arXiv subjects

Harvey B. Meyer

Publications and source records attributed to Harvey B. Meyer.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Deep inelastic scattering off quark-gluon plasma and its photon emissivity

The photon emissivity of quark-gluon plasma probes the interactions in the medium and differs qualitatively between a weakly coupled and a strongly coupled plasma in the soft-photon regime. The photon emissivity is given by the product of kinematic factors and a spectral function associated with the two-point correlator of the electromagnetic current at lightlike kinematics. A certain Euclidean correlator at imaginary spatial momentum can be calculated in lattice QCD and is given by an integral over the relevant spectral function at lightlike kinematics. I present a first exploratory lattice calculation of this correlator. Secondly, I show how Euclidean correlators at imaginary spatial momenta can also be used to probe the regime of deep inelastic scattering off quark-gluon plasma, which reveals its parton distribution function.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2021

Estimating the thermal photon production rate using lattice QCD

We present results for the photon emission rate determined from the transverse channel vector correlator at fixed spatial momentum using two flavors of dynamical Wilson fermions at $T\sim$250 MeV. We estimate the transverse channel spectral function using the continuum extrapolated correlator by applying various fit ansätze with a smooth matching to the NLO perturbative result. We confront our estimate based on this channel with the latest results of our collaboration based on the difference of the transverse and longitudinal channels.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2021

Isovector Axial Vector Form Factors of the Nucleon from Lattice QCD with $N_{f}=2+1$ $\mathcal O(a)$-improved Wilson Fermions

We present the analysis of isovector axial vector nucleon form factors on a set of $N_f=2+1$ CLS ensembles with $\mathcal O(a)$-improved Wilson fermions and Lüscher-Weisz gauge action. The set of ensembles covers a pion mass range of $130-353\,$MeV with lattice spacings between $0.05\,$fm and $0.09\,$fm. In particular, the set includes a $L/a=96$ ensemble at the physical pion mass. For the purpose of the form factor extraction, we employ both the summed operator insertion method (summation method) and explicit two-state fits in order to account for excited-state contributions to the nucleon correlation functions. To describe the $Q^{2}$-behavior of the form factors, we perform $z$-expansion fits. Finally, we present HBChPT-inspired chiral and continuum extrapolations of the axial charge and radius.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2021

Vacuum correlators at short distances from lattice QCD

We propose a method to help control cutoff effects in the short-distance contribution to integrated correlation functions, such as the hadronic vacuum polarization (HVP), using the corresponding screening correlators computed at finite temperature. The strategy is investigated with Wilson fermions at leading order, which reveals a logarithmically-enhanced lattice artifact in the short-distance contribution, whose coefficient is determined at this order. We then perform a numerical study with $N_\mathrm{f}=2$ O($a$)-improved Wilson fermions and a temperature $T\approx250~\mathrm{MeV}$, with lattice spacings down to $a\approx0.03~\mathrm{fm}$, which suggests good control can be achieved on the short-distance contribution to the HVP and the Adler function at large virtuality. Finally, we put forward a scheme to compute the complete HVP function at arbitrarily large virtualities using a step-scaling in the temperature.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2021

Improved analysis of nucleon isovector charges and twist-2 matrix elements on CLS $N_f=2+1$ ensembles

Preliminary results are presented for nucleon isovector charges and twist-2 matrix elements which have been obtained employing an improved analysis strategy to deal with excited-state contamination. The set of CLS $N_f=2+1$ gauge ensembles in this study has been extended compared to our 2018 calculation, including an ensemble at physical quark masses. Besides the addition of new ensembles, the number of gauge configurations and measurements has been increased on several of the existing ensembles and the analysis has been extended to include additional source-sink separations. The ensembles cover a range of the light quark mass corresponding to $M_π\approx 0.130\,\mathrm{MeV} \ldots 350\,\mathrm{MeV}$, four values of the lattice spacing $a\approx0.05\,\mathrm{fm}\ldots0.09\,\mathrm{fm}$ and a large range of volumes. Results at the physical point are computed for each observable from a combined chiral, continuum and finite-volume extrapolation.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2021

Vacuum correlators at short distances from lattice QCD

Non-perturbatively computing the hadronic vacuum polarization at large photon virtualities and making contact with perturbation theory enables a precision determination of the electromagnetic coupling at the $Z$ pole, which enters global electroweak fits. In order to achieve this goal ab initio using lattice QCD, one faces the challenge that, at the short distances which dominate the observable, discretization errors are hard to control. Here we address challenges of this type with the help of static screening correlators in the high-temperature phase of QCD, yet without incurring any bias. The idea is motivated by the observations that (a) the cost of high-temperature simulations is typically much lower than their vacuum counterpart, and (b) at distances $x_3$ far below the inverse temperature $1/T$, the operator-product expansion guarantees the thermal correlator of two local currents to deviate from the vacuum correlator by a relative amount that is power-suppressed in $(x_3\:T)$. The method is first investigated in lattice perturbation theory, where we point out the appearance of an O$(a^2 \log(1/a))$ lattice artifact in the vacuum polarization with a prefactor that we calculate. It is then applied to non-perturbative lattice QCD data with two dynamical flavors of quarks. Our lattice spacings range down to 0.049 fm for the vacuum simulations and down to 0.033 fm for the simulations performed at a temperature of 250 MeV.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2021

