arXiv subjects

Ian C. Cloët

Publications and source records attributed to Ian C. Cloët.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Charm and strange meson fragmentation functions

Quark fragmentation functions describe the hadronization process of a quark where any of the final-state hadrons carries a fraction of its initial momentum. We compute these fragmentation functions for a cascade that includes pions, kaons, and the charmed $D$ and $D_s$ mesons, starting from the elementary quark-to-meson fragmentation process. The latter is obtained from the relevant cut diagram, and employs Poincaré covariant Bethe-Salpeter wave functions and quark propagators. We derive a set of twenty-five coupled jet equations that describe the cascade of emitted mesons in the fragmentation process. Their solutions yield full fragmentation functions that offer a consistent picture of the quark fragmentations across the light and heavy sectors.

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arXiv2025

Relations between three-particle interactions in nuclear matter to observable quantities

In the first part of this paper, we use the framework of the Fermi liquid theory to derive model-independent relations between the slope parameters of the symmetry energy and of the incompressibility in nuclear matter to three-particle interaction parameters. Based on these relations, we present simple estimates and compare with the empirical information. In the second part, we discuss the general structure of the three-particle scattering amplitude in nuclear matter, and use methods similar to the Bethe-Brueckner-Goldstone theory to show how three-particle cluster diagrams emerge naturally in the Fermi liquid theory.

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arXiv2025

Effects of quark core sizes of baryons in neutron star matter

We describe the quark substructure of hadrons and the equation of state of high density neutron star matter by using the Nambu$-$Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model, which is an effective quark theory based on QCD. The interaction between quarks fully respects the chiral and flavor symmetries. Guided by the success of various low energy theorems, we assume that the explicit breaking of these symmetries occurs only via the current quark masses, and all other symmetry breakings are of dynamical nature. In order to take into account the effects of the finite quark core sizes of the baryons on the equation of state, we make use of an excluded volume framework which respects thermodynamic consistency. The effects generated by the swelling quark cores generally act repulsively and lead to an increase of the pressure with increasing baryon density. On the other hand, in neutron star matter they also lead to a decrease of the density window where hyperons appear, because it becomes energetically more favorable to convert the faster moving nucleons into hyperons. Our quantitative analysis shows that the net effect of the excluded volume is too small to solve the long standing "hyperon puzzle," which is posed by the large observed masses of neutron stars. Thus the puzzle persists in a relativistic effective quark theory which takes into account the short range repulsion between baryons caused by their finite and swelling quark core sizes in a phenomenological way.

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arXiv2023

Composite octet baryons in a relativistic mean field description of nuclear and neutron star matter

We examine the properties of composite octet baryons in the nuclear medium and neutron star matter. The internal quark-diquark structure of the octet baryons and the equations of state of nuclear matter and neutron star matter in the mean field approximation are described by using the three-flavor Nambu--Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model as an effective quark theory of QCD. After introducing our model, we first discuss the properties of single baryons and their effective meson exchange interactions in symmetric nuclear matter by using concepts of Fermi liquid theory. Several model independent implications of this description are derived, and illustrated by numerical results obtained in our model. Second, we extend the model description to high baryon densities, and investigate the equation of state of neutron star matter and the resulting star masses. We find that the so called hyperon puzzle persists also for the case of composite hadrons. To get more information on this point, we also investigate the role of 6-fermi and 8-fermi interactions, in addition to the standard 4-fermi interactions. The strengths of those higher order fermi interactions is determined so as not to spoil the saturation properties of nuclear matter. Among them, an interaction characterized by a product of four quark current operators plays a special role to stabilize the stars over a large region of central baryon densities, although it has little effect on the maximum star masses.

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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

Gravitational form factors of light mesons

We calculate the gravitational form factors of the pion, sigma meson, and rho meson in the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model of quantum chromodynamics. The canonical energy-momentum tensor (EMT) is used in their derivation, allowing the possibility of an antisymmetric contribution when the hadron has intrinsic spin. We show that the asymmetric graviton vertex arising from the canonical EMT satisfies a simpler Ward-Takahashi identity (WTI) than the symmetric graviton vertex of the Belinfante EMT. The necessity of fully dressing the graviton vertex through the relevant Bethe-Salpeter equation is demonstrated for observing both the WTI and a low-energy pion theorem. Lastly, we calculate static moments of the meson EMT decompositions, obtaining predictions for the meson mass radii. We find light cone mass radii of 0.27 fm for the pion, 0.32 fm for the sigma, and 0.25 fm for the rho. For the pion and rho, these are smaller than the light cone charge radii, respectively 0.51 fm and 0.45 fm, while we have a sigma charge radius of zero. Our light cone pion mass radius agrees with a phenomenological extraction from KEKB data.

