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S. Simula

Publications and source records attributed to S. Simula.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

Neutron structure function and inclusive DIS from H-3 and He-3 targets at large Bjorken-x

A detailed study of inclusive deep inelastic scattering from mirror A = 3 nuclei at large values of Bjorken-x is presented. The main purpose is to estimate the theoretical uncertainties on the extraction of F2n from such measurements. Within the convolution approach we confirm the cancellation of nuclear effects at the level of ~1 % for x < 0.75 in overall agreement with previous findings. However, within models in which modifications of the bound nucleon structure functions are accounted for to describe the EMC effect in nuclei, we find that the nuclear effects may be canceled at a level of ~ 3 % only, leading to an accuracy of ~ 12 % in the extraction of F2n / F2p at x ~ 0.7 - 0.8. Another consequence of bound nucleon modifications is that the iteration procedure does not improve the accuracy of the extraction of F2n / F2p.

nucl-th

Electromagnetic form factors in the light-front formalism and the Feynman triangle diagram: spin-0 and spin-1 two-fermion systems

The connection between the Feynman triangle diagram and the light-front formalism for spin-0 and spin-1 two-fermion systems is analyzed. It is shown that in the limit q+ = 0 the form factors for both spin-0 and spin-1 systems can be uniquely determined using only the good amplitudes, which are not affected by spurious effects related to the loss of rotational covariance present in the light-front formalism. At the same time, the unique feature of the suppression of the pair creation process is maintained. Therefore, a physically meaningful one-body approximation, in which all the constituents are on their mass-shells, can be consistently formulated in the limit q+ = 0. Moreover, it is shown that the effects of the contact term arising from the instantaneous propagation of the active constituent can be canceled out from the triangle diagram by means of an appropriate choice of the off-shell behavior of the bound state vertexes; this implies that in case of good amplitudes the Feynman triangle diagram and the one-body light-front result match exactly. The application of our covariant light-front approach to the evaluation of the rho-meson elastic form factors is presented.

hep-ph

Leading and higher twists in the proton polarized structure function at large Bjorken x

A phenomenological parameterization of the proton polarized structure function has been developed for x > 0.02 using deep inelastic data up to ~ 50 (GeV/c)**2 as well as available experimental results on both photo- and electro-production of proton resonances. According to the new parameterization the generalized Drell-Hearn-Gerasimov sum rule is predicted to have a zero-crossing point at Q**2 = 0.16 +/- 0.04 (GeV/c)**2. Then, low-order polarized Nachtmann moments have been estimated and their Q**2-behavior has been investigated in terms of leading and higher twists for Q**2 > 1 (GeV/c)**2. The leading twist has been treated at NLO in the strong coupling constant and the effects of higher orders of the perturbative series have been estimated using soft-gluon resummation techniques. In case of the first moment higher-twist effects are found to be quite small for Q**2 > 1 (GeV/c)**2, and the singlet axial charge has been determined to be a0[10 (GeV/c)**2] = 0.16 +/- 0.09. In case of higher order moments, which are sensitive to the large-x region, higher-twist effects are significantly reduced by the introduction of soft gluon contributions, but they are still relevant at Q**2 ~ few (GeV/c)**2 at variance with the case of the unpolarized transverse structure function of the proton. Our finding suggests that spin-dependent correlations among partons may have more impact than spin-independent ones. As a byproduct, it is also shown that the Bloom-Gilman local duality is strongly violated in the region of polarized electroproduction of the Delta(1232) resonance.

hep-ph

Quark-binding effects in inclusive decays of heavy mesons

We present a new approach to the analysis of quark-binding effects in inclusive decays of heavy mesons within the relativistic dispersion quark model. Various differential distributions, such as electron energy spectrum, $q^2$- and $M_X$-distributions, are calculated in terms of the $B$ meson soft wave function which also determines long-distance effects in exclusive transition form factors. Using the quark-model parameters and the $B$ meson wave function previously determined from the description of the exclusive $b \to u$ transitions within the same dispersion approach, we provide numerical results on various distributions in the inclusive $B \to X_c lν$ decays.

hep-ph

Analysis of the exclusive semileptonic decay Lambda_b -> Lambda_c + l nu_l within a light-front constituent quark model

The exclusive semileptonic decay Lambda_b -> Lambda_c + l nu_l is investigated including both radiative and first-order power corrections in the inverse heavy-quark mass, while the Isgur-Wise function is calculated within a light-front constituent quark model. It turns out that the dependence on the model parameters can be effectively constrained using recent lattice QCD results at low values of the recoil. Our final predictions for the exclusive semileptonic branching ratio, the longitudinal and transverse asymmetries, and the longitudinal to transverse decay ratio are: Br(Lambda_b -> Lambda_c + l nu_l) = (6.3 \pm 1.6) % |V_{bc} / 0.040|**2 τ(Λ_b) / (1.24 ps), a_L = -0.945 \pm 0.014, a_T = -0.62 \pm 0.09 and R_L/T = 1.57 \pm 0.15, respectively. Moreover, the theoretical uncertainties both on a_L and the (partially integrated) R_L/T are found to be quite small and, therefore, the experimental determination of these quantities is a very interesting tool for testing the Standard Model and for investigating possible New Physics. In this respect the sensitivity to extract unique information both on the strength and phase of possible hadronic right-handed currents is illustrated.