Hadronic light-by-light contribution to $(g-2)_μ$ from lattice QCD: a complete calculation

We compute the hadronic light-by-light scattering contribution to the muon $g-2$ from the up, down, and strange-quark sector directly using lattice QCD. Our calculation features evaluations of all possible Wick-contractions of the relevant hadronic four-point function and incorporates several different pion masses, volumes, and lattice-spacings. We obtain a value of $a_μ^{\text{Hlbl}} = 106.8(14.7) \times 10^{-11}$ (adding statistical and systematic errors in quadrature), which is consistent with current phenomenological estimates and a previous lattice determination. It now appears conclusive that the hadronic light-by-light contribution cannot explain the current tension between theory and experiment for the muon $g-2$.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2020

Deep inelastic scattering on the quark-gluon plasma

We provide an interpretation of the structure functions of a thermal medium such as the quark-gluon plasma in terms of the scattering of an incoming electron on the medium via the exchange of a spacelike photon. We then focus on the deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) regime, and formulate the corresponding moment sum rules obeyed by the structure functions. Accordingly, these moments are given by the thermal expectation value of twist-two operators, which is computable from first principles in lattice QCD for the first few moments. We also show how lattice QCD calculations can be used to probe how large the photon virtuality needs to be in order for the Bjorken scaling of structure functions to set in. Finally, we provide the parton-model interpretation of the structure functions in the Bjorken limit and test its consistency. As in DIS on the proton, the kinematic variable $x$ is proportional to the longitudinal momentum carried by the partons, however $x$ ranges from zero to infinity. Choosing the parton momentum parametrization to be $ x T u$ where $u$ is the fluid four-velocity and $T$ its temperature in the rest frame, the parton distribution function for a plasma of non-interacting quarks is proportional to $ x \log(1+e^{-x/2}) $.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Hadronic light-by-light contribution to $(g-2)_μ$ from lattice QCD with SU(3) flavor symmetry

We perform a lattice QCD calculation of the hadronic light-by-light contribution to $(g-2)_μ$ at the SU(3) flavor-symmetric point $m_π=m_K\simeq 420\,$MeV. The representation used is based on coordinate-space perturbation theory, with all QED elements of the relevant Feynman diagrams implemented in continuum, infinite Euclidean space. As a consequence, the effect of using finite lattices to evaluate the QCD four-point function of the electromagnetic current is exponentially suppressed. Thanks to the SU(3)-flavor symmetry, only two topologies of diagrams contribute, the fully connected and the leading disconnected. We show the equivalence in the continuum limit of two methods of computing the connected contribution, and introduce a sparse-grid technique for computing the disconnected contribution. Thanks to our previous calculation of the pion transition form factor, we are able to correct for the residual finite-size effects and extend the tail of the integrand. We test our understanding of finite-size effects by using gauge ensembles differing only by their volume. After a continuum extrapolation based on four lattice spacings, we obtain $a_μ^{\rm hlbl} = (65.4\pm 4.9 \pm 6.6)\times 10^{-11}$, where the first error results from the uncertainties on the individual gauge ensembles and the second is the systematic error of the continuum extrapolation. Finally, we estimate how this value will change as the light-quark masses are lowered to their physical values.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2020

The rate of photon production in the quark-gluon plasma from lattice QCD

We calculate the thermal rate of real-photon production in the quark-gluon plasma at a temperature of $T=254$ MeV using lattice QCD. The calculation is based on the difference between the spatially transverse and longitudinal parts of the polarization tensor, which has the advantage of falling off rapidly at large frequencies. We obtain this linear combination in the time-momentum representation from lattice QCD with two flavors of quarks in the continuum limit with a precision of about two parts per mille. Applying a theoretically motivated fit ansatz for the associated spectral function, we obtain values for the photon rate that are in line with QCD weak-coupling calculations; for photon momenta $ 1.0\leq k[{\rm GeV}]\leq 1.4$, our non-perturbative results constrain the rate to be no larger than twice the weak-coupling prediction. We also provide a physics interpretation of the electromagnetic spectral functions valid for all frequencies and momenta.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2019

The hadronic contribution to the running of the electromagnetic coupling and the electroweak mixing angle

