arXiv subjects

N. Tantalo

Publications and source records attributed to N. Tantalo.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Virtual Photon Emission in Leptonic Decays of Pseudoscalar Mesons

We present a preliminary non-perturbative lattice calculation of the form factors entering the processes $K\to \ell\,ν_\ell\,\ell'^+\,\ell'^-$ and of the corresponding branching ratios. These form factors describe the interaction between the mediating virtual photon and the internal hadronic structure of the meson. By separating them from the point-like contribution to the matrix element we are able to isolate and reconstruct the structure-dependent contribution to the decay width. Our numerical analysis employs only one gauge ensemble and so it is affected by systematic uncertainties due to the missing continuum and physical point extrapolation. Despite this, we already find a reasonable agreement with the experimental data and with the next to leading order Chiral Perturbation Theory predictions. The method is general and can be applied to any pseudoscalar meson, though for heavier mesons the possibility of internal lighter states becomes problematic and still needs a proper study. A non-perturbative, model-independent lattice evaluation of these processes would allow further progress in the theoretical predictions of SM hadronic quantities and in the search of New Physics.

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arXiv2021

Electromagnetic corrections to leptonic decay rates of charged pseudoscalar mesons: finite-volume effects

In Carrasco et al. we have recently proposed a method to calculate $O(e^2)$ electromagnetic corrections to leptonic decay widths of pseudoscalar mesons. The method is based on the observation that the infrared divergent contributions (that appear at intermediate stages of the calculation and that cancel in physical quantities thanks to the Bloch-Nordsieck mechanism) are universal, i.e. depend on the charge and the mass of the meson but not on its internal structure. In this talk we perform a detailed analysis of the finite-volume effects associated with our method. In particular we show that also the leading $1/L$ finite-volume effects are universal and perform an analytical calculation of the finite-volume leptonic decay rate for a point-like meson.

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arXiv2021

Comparison of lattice QCD+QED predictions for radiative leptonic decays of light mesons with experimental data

We present a comparison of existing experimental data for the radiative leptonic decays $P\to\ellν_\ellγ$, where $P=K$ or $π$ and $\ell=e$ or $μ$, from the KLOE, PIBETA, E787, ISTRA+ and OKA collaborations with theoretical predictions based on the recent non-perturbative determinations of the structure-dependent vector and axial-vector form factors, $F_V$ and $F_A$ respectively. These were obtained using lattice QCD+QED simulations at order $O(α_{\mathrm{em}})$ in the electromagnetic coupling. We find good agreement with the KLOE data on $K\to eν_eγ$ decays from which the form factor $F^+=F_V+F_A$ can be determined. For $K\toμν_μγ$ decays we observe differences of up to 3\,-\,4 standard deviations at large photon energies between the theoretical predictions and the data from the E787, ISTRA+ and OKA experiments and similar discrepancies in some kinematical regions with the PIBETA experiment on radiative pion decays. A global study of all the kaon-decay data within the Standard Model results in a poor fit, largely because at large photon energies the KLOE and E787 data cannot be reproduced simultaneously in terms of the same form factor $F^+$. The discrepancy between the theoretical and experimental values of the form factor $F^-=F_V-F_A$ is even more pronounced. These observations motivate future improvements of both the theoretical and experimental determinations of the structure-dependent form factors $F^+$ and $F^-$, as well as further theoretical investigations of models of "new physics" which might for example, include possible flavor changing interactions beyond $V - A$ and/or non-universal corrections to the lepton couplings.

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arXiv2020

First lattice calculation of radiative leptonic decay rates of pseudoscalar mesons

We present a non-perturbative lattice calculation of the form factors which contribute to the amplitudes for the radiative decays $P\to \ell \bar ν_\ell γ$, where $P$ is a pseudoscalar meson and $\ell$ is a charged lepton. Together with the non-perturbative determination of the corrections to the processes $P\to \ell \bar ν_\ell$ due to the exchange of a virtual photon, this allows accurate predictions at $O(α_{em})$ to be made for leptonic decay rates for pseudoscalar mesons ranging from the pion to the $D_s$ meson. We are able to separate unambiguously and non-pertubatively the point-like contribution, from the structure-dependent, infrared-safe, terms in the amplitude. The fully non-perturbative $O(a)$ improved calculation of the inclusive leptonic decay rates will lead to the determination of the corresponding Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix elements also at $O(α_{em})$. Prospects for a precise evaluation of leptonic decay rates with emission of a hard photon are also very interesting, especially for the decays of heavy $D$ and $B$ mesons for which currently only model-dependent predictions are available to compare with existing experimental data.

