arXiv subjects

S. Simula

Publications and source records attributed to S. Simula.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

First direct lattice calculation of the chiral perturbation theory low-energy constant $\ell_7$

We evaluate by means of lattice QCD calculations the low-energy constant $\ell_{7}$ which parametrizes strong isospin effects at NLO in $\rm{SU}(2)$ chiral perturbation theory. Among all low-energy constants at NLO, $\ell_{7}$ is the one known less precisely, and its uncertainty is currently larger than $50\%$. Our strategy is based on the RM123 approach in which the lattice path-integral is expanded in powers of the isospin breaking parameter $Δm= (m_{d}-m_{u})/2$. In order to evaluate the relevant lattice correlators we make use of the recently proposed rotated twisted-mass (RTM) scheme. Within the RM123 approach, it is possible to cleanly extract the value of $\ell_{7}$ from either the pion mass splitting $M_{π^{+}}-M_{π^{0}}$ induced by strong isospin breaking at order $\mathcal{O}\left((Δm)^{2}\right)$ (mass method), or from the coupling of the neutral pion $π^{0}$ to the isoscalar operator $\left(\bar{u}γ_{5}u + \bar{d}γ_{5} d\right)/\sqrt{2}$ at order $\mathcal{O}(Δm)$ (matrix element method). In this pilot study we limit the analysis to a single ensemble generated by the Extended Twisted Mass Collaboration (ETMC) with $N_{f}=2+1+1$ dynamical quark flavours, which corresponds to a lattice spacing $a\simeq 0.095~{\rm fm}$ and to a pion mass $M_π\simeq 260~{\rm MeV}$. We find that the matrix element method outperforms the mass method in terms of resulting statistical accuracy. Our determination, $\ell_{7} = 2.5(1.4)\times 10^{-3}$, is in agreement and improves previous calculations.

hep-lat↗

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.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

The anomalous magnetic moment of the muon in the Standard Model

We review the present status of the Standard Model calculation of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. This is performed in a perturbative expansion in the fine-structure constant $α$ and is broken down into pure QED, electroweak, and hadronic contributions. The pure QED contribution is by far the largest and has been evaluated up to and including $\mathcal{O}(α^5)$ with negligible numerical uncertainty. The electroweak contribution is suppressed by $(m_μ/M_W)^2$ and only shows up at the level of the seventh significant digit. It has been evaluated up to two loops and is known to better than one percent. Hadronic contributions are the most difficult to calculate and are responsible for almost all of the theoretical uncertainty. The leading hadronic contribution appears at $\mathcal{O}(α^2)$ and is due to hadronic vacuum polarization, whereas at $\mathcal{O}(α^3)$ the hadronic light-by-light scattering contribution appears. Given the low characteristic scale of this observable, these contributions have to be calculated with nonperturbative methods, in particular, dispersion relations and the lattice approach to QCD. The largest part of this review is dedicated to a detailed account of recent efforts to improve the calculation of these two contributions with either a data-driven, dispersive approach, or a first-principle, lattice-QCD approach. The final result reads $a_μ^\text{SM}=116\,591\,810(43)\times 10^{-11}$ and is smaller than the Brookhaven measurement by 3.7$σ$. The experimental uncertainty will soon be reduced by up to a factor four by the new experiment currently running at Fermilab, and also by the future J-PARC experiment. This and the prospects to further reduce the theoretical uncertainty in the near future-which are also discussed here-make this quantity one of the most promising places to look for evidence of new physics.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Challenges in Semileptonic B Decays

Two of the elements of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa quark mixing matrix, $|V_{ub}|$ and $|V_{cb}|$, are extracted from semileptonic B decays. The results of the B factories, analysed in the light of the most recent theoretical calculations, remain puzzling, because for both $|V_{ub}|$ and $|V_{cb}|$ the exclusive and inclusive determinations are in clear tension. Further, measurements in the $τ$ channels at Belle, Babar, and LHCb show discrepancies with the Standard Model predictions, pointing to a possible violation of lepton flavor universality. LHCb and Belle II have the potential to resolve these issues in the next few years. This article summarizes the discussions and results obtained at the MITP workshop held on April 9--13, 2018, in Mainz, Germany, with the goal to develop a medium-term strategy of analyses and calculations aimed at solving the puzzles. Lattice and continuum theorists working together with experimentalists have discussed how to reshape the semileptonic analyses in view of the much higher luminosity expected at Belle II, searching for ways to systematically validate the theoretical predictions in both exclusive and inclusive B decays, and to exploit the rich possibilities at LHCb.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2020

Ratios of the hadronic contributions to the lepton $g-2$ from Lattice QCD+QED simulations

