arXiv subjects

Niklas Mueller

Publications and source records attributed to Niklas Mueller.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Single-particle digitization strategy for quantum computation of a $ϕ^4$ scalar field theory

Motivated by the parton picture of high energy quantum chromodynamics, we develop a single-particle digitization strategy for the efficient quantum simulation of relativistic scattering processes in a $d+1$ dimensional scalar $ϕ^4$ field theory. We work out quantum algorithms for initial state preparation, time evolution and final state measurements. We outline a non-perturbative renormalization strategy in this single-particle framework.

hep-th↗

arXiv2020

Chiral instabilities & the onset of chiral turbulence in QED plasmas

We present a first principles study of chiral plasma instabilities and the onset of chiral turbulence in QED plasmas far from equilibrium. By performing classical-statistical lattice simulations of the microscopic theory, we show that the generation of strong helical magnetic fields from a helicity imbalance in the fermion sector proceeds via three distinct phases. During the initial linear instability regime the helicity imbalance of the fermion sector causes an exponential growth(damping) of magnetic field modes with right(left) handed polarization, for which we extract the characteristic growth (damping) rates. Secondary growth of unstable modes accelerates the helicity transfer from fermions to gauge fields and ultimately leads to the emergence of a self-similar scaling regime characteristic of decaying turbulence, where magnetic helicity is efficiently transferred to macroscopic length scales. Within this turbulent regime the evolution of magnetic helicity spectrum can be described by an infrared power-spectrum with spectral exponent $κ$ and dynamical scaling exponents $α,β$, which we determine from our simulations.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Deeply inelastic scattering structure functions on a hybrid quantum computer

We outline a strategy to compute deeply inelastic scattering structure functions using a hybrid quantum computer. Our approach takes advantage of the representation of the fermion determinant in the QCD path integral as a quantum mechanical path integral over 0+1-dimensional fermionic and bosonic worldlines. The proper time evolution of these worldlines can be determined on a quantum computer. While extremely challenging in general, the problem simplifies in the Regge limit of QCD, where the interaction of the worldlines with gauge fields is strongly localized in proper time and the corresponding quantum circuits can be written down. As a first application, we employ the Color Glass Condensate effective theory to construct the quantum algorithm for a simple dipole model of the $F_2$ structure function. We outline further how this computation scales up in complexity and extends in scope to other real-time correlation functions.

hep-th↗

arXiv2020

Computing real time correlation functions on a hybrid classical/quantum computer

Quantum devices may overcome limitations of classical computers in studies of nuclear structure functions and parton Wigner distributions of protons and nuclei. In this talk, we discuss a worldline approach to compute nuclear structure functions in the high energy Regge limit of QCD using a hybrid quantum computer, by expressing the fermion determinant in the QCD path integral as a quantum mechanical path integral over $0+1$-dimensional fermionic and bosonic world-lines in background gauge fields. Our simplest example of computing the well-known dipole model result for the structure function $F_2$ in the high energy Regge limit is feasible with NISQ era technology using few qubits and shallow circuits. This example can be scaled up in complexity and extended in scope to compute structure functions, scattering amplitudes and other real-time correlation functions in QCD, relevant for example to describe non-equilibrium transport of quarks and gluons in a Quark-Gluon-Plasma.

hep-th↗

arXiv2019

Multi-gluon correlations and evidence of saturation from dijet measurements at an Electron Ion Collider

We study inclusive and diffractive dijet production in electron-proton and electron-nucleus collisions within the Color Glass Condensate effective field theory. We compute dijet cross sections differentially in both mean dijet transverse momentum $\mathbf{P}$ and recoil momentum $\mathbfΔ$, as well as the anisotropy in the relative angle between $\mathbf{P}$ and $\mathbfΔ$. We use the nonlinear Gaussian approximation to compute multiparticle correlators for general small $x$ kinematics, employing running coupling Balitsky-Kovchegov evolution to determine the dipole amplitude at small $x$. Our results cover a much larger kinematic range than accessible in previous computations performed in the correlation limit approximation, where it is assumed that $|\mathbf{P}| \gg |\mathbfΔ|$. We validate this approximation in its range of applicability and quantify its failure for $|\mathbf{P}| \lesssim |\mathbfΔ|$. We also predict significant target-dependent deviations from the correlation limit approximation for $|\mathbf{P}| > |\mathbfΔ|$ and $|\mathbf{P}| \lesssim Q_s$, which offers a straightforward test of gluon saturation and access to multi-gluon distributions at a future electron ion collider.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2019

QCD Resummation in Hard Diffractive Dijet Production at the Electron-Ion Collider

Diffractive dijet production at the electron-ion collider (EIC) has been proposed to study the gluon Wigner distribution at small-$x$. We investigate the soft gluon radiation associated with the final state jets and an all order resummation formula is derived. We show that the soft gluon resummation plays an important role to describe E791 data on $π$-induced diffractive dijet production at Fermilab. Predictions for the EIC are presented, and we emphasize that the soft gluon resummation is an important aspect to explore the nucleon/nucleus tomography through these processes.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2019

