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John P. Ralston

Publications and source records attributed to John P. Ralston.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
arXiv2003

The Proton Electromagnetic Form Factor $F_2$ and Quark Orbital Angular Momentum

We analyze the proton electromagnetic form factor ratio $R(Q^{2})=QF_2(Q^{2})/F_1(Q^{2})$ as a function of momentum transfer $Q^{2}$ within perturbative QCD. We find that the prediction for $R(Q^{2})$ at large momentum transfer $Q$ depends on the exclusive quark wave functions, which are unknown. For a wide range of wave functions we find that $ QF_2/F_1 \sim\ const$ at large momentum transfer, in agreement with recent JLAB data.

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arXiv2003

QCD Form Factors and Hadron Helicity Non-Conservation

Recent data for the ratio $R(Q)= QF_{2}(Q^{2})/F_{1}(Q^{2})$ shocked the community by disobeying expectations held for 50 years. We examine the status of perturbative QCD predictions for helicity-flip form factors. Contrary to common belief, we find there is no rule of hadron helicity conservation for form factors. Instead the analysis yields an inequality that the leading power of helicity-flip processes may equal or exceed the power of helicity conserving processes. Numerical calculations support the rule, and extend the result to the regime of laboratory momentum transfer $Q^{2}$. Quark orbital angular momentum, an important feature of the helicity flip processes, may play a role in all form factors at large $Q^{2}$, depending on the quark wave functions.

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arXiv2003

The Bohr Atom of Glueballs

Recently Buniy and Kephart made an astonishing empirical observation, which anyone can reproduce at home. Measure the {\it lengths} of closed knots tied from ordinary rope. The ``double do-nut'', and the beautiful trefoil knot are examples. Tie the knots tightly, and glue or splice the tails into a seamless unity. Compare two knots with corresponding members of the mysterious particle states known as ``glueball'' candidates in the literature. Propose that the microscopic glueball mass ought to be proportional to the macroscopic mass of the corresponding knot. Fit two parameters, then {\it predict} 12 of 12 remaining glueball masses with extraordinary accuracy, knot by knot. Here we relate these observations to the fundamental gauge theory of gluons, by recognizing a hidden gauge symmetry bent into the knots. As a result the existence and importance of a gluon mass parameter is clarified. Paradoxically forbidden by the usual framework, the gluon mass cannot be expressed in the usual coordinates, but has a natural meaning in the geometry of knots.

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arXiv2002

Femto-Photography of Protons to Nuclei with Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering

Developments in deeply virtual Compton scattering allow the direct measurements of scattering amplitudes for exchange of a highly virtual photon with fine spatial resolution. Real-space images of the target can be obtained from this information. Spatial resolution is determined by the momentum transfer rather than the wavelength of the detected photon. Quantum photographs of the proton, nuclei, and other elementary particles with resolution on the scale of a fraction of a femtometer is feasible with existing experimental technology.

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arXiv2002

Ultra-High Energy Quenching of the LPM Effect: Implications for GZK-Violating Events

Cosmic rays in the regime of 10^19-10^20 eV should not exist, according to the GZK bound. Conflicts between data and the bound have led to suggestions that laws of physics must be modified. We find that physical processes neglected in the early history terminate the LPM effect, important in calibrating the energy of electromagnetic and hadronic showers in the GZK energy regime. The processes neglected are the direct losses of electrons and positrons, overlooked by LPM and greatly augmented by ultra-high energy circumstances. We present an exact formula for direct energy losses of e^+e^- pairs in electromagnetic showers. Numerical integration in current hadronic models shows that actual energy losses are always substantially larger than LPM estimates, but the energy at which crossover occurs depends on models.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2002

