, relying on a novel Lorentz-covariant parametrization of the accessed off-forward matrix elements in boosted nucleon states. The approach offers the possibility of computationally more efficient determination of the full parameter dependence of GPDs and as such, it can contribute to better understanding of nucleon's structure.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2023

GPDs in asymmetric frames

It is often taken for granted that Generalized Parton Distributions (GPDs) are defined in the "symmetric" frame, where the transferred momentum is symmetrically distributed between the incoming/outgoing hadrons. However, such frames pose computational challenges for the lattice QCD practitioners. In these proceedings, we lay the foundation for lattice QCD calculations of GPDs in "asymmetric" frames, where the transferred momentum is not symmetrically distributed between the incoming/outgoing hadrons. The novelty of our work relies on the parameterization of the matrix elements in terms of Lorentz-invariant amplitudes, which not only helps in establishing relations between the said frames but also helps in isolating higher-twist contaminations. As an example, we focus on the unpolarized GPDs for spin-1/2 particles.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2022

Pseudoscalar-pole contributions to the muon $g-2$ at the physical point

Pseudoscalar-pole diagrams are an important component of estimates of the hadronic light-by-light (HLbL) contribution to the muon $g-2$. We report on our computation of the transition form factors $\mathcal{F}_{P \rightarrow \gamma^* \gamma^*}$ for the neutral pseudoscalar mesons $P=\pi^0$ and $\eta$. The calculation is performed using twisted-mass lattice QCD with physical quark masses. On the lattice, we have access to a broad range of (space-like) photon four-momenta and therefore produce form factor data complementary to the experimentally accessible single-virtual direction, which directly leads to an estimate of the pion- and $\eta$-pole components of the muon $g-2$. For the pion, our result for the $g-2$ contribution in the continuum is comparable with previous lattice and data-driven determinations, with combined relative uncertainties below $10\%$. For the $\eta$ meson, we report on a preliminary determination from a single lattice spacing.

hep-lat↗