Diffractive dijet production from the Color Glass Condensate and the small-$x$ gluon distributions

We study exclusive dijet production in electron-proton deep inelastic scattering at a future Electron Ion Collider. We predict the elliptic modulation of the cross section as a function of the angle between the dijet transverse momentum and the recoil momentum, and show that this modulation is due to non-trivial angular correlations between the transverse coordinate and transverse momentum in the Wigner (or Husimi) distribution. The small-$x$ evolution is shown to decrease the elliptic modulation in the EIC kinematics, because of the growth of the proton with decreasing $x$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2019

Non-cancellation of the parity anomaly in the strong-field regime of QED$_{2+1}$

Quantum fluctuations lead to an anomalous violation of parity symmetry in quantum electrodynamics for an even number of spatial dimensions. While the leading parity-odd electric current vanishes in vacuum, we uncover a non-cancellation of the anomaly for strong electric fields with distinct macroscopic signatures. We perform real-time lattice simulations with fully dynamical gauge fields and Wilson fermions in $2+1$ space-time dimensions. In the static field limit, relevant at early times, we solve the problem analytically. Our results point out the fundamental role of quantum anomalies for strong-field phenomena, relevant for a wide range of condensed matter and high-energy applications, but also for the next generation of gauge theory quantum simulators.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2019

Diffractive Dijet Production and Wigner Distributions from the Color Glass Condensate

Experimental processes that are sensitive to parton Wigner distributions provide a powerful tool to advance our understanding of proton structure. In this work, we compute gluon Wigner and Husimi distributions of protons within the Color Glass Condensate framework, which includes a spatially dependent McLerran-Venugopalan initial configuration and the explicit numerical solution of the JIMWLK equations. We determine the leading anisotropy of the Wigner and Husimi distributions as a function of the angle between impact parameter and transverse momentum. We study experimental signatures of these angular correlations at a proposed Electron Ion Collider by computing coherent diffractive dijet production cross sections in e+p collisions within the same framework. Specifically, we predict the elliptic modulation of the cross section as a function of the relative angle between nucleon recoil and dijet transverse momentum for a wide kinematical range. We further predict its dependence on collision energy, which is dominated by the growth of the proton with decreasing $x$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2019

Constructing phase space distributions with internal symmetries

We discuss an ab initio world-line approach to constructing phase space distributions in systems with internal symmetries. Starting from the Schwinger-Keldysh real time path integral in quantum field theory, we derive the most general extension of the Wigner phase space distribution to include color and spin degrees of freedom in terms of dynamical Grassmann variables. The corresponding Liouville distribution for colored particles, which obey Wong's equation, has only singlet and octet components, while higher moments are fully constrained by the Grassmann algebra. The extension of phase space dynamics to spin is represented by a generalization of the Pauli-Lubanski vector; its time evolution via the Bargmann-Michel-Telegdi equation also follows from the phase space trajectories of the underlying Grassmann coordinates. Our results for the Liouville phase space distribution in systems with both spin and color are of interest in fields as diverse as chiral fluids, finite temperature field theory and polarized parton distribution functions. We also comment on the role of the chiral anomaly in the phase space dynamics of spinning particles.

hep-th↗

arXiv2017

World-line formulation of chiral kinetic theory in topological background gauge fields

In heavy-ion collisions, an interesting question of phenomenological relevance is how the chiral imbalance generated at early times persists through a fluctuating background of sphalerons in addition to other "non-anomalous" interactions with the QGP. To address this question, we construct a relativistic chiral kinetic theory using the world-line formulation of quantum field theory. We outline how Berry's phase arises in this framework, and how its effects can be clearly distinguished from those arising from the chiral anomaly. We further outline how this framework can be matched to classical statistical simulations at early times and to anomalous chiral hydrodynamics at late times.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

Simulating chiral magnetic effect and anomalous transport phenomena in the pre-equilibrium stages of heavy-ion collisions

We present a first principles approach to study the Chiral Magnetic Effect during the pre-equilibrium stage of a heavy-ion collision. We discuss the dynamics of the Chiral Magnetic Effect and Chiral Magnetic Wave based on real-time lattice simulations with dynamical (Wilson and Overlap) fermions simultaneously coupled to color and electromagnetic fields. While for light quarks we observe a dissipation-less transport of charges as in anomalous hydrodynamics, we demonstrate that for heavier quarks the effects of explicit chiral symmetry breaking lead to a significant reduction of the associated currents.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2017

Non-equilibrium study of the Chiral Magnetic Effect from real-time simulations with dynamical fermions

