arXiv subjects

Ismail Zahed

Publications and source records attributed to Ismail Zahed.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Hadronic structure on the light-front I.\ Instanton effects and quark-antiquark effective potentials

This is the first of a sequence of papers that address the non-perturbative origin of the central, and spin-dependent forces between quarks. Its main thrust is a focus on meson spectroscopy in the center of mass frame. We suggest a "dense instanton ensemble" model for the QCD vacuum, to explain the interquark forces in mesons, from quarkonia to heavy-light and light-light ones, to the extent it is possible. The sequels will show how to export these interactions to the light front, and derive the corresponding Hamiltonians and mesonic wavefunctions.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Hadronic structure on the light-front II: QCD strings, Wilson lines and potentials

This is the second paper on hadronic wave functions in the light front formulation. We first consider only confinement effects, using the classical Nambu-Gotto string with massive end points in the light cone gauge. We derive the light-front Hamiltonian and show how to solve it, using an expansion in suitable basis functions. We next discuss the correlators of Wilson lines on the light front, leading to an effective Hamiltonian that includes spin effects. At the end, we consider a separate problem of instanton-induced interactions, at the origin of the pion as a massless Goldstone mode on the light front.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Rapidity evolution of the entanglement entropy in quarkonium: parton and string duality

We investigate the quantum entanglement in rapidity space of the soft gluon wave function of a quarkonium, in theories with non-trivial rapidity evolutions. We found that the rapidity evolution drastically changes the behavior of the entanglement entropy, at any given order in perturbation theory. At large $N_c$, the reduced density matrices that "resum" the leading rapidity-logs can be explicitly constructed, and shown to satisfy Balitsky-Kovchegov (BK)-like evolution equations. We study their entanglement entropy in a simplified $1+1$ toy model, and in 3D QCD. The entanglement entropy in these cases, after re-summation, is shown to saturate the Kolmogorov-Sinai bound of 1. Remarkably, in 3D QCD the essential growth rate of the entanglement entropy is found to vanish at large rapidities, a result of kinematical "quenching" in transverse space. The one-body reduction of the entangled density matrix obeys a BFKL evolution equation, which can be recast as an evolution in an emergent AdS space, at large impact-parameter and large rapidity. This observation allows the extension of the perturbative wee parton evolution at low-x, to a dual non-perturbative evolution of string bits in curved AdS$_5$ space, with manifest entanglement entropy in the confining regime.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Hadronic structure on the light-front V. Diquarks, Nucleons and multiquark Fock components

This work is a continuation in our series of papers, that addresses quark models of hadronic structure on the light front, motivated by the QCD vacuum structure and lattice results. In this paper we focus on the importance of diquark correlations, which we describe by a quasi-local four-fermion effective 't Hooft interaction induced by instantons. The same interaction is also shown to generate extra quark-antiquark pair of the "sea". Its higher order iteration can be included via "pion-mediation": both taken together yield a quantitative description of the observed flavor asymmetry of antiquarks sea. Finally we discuss the final step needed to bridge the gap between hadronic spectroscopy and parton observables, by forward DGLAP evolution towards the chiral upper scale of $\sim 1\, {\rm GeV}^2$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Spatial entanglement in two dimensional QCD: Renyi and Ryu-Takayanagi entropies

We derive a general formula for the replica partition function in the vacuum state, for a large class of interacting theories with fermions, with or without gauge fields, using the equal-time formulation on the light front. The result is used to analyze the spatial entanglement of interacting Dirac fermions in two-dimensional QCD. A particular attention is paid to the issues of infrared cut-off dependence and gauge invariance. The Renyi entropy for a single interval, is given by the rainbow dressed quark propagator to order ${\cal O}(N_c)$. The contributions to order ${\cal O}(1)$, are shown to follow from the off-diagonal and off mass-shell mesonic T-matrix, with no contribution to the central charge. The construction is then extended to mesonic states on the light front, and shown to probe the moments of the partonic PDFs for large light-front separations. In the vacuum and for small and large intervals, the spatial entanglement entropy following from the Renyi entropy, is shown to be in agreement with the Ryu-Takayanagi geometrical entropy, using a soft-wall AdS$_3$ model of two-dimensional QCD.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

$J/ψ$ near threshold in holographic QCD: A and D gravitational form factors

The diffractive photoproduction of $J/Ψ$ on a nucleon, is mostly due to gluonic exchanges at all $\sqrt{s}$. In holographic QCD (large number of colors and strong $^\prime$t Hooft coupling), these exchanges are captured by gravitons near threshold, and their Reggeized Pomeron form asymptotically. We revisit our holographic analysis of the A and D gravitational form factors in light of the new lattice data, and use them to refine our predictions for the photoproduction of $J/Ψ$ near threshold, and the comparison to the GlueX data. We use these results to estimate the scalar and mass radii of the nucleon, and describe the gravitational pressure and shear across a nucleon.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Electromagnetic radii of the nucleon in soft-wall holographic QCD