hep-ph

Bloom-Gilman duality of the nucleon structure function and the elastic peak contribution

The occurrence of the Bloom-Gilman duality in the nucleon structure function is investigated by analyzing the Q**2-behavior of low-order moments, both including and excluding the contribution arising from the nucleon elastic peak. The Natchmann definition of the moments has been adopted in order to cancel out target-mass effects. It is shown that the onset of the Bloom-Gilman duality occurs around Q**2 ~ 2 (GeV/c)**2 if only the inelastic part of the nucleon structure function is considered, whereas the inclusion of the nucleon elastic peak contribution leads to remarkable violations of the Bloom-Gilman duality.

hep-ph

A connection between inclusive semileptonic decays of bound and free heavy quarks

A relativistic constituent quark model, formulated on the light-front, is used to derive a new parton approximation for the inclusive semileptonic decay width of the B-meson. A simple connection between the decay rate of a free heavy-quark and the one of a heavy-quark bound in a meson or in a baryon is established. The main features of the new approach are the treatment of the b-quark as an on-mass-shell particle and the inclusion of the effects arising from the b-quark transverse motion in the B-meson. In a way conceptually similar to the deep-inelastic scattering case, the B-meson inclusive width is expressed as the integral of the free b-quark partial width multiplied by a bound-state factor related to the b-quark distribution function in the B-meson. The non-perturbative meson structure is described through various quark-model wave functions, constructed via the Hamiltonian light-front formalism using as input both relativized and non-relativistic potential models. A link between spectroscopic quark models and the B-meson decay physics is obtained in this way. Our predictions for the B -> X_c l nu_l and B -> X_u l nu_l decays are used to extract the CKM parameters |V_cb| and |V_ub| from available inclusive data. After averaging over the various quark models adopted and including leading-order perturbative QCD corrections, we obtain |V_cb| = (43.0 +/- 0.7_exp +/- 1.8_th) 10^-3 and |V_ub| = (3.83 +/- 0.48_exp +/- 0.14_th) 10^-3, implying |V_ub / V_cb| = 0.089 +/- 0.011_exp +/- 0.005_th, in nice agreement with existing predictions.

hep-ph

Analysis of the Lambda_b -> Lambda_c + l nu_l decay within a light-front constituent quark model

We present an investigation of the Isgur-Wise form factor relevant for the semileptonic decay Lambda_b -> Λ_c + l nu_l performed within a light-front constituent quark model. Adopting different baryon wave functions it is found that the Isgur-Wise form factor depends sensitively on the baryon structure. It is shown however that the shape of the Isgur-Wise function in the full recoil range relevant for the Lambda_b -> Λ_c + l nu_l decay can be effectively constrained using recent lattice QCD results at low recoil. Then, the Lambda_b -> Λ_c + l nu_l decay is investigated including both radiative effects and first-order power corrections in the inverse heavy-quark mass. Our final predictions for the exclusive semileptonic branching ratio, the longitudinal and transverse asymmetries, and the longitudinal to transverse decay ratio are: Br(Lambda_b -> Λ_c + l nu_l) = (6.3 +/- 1.6) % |V_bc / 0.040|**2 ~ tau(Lambda_b) / (1.24 ps), a_L = -0.945 +/- 0.014, a_T = -0.62 +/- 0.09 and R_L/T = 1.57 +/- 0.15, respectively. Moreover, both the longitudinal asymmetry and the (partially integrated) longitudinal to transverse decay ratio are found to be only marginally affected by the model dependence of the Isgur-Wise form factor as well as by first-order power corrections; therefore, their experimental determination might be a very interesting tool for testing the SM and for investigating possible New Physics.

hep-ph

Power corrections in the longitudinal and transverse structure functions of proton and deuteron

Power corrections to the Q**2 behaviour of the low-order moments of both the longitudinal and transverse structure functions of proton and deuteron have been investigated using available phenomenological fits of existing data in the Q**2 range between 1 and 20 (GeV/c)**2. The Natchmann definition of the moments has been adopted for disentangling properly target-mass and dynamical higher-twist effects in the data. The leading twist has been treated at next-to-leading order in the strong coupling constant and the effects of higher orders of the perturbative series have been estimated using a renormalon-inspired model. The contributions of (target-dependent) multiparton correlations to both 1/Q**2 and 1/Q**4 power terms have been determined in the transverse channel, while the longitudinal one appears to be consistent with a pure infrared renormalon picture in the whole Q**2-range between 1 and 20 (GeV/c)**2. Finally, the extracted twist-2 contribution in the deuteron turns out to be compatible with the hypothesis of an enhanced d-quark parton distribution at large x.

