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S. Scherer

Publications and source records attributed to S. Scherer.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
arXiv2003

Signatures in the Planck Regime

String theory suggests the existence of a minimum length scale. An exciting quantum mechanical implication of this feature is a modification of the uncertainty principle. In contrast to the conventional approach, this generalised uncertainty principle does not allow to resolve space time distances below the Planck length. In models with extra dimensions, which are also motivated by string theory, the Planck scale can be lowered to values accessible by ultra high energetic cosmic rays (UHECRs) and by future colliders, i.e. $M_f\approx$ 1 TeV. It is demonstrated that in this novel scenario, short distance physics below $1/M_f$ is completely cloaked by the uncertainty principle. Therefore, Planckian effects could be the final physics discovery at future colliders and in UHECRs. As an application, we predict the modifications to the $e^+e^- \to f^+f^-$ cross-sections.

hep-th↗
arXiv2003

Pion electroproduction, PCAC, chiral Ward identities, and the axial form factor revisited

We re-investigate Adler's PCAC relation in the presence of an external electromagnetic field within the framework of QCD coupled to external fields. We discuss pion electroproduction within a tree-level approximation to chiral perturbation theory and explicitly verify a chiral Ward identity referred to as the Adler-Gilman relation. We critically examine soft-momentum techniques and point out how inadmissable approximations may lead to results incompatible with chiral symmetry. As a result we confirm that threshold pion electroproduction is indeed a tool to obtain information on the axial form factor of the nucleon.

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arXiv2002

Introduction to Chiral Perturbation Theory

This article provides a pedagogical introduction to the basic concepts of chiral perturbation theory and is designed as a text for a two-semester course on that topic. Chapter 1 serves as a general introduction to the empirical and theoretical foundations which led to the development of chiral perturbation theory. Chapter 2 deals with QCD and its global symmetries in the chiral limit; the concept of Green functions and Ward identities reflecting the underlying chiral symmetry is elaborated. In Chap. 3 the idea of a spontaneous breakdown of a global symmetry is discussed and its consequences in terms of the Goldstone theorem are demonstrated. Chapter 4 deals with mesonic chiral perturbation theory and the principles entering the construction of the chiral Lagrangian are outlined. Various examples with increasing chiral orders and complexity are given. Finally, in Chap. 5 the methods are extended to include the interaction between Goldstone bosons and baryons in the single-baryon sector, with the main emphasis put on the heavy-baryon formulation. At the end, the method of infrared regularization in the relativistic framework is discussed.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2001

The anomalous chiral perturbation theory meson Lagrangian to order $p^6$ revisited

We present a revised and extended construction of the mesonic Lagrangian density in chiral perturbation theory (ChPT) at order $p^6$ in the anomalous (or epsilon) sector, ${\cal{L}}_{6,ε}$. After improving several aspects of the strategy we used originally, i.e., a more efficient application of partial integration, the implementation of so-called Bianchi identities, and additional trace relations, we find the new monomial sets to include 24 $SU(N_f)$, 23 SU(3), and 5 SU(2) elements. Furthermore, we introduce 8 supplementary terms due to the extension of the chiral group to $SU(N_f)_L \times SU(N_f)_R \times U(1)_V$.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2001

Hadron structure and the limitations of phenomenological models in electromagnetic reactions

The description of electromagnetic reactions at intermediate energies, such as pion electroproduction or (virtual) Compton scattering, traditionally starts from covariant tree-level Feynman diagrams (Born or pole terms). Internal hadron structure is included by means of (on-shell) form factors in the vertices while free propagators are used. To overcome problems with gauge invariance, simple prescriptions such as choosing $F_1^V (q^2) = F_π (q^2)$ in pion electroproduction or the ``minimal substitution'' are used. We discuss the limitations of such approaches by comparing to the most general structure of electromagnetic vertices and propagators for pions and nucleons. The recipes to enforce gauge invariance are critically examined and contrasted with the exact treatment. The interplay between off-shell effects and irreducible ``contact'' terms is demonstrated for real Compton scattering on a pion. The need for a consistent microscopic treatment of reaction amplitudes is stressed. Shortcomings of minimal substitution are illustrated through an example in the framework of chiral perturbation theory.