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arXiv2019

Non-perturbative renormalization in QCD+QED and its application to weak decays

We present a novel strategy to renormalize lattice operators in QCD+QED, including first order QED corrections to the non-perturbative evaluation of QCD renormalization constants. Our procedure takes systematically into account the mixed non-factorizable QCD+QED effects which were neglected in previous calculations, thus significantly reducing the systematic uncertainty on renormalization corrections. The procedure is presented here in the RI'-MOM scheme, but it can be applied to other schemes (e.g. RI-SMOM) with appropriate changes. We discuss the application of this strategy to the calculation of the leading isospin breaking corrections to the leptonic decay rates $Γ(π_{μ2})$ and $Γ(K_{μ2})$, evaluated for the first time on the lattice. The precision in the matching to the $W$-regularization scheme is improved to $\mathcal{O}(α_{em}α_s(M_W))$ with respect to previous calculations. Finally, we show the updated precise result obtained for the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element $|V_{us}|$.

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arXiv2019

Light-meson leptonic decay rates in lattice QCD+QED

The leading electromagnetic (e.m.) and strong isospin-breaking corrections to the $π^+ \to μ^+ ν[γ]$ and $K^+ \to μ^+ ν[γ]$ leptonic decay rates are evaluated for the first time on the lattice. The results are obtained using gauge ensembles produced by the European Twisted Mass Collaboration with $N_f = 2 + 1 + 1$ dynamical quarks. The relative leading-order e.m.~and strong isospin-breaking corrections to the decay rates are 1.53(19)\% for $π_{μ2}$ decays and 0.24(10)\% for $K_{μ2}$ decays. Using the experimental values of the $π_{μ2}$ and $K_{μ2}$ decay rates and updated lattice QCD results for the pion and kaon decay constants in isosymmetric QCD, we find that the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element $ | V_{us}| = 0.22538(46)$, reducing by a factor of about $1.8$ the corresponding uncertainty in the Particle Data Group review. Our calculation of $|V_{us}|$ allows also an accurate determination of the first-row CKM unitarity relation $| V_{ud}|^2 + | V_{us}|^2 + | V_{ub}|^2 = 0.99988(46)$. Theoretical developments in this paper include a detailed discussion of how QCD can be defined in the full QCD+QED theory and an improved renormalisation procedure in which the bare lattice operators are renormalised non-perturbatively into the (modified) Regularization Independent Momentum subtraction scheme and subsequently matched perturbatively at $O(α_{em}α_s(M_W))$ into the W-regularisation scheme appropriate for these calculations.

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arXiv2019

Radiative corrections to semileptonic decay rates

We discuss the theoretical framework required for the computation of radiative corrections to semileptonic decay rates in lattice simulations, and in particular to those for $K_{\ell3}$ decays. This is an extension of the framework we have developed and successfully implemented for leptonic decays. New issues which arise for semileptonic decays, include the presence of unphysical terms which grow exponentially with the time separation between the insertion of the weak Hamiltonian and the sink for the final-state meson-lepton pair. Such terms must be identified and subtracted. We discuss the cancellation of infrared divergences and show that, with the QED$_\mathrm{\,L}$ treatment of the zero mode in the photon propagator, the $O(1/L)$ finite-volume corrections are "universal". These corrections however, depend not only on the semileptonic form factors $f^\pm(q^2)$ but also on their derivatives $df^\pm/dq^2$. (Here $q$ is the momentum transfer between the initial and final state mesons.) We explain the perturbative calculation which would need to be performed to subtract the $O(1/L)$ finite-volume effects.

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arXiv2019

Real photon emissions in leptonic decays

We present a non-perturbative calculation of the form factors which contribute to the amplitudes for the radiative decays $P\to \ell \bar ν_\ell γ$, where $P$ is a pseudoscalar meson and $\ell$ is a charged lepton. Together with the non-perturbative determination of the virtual photon corrections to the processes $P\to \ell \bar ν_\ell$, this will allow accurate predictions to be made at $O(α_{em})$ for leptonic decay rates for pseudoscalar mesons ranging from the pion to the $B$ meson. We are able to separate unambiguously the point-like contribution, the square of which leads to the infrared divergence in the decay rate, from the structure dependent, infrared-safe, terms in the amplitude. The fully non-perturbative, $O(a)$ improved calculation of the inclusive leptonic decay rates will lead to significantly improved precision in the determination of the corresponding Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix elements. Precise predictions for the emission of a hard photon are also very interesting, especially for the decays of heavy $D$ and $B$ mesons for which currently only model-dependent predictions are available to compare with existing experimental data.

