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Gernot Eichmann

Publications and source records attributed to Gernot Eichmann.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Getting a handle on correlation functions

The central objects in a quantum field theory are its n-point correlation functions and matrix elements. Their structure is determined by Lorentz invariance and leads to tensor decompositions whose Lorentz-invariant coefficient functions encode the physics of the process. For growing n, the complexity of these objects may increase considerably and make it challenging to deal with them. Here we give a pedagogical introduction to the topic and provide some tools to manage this complexity, and we will show how symmetries can be used as organizing principles.

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arXiv2025

The impact of $\gamma N$ and $\gamma^* N$ interactions on our understanding of nucleon excitations

We review recent progress in our understanding of the nucleon excitation spectrum. Thanks to dedicated efforts at facilities such as ELSA, MAMI and Jefferson Lab, several new nucleon resonances have been discovered, and evidence for previously elusive states has been significantly improved. Numerous decay channels have been observed for the first time, and resonance properties are being extracted from these data by several groups through coupled-channel analyses of varying complexity. Electroproduction experiments have provided further insights into the internal structure of light baryon resonances -- for example, the long-debated Roper resonance $N(1440)$ is observed as a three-quark state with a significant meson-cloud component.While the non-relativistic quark model remains a valuable tool for organizing the spectrum of nucleon and $\Delta$ resonances, a variety of theoretical frameworks have emerged to offer deeper understanding, including phenomenological quark models, holographic QCD, functional methods, effective field theories, and lattice QCD. We examine the interplay between these approaches, highlight their respective strengths and explore how they complement each other in shaping our knowledge of light baryon resonances. We address several open questions in baryon spectroscopy, including the nature of the enigmatic $\Lambda(1405)$, ongoing searches for exotic states such as hybrid baryons and pentaquarks, and the dichotomy between microscopic descriptions of baryons in terms of quarks and gluons versus effective hadronic descriptions based on meson-baryon dynamics.

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arXiv2025

Timelike form factor for the anomalous process $\gamma^\ast \pi \rightarrow \pi \pi$

The form factor $F_{3\pi}(s,t,u)$ for the anomalous process $\gamma^\ast \pi \rightarrow \pi \pi$ is calculated in the isospin limit for several values of the light current-quark mass (i.e., the pion mass) using Dyson-Schwinger and Bethe-Salpeter equations. Beyond a quark interaction kernel representing gluon-mediated interactions, leading beyond-rainbow-ladder effects at low energies are incorporated by back-coupling pions as explicit degrees of freedom. Building upon an earlier calculation of the quark-photon vertex that captures the branch cut associated with the two-pion threshold and the rho meson resonance, the form factor $F_{3\pi}(s,t,u)$ is determined for timelike Mandelstam s. In particular, predictions are made for the kinematics relevant for the Primakoff reaction studied with COMPASS/AMBER at CERN.

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arXiv2025

Functional methods for hadron spectroscopy

We summarize recent results for four-quark states with hidden and open flavor obtained from a four-quark Bethe-Salpeter/Faddeev-Yakubowsky equation. The approach dynamically predicts the leading internal two-body clusters such as meson-meson, hadroquarkonium or diquark-antidiquark components. For hidden-flavor states, the meson-meson or hadroquarkonium configurations are dominant, while the diquark contributions are small. For open-flavor states, the situation is different and depends on the quark content: The $T_{bb}^-$ is a mixture of various components, where the diquark-antidiquark components are dominant, whereas the $T_{cc}^+$ is practically entirely dominated by $DD^\ast$ due to its proximity to the threshold. We also provide details on the analytic continuations and extrapolations to extract states above thresholds.

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arXiv2025

Hadron physics with functional methods

We give a pedagogical introduction to hadron spectroscopy and structure studies using functional methods. We explain the basic features of Dyson-Schwinger, Bethe-Salpeter and Faddeev equations, which are employed to calculate the spectra of mesons, baryons and four-quark states. We discuss dynamical mass generation as a consequence of the spontaneous breaking of chiral symmetry, which is intertwined with the emergence of the light pions as Goldstone bosons of QCD. We highlight the importance of diquark correlations in the baryon sector, while for four-quark states such as the light scalar mesons and heavy exotics the dominant two-body clusters are typically mesons. We conclude with a brief discussion of hadron matrix elements like electromagnetic form factors and how vector-meson dominance is an automatic outcome of functional equations.