The electromagnetic coupling $α$ and the electroweak mixing angle $θ_{\mathrm{W}}$ are parameters of the Standard Model (SM) that enter precision SM tests and play a fundamental rôle in beyond SM physics searches. Their values are energy dependent, and non-perturbative hadronic contributions are the main source of uncertainty to the theoretical knowledge of the running with energy. We present a lattice study of the leading hadronic contribution to the running of $α$ and $\sin^2θ_{\mathrm{W}}$. The former is related to the hadronic vacuum polarization (HVP) function of electromagnetic currents, and the latter to the HVP mixing of the electromagnetic current with the vector part of the weak neutral currents. We use the time-momentum representation (TMR) method to compute the HVP on the lattice, estimating both connected and disconnected contributions on $N_{\mathrm{f}}=2+1$ non-perturbatively $O(a)$-improved Wilson fermions ensembles from the Coordinated Lattice Simulations (CLS) initiative. The use of different lattice spacings and quark masses allows us to reliably extrapolate the results to the physical point.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2019

Lattice QCD estimate of the quark-gluon plasma photon emission rate

We present a computation of the photon emission rate of the quark-gluon plasma from two-flavor lattice QCD at a temperature of 254 MeV, which follows up on the work presented in [1]. We perform a continuum extrapolation of the vector-current correlator, and consider a linear combination of the Lorentz indices corresponding to a UV-finite spectral function. To extract the spectral function from the lattice correlators, an ill-posed inverse problem, we model the spectral function with a Padé ansatz. We further constrain our analysis by simultaneously fitting data with different momenta. We present results for a multi-momentum fit including the three smallest momenta available from our lattice analysis.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2019

Developments in the position-space approach to the HLbL contribution to the muon $g-2$ on the lattice

The measurement of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon and its prediction allow for a high-precision test of the Standard Model (SM). In this proceedings article we present ongoing work combining lattice QCD and continuum QED in order to determine an important SM contribution to the magnetic moment, the hadronic light-by-light contribution. We compute the quark-connected contribution in the Mainz position-space approach and investigate the long-distance part of our data using calculations of the $π^0$-pole and charged pion loop contributions.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2019

Lattice calculation of the pion transition form factor with $N_f=2+1$ Wilson quarks

We present a lattice QCD calculation of the double-virtual neutral pion transition form factor, with the goal to cover the kinematic range relevant to hadronic light-by-light scattering in the muon $g-2$. Several improvements have been made compared to our previous work. First, we take into account the effects of the strange quark by using the $N_f=2+1$ CLS gauge ensembles. Secondly, we have implemented the on-shell $\mathcal{O}(a)$-improvement of the vector current to reduce the discretization effects associated with Wilson quarks. Finally, in order to have access to a wider range of photon virtualities, we have computed the transition form factor in a moving frame as well as in the pion rest-frame. After extrapolating the form factor to the continuum and to physical quark masses, we compare our results with phenomenology. We extract the normalization of the form factor with a precision of 3.5\% and confirm within our uncertainty previous somewhat conflicting estimates for a low-energy constant that appears in chiral perturbation theory for the decay $π^0 \to γγ$ at NLO. With additional input from experiment and theory, we reproduce recent estimates for the decay width $Γ(π^0 \to γγ)$. We also study the asymptotic large-$Q^2$ behavior of the transition form factor in the double-virtual case. Finally, we provide as our main result a more precise model-independent lattice estimate of the pion-pole contribution to hadronic light-by-light scattering in the muon $g-2$: $a_μ^{\mathrm{HLbL}; π^0} = (59.7 \pm 3.6) \times 10^{-11}$. Using in addition the normalization of the form factor obtained by the PrimEx experiment, we get the lattice and data-driven estimate $a_μ^{\mathrm{HLbL}; π^0} = (62.3 \pm 2.3) \times 10^{-11}$.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2019

Nucleon isovector charges and twist-2 matrix elements with $N_f=2+1$ dynamical Wilson quarks

