arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J. M. Alarcón.
There is an increasing interest in the community for the Neutron Stars and what we can learn from them. In this review we show how chiral effective field theory, combined with many-body methods, can provide important results that connect Neutron Star properties at zero temperature to nuclear physics and allows to use these compact objects as laboratories of new physics.
We study the equation of state (EoS) of a neutron star (NS) accounting for new advances. In the low energy density, $n\leq 0.1 n_s$, with $n_s$ the saturation density, we use a new pure neutron matter EoS that is regulator independent and expressed directly in terms of experimental nucleon-nucleon scattering data. In the highest-density domain our EoS's are matched with pQCD to $\mathcal{O}(α_s^3)$. First principles of causality, thermodynamic consistency and stability are invoked to transit between these two extreme density regimes. The EoS's are further constrained by the new measurements from PREX-II and CREX on the symmetry energy ($S_0$) and its slope ($L$). In addition, we also take into consideration the recent experimental measurements of masses and radii of different NSs and tidal deformabilities. A band of allowed EoS's is then obtained. Interestingly, the resulting values within the band for $S_0$ and $L$ are restricted with remarkably narrower intervals than the input values, with $32.9\leq S_0 \leq 39.5~\text{MeV}$ and $ 37.3 \leq L\leq 69.0~\text{MeV}$ at the 68\% CL. The band of EoS's constructed also allows possible phase transitions (PTs) for NS masses above 2.1~$M_\odot$ at 68\% CL for $n>2.5n_s$. We find both long and short coexistence regions during the PT, corresponding to first and second order PTs, respectively. We also generate the band of EoS's when excluding the astrophysical observables. This is of interest to test General Relativity and modified theories of gravity. Our band of EoS's for NSs can be also used to study other NS properties and dark matter capture in NS.
The MUSE experiment at Paul Scherrer Institute will perform the first measurement of low-energy muon-proton elastic scattering (muon lab momenta 115-210 MeV) with the aim of determining the proton charge radius. We study the prospects for the proton radius extraction using the theoretical framework of Dispersively Improved Chiral Effective Field Theory (DI$χ$EFT). It connects the proton radii with the finite-$Q^2$ behavior of the form factors through complex analyticity and enables the use of data up to $Q^2 \sim$ 0.1 GeV$^2$ for radius extraction. We quantify the sensitivity of the $μp$ cross section to the proton charge radius, the theoretical uncertainty of the cross section predictions, and the size of two-photon exchange corrections. We find that the optimal kinematics for radius extraction at MUSE is at momenta 210 MeV and $Q^2 \sim$ 0.05-0.08 GeV$^2$. We compare the performance of electron and muon scattering in the same kinematics. As a byproduct, we obtain explicit predictions for the $μp$ and $ep$ cross sections at MUSE as functions of the assumed value of the proton radius.
Infinite nuclear matter is studied by resuming the series of ladder diagrams based on the results developed by us in Ann. Phys. 437, 168741 (2022). The master formula for the energy density is explicitly solved for the case of contact interactions, within a pionless description of the nucleon-nucleon interactions. Renormalized results are obtained which are directly expressed in terms of the nucleon-nucleon phase shifts and mixing angles in partial-wave amplitudes up to an including $G$ waves, with convergence reached under the inclusion of higher partial waves. The energy per particle, density and sound velocity resulting from the ladder series are given for symmetric and neutron matter. This resummation of the ladder diagrams provides a rigorous result that may be used as low-density reference for other parameterizations of $\bar{\cal{E}}$ for higher densities.
