Bound States and Power Counting in Effective Field Theories

The problem of bound states in effective field theories is studied. A rescaled version of nonrelativistic effective field theory is formulated which makes the velocity power counting of operators manifest. Results obtained using the rescaled theory are compared with known results from NRQCD. The same ideas are then applied to study Yukawa bound states in 1+1 and 3+1 dimensions, and to analyze when the Yukawa potential can be replaced by a delta-function potential. The implications of these results for the study of nucleon-nucleon scattering in chiral perturbation theory is discussed.Comment: 23 pages, eps figures, uses revte

Evaluation of Seismic Response of a Site Class F Site Using Equivalent Linear and Nonlinear Computer Codes

Evaluation of seismic site response and development of site-specific surface response spectra has evolved in recent years through the use of both equivalent linear (EQL) and nonlinear (NL) computer codes. Before the nonlinear computer codes become popular among practitioners, equivalent linear site response analysis programs were used to develop site-specific design spectra for both soft and stiff sites. Nonlinear site response analysis is now used more routinely for projects planned on Site Class F sites. This paper presents the results of seismic response analyses completed for a Site Class F site at Grays Harbor, Washington. Both the equivalent linear (SHAKE2000) and nonlinear (D-MOD2000) computer codes were used to evaluate the site response under the maximum considered earthquake (MCE) using the guidelines set forth in 2006 International Building Code (IBC) and American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 7-05 code. Comparison of surface response spectra, soil shear stress and strain at various soil layers computed using both the equivalent linear and nonlinear computer program. Conclusions regarding the limitations of the equivalent linear code and presents recommendations on the use of the nonlinear computer code in site response analysis for practitioners

Renormalization schemes and the range of two-nucleon effective field theory

The OS and PDS renormalization schemes for the effective field theory with nucleons and pions are investigated. We explain in detail how the renormalization is implemented using local counterterms. Fits to the NN scattering data are performed in the 1S0 and 3S1 channels for different values of mu_R. An error analysis indicates that the range of the theory with perturbative pions is consistent with 500 MeV.Comment: 40 pages, typos corrected, journal version. Discussion of the range in section VII clarified, conclusions unchange

Exact Markovian kinetic equation for a quantum Brownian oscillator

We derive an exact Markovian kinetic equation for an oscillator linearly coupled to a heat bath, describing quantum Brownian motion. Our work is based on the subdynamics formulation developed by Prigogine and collaborators. The space of distribution functions is decomposed into independent subspaces that remain invariant under Liouville dynamics. For integrable systems in Poincar\'e's sense the invariant subspaces follow the dynamics of uncoupled, renormalized particles. In contrast for non-integrable systems, the invariant subspaces follow a dynamics with broken-time symmetry, involving generalized functions. This result indicates that irreversibility and stochasticity are exact properties of dynamics in generalized function spaces. We comment on the relation between our Markovian kinetic equation and the Hu-Paz-Zhang equation.Comment: A few typos in the published version are correcte

The Long and Short of Nuclear Effective Field Theory Expansions

Nonperturbative effective field theory calculations for NN scattering seem to break down at rather low momenta. By examining several toy models, we clarify how effective field theory expansions can in general be used to properly separate long- and short-range effects. We find that one-pion exchange has a large effect on the scattering phase shift near poles in the amplitude, but otherwise can be treated perturbatively. Analysis of a toy model that reproduces 1S0 NN scattering data rather well suggests that failures of effective field theories for momenta above the pion mass can be due to short-range physics rather than the treatment of pion exchange. We discuss the implications this has for extending the applicability of effective field theories.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures, references corrected, minor modification

The NN scattering 3S1-3D1 mixing angle at NNLO

The 3S1-3D1 mixing angle for nucleon-nucleon scattering, epsilon_1, is calculated to next-to-next-to-leading order in an effective field theory with perturbative pions. Without pions, the low energy theory fits the observed epsilon_1 well for momenta less than $\sim 50$ MeV. Including pions perturbatively significantly improves the agreement with data for momenta up to $\sim 150$ MeV with one less parameter. Furthermore, for these momenta the accuracy of our calculation is similar to an effective field theory calculation in which the pion is treated non-perturbatively. This gives phenomenological support for a perturbative treatment of pions in low energy two-nucleon processes. We explain why it is necessary to perform spin and isospin traces in d dimensions when regulating divergences with dimensional regularization in higher partial wave amplitudes.Comment: 17 pages, journal versio