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arXiv2017

First lattice calculation of the QED corrections to leptonic decay rates

The leading-order electromagnetic and strong isospin-breaking corrections to the ratio of $K_{μ2}$ and $π_{μ2}$ decay rates are evaluated for the first time on the lattice, following a method recently proposed. The lattice results are obtained using the gauge ensembles produced by the European Twisted Mass Collaboration with $N_f = 2 + 1 + 1$ dynamical quarks. Systematics effects are evaluated and the impact of the quenched QED approximation is estimated. Our result for the correction to the tree-level $K_{μ2} / π_{μ2}$ decay ratio is $-1.22\,(16) \%$ to be compared to the estimate $-1.12\,(21) \%$ based on Chiral Perturbation Theory and adopted by the Particle Data Group.

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arXiv2017

Leading isospin-breaking corrections to meson masses on the lattice

We present a study of the isospin-breaking (IB) corrections to pseudoscalar (PS) meson masses using the gauge configurations produced by the ETM Collaboration with $N_f=2+1+1$ dynamical quarks at three lattice spacings varying from 0.089 to 0.062 fm. Our method is based on a combined expansion of the path integral in powers of the small parameters $(\widehat{m}_d - \widehat{m}_u)/Λ_{QCD}$ and $α_{em}$, where $\widehat{m}_f$ is the renormalized quark mass and $α_{em}$ the renormalized fine structure constant. We obtain results for the pion, kaon and $D$-meson mass splitting; for the Dashen's theorem violation parameters $ε_γ(\overline{\mathrm{MS}}, 2~\mbox{GeV})$, $ε_{π^0}$, $ε_{K^0}(\overline{\mathrm{MS}}, 2~\mbox{GeV})$; for the light quark masses $(\widehat{m}_d - \widehat{m}_u)(\overline{\mathrm{MS}}, 2~\mbox{GeV})$, $(\widehat{m}_u / \widehat{m}_d)(\overline{\mathrm{MS}}, 2~\mbox{GeV})$; for the flavour symmetry breaking parameters $R(\overline{\mathrm{MS}}, 2~\mbox{GeV})$ and $Q(\overline{\mathrm{MS}}, 2~\mbox{GeV})$ and for the strong IB effects on the kaon decay constants.

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arXiv2017

Leading isospin-breaking corrections to pion, kaon and charmed-meson masses with Twisted-Mass fermions

We present a lattice computation of the isospin-breaking corrections to pseudoscalar meson masses using the gauge configurations produced by the European Twisted Mass collaboration with $N_f = 2 + 1 + 1$ dynamical quarks at three values of the lattice spacing ($a \simeq 0.062, 0.082$ and $0.089$ fm) with pion masses in the range $M_π\simeq 210 - 450$ MeV. The strange and charm quark masses are tuned at their physical values. We adopt the RM123 method based on the combined expansion of the path integral in powers of the $d$- and $u$-quark mass difference ($\widehat{m}_d - \widehat{m}_u$) and of the electromagnetic coupling $α_{em}$. Within the quenched QED approximation, which neglects the effects of the sea-quark charges, and after the extrapolations to the physical pion mass and to the continuum and infinite volume limits, we provide results for the pion, kaon and (for the first time) charmed-meson mass splittings, for the prescription-dependent parameters $ε_{π^0}$, $ε_γ(\overline{MS}, 2~\mbox{GeV})$, $ε_{K^0}(\overline{MS}, 2~\mbox{GeV})$, related to the violations of the Dashen's theorem, and for the light quark mass difference $(\widehat{m}_d - \widehat{m}_u)(\overline{MS}, 2~\mbox{GeV})$.

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arXiv2016

Finite-Volume QED Corrections to Decay Amplitudes in Lattice QCD

We demonstrate that the leading and next-to-leading finite-volume effects in the evaluation of leptonic decay widths of pseudoscalar mesons at $O(α)$ are universal, i.e. they are independent of the structure of the meson. This is analogous to a similar result for the spectrum but with some fundamental differences, most notably the presence of infrared divergences in decay amplitudes. The leading non-universal, structure-dependent terms are of $O(1/L^2)$ (compared to the $O(1/L^3)$ leading non-universal corrections in the spectrum). We calculate the universal finite-volume effects, which requires an extension of previously developed techniques to include a dependence on an external three-momentum (in our case, the momentum of the final state lepton). The result can be included in the strategy proposed in Ref.\,\cite{Carrasco:2015xwa} for using lattice simulations to compute the decay widths at $O(α)$, with the remaining finite-volume effects starting at order $O(1/L^2)$. The methods developed in this paper can be generalised to other decay processes, most notably to semileptonic decays, and hence open the possibility of a new era in precision flavour physics.

