arXiv subjects

Thomas Mehen

Publications and source records attributed to Thomas Mehen.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2006

Resummation of Large Endpoint Corrections to Color-Octet J/psi Photoproduction

An unresolved problem in J/psi phenomenology is a systematic understanding of the differential photoproduction cross section, dsigma/dz [gamma + p -> J/psi + X], where z= E_psi/E_gamma in the proton rest frame. In the non-relativistic QCD (NRQCD) factorization formalism, fixed-order perturbative calculations of color-octet mechanisms suffer from large perturbative and nonperturbative corrections that grow rapidly in the endpoint region, z -> 1. In this paper, NRQCD and soft collinear effective theory are combined to resum these large corrections to the color-octet photoproduction cross section. We derive a factorization theorem for the endpoint differential cross section involving the parton distribution function and the color-octet J/psi shape functions. A one loop matching calculation explicitly confirms our factorization theorem at next-to-leading order. Large perturbative corrections are resummed using the renormalization group. The calculation of the color-octet contribution to dsigma/dz is in qualitative agreement with data. Quantitative tests of the universality of color-octet matrix elements require improved knowledge of shape functions entering these calculations as well as resummation of the color-singlet contribution which accounts for much of the total cross section and also peaks near the endpoint.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2005

J/psi Photo-production at Large z in Soft Collinear Effective Theory

One of the outstanding problems in J/ψphysics is a systematic understanding of the differential photo-production cross section dsigma/dz(gamma + p -> J/psi + X), where z= E_psi/E_gamma in the proton rest frame. The theoretical prediction based on the non-relativistic QCD (NRQCD) factorization formalism has a color-octet contribution which grows rapidly in the endpoint region, z -> 1, spoiling perturbation theory. In addition there are subleading operators which are enhanced by powers of 1/(1-z) and they must be resummed to all orders. Here an update of a systematic analysis is presented. The approach used to organize the endpoint behavior of the photo-production cross section is based on a combination of NRQCD and soft collinear effective theory. While a final result is not yet available, an intermediate result indicates that better agreement between theory and data will be achieved in this framework.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2005

Chiral Lagrangian with Heavy Quark-Diquark Symmetry

We construct a chiral Lagrangian for doubly heavy baryons and heavy mesons that is invariant under heavy quark-diquark symmetry at leading order and includes the leading O(1/m_Q) symmetry violating operators. The theory is used to predict the electromagnetic decay width of the J=3/2 member of the ground state doubly heavy baryon doublet. Numerical estimates are provided for doubly charm baryons. We also calculate chiral corrections to doubly heavy baryon masses and strong decay widths of low lying excited doubly heavy baryons.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2005

Doubly Heavy Baryons, Heavy Quark-DiQuark Symmetry and NRQCD

In the heavy quark limit, properties of heavy mesons and doubly heavy baryons are related by heavy quark-diquark symmetry. This problem is reanalyzed in the framework of Non-Relativistic QCD (NRQCD). We introduce a novel method for deriving Potential NRQCD (pNRQCD) Lagrangians for composite fields from vNRQCD, which contains quarks and antiquarks as explicit degrees of freedom and maintains manifest power counting in the velocity via a label formalism. A Hubbard-Stratonovich transformation is used to eliminate four quark interactions in vNRQCD and then quarks and antiquarks are integrated out to get effective Lagrangians for composite fields. This method is used to rederive Lagrangians for the Q\bar Q and QQ sectors of pNRQCD and give a correct derivation of the O(1/m_Q) prediction for the hyperfine splitting of doubly heavy baryons.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2005

Even- and Odd-Parity Charmed Meson Masses in Heavy Hadron Chiral Perturbation Theory

We derive mass formulae for the ground state, J^P = 0^- and 1^-, and first excited even-parity, J^P = 0^+ and 1^+, charmed mesons including one loop chiral corrections and O(1/m_c) counterterms in heavy hadron chiral perturbation theory. We show that including these counterterms is critical for fitting the current data. We find that certain parameter relations in the parity doubling model are not renormalized at one loop, providing a natural explanation for the equality of the hyperfine splittings of ground state and excited doublets.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2005

