The baryon-decuplet in the chiral dynamics of Lambda-hyperons in nuclear matter

We study the long range part of the $\Lambda$-hyperon optical potential in nuclei using Quantum Many Body techniques and flavor-SU(3) Chiral Lagrangians as starting point. More precisely, we study the contributions to the $\Lambda$-hyperon optical potential due to the long-range two-pion exchange, with $\Sigma$ and $\Sigma^*$ baryons in the internal baryonic lines and considering Nh and $\Delta$h excitations. We also consider the contribution to the spin-orbit potentials that comes out from these terms. Our results support a natural explanation of the smallness of the $\Lambda$-nuclear spin-orbit interaction and shows the importance of the $\Sigma^*$ and $\Delta$ degrees of freedom for the hyperon-nucleus interactions.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Properties of the ground-state baryons in chiral perturbation theory

We review recent progress in the understanding of low-energy baryon structure by means of chiral perturbation theory. In particular, we discuss the application of this formalism to the description of various properties such as the baryon-octet magnetic moments, the electromagnetic structure of decuplet resonances and the hyperon vector coupling $f_1(0)$. Moreover, we present the results on the chiral extrapolation of recent lattice QCD results on the lowest-lying baryon masses and we predict the corresponding baryonic sigma-terms.Comment: 6 pages; shortened version to appear in the proceedings of QCD1

The lowest-lying baryon masses in covariant SU(3)-flavor chiral perturbation theory

We present an analysis of the baryon-octet and -decuplet masses using covariant SU(3)-flavor chiral perturbation theory up to next-to-leading order. Besides the description of the physical masses we address the problem of the lattice QCD extrapolation. Using the PACS-CS collaboration data we show that a good description of the lattice points can be achieved at next-to-leading order with the covariant loop amplitudes and phenomenologically determined values for the meson-baryon couplings. Moreover, the extrapolation to the physical point up to this order is found to be better than the linear one given at leading-order by the Gell-Mann-Okubo approach. The importance that a reliable combination of lattice QCD and chiral perturbation theory may have for hadron phenomenology is emphasized with the prediction of the pion-baryon and strange-baryon sigma terms.Comment: Typos in formulas correcte

Phenomenology of an SU(2)×SU(2)×U(1)SU(2) \times SU(2) \times U(1) model with lepton-flavour non-universality

We investigate a gauge extension of the Standard Model in light of the observed hints of lepton universality violation in $b \to c \ell \nu$ and $b \to s \ell^+ \ell^-$ decays at BaBar, Belle and LHCb. The model consists of an extended gauge group $\mathrm{SU(2)}_{1} \times \mathrm{SU(2)}_{2} \times \mathrm{U(1)}_Y$ which breaks spontaneously around the TeV scale to the electroweak gauge group. Fermion mixing effects with vector-like fermions give rise to potentially large new physics contributions in flavour transitions mediated by $W^{\prime}$ and $Z^{\prime}$ bosons. This model can ease tensions in $B$-physics data while satisfying stringent bounds from flavour physics, tau decays, and electroweak precision data. Possible ways to test the proposed new physics scenario with upcoming experimental measurements are discussed. Among other predictions, the lepton flavour violating ratios $R_M$, with $M = K^*, \phi$, are found to be reduced with respect to the Standard Model expectation $R_M \simeq 1$.Comment: 46 pages, 11 figures. v2: version published in JHE

Non-abelian gauge extensions for B-decay anomalies

We study the generic features of minimal gauge extensions of the Standard Model in view of recent hints of lepton-flavor non-universality in semi-leptonic $b \to s \ell^+ \ell^-$ and $b \to c \ell \nu$ decays. We classify the possible models according to the symmetry-breaking pattern and the source of flavor non-universality. We find that in viable models the $\mathrm{SU(2)}_L$ factor is embedded non-trivially in the extended gauge group, and that gauge couplings should be universal, hinting to the presence of new degrees of freedom sourcing non-universality. Finally, we provide an explicit model that can explain the $B$-decay anomalies in a coherent way and confront it with the relevant phenomenological constraints.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures; discussion improved, a figure and references added; conclusions unchange

Masses and magnetic moments of ground-state baryons in covariant baryon chiral perturbation theory

We report on some recent developments in our understanding of the light-quark mass dependence and the SU(3) flavor symmetry breaking corrections to the magnetic moments of the ground-state baryons in a covariant formulation of baryon chiral perturbation theory, the so-called EOMS formulation. We show that this covariant ChPT exhibits some promising features compared to its heavy-baryon and infrared counterparts.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures; plenary talk delivered by LSG at the 14th national conference on nuclear structure, April 12nd - 16th, 2012, Huzhou, Chin

Chiral perturbation theory study of the axial N→Δ(1232)N\to\Delta(1232) transition

We have performed a theoretical study of the axial Nucleon to Delta(1232) ($N\to\Delta$) transition form factors up to one-loop order in covariant baryon chiral perturbation theory within a formalism in which the unphysical spin-1/2 components of the $\Delta$ fields are decoupled.Comment: 4 page

Leading SU(3)-breaking corrections to the baryon magnetic moments in Chiral Perturbation Theory

We calculate the baryon magnetic moments using covariant Chiral Perturbation Theory ($\chi$PT) within the Extended-on-mass-shell (EOMS) renormalization scheme. By fitting the two available low-energy constants (LECs), we improve the Coleman-Glashow description of the data when we include the leading SU(3) breaking effects coming from the lowest-order loops. This success is in dramatic contrast with previous attempts at the same order using Heavy Baryon (HB) $\chi$PT and covariant Infrared (IR) $\chi$PT. We also analyze the source of this improvement with particular attention on the comparison between the covariant results.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in PR