We revisit the electromagnetic form factors of the proton and neutron in the original-minimal soft-wall holographic QCD, which has only two parameters, i.e., the mass scale $κ$ and the twist parameter of the nucleon $τ$. We first fix $τ=3$ by the hard scattering rule, and extract $κ=0.402~\text{GeV}$ from the world data (including the Mainz A1 data) of the Sachs magnetic form factor of the proton $G_M^p$. We then predict among others, the charge radius of the proton to be $\bf{r_{p}=0.831\,\pm\,0.008\,\,\text{fm}}$, in perfect agreement with the recent charge radius of the proton measured by the PRad collaboration at Jefferson Lab, and in agreement with the muonic hydrogen experiments. Our prediction for the proton elastic form factor ratio $μ_pG_E^p/G_M^p$ is also in very good agreement with the recent high precision Jefferson Lab recoil polarization experiment E08-007 for $Q^2=0.3\,-\,0.6~\text{GeV}^2$, and with the recent high precision Mainz A1 experiment for $Q^2< 0.13~\text{GeV}^2$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Instanton effects in Euclidean vacuum, real time production and in the light front wave functions

Nontrivial topological structures of non-Abelian gauge fields were discovered in the 1970's. Instanton solutions, describing vacuum tunneling through topological barriers, have fermionic zero modes which are at the origin of $^\prime$t Hooft effective Lagrangian. In the 1980's instanton ensembles have been used to explain chiral symmetry breaking. In the 1990's a large set of numerical simulations were performed deriving Euclidean correlation functions. The special role of scalar diquarks in nucleons, and color superconductivity in dense quark matter have been elucidated. In these lectures, we discuss further developments of physics related to gauge topology. We show that the instanton-antiinstanton "streamline" configurations describe "sphaleron transitions" in high energy collisions, which result in production of hadronic clusters with nontrivial topological/chiral charges. (They are not yet observed, but discussions of dedicated experiments at LHC and RHIC are ongoing.) Another new direction is instanton effects in hadronic spectroscopy, both in the rest frame and on the light front. We will discuss their role in central and spin-dependent potentials, formfactors and antiquark nuclear "sea". Finally, we summarize the advances in the semiclassical theory of deconfinement, and chiral phase transitions at finite temperature, in QCD and in some of its "deformed" versions.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Entanglement entropy and flow in two dimensional QCD: parton and string duality

We discuss quantum entanglement between fast and slow degrees of freedom, in a two dimensional (2D) large $N_c$ gauge theory with Dirac quarks, quantized on the light front. Using the 't Hooft wave functions, we construct the reduced density matrix for an interval in the momentum fraction $x$-space, and calculate its von Neumann entropy in terms of structure functions, that are measured by DIS on mesons (hadrons in general). We found that the entropy is bounded by an area law with logarithmic divergences, proportional to the rapidity of the meson. The evolution of the entanglement entropy with rapidity, is fixed by the cumulative singlet PDF, and bounded from above by a Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy of 1. At low-$x$, the entanglement exhibits an asymptotic expansion, similar to the forward meson-meson scattering amplitude in the Regge limit. The evolution of the entanglement entropy in parton-$x$ per unit rapidity, measures the meson singlet PDF. The re-summed entanglement entropy along the single meson Regge trajectory, is string-like. We suggest that its extension to multi-meson states, models DIS scattering on a large 2D $^\prime$nucleus$^\prime$. The result, is a large rate of change of the entanglement entropy with rapidity, that matches the current Bekenstein-Bremermann bound for maximum quantum information flow. This mechanism may be at the origin of the large entropy deposition and rapid thermalization, reported in current heavy ion colliders, and may extend to future electron-ion colliders.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Hyperons and $Θ_s^+$ in Holographic QCD

We revisit the holographic description of strange baryons in the context of the Sakai-Sugimoto construction, by considering the strange quark mass as heavy. Hyperons are described by a massive $(K,K^*)$ multiplet, bound to a light-flavor instanton in bulk, much in the spirit of the Callan-Klebanov construction. The modular Hamiltonian maps onto the Landau problem, a charged particle in a 2-dimensional external magnetic field, induced by the bulk Chern-Simons interaction, plus spin-orbit coupling. The ensuing holographic hyperon spectrum compares fairly with the empirical one. The holographic strange pentaquark baryon $Θ^+_s$ is shown to be unbound.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Holographic tetraquarks and the newly observed $T_{cc}^{+}$ at LHCb

We describe a heavy and exotic tetraquark state as a holographic molecule, by binding the lightest heavy-light meson $(0^-, 1^-)$ multiplet to a flavored sphaleron, in the bulk of the Witten-Sakai-Sugimoto model. Bound tetraquark states emerge as Efimov states in the heavy quark limit, with a binding energy for charm tetraquark comparable to the $T_{cc}^+$ recently reported by the LHCb, but a substantially smaller width, for a large but finite $^\prime$t Hooft coupling. Fixing the parameters of the model at the empirical mass of $T_{cc}^+$ allows us to predict the bindings of the undiscovered so far bottom-charm and bottom tetraquarks, when interpreted as Efimov states.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