The ratios among the leading-order (LO) hadronic vacuum polarization (HVP) contributions to the anomalous magnetic moments of electron, muon and tau-lepton, $a_{\ell=e,μτ}^{HVP,LO}$, are computed using lattice QCD+QED simulations. The results include the effects at order $O(α_{em}^2)$ as well as the electromagnetic and strong isospin-breaking corrections at orders $O(α_{em}^3)$ and $O(α_{em}^2(m_u-m_d))$, respectively, where $(m_u-m_d)$ is the $u$- and $d$-quark mass difference. We employ the gauge configurations generated by the Extended Twisted Mass Collaboration with $N_f=2+1+1$ dynamical quarks at three values of the lattice spacing ($a \simeq 0.062, 0.082, 0.089$ fm) with pion masses in the range 210 - 450 MeV. We show that in the case of the electron-muon ratio the hadronic uncertainties in the numerator and in the denominator largely cancel out, while in the cases of the electron-tau and muon-tau ratios such a cancellation does not occur. For the electron-muon ratio we get $R_{e/μ} \equiv (m_μ/m_e)^2 (a_e^{HVP,LO} / a_μ^{HVP,LO}) = 1.1456~(83)$ with an uncertainty of $\simeq 0.7 \%$. Our result, which represents an accurate Standard Model (SM) prediction, agrees very well with the estimate obtained using the results of dispersive analyses of the experimental $e^+ e^- \to$ hadrons data. Instead, it differs by $\simeq 2.7$ standard deviations from the value expected from present electron and muon (g - 2) experiments after subtraction of the current estimates of the QED, electro-weak, hadronic light-by-light and higher-order HVP contributions, namely $R_{e/μ} = 0.575~(213)$. An improvement of the precision of both the experiment and the QED contribution to the electron (g - 2) by a factor of $\simeq 2$ could be sufficient to reach a tension with our SM value of the ratio $R_{e/μ}$ at a significance level of $\simeq 5$ standard deviations.

hep-lat↗

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.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2020

FLAG Review 2019

We review lattice results related to pion, kaon, $D$-meson, $B$-meson, and nucleon physics with the aim of making them easily accessible to the nuclear and particle physics communities. More specifically, we report on the determination of the light-quark masses, the form factor $f_+(0)$ arising in the semileptonic $K \to π$ transition at zero momentum transfer, as well as the decay constant ratio $f_K/f_π$ and its consequences for the CKM matrix elements $V_{us}$ and $V_{ud}$. Furthermore, we describe the results obtained on the lattice for some of the low-energy constants of $SU(2)_L\times SU(2)_R$ and $SU(3)_L\times SU(3)_R$ Chiral Perturbation Theory. We review the determination of the $B_K$ parameter of neutral kaon mixing as well as the additional four $B$ parameters that arise in theories of physics beyond the Standard Model. For the heavy-quark sector, we provide results for $m_c$ and $m_b$ as well as those for $D$- and $B$-meson decay constants, form factors, and mixing parameters. These are the heavy-quark quantities most relevant for the determination of CKM matrix elements and the global CKM unitarity-triangle fit. We review the status of lattice determinations of the strong coupling constant $α_s$. Finally, in this review we have added a new section reviewing results for nucleon matrix elements of the axial, scalar and tensor bilinears, both isovector and flavor diagonal.

hep-lat↗

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 $|V_{us}|$.

hep-lat↗

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.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2019

Scalar and vector form factors of $D \to π(K) \ell ν$ decays with $N_f=2+1+1$ twisted fermions

We present a lattice determination of the vector and scalar form factors of the $D \to π(K) \ell ν$ semileptonic decays, which are relevant for the extraction of the CKM matrix elements $|V_{cd}|$ and $|V_{cs}|$ from experimental data. Our analysis is based on the gauge configurations produced by the European Twisted Mass Collaboration with $N_f = 2+1+1$ flavors of dynamical quarks, at three different values of the lattice spacing and with pion masses as small as 210 MeV. The matrix elements of both vector and scalar currents are determined for a plenty of kinematical conditions in which parent and child mesons are either moving or at rest. Lorentz symmetry breaking due to hypercubic effects is clearly observed in the data and included in the decomposition of the current matrix elements in terms of additional form factors. After the extrapolations to the physical pion mass and to the continuum limit we determine the vector and scalar form factors in the whole kinematical region from $q^2 = 0$ up to $q^2_{max} = (M_D - M_{π(K)})^2$ accessible in the experiments, obtaining a good overall agreement with experiments, except in the region at high values of $q^2$ where some deviations are visible. A set of synthetic data points, representing our results for $f_+^{D π(K)}(q^2)$ and $f_0^{D π(K)}(q^2)$ for several selected values of $q^2$, is provided and also the corresponding covariance matrix is available. At zero 4-momentum transfer we get: $f_+^{D \to π}(0) = 0.612 ~ (35)$ and $f_+^{D \to K}(0) = 0.765 ~ (31)$. Using the experimental averages for $|V_{cd}| f_+^{D \to π}(0)$ and $|V_{cs}| f_+^{D \to K}(0)$, we extract $|V_{cd}| = 0.2330 ~ (137)$ and $|V_{cs}| = 0.945 ~ (38)$, respectively. The second-row of the CKM matrix is found to be in agreement with unitarity within the current uncertainties: $|V_{cd}|^2 + |V_{cs}|^2 + |V_{cb}|^2 = 0.949 ~ (78)$.