Excited D_s (and Pentaquarks) in Chiral Perturbation Theory

I present results of a heavy hadron chiral perturbation theory analysis of the decays and masses of the recently discovered excited charm mesons. The present data on the electromagnetic branching ratios are consistent with heavy quark symmetry predictions and disfavor a molecular interpretation of these states. I also discuss model independent predictions for the strong decays of pentaquarks in the 10-bar representation of SU(3) which can be used to constrain the angular momentum and parity quantum numbers of these states.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2005

Quarks with Twisted Boundary Conditions in the Epsilon Regime

We study the effects of twisted boundary conditions on the quark fields in the epsilon regime of chiral perturbation theory. We consider the $SU(2)_L\times SU(2)_R$ chiral theory with non-degenerate quarks and the $SU(3)_L\times SU(3)_R$ chiral theory with massless up and down quarks and massive strange quarks. The partition function and condensate are derived for each theory. Because flavor-neutral Goldstone bosons are unaffected by twisted boundary conditions chiral symmetry is still restored in finite volumes. The dependence of the condensate on the twisting parameters can be used to extract the pion decay constant from simulations in the epsilon regime. The relative contribution to the partition function from sectors of different topological charge is numerically insensitive to twisted boundary conditions.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2004

Heavy-Quark Symmetry and the Electromagnetic Decays of Excited Charmed Strange Mesons

Heavy-hadron chiral perturbation theory (HH$χ$PT) is applied to the decays of the even-parity charmed strange mesons, D_{s0}(2317) and D_{s1}(2460). Heavy-quark spin symmetry predicts the branching fractions for the three electromagnetic decays of these states to the ground states D_s and D_s^* in terms of a single parameter. The resulting predictions for two of the branching fractions are significantly higher than current upper limits from the CLEO experiment. Leading corrections to the branching ratios from chiral loop diagrams and spin-symmetry violating operators in the HH$χ$PT Lagrangian can naturally account for this discrepancy. Finally the proposal that the D_{s0}(2317) (D_{s1}(2460)) is a hadronic bound state of a D (D^*) meson and a kaon is considered. Leading order predictions for electromagnetic branching ratios in this molecular scenario are in very poor agreement with existing data.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2004

Determining Pentaquark Quantum Numbers from Strong Decays

Assuming that the recently observed $Θ^+$ and $Ξ^{--}$ are members of an anti-decuplet of SU(3), decays to ground state baryons and mesons are calculated using an effective Lagrangian which incorporates chiral and SU(3) symmetry. We consider the possible quantum number assignments $J^Π={1/2}^\pm,{3/2}^\pm$ and calculate ratios of partial widths. The branching ratios of exotic cascades can be used to discriminate between even and odd parity pentaquarks.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

Recent Developments in Heavy Quark and Quarkonium Production

Recent measurements of J/psi production in e^+ e^- colliders pose a challenge to the NRQCD factorization theorem for quarkonium production. Discrepancies between leading order calculations of color-octet contributions and the momentum distribution of J/psi observed by Belle and BaBar are resolved by resumming large perturbative and nonperturbative corrections that are enhanced near the kinematic endpoint. The large cross sections for J/psi + c + \bar c and double quarkonium production remain poorly understood. Nonperturbative effects in fixed-target hadroproduction of open charm are also discussed. Large asymmetries in the production of charm mesons and baryons probe nonperturbative corrections to the QCD factorization theorem. A power correction called heavy-quark recombination can economically explain these asymmetries with a few universal parameters.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

Charm production asymmetries from heavy-quark recombination

Charm asymmetries in fixed-target hadroproduction experiments are sensitive to power corrections to the QCD factorization theorem for heavy quark production. A power correction called heavy-quark recombination has recently been proposed to explain these asymmetries. In heavy-quark recombination, a light quark or antiquark participates in a hard scattering which produces a charm-anticharm quark pair. The light quark or antiquark emerges from the scattering with small momentum in the rest frame of the charm quark, and together they hadronize into a charm particle. The cross section for this process can be calculated within perturbative QCD up to an overall normalization. Heavy-quark recombination explains the observed D meson and Λ_c asymmetries with a minimal set of universal nonperturbative parameters.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