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arXiv2025

Five-body systems with Bethe-Salpeter equations

We extend the Bethe-Salpeter formalism to systems made of five valence particles. Restricting ourselves to two-body interactions, we derive the subtraction terms necessary to prevent overcounting. We solve the five-body Bethe-Salpeter equation numerically for a system of five scalar particles interacting by a scalar exchange boson. To make the calculations tractable, we implement properties of the permutation group S5 and construct an approximation based on intermediate two- and three-body poles. We extract the five-body ground and excited states along with the spectra obtained from the two-, three-, and four-body equations. In the limit of a massless exchange particle, the two-, three, four- and five-body states coexist within a certain range of the coupling strength, whereas for heavier exchange particles the five-body system becomes Borromean. Our study serves as a building block for the calculation of pentaquark properties using functional methods.

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arXiv2025

Five-point functions and the permutation group S5

Five-point functions and five-body wave functions play an important role in many areas of nuclear and particle physics, e.g., in 2 -> 3 scattering processes, in the five-gluon vertex, or in the study of pentaquarks. In this work we consider the permutation group S5 to facilitate the description of such objects. We work out the multiplets transforming under irreducible representations of S5 and provide compact formulas allowing one to cast the permutations of an object $f_{12345}$ into combinations with definite permutation symmetry. We also give the explicit expressions for the irreducible multiplet products. We consider several practical applications as examples: We arrange the four-momenta and Lorentz invariants of a five-point function into the multiplet structure, we work out the color tensors of the five-gluon vertex in the multiplet notation, and we discuss applications for five-body wave functions like those of pentaquarks.

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arXiv2024

Axial-vector and scalar contributions to hadronic light-by-light scattering

We present results for single axial-vector and scalar meson pole contributions to the hadronic light-by-light scattering (HLbL) part of the muon's anomalous magnetic moment. In the dispersive approach to these quantities (in narrow width approximation) the central inputs are the corresponding space-like electromagnetic transition form factors. We determine these directly using a functional approach to QCD by Dyson-Schwinger and Bethe-Salpeter equations in the very same setup we used previously to determine pseudo-scalar meson exchange ($\pi$, $\eta$ and $\eta'$) as well as meson ($\pi$ and $K$) box contributions. Particular care is taken to preserve gauge invariance and to comply with short distance constraints in both the form factors and the HLbL tensor. Our result for the contributions from a tower of axial-vector states including short distance constraints is { $a_\mu^{\text{HLbL}}[\text{AV-tower+SDC}] = 24.8 \,(6.1) \times 10^{-11}$}. For the combined contributions from $f_0(980), a_0(980), f_0(1370)$ and $a_0(1450)$ we find $a_\mu^{\text{HLbL}}[\text{scalar}] = -1.6 \,(5) \times 10^{-11}$.

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arXiv2024

Structure of open-flavour four-quark states in the charm and bottom region

We present quantitative results for masses and the internal structure of four-quark states with two heavy quarks, i.e. $QQ'\bar{q}\bar{q}'$ with $Q,Q'\in \{c,b\}$ and $q,q' \in \{u,d,s\}$, and $J^{P} \in {1^+}$. The composition of these states in terms of meson-meson and diquark-antidiquark pairs, extracted from a relativistic four-body Faddeev-Yakubowski equation, is dynamically determined from underlying QCD forces. We find states at energy levels in very good agreement with lattice QCD and, where available, with experimental states. Their internal structure, most notably between the $T^+_{cc}$, $T_{bc}$ and $T^-_{bb}$, show significant and sizeable variations.

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arXiv2024

Hidden-flavour four-quark states in the charm and bottom region

We discuss the spectrum and the internal composition of ground and excited four-quark states in the charm and bottom energy region. To this end we extend previous calculations within the framework of the relativistic four-body Faddeev-Yakubovsky equation to include quantum numbers with $J^{P C} = 0^{++} , 0^{-+} , 1^{--} , 1^{+-}$ and $1^{+ +}$ and study their internal composition in terms of heavy-light meson pairs, hadroquarkonia and diquark-antidiquark clusters. We observe similar patterns in the charm and bottom energy region with different compositions of the four-quark states depending on $J^{P C}$ quantum numbers. Most notably, we find that all states with $C \cdot P = +1$ are dominated by heavy-light meson contributions, whereas for axialvector states with $J^{P C} = 1^{+-}$ including the $Z_c (3900)$ we find a much more complicated picture depending on the flavour content. We systematically compare our results for the spectrum with existing experimental results and provide predictions for future analyses.

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arXiv2023

Bound states from the spectral Bethe-Salpeter equation

We compute the bound state properties of three-dimensional scalar $ϕ^4$ theory in the broken phase. To this end, we extend the recently developed technique of spectral Dyson-Schwinger equations to solve the Bethe-Salpeter equation and determine the bound state spectrum. We employ consistent truncations for the two-, three- and four-point functions of the theory that recover the scaling properties in the infinite coupling limit. Our result for the mass of the lowest-lying bound state in this limit agrees very well with lattice determinations.