hep-lat↗

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.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2019

Lepton anomalous magnetic moments in Lattice QCD+QED

We present a lattice calculation of the Hadronic Vacuum Polarization (HVP) contribution to the anomalous magnetic moments of the electron, $a_e^{\rm HVP}$, the muon, $a_μ^{\rm HVP}$, and the tau, $a_τ^{\rm HVP}$, including both the isospin-symmetric QCD term and the leading-order strong and electromagnetic isospin-breaking corrections. Moreover, the contribution to $a_μ^{\rm HVP}$ not covered by the MUonE experimen, $a_{MUonE}^{\rm HVP}$, is provided. We get $a_e^{\rm HVP} = 185.8~(4.2) \cdot 10^{-14}$, $a_μ^{\rm HVP} = 692.1~(16.3) \cdot 10^{-10}$, $a_τ^{\rm HVP} = 335.9~(6.9) \cdot 10^{-8}$ and $a_{MUonE}^{\rm HVP} = 91.6~(2.0) \cdot 10^{-10}$. Our results are obtained in the quenched-QED approximation using the QCD gauge configurations generated by the European (now Extended) Twisted Mass Collaboration (ETMC) with $N_f=2+1+1$ dynamical quarks, at three values of the lattice spacing varying from $0.089$ to $0.062$ fm, at several values of the lattice spatial size ($L \simeq 1.8 ÷3.5$ fm) and with pion masses in the range between $\simeq 220$ and $\simeq 490$ MeV.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2019

Extraction of multiple exponential signals from lattice correlation functions

We present a fast and simple algorithm that allows the extraction of multiple exponential signals from the temporal dependence of correlation functions evaluated on the lattice including the statistical fluctuations of each signal and treating properly backward signals. The basic steps of the method are the inversion of appropriate matrices and the determination of the roots of an appropriate polynomial, constructed using discretized derivatives of the correlation function. The method is tested strictly using fake data generated assuming a fixed number of exponential signals included in the correlation function with a controlled numerical precision and within given statistical fluctuations. All the exponential signals together with their statistical uncertainties are determined exactly by the algorithm. The only limiting factor is the numerical rounding off. In the case of correlation functions evaluated by large-scale QCD simulations on the lattice various sources of noise, other than the numerical rounding, can affect the correlation function and they represent the crucial factor limiting the number of exponential signals, related to the hadronic spectral decomposition of the correlation function, that can be properly extracted. The algorithm can be applied to a large variety of correlation functions typically encountered in QCD or QCD+QED simulations on the lattice, including the case of exponential signals corresponding to poles with arbitrary multiplicity and/or the case of oscillating signals. The method is able to to detect the specific structure of the multiple exponential signals without any a priori assumption and it determines accurately the ground-state signal without the need that the lattice temporal extension is large enough to allow the ground-state signal to be isolated.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2019

The Belle II Physics Book

We present the physics program of the Belle II experiment, located on the intensity frontier SuperKEKB $e^+e^-$ collider. Belle II collected its first collisions in 2018, and is expected to operate for the next decade. It is anticipated to collect 50/ab of collision data over its lifetime. This book is the outcome of a joint effort of Belle II collaborators and theorists through the Belle II theory interface platform (B2TiP), an effort that commenced in 2014. The aim of B2TiP was to elucidate the potential impacts of the Belle II program, which includes a wide scope of physics topics: B physics, charm, tau, quarkonium, electroweak precision measurements and dark sector searches. It is composed of nine working groups (WGs), which are coordinated by teams of theorist and experimentalists conveners: Semileptonic and leptonic B decays, Radiative and Electroweak penguins, phi_1 and phi_2 (time-dependent CP violation) measurements, phi_3 measurements, Charmless hadronic B decay, Charm, Quarkonium(like), tau and low-multiplicity processes, new physics and global fit analyses. This book highlights "golden- and silver-channels", i.e. those that would have the highest potential impact in the field. Theorists scrutinised the role of those measurements and estimated the respective theoretical uncertainties, achievable now as well as prospects for the future. Experimentalists investigated the expected improvements with the large dataset expected from Belle II, taking into account improved performance from the upgraded detector.