nucl-th↗
arXiv2001

Pion Generalized Dipole Polarizabilities by Virtual Compton Scattering $πe \to πeγ$

We present a calculation of the cross section and the event generator of the reaction $πe\to πe γ$. This reaction is sensitive to the pion generalized dipole polarizabilities, namely, the longitudinal electric $α_L(q^2)$, the transverse electric $α_T(q^2)$, and the magnetic $β(q^2)$ which, in the real-photon limit, reduce to the ordinary electric and magnetic polarizabilities $\barα$ and $\barβ$, respectively. The calculation of the cross section is done in the framework of chiral perturbation theory at ${\cal O}(p^4)$. A pion VCS event generator has been written which is ready for implementation in GEANT simulation codes or for independent use.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2001

Microscopic coloured quark-dynamics in the soft non-perturbative regime -- Description of hadron formation in relativistic S+Au collisions at CERN

The quark-molecular-dynamics model is used to study microscopically the dynamics of the coloured quark phase and the subsequent hadron formation in relativistic S+Au collisions at the CERN-SPS. Particle spectra and hadron ratios are compared to both data and the results of hadronic transport calculations. The non-equilibrium dynamics of hadronization and the loss of correlation among quarks are studied.

nucl-th↗
arXiv2001

Generalized Polarizabilities in a Constituent Quark Model

We discuss low-energy virtual Compton scattering off the proton within the framework of a nonrelativistic constituent quark model. A simple interpretation of the spin-averaged generalized polarizabilities is given in terms of the induced electric polarization (and magnetization). Explicit predictions for the generalized polarizabilities obtained from a multipole expansion are presented for the Isgur-Karl model and are compared with results of various models.

nucl-th↗
arXiv2001

Generalized dipole polarizabilities and the spatial structure of hadrons

We present a phenomenological discussion of spin-independent, generalized dipole polarizabilities of hadrons entering the virtual Compton scattering process gamma* h -> gamma h. We introduce a new method of obtaining a tensor basis with appropriate Lorentz-invariant amplitudes which are free from kinematical singularities and constraints. We then motivate a gauge-invariant separation into a generalized Born term containing ground-state properties only, and a residual contribution describing the model-dependent internal structure. The generalized dipole polarizabilities are defined in terms of Lorentz-invariant residual amplitudes. Particular emphasis is laid on a physical interpretation of these quantities as characterizing the spatial distributions of the induced electric polarization and magnetization of hadrons. It is argued that three dipole polarizabilities, namely the longitudinal electric alpha_L(q^2), the transverse electric alpha_T(q^2), and the magnetic beta(q^2) ones are required in order to fully reconstruct local polarizations induced by soft external fields in a hadron. One of these polarizabilities, alpha_T(q^2), describes an effect of higher order in the soft final-photon momentum q'. We argue that the associated spatial distributions obtained via the Fourier transforms in the Breit frame are meaningful even for such a light particle as the pion. The spatial distributions are determined at large distances r ~ 1/m_pi for pions, kaons, and octet baryons by use of ChPT.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2001

Current Status of Quark Gluon Plasma Signals

Compelling evidence for the creation of a new form of matter has been claimed to be found in Pb+Pb collisions at SPS. We discuss the uniqueness of often proposed experimental signatures for quark matter formation in relativistic heavy ion collisions. It is demonstrated that so far none of the proposed signals like Jψmeson production/suppression, strangeness enhancement, dileptons, and directed flow unambigiously show that a phase of deconfined matter has been formed in SPS Pb+Pb collisions. We emphasize the need for systematic future measurements to search for simultaneous irregularities in the excitation functions of several observables in order to come close to pinning the properties of hot, dense QCD matter from data.

