arXiv subjects

Silvano Simula

Publications and source records attributed to Silvano Simula.

126 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

arXiv2006

Leading and higher twists in proton, neutron and deuteron unpolarized structure functions

We summarize the results of a recent global analysis of proton and deuteron F2 structure function world data performed over a large range of kinematics, including recent measurements done at JLab with the CLAS detector. From these data the lowest moments (n <= 10) of the unpolarized structure functions are determined with good statistics and systematics. The Q**2 evolution of the extracted moments is analyzed in terms of an OPE based twist expansion, taking into account soft-gluon effects at large x. A clean separation among the Leading and Higher-Twist terms is achieved. By combining proton and deuteron measurements the lowest moments of the neutron F2 structure function are determined and its leading twist term is extracted. Particular attention is paid to nuclear effects in the deuteron, which become increasingly important for the higher moments. Our results for the non-singlet, isovector (p - n) combination of the leading twist moments are used to test recent lattice simulations. We also determine the lowest few moments of the higher twist contributions, and find these to be approximately isospin independent, suggesting the possible dominance of ud correlations over uu and dd in the nucleon.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2006

Constituent quarks, chiral symmetry, and chiral point of the constituent quark model

We construct the full axial current of the constituent quarks by a summation of the infinite number of diagrams describing constituent-quark soft interactions. By requiring that the conservation of this current is violated only by terms of order $O(M_π^2)$, where $M_π$ is the mass of the lowest pseudoscalar $\bar QQ$ bound state, we derive important constraints on (i) the axial coupling $g_A$ of the constituent quark and (ii) the $\bar QQ$ potential at large distances. We define the chiral point of the constituent quark model as those values of the parameters, such as the masses of the constituent quarks and the couplings in the $\bar QQ$ potential, for which $M_π$ vanishes. At the chiral point the main signatures of the spontaneously broken chiral symmetry are shown to be present, namely: the axial current of the constituent quarks is conserved, the leptonic decay constants of the excited pseudoscalar bound states vanish, and the pion decay constant has a nonzero value.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2004

Correspondence between QCD sum rules and constituent quark models

We compare two widely used approaches to the description of hadron properties: QCD sum rules and constituent quark models. Making use of the dispersion formulation of the quark model, we show that both approaches lead to similar spectral representations for hadron observables with an important difference that quark model is based on Feynman diagrams with massive quarks, whereas QCD sum rules are based on the same Feynman diagrams for current quarks with the additional condensate contributions for light quarks and gluons. We give arguments for a similarity of the smearing function in sum rules and the hadron wave function of the quark model. Analyzing the sum rule for the leptonic decay constant of the heavy pseudoscalar meson containing a light $u$ or $s$ quark, we find that the quark condensates at the chiral symmetry-breaking scale $μ_χ\simeq 1$ GeV, $<\bar u u > = - (230 \pm 15 {\rm MeV})^3$ and $<\bar s s > = - (220 \pm 15 {\rm MeV})^3$ correspond to constituent quark masses $m_u\simeq 220$ MeV and $m_s \simeq 350$ MeV, respectively. We also obtain the running of the quark model parameters above the chiral scale $μ_χ$. The observed correspondence between constituent quark models and QCD sum rules allows a deeper understanding of both methods and their parameters. It also provides a QCD basis for constituent quark models, extending their applicability above the scale of chiral symmetry breaking.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2004

Generalized Parton Distributions in the Light-Front Constituent Quark Model

The Generalized Parton Distributions (GPDs) of the nucleon are analyzed within the relativistic constituent quark model formulated on the light-front. It is shown that the matrix elements of the plus component of the one-body vector current are plagued by spurious effects related to the dependence on the hyperplane where the nucleon wave function is defined in terms of its constituents. The physical GPDs can be extracted only from the matrix elements of a transverse component of the one-body current. The loss of the polinomiality property is then related to the neglect of the pair creation process for non-vanishing values of the skewness. The need of implementing effective many-body currents corresponding to the Z-graph is stressed and a possible approach to achieve such a goal is proposed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

Longitudinal structure function of the proton at low momentum transfer and extended constituents

Recent data on the (inelastic) Nachtmann moments of the unpolarized proton structure function F2p, obtained at low momentum transfer with the CLAS detector at Jefferson Lab, have been interpreted in terms of the dominance of the elastic coupling of the virtual photon with extended substructures inside the proton. Adopting the same constituent form factors and the same light-front wave function describing the motion of the constituents in the proton, the (inelastic) Nachtmann moments of the longitudinal proton structure function FLp are calculated (without further parameters) for values of the squared four-momentum transfer 0.2 < Q**2 (GeV/c)**2 < 2. The different role played by the Pauli form factor of the constituents in the transverse and longitudinal channels is illustrated. Our predictions, including an estimate of the theoretical uncertainties, may be checked against the forthcoming results of the experiment E94110 at Jefferson Lab. A positive comparison with the new data may provide compelling evidence that constituent quarks are intermediate substructures between the hadrons and the current quarks and gluons of QCD.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2002