QCD Sum Rules at High Temperature

We generalize the sum rule approach to investigate the nonperturbative structure of QCD at high temperature. Salient features of the QCD phase above $T_c$ are discussed, and included in the form of power corrections or condensate insertions, in an operator product expansion of gauge invariant correlators. It is shown that for a plausible choice of condensates, QCD at high temperature exhibits color singlet excitations in the vector channels, as opposed to merely screened quarks and gluons.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Pion and Kaon Distribution Amplitudes up to twist-3 in the QCD Instanton Vacuum

We discuss the pion and kaon distribution amplitudes up to twist-3 in the context of the random instanton vacuum (RIV). We construct explicitly the pertinent quasi-pion and quasi-kaon distributions in the RIV, and analyze them in leading order in the diluteness factor, at a resolution fixed by the inverse instanton size. The distribution amplitudes (DA) follow from the large momentum limit. The results at higher resolution are discussed using QCD evolution, and compared to their asymptotic limits and some lattice results.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Holographic charm and bottom pentaquarks III: Excitations through photo-production of heavy mesons

We consider the photo-excitation of charm and bottom pentaquarks with the holographic assignments $[\frac 12\frac 12^-]_{S=0,1}$ and $[\frac 12\frac 32^-]_{S=1}$, in the photo-production of heavy vector mesons such as charmonia and bottomonia near threshold. We use a Witten diagram to combine the s-channel photo-excitation of holographic pentaquarks with a massive t-channel graviton or tensor glueball exchange, to extract the scattering amplitude for heavy meson photo-production in the threshold region. The pentaquark signal is too weak to be detected at current electron facilities.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Holographic charm and bottom pentaquarks II: Open and hidden decay widths

We analyze the decay modes of the three $[\frac 12\frac 12^-]_{S=0,1}$ and $[\frac 12\frac 32^-]_{S=1}$ non-strange pentaquarks with hidden charm and bottom, predicted by holographic QCD in the heavy quark limit. In leading order, the pentaquarks %are composed of heavy-light mesons in bulk bound to an instanton core. They are degenerate and stable by heavy quark symmetry. At next to leading order, the spin interactions lift the degeneracy and cause the pentaquarks to decay. We show that the open charm (bottom) decay modes dwarf the hidden charm (bottom) ones, with total widths that are consistent with those recently reported by LHCb for charm pentaquarks. Predictions for bottom pentaquarks are given.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Holographic charm and bottom pentaquarks I: Mass spectra with spin effects

We revisit the three non-strange pentaquarks $[\frac 12\frac 12^-]_{S=0,1}$ and $[\frac 12\frac 32^-]_{S=1}$ predicted using the holographic dual description, where chiral and heavy quark symmetry are manifest in the triple limit of a large number of colors, large quark mass and strong $^\prime$t Hooft gauge coupling. In the heavy quark limit, the pentaquarks with internal heavy quark spin $S$ are all degenerate. The holographic pentaquarks are dual to an instanton bound to heavy mesons in bulk, without the shortcomings related to the nature of the interaction and the choice of the hard core inherent to the molecular constructions. We explicitly derive the spin-spin and spin-orbit couplings arising from next to leading order in the heavy quark mass, and lift totally the internal spin degeneray, in fair agreement with the newly reported charmed pentaquarks from LHCb. New charm and bottom pentaquark states are predicted.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Electroproduction of heavy vector mesons using holographic QCD: from near threshold to high energy regimes

We develop a non-perturbative analysis of the electro-production of heavy vector mesons ($ϕ$, $J/Ψ$) from threshold to high energy. We use the holographic construction with bulk confinement enforced through a soft wall. Using Witten diagrams, we evaluate the pertinent cross sections for heavy vector mesons ($ϕ$, $J/Ψ$) production and study their dependence on both the incoming virtual photon polarization as well as the outgoing polarization of the heavy meson. Our results for $J/Ψ$ electro-production compares well with the available HERA data at low and intermediate $Q^2$, and for a wide range of momentum transfer. We also predict the quasi-real electro-production of $J/Ψ$ near threshold.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

How to observe the QCD instanton/sphaleron processes at hadron colliders?

The instanton/sphaleron processes involve gauge fields with changing topology through a nonzero variation of the Chern-Simons number $δN_{CS}=\pm 1$. In QCD this leads to the production of $2N_f δN_{CS}$ units of axial charge, and in the electroweak theory to the production of 12 fermions, with $ΔB=δL=3$ units of baryon and lepton number, a key mechanism in baryogenesis. While this is all known for a long time, and is one of the pillars of the nonperturbative theory of the QCD vacuum, to see these phenomena directly in colliders remains an unfulfilled promise. Motivated by the recent CERN workshop on the topic, we review the field. We also put forward our own suggestions to utilize double-diffractive (or Pomeron-Pomeron) collisions to this goal, which maximizes the entrance factor and minimizes the backgrounds. We consider separately clusters of small ($M=3-10\, {\rm GeV}$), medium ($10-30\, {\rm GeV}$) and high $M\sim 100 \, {\rm GeV}$ invariant masses. Among the proposed signals are specific flavor combination of channels, originating from well-defined 6-, 8- and 10-quark-antiquark operators, as well as correlation of quark chiralities to be potentially detected via $Λ$ hyperon decays.

hep-ph↗