We consider a spin-balanced degenerate gas of spin-1/2 fermions whose dynamics is governed by low-energy $P$-wave interactions, characterized by the scattering volume $a_1$ and effective momentum $r_1$. The energy per particle $\bar{\cal{E}}$ in the many-body system is calculated by resumming the ladder diagrams comprising both particle-particle and hole-hole intermediate states, following the novel advances recently developed by us in Ann.Phys. 437,168741(2022). This allows to obtain a renormalized result for $\bar{\cal{E}}$ within generic cutoff regularization schemes, with $\bar{\cal{E}}$ directly expressed in terms of the scattering parameters $a_1$ and $r_1$, once the cut off is sent to infinity. The whole set of possible values of $a_1$ and $r_1$ is explored for the first time in the literature looking for minima in the energy per particle with $\bar{\cal{E}}$ given as described. They are actually found, but a further inspection reveals that the associated scattering parameters give rise to resonance poles in the complex momentum-plane with positive imaginary part, which is at odds with the Hermiticity of the Hamiltonian. We also determine that these conflictive poles, with a pole-position momentum that is smaller in absolute value than the Fermi momentum of the system, clearly impact the calculation of $\bar{\cal{E}}$. As a result, we conclude that unpolarized spin-1/2 fermionic normal matter interacting in $P$-wave is not stable. We also study three universal parameters around the unitary limit. Finally, the whole set of values for the parameters $a_1$, $r_1$ is characterized according to whether they give rise to unallowed poles and, if so, by attending to their pole positions relative to the Fermi momentum of the system explored.
This article describes the setup and performance of the near and far detectors in the Double Chooz experiment. The electron antineutrinos of the Chooz nuclear power plant were measured in two identically designed detectors with different average baselines of about 400 m and 1050 m from the two reactor cores. Over many years of data taking the neutrino signals were extracted from interactions in the detectors with the goal of measuring a fundamental parameter in the context of neutrino oscillation, the mixing angle θ13. The central part of the Double Chooz detectors was a main detector comprising four cylindrical volumes filled with organic liquids. From the inside towards the outside there were volumes containing gadolinium-loaded scintillator, gadolinium-free scintillator, a buffer oil and, optically separated, another liquid scintillator acting as veto system. Above this main detector an additional outer veto system using plastic scintillator strips was installed. The technologies developed in Double Chooz were inspiration for several other antineutrino detectors in the field. The detector design allowed implementation of efficient background rejection techniques including use of pulse shape information provided by the data acquisition system. The Double Chooz detectors featured remarkable stability, in particular for the detected photons, as well as high radiopurity of the detector components.
The pion-nucleon sigma term is a quantity involved in many important aspects of particle and nuclear physics. In this review I show its origin and how it is connected to important questions as the origin of mass of the ordinary matter, studies of dark matter detection and nucleosynthesis. I mention the most common methods used to obtain the sigma term, and comment on the extracted values. As it is shown, the accepted value of the sigma term has been moving from relatively low ($\sim 40$ MeV) to larger ones ($\sim 60$ MeV) until today, where this controversy still persist.
Background: The transverse densities $ρ_{1, 2}(b)$ describe the distributions of electric charge and magnetic moment at fixed light-front time and connect the nucleon's elastic form factors with its partonic structure. The dispersive representation of the form factors $F_{1, 2}(t)$ expresses the densities in terms of exchanges of hadronic states in the $t$-channel and permits their analysis using hadronic physics methods. Purpose: Compute the densities at peripheral distances $b = \mathcal{O}(M_π^{-1})$, where they are generated predominantly by the two-pion states in the dispersive representation. Quantify the uncertainties. Methods: Dispersively improved chiral effective field theory (DI$χ$EFT) is used to calculate the isovector spectral functions $\textrm{Im}\, F_{1, 2}(t)$ on the two-pion cut. The method includes $ππ$ interactions ($ρ$ resonance) through elastic unitarity and provides realistic spectral functions up to $t \approx$ 1 GeV$^2$. Higher-mass states are parametrized by effective poles and constrained by sum rules (charges, radii, superconvergence relations). The densities $ρ_{1, 2}(b)$ are obtained from their dispersive representation. Uncertainties are quantified by varying the spectral functions. The method respects analyticity and ensures the correct $b \rightarrow \infty$ asymptotic behavior of the densities. Results: Accurate densities are obtained at all distances $b \gtrsim 0.5$ fm, with correct behavior down to $b \rightarrow 0$. The region of distances is quantified where transverse nucleon structure is governed by the two-pion state. The light-front current distributions in the polarized nucleon are computed and discussed. Conclusions: Peripheral nucleon structure can be computed from first principles using DI$χ$EFT. The method can be extended to generalized parton distributions and other nucleon form factors.