We present a real-time lattice approach to study the non-equilibrium dynamics of vector and axial charges in $SU(N) \times U(1)$ gauge theories. Based on a classical description of the non-Abelian and Abelian gauge fields, we include dynamical fermions and develop operator definitions for (improved) Wilson and overlap fermions that allow us to study real-time manifestations of the axial anomaly from first principles. We present a first application of this approach to anomalous transport phenomena such as the Chiral Magnetic Effect (CME) and Chiral Separation Effect (CSE) by studying the dynamics of fermions during and after a $SU(N)$ sphaleron transition in the presence of a $U(1)$ magnetic field. We investigate the fermion mass and magnetic field dependence of the suggested signatures of the CME and CSE and point out some important aspects which need to be accounted for in the macroscopic description of anomalous transport phenomena.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2017

The chiral anomaly, Berry's phase and chiral kinetic theory, from world-lines in quantum field theory

We outline a novel chiral kinetic theory framework for systematic computations of the Chiral Magnetic Effect (CME) in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions. The real part of the fermion determinant in the QCD effective action is expressed as a supersymmetric world-line action of spinning, colored, Grassmanian point particles in background gauge fields, with equations of motion that are covariant generalizations of the Bargmann-Michel-Telegdi and Wong equations. Berry's phase is obtained in a consistent non-relativistic adiabatic limit. The chiral anomaly, in contrast, arises from the phase of the fermion determinant; its topological properties are therefore distinct from those of the Berry phase. We show that the imaginary contribution to the fermion determinant too can be expressed as a point particle world-line path integral and derive the corresponding anomalous axial vector current. Our results can be used to derive a covariant relativistic chiral kinetic theory including the effects of topological fluctuations that has overlap with classical-statistical simulations of the CME at early times and anomalous hydrodynamics at late times.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

World-line construction of a covariant chiral kinetic theory

We discuss a novel world-line framework for computations of the Chiral Magnetic Effect (CME) in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions. Starting from the fermion determinant in the QCD effective action, we show explicitly how its real part can be expressed as a supersymmetric world-line action of spinning, colored, Grassmanian particles in background fields. Restricting ourselves for simplicity to spinning particles, we demonstrate how their constrained Hamiltonian dynamics arises for both massless and massive particles. In a semi-classical limit, this gives rise to the covariant generalization of the Bargmann-Michel-Telegdi equation; the derivation of the corresponding Wong equations for colored particles is straightforward. In a previous letter we outlined how Berry's phase arises in a non-relativistic adiabatic limit for massive particles. We extend the discussion here to systems with a finite chemical potential. We discuss a path integral formulation of the relative phase in the fermion determinant that places it on the same footing as the real part. We construct the corresponding anomalous world-line axial vector current and show in detail how the chiral anomaly appears. Our work provides a systematic framework for a relativistic kinetic theory of chiral fermions in the fluctuating topological backgrounds that generate the CME in a deconfined quark-gluon plasma. We outline some further applications of this framework in many-body systems.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Chiral magnetic effect and anomalous transport from real-time lattice simulations

We present a first-principle study of anomaly induced transport phenomena by performing real-time lattice simulations with dynamical fermions coupled simultaneously to non-Abelian $SU(N_c)$ and Abelian $U(1)$ gauge fields. Investigating the behavior of vector and axial currents during a sphaleron transition in the presence of an external magnetic field, we demonstrate how the interplay of the Chiral magnetic (CME) and Chiral separation effect (CSE) lead to the formation of a propagating wave. We further analyze the dependence of the magnitude of the induced vector current and the propagation of the wave on the amount of explicit chiral symmetry breaking due to finite quark mass.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Anomaly-induced dynamical refringence in strong-field QED

We investigate the impact of the Adler-Bell-Jackiw anomaly on the nonequilibrium evolution of strong-field quantum electrodynamics (QED) using real-time lattice gauge theory techniques. For field strengths exceeding the Schwinger limit for pair production, we encounter a highly absorptive medium with anomaly-induced dynamical refractive properties. In contrast to earlier expectations based on equilibrium properties, where net anomalous effects vanish because of the trivial vacuum structure, we find that out-of-equilibrium conditions can have dramatic consequences for the presence of quantum currents with distinctive macroscopic signatures. We observe an intriguing tracking behavior, where the system spends longest times near collinear field configurations with maximum anomalous current. Apart from the potential relevance of our findings for future laser experiments, similar phenomena related to the chiral magnetic effect are expected to play an important role for strong QED fields during initial stages of heavy-ion collision experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

Magnetic catalysis and inverse magnetic catalysis in QCD

We investigate the effects of strong magnetic fields on the QCD phase structure at vanishing density by solving the gluon and quark gap equations, and by studying the dynamics of the quark scattering with the four-fermi coupling. The chiral crossover temperature as well as the chiral condensate are computed. For asymptotically large magnetic fields we find magnetic catalysis, while we find inverse magnetic catalysis for intermediate magnetic fields. Moreover, for large magnetic fields the chiral phase transition for massless quarks turns into a crossover. The underlying mechanisms are then investigated analytically within a few simplifications of the full numerical analysis. We find that a combination of gluon screening effects and the weakening of the strong coupling is responsible for the phenomenon of inverse catalysis. In turn, the magnetic catalysis at large magnetic field is already indicated by simple arguments based on dimensionality.

hep-ph↗