hep-ph

Light-Baryon Spectroscopy and the Electromagnetic Form Factors in the Quark Model

The momentum distributions of the constituent quarks inside the nucleon and the prominent electroproduced nucleon resonances are investigated in the two most sophisticated, available quark potential models, based respectively on the assumption of the valence + gluon dominance and on the exchange of the pseudoscalar Goldstone-bosons arising from the spontaneous breaking of chiral symmetry. It is shown that both models predict a large, similar content of high-momentum components, due to the short-range part of the interquark interaction, which affect the behaviour of both elastic and transition electromagnetic form factors at large values of the momentum transfer. The electromagnetic form factors are calculated within a relativistic approach formulated on the light-front, adopting a one-body current with constituent quark form factors. The results suggest that soft, non-perturbative effects can play a relevant role for explaining the existing data on elastic as well as transition form factors (at least) for Q**2 ~ 10 - 20 (GeV/c)**2.

nucl-th

The light baryon spectrum and the exchange of pseudoscalar and vector mesons among constituent quarks

The effects of the exchanges of both pseudoscalar and vector mesons among constituent quarks on the mass spectra of light baryons are investigated, paying particular attention to the contribution of tensor and spin-orbit terms. It is shown that the latter ones heavily affect the calculated spectra at variance with the empirical observation of the weakness of the baryon spin-orbit splittings. The relativistic suppression of the strength of the interaction among light quarks is argued to be a possible way to reproduce the light-baryon mass spectra.

hep-ph

Longitudinal and transverse structure functions of proton and deuteron at large x

Higher-twist effects in the low-order moments of the longitudinal and transverse structure functions of proton and deuteron have been analyzed using available phenomenological fits of existing data in the Q**2 range between 1 and 20 (GeV/c)**2. Both twist-4 and twist-6 contributions have been determined adopting the Natchmann definition of moments, which allows to disentangle properly target-mass effects. The extraction of the matrix elements of the relevant twist-4 operators, describing quark-quark and quark-gluon correlations, is carried out in case of the second moment. The need of transverse data with better quality for x > 0.5 and Q**2 < 10 (GeV/c)**2 as well as more precise and systematic determinations of the L/T separation make JLab @ 12 GeV a good place to improve our understanding of the non-perturbative structure of hadrons.

hep-ph

Probing right-handed currents in B -> K* l+ l- transitions

We discuss a possibility to probe right-handed weak hadronic currents in rare semileptonic b -> s transitions. It is shown that within models involving right-handed as well as left-handed quark currents (LR models) one can expect a strong enhancement of the right-handed K* production in B -> K* l+ l- decays compared with models including only left-handed quark currents (SM, MSSM). Hence an experimental study of the transverse asymmetry of the produced K* mesons provides a clear test of the presence of the right-handed quark currents and a possibiltity to discriminate between the MSSM and LR extentions of the SM. At the same time, MSSM and LR models are found to yield qualitatively the same type of deviations from the SM in the forward-backward and the longitudinal lepton polarization asymmetries.

hep-ph

Lepton asymmetries in exclusive $b \to s\ell^+\ell^-$ decays as a test of the Standard Model

We argue that the longitudinal lepton polarization and the forward-backward asymmetries in exclusive $B\to (K,K^*)\ell^+\ell^-$ decays are largely unaffected by the theoretical uncertainties in the long-distance contributions both induced by the long-range charming penguins in the $\ell^+\ell^-$ channel and those in the meson channels encoded in the meson transition form factors, and are mainly determined by the short-distance Wilson coefficients at the low-energy scale $μ\simeq m_b$. Thus, the above mentioned asymmetries provide a powerful probe of the Standard Model and its extensions.

hep-ph

Right-handed currents in rare exclusive B -> (K, K*) nu bar{nu} decays

The effects of possible right-handed weak hadronic currents in rare exclusive semileptonic decays B -> (K, K*) nu bar{nu} are investigated using a lattice-constrained dispersion quark model for the calculation of the relevant mesonic form factors. The results obtained for the branching ratios and the missing energy spectra are presented and the sensitivity of various observables to long-distance physics is investigated. It is shown that the asymmetry of transversely polarized K*(T) mesons as well as the K / K*(T) production ratio are only slightly sensitive to long-distance contributions and mostly governed by the relative strength and phase of right-handed currents. In particular, within the Standard Model the production of right-handed K*(T) mesons turns out to be largely suppressed with respect to left-handed ones, thanks to the smallness of the final to initial meson mass ratio. Therefore, the measurement of produced right-handed K*(T) mesons in rare B -> K* nu bar{nu} decays offers a very interesting tool to investigate right-handed weak hadronic currents.

hep-ph