Resumming the color-octet contribution to e+ e- -> J/psi + X

Recent observations of the spectrum of J/psi produced in e+ e- collisions at the Upsilon(4S) resonance are in conflict with fixed-order calculations using the Non-Relativistic QCD (NRQCD) effective field theory. One problem is that leading order color-octet mechanisms predict an enhancement of the cross section for J/psi with maximal energy that is not observed in the data. However, in this region of phase space large perturbative corrections (Sudakov logarithms) as well as enhanced nonperturbative effects are important. In this paper we use the newly developed Soft-Collinear Effective Theory (SCET) to systematically include these effects. We find that these corrections significantly broaden the color-octet contribution to the J/psi spectrum. Our calculation employs a one-stage renormalization group evolution rather than the two-stage evolution used in previous SCET calculations. We give a simple argument for why the two methods yield identical results to lowest order in the SCET power counting.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

Lambda_c^+/Lambda_c^- Asymmetry in Hadroproduction from Heavy-Quark Recombination

Asymmetries in the hadroproduction of charm particles directly probe power corrections to the QCD factorization theorems. In this paper, the heavy-quark recombination mechanism, a power correction that explains charm meson asymmetries, is extended to charm baryons. In this mechanism, a light quark participates in the hard scattering that creates a charm quark and they hadronize together into a charm baryon. This provides a natural and economical explanation for the Λ_c^+/Λ_c^- asymmetries measured in πN and p N collisions.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2003

Gauge Fields and Scalars in Rolling Tachyon Backgrounds

We investigate the dynamics of gauge and scalar fields on unstable D-branes with rolling tachyons. Assuming an FRW metric on the brane, we find a solution of the tachyon equation of motion which is valid for arbitrary tachyon potentials and scale factors. The equations of motion for a U(1) gauge field and a scalar field in this background are derived. These fields see an effective metric which differs from the original FRW metric. The field equations receive large corrections due to the curvature of the effective metric as well as the time variation of the gauge coupling. The equations of state for these fields resemble those of nonrelativistic matter rather than those of massless particles.

hep-th↗

arXiv2002

Isospin violation in e+ e- --> B Bbar

The ratio of the B+ B- and B0 B0bar production rates in e+ e- annihilation is computed as a function of the B meson velocity and BB* pi coupling constant, using a non-relativistic effective field theory.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2002

Charm-Anticharm Asymmetries in Photoproduction from Heavy-Quark Recombination

The asymmetries between charm and anticharm mesons observed in fixed-target photoproduction experiments are an order of magnitude larger than the asymmetries predicted by conventional perturbative QCD. We show that these charm meson asymmetries can be explained by a heavy-quark recombination mechanism for heavy meson production. In this process, a charm quark combines with a light antiquark from the hard-scattering process and they subsequently hadronize into a state including the charm meson. This recombination mechanism can be calculated within perturbative QCD up to some nonperturbative constants. After using symmetries of QCD to reduce the number of free parameters to two, we obtain a good fit to all the data on the asymmetries for charmed mesons from the E687 and E691 experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2002

B Production Asymmetries in Perturbative QCD

This paper explores a new mechanism for B production in which a b quark combines with a light parton from the hard-scattering process before hadronizing into the B hadron. This recombination mechanism can be calculated within perturbative QCD up to a few nonperturbative constants. Though suppressed at large transverse momentum by a factor Lambda_QCD m_b/p_t^2 relative to b quark fragmentation production, it can be important at large rapidities. A signature for this heavy-quark recombination mechanism in proton-antiproton colliders is the presence of rapidity asymmetries in B cross sections. Given reasonable assumptions about the size of nonperturbative parameters entering the calculation, we find that the asymmetries are only significant for rapidities larger than those currently probed by collider experiments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2002

The Leading Particle Effect from Heavy-Quark Recombination

The leading particle effect in charm hadroproduction is an enhancement of the cross section for a charmed hadron D in the forward direction of the beam when the beam hadron has a valence parton in common with the D. The large D+/D- asymmetry observed by the E791 experiment is an example of this phenomenon. We show that the heavy-quark recombination mechanism provides an economical explanation for this effect. In particular, the D+/D- asymmetry can be fit reasonably well using a single parameter whose value is consistent with a recent determination from charm photoproduction.

hep-ph↗