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arXiv2022

Gluon EMC effects in nuclear matter

We investigate the gluonic structure of nuclei within a mean-field model of nuclear structure based upon the modification of the structure of a bound nucleon, with the nucleon described by the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model. This approach has been shown to reproduce the European Muon Collaboration (EMC) effect, involving the ratio of the spin-independent structure functions of a heavier nucleus to that of the deuteron. It also predicts a significant nuclear modification for the spin structure functions, known as the polarized EMC effect. Here we report sizeable nuclear modifications of the gluon distributions (a "gluon EMC effect") for the ratios of both the unpolarized and polarized gluon distributions in nuclear matter to those of a free nucleon.

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arXiv2022

Slope parameter of the symmetry energy and the structure of three-particle interactions in nuclear matter

In the first part of this paper, we present a study of the symmetry energy ($a_s$) and its slope parameter ($L$) for nuclear matter in the framework of the Fermi liquid theory of Landau and Migdal. We derive an exact relation between $a_s$ and $L$, which involves the nucleon effective masses and three-particle Landau-Migdal parameters. We present simple estimates which suggest that there are two main mechanisms to explain the empirical values of $L$: The proton-neutron effective mass difference in isospin asymmetric matter and the $\ell=0$ moment of the isovector in-medium three-particle scattering amplitude. In the second part of this paper, we discuss the general structure of three-particle interactions in nuclear matter in the framework of the Fermi liquid theory. The connections to the Bethe-Brueckner-Goldstone theory and other approaches are also discussed. We show explicitly how the first few terms in the Faddeev series, together with medium induced three-particle interactions, emerge naturally in the Fermi liquid theory.

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arXiv2021

Intrinsic Glue and Wilson lines within Dressed Quarks

We construct a quark target model (QTM) to incorporate intrinsic glue into effective low-energy models of QCD, which often contain only quark degrees of freedom. This method guarantees the gauge invariance of observables order-by-order in the strong coupling. The quark and gluon PDFs for the dressed quarks are obtained in the QTM at leading order. We demonstrate gauge invariance of the results by comparing both covariant and light cone gauges, with the former including an explicit Wilson line contribution. A key finding is that in covariant gauges the Wilson line can carry a significant amount of the light cone momentum. With coupling strength $α_s = 0.5$ and dressed quark mass $M_q = 0.4\,$GeV, we find quark and gluon momentum fractions of $\left _q = 0.81$ and $\left _g = 0.19$, where the Wilson line contribution to the quark momentum fraction is $-0.18$. We use the on-shell renormalization scheme and find that at one-loop this Wilson line contribution does not depend on the covariant gauge but does vanish in light cone gauge as expected. This result demonstrates that it is crucial to account for Wilson line contributions when calculating quantum correlation functions in covariant gauges. We also consider the impact of a gluon mass using the gauge invariant formalism proposed by Cornwall, and combine these QTM results with two quark-level models to obtain quark and gluon PDFs for the pion.

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arXiv2021

Gluon PDF from Quark dressing in the Nucleon and Pion

Gluon dressing of the light quarks within hadrons is very strong and extremely important in that it dynamically generates most of the observable mass through the breaking of chiral symmetry. The quark and gluon parton densities, $q(x)$ and $g(x)$, are necessarily interrelated since any gluon emission and absorption process, especially dressing of a quark, contributes to $g(x)$ and modifies $q(x)$. Guided by long-established results for the parton-in-parton distributions from a strict 1-loop perturbative analysis of a quark target, we extend the non-perturbative QCD approach based on the Rainbow-Ladder truncation of the Dyson-Schwinger equations to describe the interrelated valence $q_{\rm v}(x)$ and the dressing-gluon $g(x)$ for a hadron at its intrinsic model scale. We employ the pion description from previous DSE work that accounted for the gluon-in-quark effect and introduce a simple model of the nucleon for exploratory purposes. We find typically \mbox{$\langle x \rangle_g \sim 0.20$} for both pion and nucleon at the model scale, and the valence quark helicity contributes 52\% of nucleon spin. We deduce both $q_{\rm v}(x)$ and $g(x)$ from 30 calculated Mellin moments, and after adopting existing data analysis results for $q_{\rm sea}(x)$, we find that NLO scale evolution produces $g(x)$ in good agreement with existing data analysis results for the pion at 1.3 GeV and the nucleon at 5 GeV$^2$. At the scale 2 GeV typical of lattice-QCD calculations, we obtain \mbox{$\langle x \rangle_g^{\rm N} = 0.42$} in good agreement with 0.38 from the average of recent lattice-QCD calculations.