Comparison among Hamiltonian light-front formalisms at q+ = 0 and q+ <> 0: space-like elastic form factors of pseudoscalar and vector mesons

The electromagnetic elastic form factors of pseudoscalar and vector mesons are analyzed for space-like momentum transfers in terms of relativistic quark models based on the Hamiltonian light-front formalism elaborated in different reference frames (q+ 0 and q+ <> 0). As far as the one-body approximation for the electromagnetic current operator is concerned, it is shown that the predictions of the light-front approach at q+=0 should be preferred, particularly in case of light hadrons, because of: i) the relevant role played by the Z-graph at q+ <> 0, and ii) the appropriate elimination of spurious effects, related to the orientation of the null hyperplane where the light-front wave function is defined.

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arXiv2001

Relativistic quark models

The application of relativistic constituent quark models to the evaluation of the electromagnetic properties of the nucleon and its resonances is addressed. The role of the pair creation process in the Feynmann triangle diagram is discussed and the importance both of choosing the light-front formalism and of using a Breit frame where the plus component of the four-momentum transfer is vanishing, is stressed. The nucleon elastic form factors are calculated free of spurious effects related to the loss of rotational covariance. The effect of a finite constituent size is considered and the parameters describing the constituent form factors are fixed using only the nucleon data up to Q**2 ~ 1 (GeV/c)**2; a constituent charge radius of ~ 0.45 fm is obtained in this way. Above Q**2 ~ 1 (GeV/c)**2 our parameter-free predictions are in good agreement with the experimental data, showing that soft physics may be dominant up to Q**2 ~ 10 (GeV/c)**2. Our new results for the longitudinal and transverse helicity amplitudes of the N - P_{11}(1440) transition are presented.

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arXiv2000

Comment on "Nucleon elastic form factors and local duality"

We comment on the papers "Nucleon elastic form factors and local duality" [Phys. Rev. {\bf D62}, 073008 (2000)] and "Experimental verification of quark-hadron duality" [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 85}, 1186 (2000)]. Our main comment is that the reconstruction of the proton magnetic form factor, claimed to be obtained from the inelastic scaling curve thanks to parton-hadron local duality, is affected by an artifact.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2000

Parton picture of inclusive quasi-elastic electron scattering off nuclei

A parton picture of inclusive quasi-elastic electron-nucleus scattering, where individual nucleons are treated as (non point-like) partons of the nucleus, is presented. All the necessary target-mass corrections to asymptotic scaling are evaluated and a new scaling variable is obtained. Recent inclusive data from Jefferson Lab are analyzed and shown to scale in terms of the new variable. The new approach allows to extract in a model-independent way the nucleon light-cone momentum distribution in the nucleus.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2000

Soft gluon effects in the extraction of higher twists at large Bjorken x

Existing data on the (unpolarised) transverse structure function of the proton are analyzed for large values of the Bjorken variable x. The leading-twist and a phenomenological higher-twist contributions are simultaneously determined from a power correction analysis of the Nachtmann moments for values of the squared four-momentum transfer between ~ 1 and 20 (GeV/c)**2. The results obtained adopting the next-to-leading order approximation and those including the effects of soft gluon resummation are compared. The sensitivity of the extraction of large-x higher twists to high-order radiative corrections as well as to the value of alphas(MZ) is illustrated.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2000

SU(6) breaking effects in the nucleon elastic electromagnetic form factors

The effects of SU(6) breaking on the nucleon elastic form factors are investigated within the constituent quark model formulated on the light-front. It is shown that the kinematical SU(6) breaking caused by the Melosh rotations of the quark spins as well as the dynamical SU(6) breaking due to the mixed-symmetry component generated in the nucleon wave function by the spin-dependent terms of the quark-quark interaction, can affect both GEn(Q**2) and GMp(Q**2)/GMn(Q**2). The calculated GEn(Q**2) is found to be qualitatively consistent with existing data. while the calculations of GM(Q**2) based on the plus component of the current are found to be plagued by spurious effects related to the loss of the rotational covariance in the light-front formalism. These unwanted effects can be avoided by considering the transverse y-component of the current. In this way our light-front predictions are found to be consistent with the data on both GEn(Q**2) and GMp(Q**2)/GMn(Q**2). Finally, it is shown that a suppression of the ratio GEp(Q**2)/GMp(Q**2) with respect to the dipole-fit prediction can be expected in the constituent quark model provided the relativistic effects generated by the Melosh rotations of the constituent spins are taken into account.