We resum the ladder diagrams for the calculation of the energy density $\cal{E}$ of a spin 1/2 fermion many-body system in terms of arbitrary vacuum two-body scattering amplitudes. The partial-wave decomposition of the in-medium two-body scattering amplitudes is developed, and the expression for calculating $\cal{E}$ in a partial-wave amplitude expansion is also given. The case of contact interactions is completely solved and is shown to provide renormalized results, expressed directly in terms of scattering data parameters, within cutoff regularization in a wide class of schemes. $S$- and $P$-wave interactions are considered up to including the first three-terms in the effective-range expansion, paying special attention to the parametric region around the unitary limit.
We extract the proton magnetic radius from the high-precision electron-proton elastic scattering cross section data. Our theoretical framework combines dispersion analysis and chiral effective field theory and implements the dynamics governing the shape of the low-$Q^2$ form factors. It allows us to use data up to $Q^2\sim$ 0.5 GeV$^2$ for constraining the radii and overcomes the difficulties of empirical fits and $Q^2 \rightarrow 0$ extrapolation. We obtain a magnetic radius $r_M^p$ = 0.850 $\pm$0.001 (fit 68%) $\pm$0.010 (theory full range) fm, significantly different from earlier results obtained from the same data, and close to the extracted electric radius $r_E^p$ = 0.842 $\pm$0.002 (fit) $\pm$0.010 (theory) fm.
We extract the proton charge radius from the elastic form factor (FF) data using a novel theoretical framework combining chiral effective field theory and dispersion analysis. Complex analyticity in the momentum transfer correlates the behavior of the spacelike FF at finite $Q^2$ with the derivative at $Q^2 = 0$. The FF calculated in the predictive theory contains the radius as a free parameter. We determine its value by comparing the predictions with a descriptive global fit of the spacelike FF data, taking into account the theoretical and experimental uncertainties. Our method allows us to use the finite-$Q^2$ FF data for constraining the radius (up to $Q^2\sim$ 0.5 GeV$^2$ and larger) and avoids the difficulties arising in methods relying on the $Q^2 \rightarrow 0$ extrapolation. We obtain a radius of 0.844(7) fm, consistent with the high-precision muonic hydrogen results.
We present a theoretical parametrization of the nucleon electromagnetic form factors (FFs) based on a combination of chiral effective field theory and dispersion analysis. The isovector spectral functions on the two-pion cut are computed using elastic unitarity, chiral pion-nucleon amplitudes, and timelike pion FF data. Higher-mass isovector and isoscalar t-channel states are described by effective poles, whose strength is fixed by sum rules (charges, radii). Excellent agreement with the spacelike proton and neutron FF data is achieved up to Q^2 \sim 1 GeV^2. Our parametrization provides proper analyticity and theoretical uncertainty estimates and can be used for low-Q^2 FF studies and proton radius extraction.
We study the nucleon electromagnetic form factors (EM FFs) using a recently developed method combining Chiral Effective Field Theory ($χ$EFT) and dispersion analysis. The spectral functions on the two-pion cut at $t > 4 M_π^2$ are constructed using the elastic unitarity relation and an $N/D$ representation. $χ$EFT is used to calculate the real functions $J_\pm^1 (t) = f_\pm^1(t)/F_π(t)$ (ratios of the complex $ππ\rightarrow N \bar N$ partial-wave amplitudes and the timelike pion FF), which are free of $ππ$ rescattering. Rescattering effects are included through the empirical timelike pion FF $|F_π(t)|^2$. The method allows us to compute the isovector EM spectral functions up to $t \sim 1$ GeV$^2$ with controlled accuracy (LO, NLO, and partial N2LO). With the spectral functions we calculate the isovector nucleon EM FFs and their derivatives at $t = 0$ (EM radii, moments) using subtracted dispersion relations. We predict the values of higher FF derivatives with minimal uncertainties and explain their collective behavior. We estimate the individual proton and neutron FFs by adding an empirical parametrization of the isoscalar sector. Excellent agreement with the present low-$Q^2$ FF data is achieved up to $\sim$0.5 GeV$^2$ for $G_E$, and up to $\sim$0.2 GeV$^2$ for $G_M$. Our results can be used to guide the analysis of low-$Q^2$ elastic scattering data and the extraction of the proton charge radius.