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arXiv2020

An optimal quantum sampling regression algorithm for variational eigensolving in the low qubit number regime

The VQE algorithm has turned out to be quite expensive to run given the way we currently access quantum processors (i.e. over the cloud). In order to alleviate this issue, we introduce Quantum Sampling Regression (QSR), an alternative hybrid quantum-classical algorithm, and analyze some of its use cases based on time complexity in the low qubit number regime. In exchange for some extra classical resources, this novel strategy is proved to be optimal in terms of the number of samples it requires from the quantum processor. We develop a simple analytical model to evaluate when this algorithm is more efficient than VQE, and, from the same theoretical considerations, establish a threshold above which quantum advantage can occur. Finally, we demonstrate the efficacy of our algorithm for a benchmark problem.

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arXiv2020

Quark spin and orbital angular momentum from proton GPDs

We calculate the leading-twist helicity-dependent generalized parton distributions (GPDs) of the proton at finite skewness in the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). From these (and previously calculated helicity-independent GPDs) we obtain the spin decomposition of the proton, including predictions for quark intrinsic spin and orbital angular momentum. The inclusion of multiple species of diquarks is found to have a significant effect on the flavor decomposition, and resolving the internal structure of these dynamical diquark correlations proves essential for the mechanical stability of the proton. At a scale of $Q^2=4\,$GeV$^2$ we find that the up and down quarks carry an intrinsic spin and orbital angular momentum of $S_u=0.534$, $S_d=-0.214$, $L_u=-0.189$, and $L_d=0.210$, whereas the gluons have a total angular momentum of $J_g=0.151$. The down quark is therefore found to carry almost no total angular momentum due to cancellations between spin and orbital contributions. Comparisons are made between these spin decomposition results and lattice QCD calculations.

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arXiv2020

Impact of DCSB and dynamical diquark correlations on proton GPDs

We calculate the leading-twist, helicity-independent generalized parton distributions (GPDs) of the proton, at finite skewness, in the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model of quantum chomodynamics (QCD). The NJL model reproduces low-energy characteristics of QCD, including dynamical chiral symmetry breaking (DCSB). The proton bound-state amplitude is solved for using the Faddeev equation in a quark-diquark approximation, including both dynamical scalar and axial vector diquarks. GPDs are calculated using a dressed non-local correlator, consistent with DCSB, which is obtained by solving a Bethe-Salpeter equation. The model and approximations used observe Lorentz covariance, and as a consequence the GPDs obey polynomiality sum rules. Extractions of electromagnetic and gravitational form factors are performed. We find a D-term of $-1.08$ when the non-local correlator is properly dressed, and $0.85$ when the bare correlator is used instead, suggesting that within this framework proton stability requires the constituent quarks to be dressed consistently with DCSB. We also find that the anomalous gravitomagnetic vanishes, as required by Poincaré symmetry.