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arXiv2023

The case for an EIC Theory Alliance: Theoretical Challenges of the EIC

We outline the physics opportunities provided by the Electron Ion Collider (EIC). These include the study of the parton structure of the nucleon and nuclei, the onset of gluon saturation, the production of jets and heavy flavor, hadron spectroscopy and tests of fundamental symmetries. We review the present status and future challenges in EIC theory that have to be addressed in order to realize this ambitious and impactful physics program, including how to engage a diverse and inclusive workforce. In order to address these many-fold challenges, we propose a coordinated effort involving theory groups with differing expertise is needed. We discuss the scientific goals and scope of such an EIC Theory Alliance.

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arXiv2022

Theory introduction to baryon spectroscopy

In these introductory notes I give a brief overview on some theoretical aspects of light baryon spectroscopy. The first part contains a discussion of the symmetries of the baryon spectrum, the construction of flavor wave functions and some basic features of quark models. The second part examines the need for relativistic quantum field theory and focusses on spectrum calculations with functional methods.

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arXiv2022

Going to the light front with contour deformations

We explore a new method to calculate the valence light-front wave function of a system of two interacting particles, which is based on contour deformations combined with analytic continuation methods to project the Bethe-Salpeter wave function onto the light front. In this proof-of-concept study, we solve the Bethe-Salpeter equation for a scalar model and find excellent agreement between the light-front wave functions obtained with contour deformations and those obtained with the Nakanishi method frequently employed in the literature. The contour-deformation method is also able to handle extensions of the scalar model that mimic certain features of QCD such as unequal masses and complex singularities. In principle the method is suitable for computing parton distributions on the light front such as PDFs, TMDs and GPDs in the future.

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arXiv2021

Studying mass generation for gluons

In covariant gauges, the gluonic mass gap in Yang-Mills theory manifests itself in the basic observation that the massless pole in the perturbative gluon propagator disappears in nonperturbative calculations, but the origin of this behavior is not yet fully understood. We summarize a recent study of the respective dynamics with Dyson-Schwinger equations in Landau-gauge Yang-Mills theory. We identify the parameter that distinguishes the massive Yang-Mills regime from the massless decoupling solutions, whose endpoint is the scaling solution. Similar to the PT-BFM scheme, we find evidence that mass generation in the transverse sector is triggered by longitudinal massless poles.

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arXiv2021

On mass generation in Landau-gauge Yang-Mills theory

A longstanding question in QCD is the origin of the mass gap in the Yang-Mills sector of QCD, i.e., QCD without quarks. In Landau gauge QCD this mass gap, and hence confinement, is encoded in a mass gap of the gluon propagator, which is found both in lattice simulations and with functional approaches. While functional methods are well suited to unravel the mechanism behind the generation of the mass gap, a fully satisfactory answer has not yet been found. In this work we solve the coupled Dyson-Schwinger equations for the ghost propagator, gluon propagator and three-gluon vertex. We corroborate the findings of earlier works, namely that the mass gap generation is tied to the longitudinal projection of the gluon self-energy, which acts as an effective mass term in the equations. Because an explicit mass term is in conflict with gauge invariance, this leaves two possible scenarios: If it is viewed as an artifact, only the scaling solution survives; if it is dynamical, gauge invariance can only be preserved if there are longitudinal massless poles in either of the vertices. We find that there is indeed a massless pole in the ghost-gluon vertex, however in our approximation with the assumption of complete infrared dominance of the ghost this pole is only present for the scaling solution. We also put forward a possible mechanism that may reconcile the scaling solution, with an infrared dominance of the ghost, with the decoupling solutions based on longitudinal poles in the three-gluon vertex as seen in the PT-BFM scheme.

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arXiv2021

Four-quark states from functional methods

In this feature article we summarise and highlight aspects of the treatment of four-quark states with functional methods. Model approaches to those exotic mesons almost inevitably have to assume certain internal structures, e.g. by grouping quarks and antiquarks into (anti-)diquark clusters or heavy-light $q\bar{q}$ pairs. Functional methods using Dyson-Schwinger and Bethe-Salpeter equations can be formulated without such prejudice and therefore have the potential to put these assumptions to test and discriminate between such models. So far, functional methods have been used to study the light scalar-meson sector and the heavy-light sector with a pair of charmed and a pair of light quarks in different quantum number channels. For all these states, the dominant components in terms of internal two-body clustering have been identified. It turns out that chiral symmetry breaking plays an important role for the dominant clusters in the light meson sector (in particular for the scalar mesons) and that this property is carried over to the heavy-light sector. Diquark-antidiquark components, on the other hand, turn out to be almost negligible for most states with the exception of open-charm heavy-light exotics.

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