Angular Dependence of Neutrino Flux in KM3 Detectors in Low Scale Gravity Models

Cubic kilometer neutrino telescopes are capable of probing fundamental questions of ultra-high energy neutrino interactions. There is currently great interest in neutrino interactions caused by low-scale, extra dimension models. Above 1 PeV the cross section in low scale gravity models rises well above the total Standard Model cross section. We assess the observability of this effect in the 1 PeV - 100 PeV energy range of kilometer-scale detectors with several new points of emphasis that hinge on enhanced neutral current cross sections. A major point is the importance of ``feed-down'' regeneration of upward neutrino flux, driven by new-physics neutral current interactions in the flux evolution equations. Feed-down is far from negligible, and it is essential to include its effect. We then find that the angular distribution of events has high discriminating value in separating models. In particular the ``up-to-down'' ratio between upward and downward-moving neutrino fluxes is a practical diagnostic tool which can discriminate between models in the near future. The slope of the angular distribution, in the region of maximum detected flux, is also substantially different in low-scale gravity and the Standard Model. These observables are only weakly dependent on astrophysical flux uncertainties. We conclude that angular distributions can reveal a breakdown of the Standard Model and probe the new physics beyond, as soon as data become available.

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arXiv2002

Exploring the Micro-Structure of the Proton: from Form Factors to DVCS

For a long time people made the mistake of thinking the proton was understood. New experiments, ranging from form factors to deeply virtual Compton scattering, promise a new era of highly informative studies. Among the controversial topics of the future may be such basic features as the physical size of the proton, the role of quark orbital angular momentum, and the possibility of making "femto-photographic" images of hadronic micro-structure.

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arXiv2002

Electromagnetic Form Factors and the Localization of Quark Orbital Angular Momentum in the Proton

A new picture is given of generalized parton distributions probed in experiments in which the probe scale $Q^{2}$ and the momentum transfer $\DD^{2}$ are well separated. Application of this picture to the $Q^{2}$ dependence of the form factors $F_{1}, F_{2}$ shows that gauge invariant quark orbital angular momentum can be measured and indeed {\it localized} in the transverse profile of the proton. A previous prediction that $\sqrt{Q^{2}}F_{2}(Q^{2})/F_{1}(Q^{2}) \sim const. $ is generalized to GPD language. This prediction appears to have been confirmed by recent CEBAF data.

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arXiv2002

Coherent Radio Pulses From GEANT Generated Electromagnetic Showers In Ice

Radio Cherenkov radiation is arguably the most efficient mechanism for detecting showers from ultra-high energy particles of 1 PeV and above. Showers occuring in Antarctic ice should be detectable at distances up to 1 km. We report on electromagnetic shower development in ice using a GEANT Monte Carlo simulation. We have studied energy deposition by shower particles and determined shower parameters for several different media, finding agreement with published results where available. We also report on radio pulse emission from the charged particles in the shower, focusing on coherent emission at the Cherenkov angle. Previous work has focused on frequencies in the 100 MHz to 1 GHz range. Surprisingly, we find that the coherence regime extends up to tens of Ghz. This may have substantial impact on future radio-based neutrino detection experiments as well as any test beam experiment which seeks to measure coherent Cherenkov radiation from an electromagnetic shower. Our study is particularly important for the RICE experiment at the South Pole.

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arXiv2001

Neutrino-Induced Giant Air Showers in Large Extra Dimension Models

In models based on large extra dimensions where massive spin 2 exchange can dominate at high energies, the neutrino-proton cross section can rise to typical hadronic values at energies above 10^20 eV. The neutrino then becomes a candidate for the primary that initiates the highest energy cosmic ray showers. We investigate characteristics of neutrino-induced showers compared to proton-induced showers. The comparison includes study of starting depth, profile with depth, lateral particle distribution at ground and muon lateral distribution at ground level. We find that for cross sections above 20 mb there are regions of parameter space where the two types of showers are essentially indistinguishable. We conclude that the neutrino candidate hypothesis cannot be ruled out on the basis of shower characteristics.