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arXiv2020

Spatial and Momentum Imaging of the Pion and Kaon

We determine the leading Fock state light front wave functions (LFWFs) of the pion and kaon via light front projections of the covariant Bethe-Salpeter wave function. Using these LFWFs we study the multi-dimensional images of the valence quarks in the pion and kaon that are provided by their generalized parton distribution functions (GPDs) and transverse momentum dependent parton distribution functions (TMDs). Moments of the GPDs are taken to obtain the electromagnetic and gravitational form factors of the pion and kaon, and comparisons to available experimental and lattice data are made. Highlights from this study include predictions that the mean-squared impact parameter for the quarks in the pion and kaon are: $\langle \vec{b}_T^2\rangle_{u}^π=0.11$fm$^2$, $\langle \vec{b}_T^2\rangle_{s}^K=0.08$fm$^2$, and $\langle \vec{b}_T^2\rangle_{u}^K=0.13$fm$^2$, and therefore the $s$ quark in the kaon is much closer to the center of transverse momentum than the $u$ quark. From the electromagnetic and gravitational form factors we find that the light-cone energy radii are about 60\% smaller than the light-cone charge radii for each quark sector in the pion and kaon. A quantitative measure of the importance of the leading Fock state is obtained via comparison with a full DSE calculation (containing an infinite tower of Fock states) for the pion form factor.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Massive Neutron Stars with a Color Superconducting Quark Matter Core

We construct the equation of state for high density neutron star matter at zero temperature using the two-flavor Nambu--Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model as an effective theory of QCD. We build nuclear matter, quark matter, and the mixed phases from the same NJL Lagrangian, which has been used to model free and in-medium hadrons as well as nuclear systems. A focus here is to determine if the same coupling constants in the scalar diquark and vector meson channels, which give a good description of nucleon structure and nuclear matter, can also be used for the color superconducting high density quark matter phase. We find that this is possible for the scalar diquark (pairing) interaction, but the vector meson interaction has to be reduced so that superconducting quark matter becomes the stable phase at high densities. We compare our equation of state with recent phenomenological parametrizations based on generic stability conditions for neutron stars. We find that the maximum mass of a neutron star, with a color superconducting quark matter core, exceeds $2.01 \pm 0.04\,M_\odot$ which is the value of the recently observed massive neutron star PSR J0348+0432. The mass-radius relation is also consistent with gravitational wave observations (GW170817).

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arXiv2019

Opportunities for Nuclear Physics & Quantum Information Science

This whitepaper is an outcome of the workshop Intersections between Nuclear Physics and Quantum Information held at Argonne National Laboratory on 28-30 March 2018 [www.phy.anl.gov/npqi2018/]. The workshop brought together 116 national and international experts in nuclear physics and quantum information science to explore opportunities for the two fields to collaborate on topics of interest to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics, and more broadly to U.S. society and industry. The workshop consisted of 22 invited and 10 contributed talks, as well as three panel discussion sessions. Topics discussed included quantum computation, quantum simulation, quantum sensing, nuclear physics detectors, nuclear many-body problem, entanglement at collider energies, and lattice gauge theories.

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arXiv2019

Effects of charge symmetry breaking on form factors of the pion and kaon

Effects of charge symmetry breaking associated with the $u$ and $d$ quark mass difference in the elastic form factors of the pion and kaon are presented. We use a confining version of the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model. The pion and kaon are described as a dressed quark and antiquark bound states governed by the Bethe-Salpeter equation, and exhibit the properties of Goldstone bosons, with the pion mass difference given by $m_{π^{+}}^2 - m_{π^{0}}^2 \propto (m_u -m_d)^2$ as demanded by dynamical chiral symmetry breaking. We found significant charge symmetry breaking effects for realistic current quark mass ratios ($m_u/m_d \sim 0.5$) in the quark electromagnetic form factors of the pion and kaon. We also report the effects of charge symmetry breaking on the parton distribution functions, which are rather smaller than those found in the electromagnetic form factors.

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arXiv2019

Eta Decay and Muonic Puzzles

New physics motivated by muonic puzzles (proton radius and muon $g-2$ discrepancies) is studied. Using a light scalar boson $ϕ$, assuming Yukawa interactions, accounts for these muonic puzzles simultaneously. Our previous work limits the existence of such a scalar boson's mass $m_ϕ$ from about 160 keV to 60 MeV. We improve this result by including the influence of all of the possible particles that couple to the $ϕ$ in computing the decay rate. Doing this involves including the strong interaction physics, involving quarks, necessary to compute the $ηπϕ$ vertex function. The Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model, which accounts for the spontaneous symmetry breaking that yields the constituent mass is employed to represent the relevant strong-interaction physics. We use the $ηπϕ$ vertex function to reanalyze the electron beam dump experiments. The result is that the allowed range of $m_ϕ$ lies between about 160 keV and 3.5 MeV. This narrow range represents an inviting target for ruling out or discovering this scalar boson. A possible UV completion of our phenomenological model is discussed.

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