We propose a method for calculating the nucleon form factors (FFs) of $G$-parity-even operators by combining Chiral Effective Field Theory ($χ$EFT) and dispersion analysis. The FFs are expressed as dispersive integrals over the two-pion cut at $t > 4 M_π^2$. The spectral functions are obtained from the elastic unitarity condition and expressed as products of the complex $ππ\rightarrow N\bar N$ partial-wave amplitudes and the timelike pion FF. $χ$EFT is used to calculate the ratio of the partial-wave amplitudes and the pion FF, which is real and free of $ππ$ rescattering in the $t$-channel ($N/D$ method). The rescattering effects are then incorporated by multiplying with the squared modulus of the empirical pion FF. The procedure results in a marked improvement compared to conventional $χ$EFT calculations of the spectral functions. We apply the method to the nucleon scalar FF and compute the scalar spectral function, the scalar radius, the $t$-dependent FF, and the Cheng-Dashen discrepancy. Higher-order chiral corrections are estimated through the $πN$ low-energy constants. Results are in excellent agreement with dispersion-theoretical calculations. We elaborate several other interesting aspects of our method. The results show proper scaling behavior in the large-$N_c$ limit of QCD because the $χ$EFT calculation includes $N$ and $Δ$ intermediate states. The squared modulus of the timelike pion FF required by our method can be extracted from Lattice QCD calculations of vacuum correlation functions of the operator at large Euclidean distances. Our method can be applied to the nucleon FFs of other operators of interest, such as the isovector-vector current, the energy-momentum tensor, and twist-2 QCD operators (moments of generalized parton distributions).
The baryon electromagnetic form factors are expressed in terms of two-dimensional densities describing the distribution of charge and magnetization in transverse space at fixed light-front time. We calculate the transverse densities of the spin-1/2 flavor-octet baryons at peripheral distances b = O(M_π^{-1}) using methods of relativistic chiral effective field theory (χEFT) and dispersion analysis. The densities are represented as dispersive integrals over the imaginary parts of the form factors in the timelike region (spectral functions). The isovector spectral functions on the two-pion cut t > 4 M_π^2 are calculated using relativistic χEFT including octet and decuplet baryons. The χEFT calculations are extended into the ρmeson mass region using an N/D method that incorporates the pion electromagnetic form factor data. The isoscalar spectral functions are modeled by vector meson poles. We compute the peripheral charge and magnetization densities in the octet baryon states, estimate the uncertainties, and determine the quark flavor decomposition. The approach can be extended to baryon form factors of other operators and the moments of generalized parton distributions.
We stress, on theoretical and phenomenological grounds, the importance of the $Δ(1232)$-resonance in a chiral effective field theory approach applied to the study of $πN$ scattering. We show how its inclusion as a dynamical degree of freedom allow us to obtain reliably valuable information from $πN$ scattering data.
The pion-nucleon sigma term ($σ_{πN}$) is an observable of fundamental importance because embodies information about the internal scalar structure of the nucleon. Nowadays this quantity has triggered renewed interest because it is a key input for a reliable estimation of the dark matter-nucleon spin independent elastic scattering cross section. In this proceeding we present how this quantity can be reliably extracted by employing only experimental information with the use covariant baryon chiral perturbation theory. We also contrast our extraction with updated phenomenology related to $σ_{πN}$ and show how this phenomenology favours a relatively large value of $σ_{πN}$. Finally, we extract a value of $σ_{πN}=59(7)$ MeV from modern partial wave analyses data.
We present a novel analysis of the $πN$ scattering amplitude in covariant baryon chiral perturbation theory up to ${\cal O}(p^3)$ within the extended-on-mass-shell renormalization scheme and including the $Δ(1232)$ explicitly in the $δ$-counting. We take the hadronic phase shifts provided by partial wave analyses as basic experimental information to fix the low-energy constants. Subsequently, we study in detail the various observables and low-energy theorems related to the $πN$ scattering amplitude. In particular, we discuss the results and chiral expansion of the phase shifts, the threshold coefficients, the Goldberger-Treiman relation, the pion-nucleon sigma term and the extrapolation onto the subthreshold region. The chiral representation of the amplitude in the theory with the $Δ$ presents a good convergence from very low energies in the subthreshold region up to energies well above threshold, leading also to a phenomenological description perfectly consistent with the one reported by the respective partial wave analyses and independent determinations. We conclude that a model-independent and systematic framework to analyze $πN$-scattering observables using directly experimental data shall be possible in covariant baryon chiral perturbation theory.