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H. W. Fearing

Publications and source records attributed to H. W. Fearing.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

Neutron beta decay in effective field theory

Radiative corrections to the lifetime and angular correlation coefficients of neutron beta-decay are evaluated in effecitive field theory. We also evaluate the lowest order nucleon recoil corrections, including weak-magnetism. Our results agree with those of the long-range and model-independent part of previous calculations. In an effective theory the model-dependent radiative corrections are replaced by well-defined low-energy constants. The effective field theory allows a systematic evaluation of higher order corrections to our results to the extent that the relevant low-energy constants are known.

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Solar-neutrino reactions on deuteron in effective field theory

The cross sections for low-energy neutrino-deuteron reactions are calculated within heavy-baryon chiral perturbation theory employing cut-off regularization scheme. The transition operators are derived up to next-to-next-to-next-to-leading order in the Weinberg counting rules, while the nuclear matrix elements are evaluated using the wave functions generated by a high-quality phenomenological NN potential. With the adoption of the axial-current-four-nucleon coupling constant fixed from the tritium beta decay data, our calculation is free from unknown low-energy constants. Our results exhibit a high degree of stability against different choices of the cutoff parameter, a feature which indicates that, apart from radiative corrections, the uncertainties in the calculated cross sections are less than 1 %.

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The anomalous chiral perturbation theory meson Lagrangian to order $p^6$ revisited

We present a revised and extended construction of the mesonic Lagrangian density in chiral perturbation theory (ChPT) at order $p^6$ in the anomalous (or epsilon) sector, ${\cal{L}}_{6,ε}$. After improving several aspects of the strategy we used originally, i.e., a more efficient application of partial integration, the implementation of so-called Bianchi identities, and additional trace relations, we find the new monomial sets to include 24 $SU(N_f)$, 23 SU(3), and 5 SU(2) elements. Furthermore, we introduce 8 supplementary terms due to the extension of the chiral group to $SU(N_f)_L \times SU(N_f)_R \times U(1)_V$.

hep-ph

The equivalence theorem and the Bethe-Salpeter equation

We solve the Bethe-Salpeter equation for two-particle scattering in a field-theoretical model using two lagrangians related by a field transformation. The kernel of the equation consists of the sum of all tree-level diagrams for each lagrangian. The solutions differ even if all four external particles are put on the mass shell, which implies that observables calculated by solving the Bethe-Salpeter equation depend on the representation of the theory. We point out that this violation of the equivalence theorem has a simple explanation and should be expected for any Bethe-Salpeter equation with a tree-level kernel. Implications for dynamical models of hadronic interactions are discussed.

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Field transformations and simple models illustrating the impossibility of measuring off-shell effects

In the context of simple models illustrating field transformations in Lagrangian field theories we discuss the impossibility of measuring off-shell effects in nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung, Compton scattering, and related processes. To that end we introduce a simple phenomenological Lagrangian describing nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung and perform an appropriate change of variables leading to different off-shell behavior in the nucleon-nucleon amplitude as well as the photon-nucleon vertex. As a result we obtain a class of equivalent Lagrangians, generating identical S-matrix elements, of which the original Lagrangian is but one representative. We make use of this property in order to show that what appears as an off-shell effect in an S-matrix element for one Lagrangian may originate in a contact term from an equivalent Lagrangian. By explicit calculation we demonstrate for the case of nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung as well as nucleon Compton scattering the equivalence of observables from which we conclude that off-shell effects cannot in any unambiguous way be extracted from an S-matrix element. Finally, we also discuss some implications of introducing off-shell effects on a phenomenological basis, resulting from the requirement that the description of one process be consistent with that of other processes described by the same Lagrangian.

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Virtual Compton scattering off spin-zero particles at low energies

We discuss the low-energy behavior of the virtual Compton scattering amplitude off a spin-zero target. We first compare various methods of obtaining a low-energy expression based either on the soft-photon approximation or the use of Ward-Takahashi identities. We point out that structure-dependent terms are defined with respect to a low-energy approximation of the pole terms which commonly is separated from the full amplitude. We derive a general expression for the structure-dependent terms in an expansion in terms of the momenta $k_1$ and $k_2$ of the initial and final virtual photon, respectively, up to and including terms of order ${\cal O}(k^4)$. At order ${\cal O}(k^2)$ two terms appear which are related to the usual electric and magnetic polarizabilities of real Compton scattering. At order ${\cal O}(k^4)$ we find nine new structures of which five can only be determined using virtual photons.

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Delta--Excitation and Exchange Corrections for NN--Bremsstrahlung

The role of the relativistic amplitudes for a number of ${\cal O}(k)$ processes usually neglected in potential model calculations of NN--bremsstrahlung is investigated. In particular, we consider the $Δ$--excitation pole contributions related to the one--pion and one--rho exchange and in addition include the exchange contributions induced by the radiative $ω,\,ρ\to πγ$ decays. The contributions are calculated from relativistic Born amplitudes fitted to $Δ$--production and absorption data in the energy range up to 1 GeV and then used to supplement potential model and soft photon calculations for nucleon--nucleon bremsstrahlung. The effects on $NNγ$--observables, although moderate in general, are found to be important in some kinematic domains.