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arXiv2016

Electromagnetic corrections to the leptonic decay rates of charged pseudoscalar mesons: lattice results

Electromagnetic effects in the leptonic decay rates $π^+ \to μ^+ ν$ and $K^+ \to μ^+ ν$ are evaluated for the first time on the lattice. Following a method recently proposed in Ref. [1] the emission of virtual photons at leading order in the electromagnetic coupling is evaluated on the lattice and the infrared divergence computed for a point-like meson at finite lattice volume is subtracted. The physical decay rate is then obtained by adding the emission of real and virtual photons regularised with a photon mass. Using the gauge ensembles produced by the European Twisted Mass Collaboration with $N_f = 2 + 1 + 1$ dynamical quarks the feasibility of our approach is demonstrated. Preliminary results for the electromagnetic corrections to charged (neutral) pion and kaon masses as well as to the leptonic decay rates of charged pions and kaons are presented.

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arXiv2015

QED Corrections to Hadronic Processes in Lattice QCD

In this paper, for the first time a method is proposed to compute electromagnetic effects in hadronic processes using lattice simulations. The method can be applied, for example, to the leptonic and semileptonic decays of light or heavy pseudoscalar mesons. For these quantities the presence of infrared divergences in intermediate stages of the calculation makes the procedure much more complicated than is the case for the hadronic spectrum, for which calculations already exist. In order to compute the physical widths, diagrams with virtual photons must be combined with those corresponding to the emission of real photons. Only in this way do the infrared divergences cancel as first understood by Bloch and Nordsieck in 1937. We present a detailed analysis of the method for the leptonic decays of a pseudoscalar meson. The implementation of our method, although challenging, is within reach of the present lattice technology.

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arXiv2014

Flavored tetraquark spectroscopy

The recent confirmation of the charged charmonium like resonance Z(4430) by the LHCb experiment strongly suggests the existence of QCD multi quarks bound states. Some preliminary results about hypothetical flavored tetraquark mesons are reported. Such states are particularly amenable to Lattice QCD studies as their interpolating operators do not overlap with those of ordinary hidden-charm mesons.

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arXiv2013

A Tentative Description of Z_c,b States in Terms of Metastable Feshbach Resonances

We attempt a description of the recently discovered Z_{c,b} states in terms of Feshbach resonances arising from the interaction between the `closed' subspace of hadrocharmonium levels and the `open' one of open-charm/beauty thresholds. We show how the neutrality of the X(3872) might be understood in this scheme and provide a preliminary explanation of the pattern of the measured total widths of X,Z_{c,b}.

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arXiv2013

Doubly Charmed Tetraquarks in B_c and Xi_bc Decays

The phenomenology of the so-called X, Y and Z hadronic resonances is hard to reconcile with standard charmonium or bottomonium interpretations. It has been suggested that some of these new hadrons can possibly be described as tightly bound tetraquark states and/or as loosely bound two-meson molecules. In the present paper we focus on the hypothetical existence of flavored, doubly charmed, tetraquarks. Such states might also carry double electric charge, and in this case, if discovered, they could univocally be interpreted in terms of compact tetraquarks. Flavored tetraquarks are also amenable to lattice studies as their interpolating operators do not overlap with ordinary meson ones. We show that doubly charmed tetraquarks could significantly be produced at LHC from B_c or Xi_bc heavy baryons.

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arXiv2013

Leading isospin breaking effects on the lattice

We present a method to evaluate on the lattice the leading isospin breaking effects due to both the small mass difference between the up and down quarks and the QED interaction. Our proposal is applicable in principle to any QCD+QED gauge invariant hadronic observable which can be computed on the lattice. It is based on the expansion of the path-integral in powers of the small parameters (m_d - m_u)/Lambda_{QCD} and alpha_{em}, where m_f is the renormalized quark mass and alpha_{em} the renormalized fine structure constant. In this paper we discuss in detail the general strategy of the method and the conventional, although arbitrary, separation of QCD from QED isospin breaking corrections. We obtain results for the pion mass splitting, M_{pi+}^2-M_{pi0}^2= 1.44(13)(16) x 10^3 MeV^2, for the Dashen's theorem breaking parameter epsilon_{gamma}= 0.79(18)(18), for the light quark masses, [m_d - m_u](MSbar,2 GeV)= 2.39(8)(17) MeV, [m_u / m_d](MSbar,2 GeV)= 0.50(2)(3) and for the flavour symmetry breaking parameters R and Q. We also update our previous results for the QCD isospin breaking corrections to the Kl2 decay rate and for the QCD contribution to the neutron-proton mass splitting.

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