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arXiv2000

Target-mass corrections and the Bloom-Gilman duality of the nucleon structure function

The occurrence of the Bloom-Gilman local duality in the low-order moments of the nucleon structure function is investigated for values of the squared four-momentum transfer Q**2 between ~ 0.5 and 10 (GeV/c)**2. At variance with previous analyses truncated Cornwall-Norton moments, limited to the nucleon-resonance production regions, are considered. The role played by target-mass corrections is illustrated, showing that target-mass effects are necessary (but not sufficient) for producing the observed Bloom-Gilman duality of the nucleon structure function. The possibility of a local duality between the unphysical region at large values of the Nachtmann variable and the nucleon elastic peak contribution is analyzed. It is found that the proton magnetic form factor extracted assuming local duality is significantly below the experimental data at low and intermediate values of Q**2.

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arXiv1999

Semi-inclusive electron scattering off the deuteron and the neutron structure functions

The detection of slow nucleons in semi-inclusive electron scattering processes off the deuteron, 2H(e, e'N)X, is a very promising tool for the extraction of model-independent information on the neutron structure function F2n(x, Q**2). The key point is the occurrence of a peculiar scaling property of the semi-inclusive cross section, which holds in the deep-inelastic regime as well as in the nucleon-resonance production regions. Moreover, the possibility to get unique information on the neutron asymmetry A1n(x, Q**2) from polarised 2H_pol(e_pol, e'N)X processes is illustrated.

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arXiv1999

Relativistic effects on the neutron charge form factor in the constituent quark model

The neutron charge form factor GEn(Q**2) is investigated within a constituent quark model formulated on the light-front. It is shown that, if the quark initial motion is neglected in the Melosh rotations, the Dirac neutron form factor F1n(Q**2)$ receives a relativistic correction which cancels exactly against the Foldy term in GEn(Q**2), as it has been recently argued by Isgur. Moreover, at the same level of approximation the ratio of the proton to neutron magnetic form factors GMp(Q**2) / GMn(Q**2) is still given by the naive SU(6)-symmetry expectation, -3/2. However, it is also shown that the full Melosh rotations break SU(6) symmetry, giving rise to GEn(Q**2) =/ 0 and GMp(Q**2)/GMn(Q**2) =/ -3/2 even when a SU(6)-symmetric canonical wave function is assumed. It turns out that relativistic effects alone cannot explain simultaneously the experimental data on GEn(Q**2)$ and GMp(Q**2)/GMn(Q**2).

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arXiv1997

Heavy-quark binding and kinetic energies in heavy-light mesons and the constituent quark model

The spin-averaged binding energy and the hyperfine mass splitting of heavy-light mesons are investigated within the constituent quark model as a function of the inverse heavy-quark mass. It is shown that the so-called heavy-quark kinetic energy, -lambda1 / 2mQ, may differ remarkably from the non-relativistic expectation / 2mQ, thanks to relativistic effects in the effective interquark potential for heavy-light mesons, which may yield substantial 1 / mQ corrections to the heavy-quark static limit. The determination of the difference of the hadronic parameter lambda1 in the B(u(d)) and B(c) mesons can provide information about the strength of relativistic effects in the interquark interaction.

hep-ph↗

arXiv1996

Tagged nuclear structure functions with $HERMES$

The production of slow nucleons in semi-inclusive deep inelastic electron scattering off nuclei, $A(e, e'N)X$, is analyzed for kinematical conditions accessible at $HERA$ with the $HERMES$ detector. The sensitivity of the semi-inclusive cross section to possible medium-dependent modifications of the nucleon structure function is illustrated.

nucl-th↗

arXiv1996

Investigation of the neutron structure function via semi-inclusive deep inelastic electron scattering off the deuteron

The production of slow nucleons in semi-inclusive deep inelastic electron scattering off the deuteron is investigated in the region $x \gsim 0.3$ for kinematical conditions accessible at $HERA$. Within the spectator mechanism the semi-inclusive cross section exhibits a scaling property, which can be used as a model-independent test of the dominance of the spectator mechanism itself, providing in this way an interesting tool to investigate the neutron structure function. The possibility of extracting model-independent information on the neutron to proton structure function ratio from semi-inclusive experiments is also illustrated.

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arXiv1996

Semi-inclusive Deep Inelastic Electron Scattering off the Deuteron and the Neutron to Proton Structure Function Ratio

The production of slow nucleons in semi-inclusive deep inelastic electron scattering off the deuteron is investigated in the region $x \gsim 0.3$. It is shown that within the spectator mechanism the semi-inclusive cross section exhibits a scaling property even at moderate values of $Q^2$ ($\sim$ few $(GeV/c)^2$) accessible at present facilities, like $CEBAF$. Such a scaling property can be used as a model-independent test of the dominance of the spectator mechanism itself and provides an interesting tool to investigate the neutron structure function. The possibility of extracting model-independent information on the neutron to proton structure function ratio from semi-inclusive experiments is illustrated. The application of the spectator scaling to semi-inclusive processes off complex nuclei is outlined.

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