Spin-3/2 baryons from an anisotropic lattice QCD action

The mass spectrum of baryons in the spin-3/2 sector is computed in quenched lattice QCD using a tadpole-improved anisotropic action. Both isospin 1/2 and 3/2 (the traditional decuplet) are considered, as well as members that contain strange quarks. States with positive and negative parities are isolated by parity projection, while states with spin-3/2 and spin-1/2 are separated by spin projection. The extent to which spin projection is needed is examined. The issue of optimal interpolating field is also investigated. The results are discussed in relation to previous calculations and experiment.Comment: modified version to appear in Phys Rev

Nonperturbative m_X cut effects in B -> Xs l+ l- observables

Recently, it was shown that in inclusive B -> Xs l+ l- decay, an angular decomposition provides three independent (q^2 dependent) observables. A strategy was formulated to extract all measurable Wilson coefficients in B -> Xs l+ l- from a few simple integrals of these observables in the low q^2 region. The experimental measurements in the low q^2 region require a cut on the hadronic invariant mass, which introduces a dependence on nonperturbative b quark distribution functions. The associated hadronic uncertainties could potentially limit the sensitivity of these decays to new physics. We compute the nonperturbative corrections to all three observables at leading and subleading order in the power expansion in \Lambda_QCD/m_b. We find that the subleading power corrections give sizeable corrections, of order -5% to -10% depending on the observable and the precise value of the hadronic mass cut. They cause a shift of order -0.05 GeV^2 to -0.1 GeV^2 in the zero of the forward-backward asymmetry.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, v2: corrected typos and Eq. (25), v3: journal versio

Universality and m_X cut effects in B -> Xs l+ l-

The most precise comparison between theory and experiment for the B -> Xs l+ l- rate is in the low q^2 region, but the hadronic uncertainties associated with an experimentally required cut on m_X potentially spoil the search for new physics in these decays. We show that a 10-30% reduction of d\Gamma(B -> Xs l+ l-) / dq^2 due to the m_X cut can be accurately computed using the B -> X_s gamma shape function. The effect is universal for all short distance contributions in the limit m_X^2 << m_B^2, and this universality is spoiled neither by realistic values of the m_X cut nor by alpha_s corrections. Both the differential decay rate and forward-backward asymmetry with an m_X cut are computed.Comment: 5 pages, journal versio

Extracting short distance information from b-->s[script-l]+[script-l]- effectively

We point out that in inclusive B-->Xs[script-l]+[script-l]- decay an angular decomposition provides a third (q2 dependent) observable sensitive to a different combination of Wilson coefficients than the rate and the forward-backward asymmetry. Since a precise measurement of q2 dependence requires large data sets, it is important to consider the data integrated over regions of q2. We develop a strategy to extract all measurable Wilson coefficients in B-->Xs[script-l]+[script-l]- from a few simple integrated rates in the low q2 region. A similar decomposition in B-->K*[script-l]+[script-l]-, together with the B-->K*gamma rate, also provides a determination of the Wilson coefficients, without reliance on form factor models and without having to measure the zero of the forward-backward asymmetry

Internal wave pressure, velocity, and energy flux from density perturbations

Determination of energy transport is crucial for understanding the energy budget and fluid circulation in density varying fluids such as the ocean and the atmosphere. However, it is rarely possible to determine the energy flux field $\mathbf{J} = p \mathbf{u}$, which requires simultaneous measurements of the pressure and velocity perturbation fields, $p$ and $\mathbf{u}$. We present a method for obtaining the instantaneous $\mathbf{J}(x,z,t)$ from density perturbations alone: a Green's function-based calculation yields $p$, and $\mathbf{u}$ is obtained by integrating the continuity equation and the incompressibility condition. We validate our method with results from Navier-Stokes simulations: the Green's function method is applied to the density perturbation field from the simulations, and the result for $\mathbf{J}$ is found to agree typically to within $1\%$ with $\mathbf{J}$ computed directly using $p$ and $\mathbf{u}$ from the Navier-Stokes simulation. We also apply the Green's function method to density perturbation data from laboratory schlieren measurements of internal waves in a stratified fluid, and the result for $\mathbf{J}$ agrees to within $6\%$ with results from Navier-Stokes simulations. Our method for determining the instantaneous velocity, pressure, and energy flux fields applies to any system described by a linear approximation of the density perturbation field, e.g., to small amplitude lee waves and propagating vertical modes. The method can be applied using our Matlab graphical user interface EnergyFlux

Charged stripes from alternating static magnetic field

We motivate and perform a calculation of the energy of a cold fluid of charged fermions in the presence of a striped magnetic background. We find that a non-trivial value for the doping density on the walls is preferredComment: RevTeX, 3 pages, 3 encapsulated PostScript figure