nucl-th↗
arXiv2000

Virtual Compton Scattering off the Pseudoscalar Meson Octet

We present a calculation of the virtual Compton scattering amplitude for the pseudoscalar meson octet in the framework of chiral perturbation theory at ${\cal O}(p^4)$. We calculate the electromagnetic generalized polarizabilities and compare the results in the real Compton scattering limit to available experimental values. Finally, we give predictions for the differential cross section of electron-meson bremsstrahlung.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2000

Generalized polarizabilities of the proton in a constituent quark model revisited

We study low-energy virtual Compton scattering off the proton within the framework of a nonrelativistic constituent quark model. The Compton tensor is divided into two separately gauge-invariant contributions. The first consists of the groundstate propagation in the direct and crossed channels together with an appropriately chosen term to satisfy gauge invariance. The residual part contains the relevant structure information characterized by the so-called generalized polarizabilities. We discuss two different schemes to obtain the generalized polarizabilities from the residual term. Explicit predictions for the generalized polarizabilities are presented for the Isgur-Karl model. Our results are compared with previous predictions in that model as well as other approaches.

nucl-th↗
arXiv1999

Field transformations and simple models illustrating the impossibility of measuring off-shell effects

In the context of simple models illustrating field transformations in Lagrangian field theories we discuss the impossibility of measuring off-shell effects in nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung, Compton scattering, and related processes. To that end we introduce a simple phenomenological Lagrangian describing nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung and perform an appropriate change of variables leading to different off-shell behavior in the nucleon-nucleon amplitude as well as the photon-nucleon vertex. As a result we obtain a class of equivalent Lagrangians, generating identical S-matrix elements, of which the original Lagrangian is but one representative. We make use of this property in order to show that what appears as an off-shell effect in an S-matrix element for one Lagrangian may originate in a contact term from an equivalent Lagrangian. By explicit calculation we demonstrate for the case of nucleon-nucleon bremsstrahlung as well as nucleon Compton scattering the equivalence of observables from which we conclude that off-shell effects cannot in any unambiguous way be extracted from an S-matrix element. Finally, we also discuss some implications of introducing off-shell effects on a phenomenological basis, resulting from the requirement that the description of one process be consistent with that of other processes described by the same Lagrangian.

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arXiv1999

Nonequilibrium dynamics of a hadronizing quark-gluon plasma

We investigate the hadronic cooling of a quark droplet within a microscopic model. The color flux tube approach is used to describe the hadronization of the quark phase. The model reproduces experimental particle ratios equally well compared to a static thermal hadronic source. Furthermore, the dynamics of the decomposition of a quark-gluon plasma is investigated and time dependent particle ratios are found.

nucl-th↗
arXiv1999

Statistical Mechanics of semi-classical colored Objects

A microscopic model of deconfined matter based on color interactions between semi-classical quarks is studied. A hadronization mechanism is imposed to examine the properties and the disassembly of a thermalized quark plasma and to investigate the possible existence of a phase transition from quark matter to hadron matter.

nucl-th↗
arXiv1999

Generalized dipole polarizabilities of the pion

We discuss the virtual Compton scattering amplitude $γ^\ast+π\to γ+π$ which enters the reaction $π^-+e^-\toπ^-+e^-+γ$. The low-energy scattering amplitude is divided into a model-independent part, involving only the electromagnetic form factor, and a residual part which contains structure information related specifically to (virtual) Compton scattering. In the limit of vanishing final-photon energy, the residual amplitude can be expressed in terms of three generalized dipole polarizabilities which are functions of the squared virtual-photon four-momentum. We study the VCS amplitude in the framework of chiral perturbation theory at ${\cal O}(p^4)$. At the one-loop level the generalized dipole polarizabilities are degenerate $α_L(q^2)=α_T(q^2)=-β(q^2)$.

hep-ph↗
arXiv1999

Generalized polarizabilities of the pion in chiral perturbation theory

We present a calculation of the virtual Compton scattering amplitude for $γ^\ast+π\to γ+π$ in the framework of chiral perturbation theory at ${\cal O}(p^4)$. We explicitly derive expressions for generalized electromagnetic polarizabilities and discuss alternative definitions of these quantities.

hep-ph↗