We present results from a lattice QCD study of nucleon matrix elements at vanishing momentum transfer for local and twist-2 isovector operator insertions. Computations are performed on gauge ensembles with non-perturbatively improved $N_f=2+1$ Wilson fermions, covering four values of the lattice spacing and pion masses down to $M_π\approx200$MeV. Several source-sink separations (typically ~1.0fm to ~1.5fm) allow us to assess excited-state contamination. Results on individual ensembles are obtained from simultaneous two-state fits across all observables and all available source-sink separations with the energy gap as a common fit parameter. Renormalization has been performed non-perturbatively using the Rome-Southampton method for all but the finest lattice spacing for which an extrapolation has been used. Physical results are quoted in the $\overline{MS}$ scheme at a scale of $μ=2$GeV and are obtained from a combined chiral, continuum and finite-size extrapolation. For the nucleon isovector axial, scalar and tensor charges we find physical values of $g_A^{u-d}=1.242(25)_\text{stat}(\genfrac{}{}{0pt}{2}{+00}{-31})_\text{sys}$, $g_S^{u-d}=1.13(11)_\text{stat}(\genfrac{}{}{0pt}{2}{+07}{-06})_\text{sys}$ and $g_T^{u-d}=0.965(38)_\text{stat}(\genfrac{}{}{0pt}{2}{+13}{-41})_\text{sys}$, respectively, where individual systematic errors in each direction from the chiral, continuum and finite-size extrapolation have been added in quadrature. Our final results for the isovector average quark momentum fraction and the isovector helicity and transversity moments are given by $\langle x\rangle_{u-d}=0.180(25)_\text{stat}(\genfrac{}{}{0pt}{2}{+14}{-06})_\text{sys}$, $\langle x\rangle_{Δu-Δd}=0.221(25)_\text{stat}(\genfrac{}{}{0pt}{2}{+10}{-00})_\text{sys}$ and $\langle x\rangle_{δu-δd}=0.212(32)_\text{stat}(\genfrac{}{}{0pt}{2}{+20}{-10})_\text{sys}$, respectively.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2019

The leading hadronic contribution to $(g-2)_μ$ from lattice QCD with $N_{\rm f}=2+1$ flavours of O($a$) improved Wilson quarks

The comparison of the theoretical and experimental determinations of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon $(g-2)_μ$ constitutes one of the strongest tests of the Standard Model at low energies. In this article, we compute the leading hadronic contribution to $(g-2)_μ$ using lattice QCD simulations employing Wilson quarks. Gauge field ensembles at four different lattice spacings and several values of the pion mass down to its physical value are used. We apply the O($a$) improvement programme with two discretizations of the vector current to better constrain the approach to the continuum limit. The electromagnetic current correlators are computed in the time-momentum representation. In addition, we perform auxiliary calculations of the pion form factor at timelike momenta in order to better constrain the tail of the isovector correlator and to correct its dominant finite-size effect. For the numerically dominant light-quark contribution, we have rescaled the lepton mass by the pion decay constant computed on each lattice ensemble. We perform a combined chiral and continuum extrapolation to the physical point, and our final result is $ a_μ^{\rm hvp}=(720.0\pm12.4_{\rm stat}\,\pm9.9_{\rm syst})\cdot10^{-10}$. It contains the contributions of quark-disconnected diagrams, and the systematic error has been enlarged to account for the missing isospin-breaking effects.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2019

Testing the strength of the $\text{U}_A(1)$ anomaly at the chiral phase transition in two-flavour QCD

We study the thermal transition of QCD with two degenerate light flavours by lattice simulations using $\mathcal{O}(a)$-improved Wilson quarks. Particular emphasis lies on the pattern of chiral symmetry restoration, which we probe via the static screening correlators. On $32^3$ volumes we observe that the screening masses in transverse iso-vector vector and axial-vector channels become degenerate at the transition temperature. The splitting between the screening masses in iso-vector scalar and pseudoscalar channels is strongly reduced compared to the splitting at zero temperature and is actually consistent with zero within uncertainties. In this proceedings article we extend our studies to matrix elements and iso-singlet correlation functions. Furthermore, we present results on larger volumes, including first results at the physical pion mass.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2019

Non-perturbative renormalization and O$(a)$-improvement of the non-singlet vector current with $N_{\mathrm{f}}=2+1$ Wilson fermions and tree-level Symanzik improved gauge action

In calculating hadronic contributions to precision observables for tests of the Standard Model in lattice QCD, the electromagnetic current plays a central role. Using a Wilson action with O($a$) improvement in QCD with $N_{\mathrm{f}}$ flavors, a counterterm must be added to the vector current in order for its on-shell matrix elements to be O($a$) improved. In addition, the local vector current, which has support on one lattice site, must be renormalized. At O($a$), the breaking of the SU($N_{\mathrm{f}}$) symmetry by the quark mass matrix leads to a mixing between the local currents of different quark flavors. We present a non-perturbative calculation of all the required improvement and renormalization constants needed for the local and the conserved electromagnetic current in QCD with $N_{\mathrm{f}}=2+1$ O($a$)-improved Wilson fermions and tree-level Symanzik improved gauge action, with the exception of one coefficient, which we show to be order $g_0^6$ in lattice perturbation theory. The method is based on the vector and axial Ward identities imposed at finite lattice spacing and in the chiral limit. We make use of lattice ensembles generated as part of the Coordinated Lattice Simulations (CLS) initiative.

hep-lat↗