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arXiv2000

Correlation of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays with Compact Radio Loud Quasars

Angular correlations of ultra-high energy cosmic rays with cosmologically distant sources may provide clues to these mysterious events. We compare cosmic ray tracks with energies above $ 10^{20}eV$ to a compilation of radio-loud compact QSO positions. The statistical method emphasizes invariant quantities and a test of {\it statistical independence} of track and source distributions. Statistical independence is ruled out by several independent statistics at confidence levels of less that $10^{-3}$ ($99.9% $.), indicating that track directions and QSO source positions are correlated at a highly significant level.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2000

Progress in Perturbative Color Transparency

A brief overview of the status of color transparency experiments is presented. We report on the first complete calculations of color transparency within a perturbative QCD framework. We also comment on the underlying factorization method and assumptions. Detailed calculations show that the slope of the transparency ratio with $Q^2$, and the effective attenuation cross sections extracted from color transparency experiments depend on the $x$ distribuition of wave functions.

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arXiv2000

The GZK Bound and Strong Neutrino-Nucleon Interactions above 10^19eV: a Progress Report

Cosmic ray events above 10^19 eV have posed a fundamental problem for more than thirty years. Recent measurements indicate that these events do not show the features predicted by the GZK bound. The events may, in addition, display angular correlations with point sources. If these observations are confirmed for point sources further than 50 - 100 Mpc, then strong interactions for the neutrino are indicated. Recent work on extra spatial dimensions provides a context for massive spin-2 exchanges capable of generating cross sections in the 1 - 100 mb range, as indicated by data. Applications of extra-dimension physics are controversial, and we comment on several contentious issues.

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arXiv2000

Perturbative Color Transparency in Electroproduction Experiments

We calculate quasi-exclusive scattering of a virtual photon and a proton or pion in nuclear targets. This is the first complete calculation of ``color transparency" and "nuclear filtering " in perturbative QCD. The calculation includes full integrations over hard interaction kernels and distribution amplitudes in Feynman -x fractions and transverse spatial separation space $b$. Sudakov effects depending on $b$ and the momentum transfer $Q^2$ are included. Attenuation of the hadronic states propagating through the medium is calculated using an eikonal Glauber formalism. Nuclear correlations are included explicitly. We find that the color transparency ratio is comparatively insensitive to theoretical uncertainties inherent in perturbative formalism, such as choice of infrared cutoff scales. However, the $Q^2$ dependence of the transparency ratio is found to depend sensitively on the model of the distribution amplitude, with endpoint-dominated models failing to be dominated by short-distance. Color transparency experiments should provide an excellent test of the underlying theoretical assumptions used in the pQCD calculations.

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arXiv2000

Extra dimensions and Strong Neutrino-Nucleon interactions above $10^{19}$ eV : Breaking the GZK Barrier

Cosmic ray events above $10^{20}$ eV are on the verge of confronting fundamental particle physics. The neutrino is the only candidate primary among established particles capable of crossing 100 Mpc intergalactic distances unimpeded. The magnitude of $νN$ cross sections indicated by events, plus consistency with the Standard Model at low-energy, point to new physics of massive spin-2 exchange. In models based on extra dimensions, we find that the $νN$ cross section rises to typical hadronic values of between 1 and 100 mb at energies above $10^{20}$ eV. Our calculations take into account constraints of unitarity. We conclude that air-showers observed with energies above $10^{19}$ eV are consistent with neutrino primaries and extra-dimension models. An {\it upper bound} of 1-10 TeV on the mass scale at which graviton exchange becomes strong in current Kaluza-Klein models follows.

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arXiv2000

Oscillating Color Transparency in $πA\to πp (A-1)$ and $γA\to πN (A-1)$

The energy dependence of $90^o$ $cm$ fixed angle scattering of $πp \to π' p'$ and $γp\to π^+ n$ at large momentum transfer are found to be well described in terms of interfering short and long distance amplitudes with dynamical phases induced by Sudakov effects. We calculate the color transparency ratio for the corresponding processes in nuclear environments $πA\to π'p(A-1)$ and $γA\to πN (A-1)$ taking nuclear filtering into account. A prediction that the transparency ratio for these reactions will oscillate with energy provides an important test of the Sudakov phase shift and nuclear filtering hypothesis which is testable in upcoming experiments.

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