The number of colors in the decays pi^0, eta, eta-prime -> gamma gamma

The decays pi^0, eta, eta-prime -> gamma gamma are investigated up to next-to-next-to-leading order in the framework of the combined 1/N_c and chiral expansions. Without mixing of the pseudoscalar mesons the N_c independence of the pi^0 and eta decay amplitudes is shown to persist at the one-loop level, although the contribution of the Wess-Zumino-Witten term to the pertinent vertices is not canceled by the N_c dependent part of a Goldstone-Wilczek term. The decay amplitude of the singlet field, on the other hand, depends strongly on N_c and yields under the inclusion of mixing also a strong N_c dependence for the eta decay. Both the eta and eta-prime decay are suited to confirm the number of colors to be N_c=3.Comment: 18 pages, 1 figur

Constraints on the variability of quark masses from nuclear binding

Based on recent work on nuclear binding, we update and extend the anthropic constraints on the light quark masses, with results that are more tightly constrained than previously obtained. We find that heavy nuclei would fall apart (because the attractive nuclear central potential becomes too weak) if the sum of the light quark masses m_u+m_d would exceed their physical values by 64% (at 95% confidence level). We summarize the anthropic constraints that follow from requiring the existence both of heavy atoms and of hydrogen. With the additional assumption that the quark Yukawa couplings do not vary, these constraints provide a remarkably tight anthropic window for the Higgs vacuum expectation value: 0.39 < v/v_physical < 1.64.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figure

Can one see the number of colors in eta, eta-prime --> pi^+ pi^- gamma?

We investigate the decays eta, eta-prime --> pi^+ pi^- gamma up to next-to-leading order in the framework of the combined 1/N_c and chiral expansions. Counter terms of unnatural parity at next-to-leading order with unknown couplings are important to acommodate the results both to the experimental decay width and the photon spectrum. The presence of these coefficients does not allow for a determination of the number of colors from these decays.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure

The Reaction γγ→π0π0\gamma\gamma\to\pi^0\pi^0 in Generalized Chiral Perturbation Theory

The cross section for $\gamma\gamma\to\pi^0\pi^0$ and the pion polarizabilities are computed, within generalized chiral perturbation theory, in the full one loop approximation, {\it i.e.} up to and including order $O({p^5})$. The result depends on the parameter ${\alpha}_{\pi\pi}$ defining the tree level $\pi - \pi$ scattering amplitude and on an additional low energy constant. The latter is shown to be related by an exact sum-rule to the $e^+ e^-$ data. The parameter ${\alpha}_{\pi\pi}$ is related to the quark mass ratio $r = m_s /{\hat m}$ via the expansion of pseudoscalar meson masses. The generalized one loop $\gamma\gamma\to\pi^0\pi^0$ amplitude agrees with the experimental data in the threshold region provided r= {m_s}/{\hat m}\lapprox 10. Higher order corrections are estimated comparing our calculation with the dispersive approach.Comment: 21 pages (plain latex)+1 fig (using feynman.tex)+ 6 figs (ps file appended), IPNO/TH 94-0

On the power counting of loop diagrams in general relativity

A class of loop diagrams in general relativity appears to have a behavior which would upset the utility of the energy expansion for quantum effects. We show through the study of specific diagrams that cancellations occur which restore the expected behaviour of the energy expansion. By considering the power counting in a physical gauge we show that the apparent bad behavior is a gauge artifact, and that the quantum loops enter with a well behaved energy expansion.Comment: 29 pages, uses axodraw and epsfig.tex, one small .eps file is included. The full PostScript version is also available as http://het.phast.umass.edu/students/kakukk/powercount_hepth.p

Baryon Masses in Chiral Perturbation Theory with Infrared Regularization

The baryon masses are examined in SU(3) chiral perturbation theory to third order using the recently proposed infrared regularization scheme. Fourth order is estimated by evaluating the dominant diagram. With this regularization the magnitude of the loop integrals is reduced so that the convergence of the series appears to be better than in the heavy baryon approach.Comment: The original third order calculation is supplemented by an estimate of fourth order using just the dominant diagram. The convergence still appears to be better than in the heavy baryon approach. To be published in Phys. Rev. C. 15 pages latex, 2 postscript figure

Quantum power correction to the Newton law

We have found the graviton contribution to the one-loop quantum correction to the Newton law. This correction results in interaction decreasing with distance as 1/r^3 and is dominated numerically by the graviton contribution. The previous calculations of this contribution to the discussed effect are demonstrated to be incorrect.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures; numerical error corrected, few references adde

Final state rescattering as a contribution to B→ργB \to \rho \gamma

We provide a new estimate of the long-distance component to the radiative transition $B \to \rho \gamma$. Our mechanism involves the soft-scattering of on-shell hadronic products of nonleptonic $B$ decay, as in the chain $B \to \rho\rho \to \rho\gamma$. We employ a phenomenological fit to scattering data to estimate the effect. The specific intermediate states considered here modify the $B \to \rho \gamma$ decay rate at roughly the $5 \to 8$ level, although the underlying effect has the potential to be larger. Contrary to other mechanisms of long distance physics which have been discussed in the literature, this yields a non-negligible modification of the $B^0 \to \rho^0 \gamma$ channel and hence will provide an uncertainty in the extraction of $V_{td}$. This mechanism also affects the isospin relation between the rates for $B^- \to \rho^-\gamma$ and $B^0 \to \rho^0 \gamma$ and may generate CP asymmetries at experimentally observable levels.Comment: 15 pages, RevTex, 3 figure

A sum rule approach to the violation of Dashen's theorem

A classic sum rule by Das et al. is extended to seven of the low-energy constants $K_i$, introduced by Urech, which parameterize electromagnetic corrections at chiral order $O(e^2p^2)$. Using the spurion formalism, a simple convolution representation is shown to hold and the structure in terms of the chiral renormalization scale, the QCD renormalization scale and the QED gauge parameter is displayed. The role of the resonances is studied as providing rational interpolants to relevant QCD n-point functions in the euclidian domain. A variety of asymptotic constraints must be implemented which have phenomenological consequences. A current assumption concerning the dominance of the lowest-lying resonances is shown clearly to fail in some cases.Comment: A few corrections and improvements made, the list of references is more complet

On the extraction of the quark mass ratio (m_d - m_u)/m_s from Gamma(eta' -> pi^0 pi^+ pi^-)/Gamma(eta' -> eta pi^+ pi^-)

The claim that the light quark mass ratio (m_d - m_u)/m_s can be extracted from the decay width ratio Gamma(eta' -> pi^0 pi^+ pi^-)/Gamma(eta' -> eta pi^+ pi^-) is critically investigated within a U(3) chiral unitary framework. The influence of the recent VES data on the eta' -> eta pi^+ pi^- decay is also discussed.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure, 6 table