hep-ex↗

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.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2019

Electromagnetic and strong isospin-breaking corrections to the muon $g - 2$ from Lattice QCD+QED

We present a lattice calculation of the leading-order electromagnetic and strong isospin-breaking corrections to the hadronic vacuum polarization (HVP) contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. We employ the gauge configurations generated by the European Twisted Mass Collaboration (ETMC) with $N_f = 2+1+1$ dynamical quarks at three values of the lattice spacing ($a \simeq 0.062, 0.082, 0.089$ fm) with pion masses between $\simeq 210$ and $\simeq 450$ MeV. The results are obtained adopting the RM123 approach in the quenched-QED approximation, which neglects the charges of the sea quarks. Quark disconnected diagrams are not included. After the extrapolations to the physical pion mass and to the continuum and infinite-volume limits the contributions of the light, strange and charm quarks are respectively equal to $δa_μ^{\rm HVP}(ud) = 7.1 ~ (2.5) \cdot 10^{-10}$, $δa_μ^{\rm HVP}(s) = -0.0053 ~ (33) \cdot 10^{-10}$ and $δa_μ^{\rm HVP}(c) = 0.0182 ~ (36) \cdot 10^{-10}$. At leading order in $α_{em}$ and $(m_d - m_u) / Λ_{QCD}$ we obtain $δa_μ^{\rm HVP}(udsc) = 7.1 ~ (2.9) \cdot 10^{-10}$, which is currently the most accurate determination of the isospin-breaking corrections to $a_μ^{\rm HVP}$.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2018

The light-quark contribution to the leading HVP term of the muon $g - 2$ from twisted-mass fermions

We present a lattice calculation of the leading Hadronic Vacuum Polarization (HVP) contribution of the light u- and d-quarks to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon, $a_μ^{\rm HVP}(ud)$, adopting the gauge configurations generated by the European Twisted Mass Collaboration with $N_f = 2+1+1$ dynamical quarks at three values of the lattice spacing with pion masses in the range 210 - 450 MeV. Thanks to several lattices at fixed values of the light-quark mass and scale but with different sizes we perform a careful investigation of finite-volume effects (FVEs). In order to remove FVEs we develop an analytic representation of the vector correlator, which describes the lattice data for time distances larger than $\simeq 0.2$ fm. The representation is based on quark-hadron duality at small and intermediate time distances and on the two-pion contributions in a finite box at larger time distances. After extrapolation to the physical pion point and to the continuum limit we obtain $a_μ^{\rm HVP}(ud) = 619.0~(17.8) \cdot 10^{-10}$. Adding the contribution of strange and charm quarks, obtained by ETMC, and an estimate of the isospin-breaking corrections and quark-disconnected diagrams from the literature we get $a_μ^{\rm HVP}(udsc) = 683~(19) \cdot 10^{-10}$, which is consistent with recent results based on dispersive analyses of the experimental cross section data for $e^+ e^-$ annihilation into hadrons. Using our analytic representation of the vector correlator, taken at the physical pion mass in the continuum and infinite volume limits, we provide the first eleven moments of the polarization function and we compare them with recent results of the dispersive analysis of the $π^+ π^-$ channels. We estimate also the light-quark contribution to the missing part of $a_μ^{\rm HVP}$ not covered in the MUonE experiment.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2018

Masses and decay constants of $B_c^{(*)}$ mesons with $N_f=2+1+1$ twisted mass fermions

We present a preliminary lattice determination of the masses and decay constants of the pseudoscalar and vector mesons $B_c$ and $B_c^*$. Our analysis is based on the gauge configurations produced by the European Twisted Mass Collaboration with $N_f = 2 + 1 + 1$ flavors of dynamical quarks. We simulated at three different values of the lattice spacing and with pion masses as small as 210 MeV. Heavy-quark masses are simulated directly on the lattice up to $\sim 3$ times the physical charm mass. The physical b-quark mass is reached using the ETMC ratio method. Our preliminary results are: $M_{B_c} = 6341\,(60)$ MeV, $f_{B_c} = 396\,(12)$ MeV, $M_{B_c^*} / M_{B_c} = 1.0037\,(39)$ and $f_{B_c^*} / f_{B_c} = 0.987\,(7)$.

hep-lat↗