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Extension of the Chiral Perturbation Theory Meson Lagrangian to Order $P^6$

We have derived the most general chirally invariant Lagrangian ${\cal L}_6$ for the meson sector at order $p^6$. The result provides an extension of the standard Gasser-Leutwyler Lagrangian ${\cal L}_4$ to one higher order, including as well all the odd intrinsic parity terms in the Lagrangian. The most difficult part of the derivation was developing a systematic strategy so as to get all of the independent terms and eliminate the redundant ones in an efficient way. The 'equation of motion' terms, which are redundant in the sense that they can be transformed away via field transformations, are separated out explicitly. The resulting Lagrangian has been separated into groupings of terms contributing to increasingly more complicated processes, so that one does not have to deal with the full result when calculating $p^6$ contributions to simple processes.

hep-ph

Compton Scattering by a Pion and off--Shell Effects

We consider Compton scattering by a pion in the framework of chiral perturbation theory. We investigate off--shell effects in the s-- and u--channel pole diagrams. For that purpose we perform a field transformation which, in comparison with the standard Gasser and Leutwyler Lagrangian, generates additional terms at order $p^4$ proportional to the lowest--order equation of motion. As a result of the equivalence theorem the two Lagrangians predict the same Compton scattering S--matrix even though they generate different off--shell form factors. We conclude that off--shell effects are not only model--dependent but also representation--dependent.

hep-ph

Field Transformations and the Classical Equation of Motion in Chiral Perturbation Theory

The construction of effective Lagrangians commonly involves the application of the `classical equation of motion' to eliminate redundant structures and thus generate the minimal number of independent terms. We investigate this procedure in the framework of chiral perturbation theory. The use of the 'classical equation of motion' is interpreted in terms of field transformations. Such an interpretation is crucial if one wants to bring a given Lagrangian into a canonical form with a minimal number of terms. We emphasize that the application of field transformations not only eliminates structures, or, what is equivalent, expresses certain structures in terms of already known different structures, but also leads to a modification of coefficients of higher--order terms. This will become relevant, once one considers effective interaction terms beyond next--to--leading order, i.e., beyond $O(p^4)$.

hep-ph

The off-shell electromagnetic form factors of pions and kaons in chiral perturbation theory

The off-shell electromagnetic vertex of a (pseudo-) scalar particle contains, in general, two form factors F and G which depend, in addition to the squared momentum transfer, on the invariant masses associated with the initial and final legs of the vertex. Chiral perturbation theory to one loop is used to calculate the off-shell form factors of pions and kaons. The formalism of Gasser and Leutwyler, which was previously used to calculate the on-shell limit of the form factor F, is extended to accommodate the most general form for off-shell Green's functions in the pseudoscalar meson sector. We find that chiral symmetry predicts that the form factors F of the charged pions and kaons go off-shell in the same way, i.e., the off-shell slope at the real photon point is given by the same new phenomenological constant $β_1$. Furthermore, it is shown that at order $p^4$ the form factor F of the $K^0$ does not show any off-shell dependence. The form factors G are all related to the form factors F in the correct fashion as required by the Ward-Takahashi identity. Numerical results for different off-shell kinematics are presented.

hep-ph

Effective Hamiltonians with Relativistic Corrections I: The Foldy--Wouthuysen transformation versus the direct Pauli reduction

Two different methods of obtaining ``effective $2\times 2$ Hamiltonians'' which include relativistic corrections to nonrelativistic calculations are discussed, the standard Foldy--Wouthuysen transformation and what we call the ``direct Pauli reduction''. We wish to investigate under which circumstances the two approaches yield the same result. Using a generic interaction with harmonic time dependence we show that differences in the corresponding effective S--matrices do arise beyond first--order perturbation theory. We attribute them to the fact that the use of the direct reduction effective Hamiltonian involves the additional approximation of neglecting contributions from the negative--energy intermediate states, an approximation which is unnecessary in the Foldy--Wouthuysen case as there the $4\times 4$ Hamiltonian does not connect positive-- and negative--energy states. We conclude that at least in the cases where the relativistic Hamiltonian is known, using the direct Pauli reduction effective Hamiltonian introduces spurious relativistic effects and therefore the Foldy--Wouthuysen reduction should be preferred.

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Effective Hamiltonians with Relativistic Corrections II: Application to Compton Scattering by a Proton

We discuss two different methods of obtaining ``effective $2 \times 2$ Hamiltonians'' of the electromagnetic interaction which include relativistic corrections. One is the standard Foldy--Wouthuysen transformation which we compare with the Hamiltonian obtained from a direct reduction of the matrix element of the interaction Hamiltonian between positive--energy solutions of the free Dirac equation. The two approaches are applied to Compton scattering by a proton for which a low--energy theorem exists. It is found that the Foldy--Wouthuysen Hamiltonian yields the same result as a covariant calculation. This is not true for the direct reduction method which will in general lead to incorrect results even after restoring the gauge invariance property of the Hamiltonian. Furthermore, it is shown that an identification of the Z--diagrams of the usual Dirac representation with the contact graphs of the Foldy--Wouthuysen representation is incorrect beyond the order of the low--energy theorem.

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