New methods for B meson decay constants and form factors from lattice NRQCD

We determine the normalisation of scalar and pseudoscalar current operators made from non-relativistic $b$ quarks and Highly Improved Staggered light quarks in lattice Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) through $\mathcal{O}(\alpha_s)$ and $\Lambda_{\text{QCD}}/m_b$. We use matrix elements of these operators to extract $B$ meson decay constants and form factors, then compare to those obtained using the standard vector and axial-vector operators. This provides a test of systematic errors in the lattice QCD determination of the $B$ meson decay constants and form factors. We provide a new value for the $B$ and $B_s$ meson decay constants from lattice QCD calculations on ensembles that include $u$, $d$, $s$ and $c$ quarks in the sea and those which have the $u/d$ quark mass going down to its physical value. Our results are $f_B=0.196(6)$ GeV, $f_{B_s}=0.236(7)$ GeV and $f_{B_s}/f_B =1.207(7)$, agreeing well with earlier results using the temporal axial current. By combining with these previous results, we provide updated values of $f_B=0.190(4)$ GeV, $f_{B_s}=0.229(5)$ GeV and $f_{B_s}/f_B = 1.206(5)$.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figure

The mass of the b-quark from lattice NRQCD and lattice perturbation theory

We present a determination of the b-quark mass accurate through O(\alpha_s^2) in perturbation theory and including partial contributions at O(\alpha_s^3). Nonperturbative input comes from the calculation of the Upsilon and B_s energies in lattice QCD including the effect of u, d and s sea quarks. We use an improved NRQCD action for the b-quark. This is combined with the heavy quark energy shift in NRQCD determined using a mixed approach of high-beta simulation and automated lattice perturbation theory. Comparison with experiment enables the quark mass to be extracted: in the MS bar scheme we find m_b(m_b) = 4.166(43) GeV.Comment: v2 - corrected some typos and an error in the summary plo

B and B-s meson decay constants from lattice QCD

We present a new determination of the B and B-s meson decay constants using nonrelativistic quantum chromodynamics (NRQCD) b-quarks, highly improved staggered quark (HISQ) light and strange valence quarks and the MILC collaboration N-f = 2 + 1 lattices. The new calculations improve on HPQCD\u27s earlier work with NRQCD b-quarks by replacing AsqTad with HISQ valence quarks, by including a more chiral MILC fine ensemble in the analysis, and by employing better tuned quark masses and overall scale. We find f (B) = 0.191(9) GeV, f (Bs) = 0.228(10) GeV and f (Bs)/f (B) = 1.188(18). Combining the new value for f (Bs)/f (B) with a recent very precise determination of the B-s meson decay constant based on HISQ b-quarks, f (Bs) = 0.225(4) GeV, leads to f (B) = 0.189(4) GeV. With errors of just 2.1% this represents the most precise f (B) available today

B-Meson Decay Constants from Improved Lattice Nonrelativistic QCD with Physical u,d,s, and c Quarks

We present the first lattice QCD calculation of the decay constants f(B) and f(Bs) with physical light quark masses. We use configurations generated by the MILC Collaboration including the effect of u, d, s, and c highly improved staggered quarks in the sea at three lattice spacings and with three u/d quark mass values going down to the physical value. We use improved nonrelativistic QCD (NRQCD) for the valence b quarks. Our results are f(B) = 0.186(4) GeV, f(Bs) = 0.224(4) GeV, f(Bs) / f(B) = 1.205(7), and M-Bs - M-B = 85(2) MeV, superseding earlier results with NRQCD b quarks. We discuss the implications of our results for the standard model rates for B-(s) -\u3emu(+)mu(-) and B -\u3etau n

PDFs in small boxes

PDFs can be studied directly using lattice QCD by evaluating matrix elements of non-local operators. A number of groups are pursuing numerical calculations and investigating possible systematic uncertainties. One systematic that has received less attention is the effect of calculating in a finite spacetime volume. Here we present first attempts to assess the role of the finite volume for spatially non-local operators. We find that these matrix elements may suffer from large finite-volume artifacts and more careful investigation is needed.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, Conference: The 36th Annual International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory - LATTICE2018, 22-28 July, 2018, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, US

Elucidation of the RamA Regulon in Klebsiella pneumoniae Reveals a Role in LPS Regulation

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a significant human pathogen, in part due to high rates of multidrug resistance. RamA is an intrinsic regulator in K. pneumoniae established to be important for the bacterial response to antimicrobial challenge; however, little is known about its possible wider regulatory role in this organism during infection. In this work, we demonstrate that RamA is a global transcriptional regulator that significantly perturbs the transcriptional landscape of K. pneumoniae, resulting in altered microbe-drug or microbe-host response. This is largely due to the direct regulation of 68 genes associated with a myriad of cellular functions. Importantly, RamA directly binds and activates the lpxC, lpxL-2 and lpxO genes associated with lipid A biosynthesis, thus resulting in modifications within the lipid A moiety of the lipopolysaccharide. RamA-mediated alterations decrease susceptibility to colistin E, polymyxin B and human cationic antimicrobial peptide LL-37. Increased RamA levels reduce K. pneumoniae adhesion and uptake into macrophages, which is supported by in vivo infection studies, that demonstrate increased systemic dissemination of ramA overexpressing K. pneumoniae. These data establish that RamA-mediated regulation directly perturbs microbial surface properties, including lipid A biosynthesis, which facilitate evasion from the innate host response. This highlights RamA as a global regulator that confers pathoadaptive phenotypes with implications for our understanding of the pathogenesis of Enterobacter, Salmonella and Citrobacter spp. that express orthologous RamA proteins