Structure and transitions of nucleon excitations via parity-expanded variational analysis

The recently-introduced Parity Expanded Variational Analysis (PEVA) technique allows for the isolation of baryon eigenstates on the lattice at finite momentum free from opposite-parity contamination. We find that this technique introduces a statistically significant correction in extractions of the electromagnetic form factors of the ground state nucleon. It also allows first extractions of the elastic and transition form factors of nucleon excitations on the lattice. We present the electromagnetic elastic form factors and helicity amplitudes of two odd-parity excitations of the nucleon. These results provide valuable insight into the structure of these states, and allow for a connection to be made to quark-model states in this energy region.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures; Proceedings of the 37th annual International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (Lattice 2019), 16-22 June 2019, Wuhan, Chin

Parity-expanded variational analysis for non-zero momentum

In recent years, the use of variational analysis techniques in lattice QCD has been demonstrated to be successful in the investigation of the rest-mass spectrum of many hadrons. However, due to parity-mixing, more care must be taken for investigations of boosted states to ensure that the projected correlation functions provided by the variational analysis correspond to the same states at zero momentum. In this paper we present the Parity-Expanded Variational Analysis (PEVA) technique, a novel method for ensuring the successful and consistent isolation of boosted baryons through a parity expansion of the operator basis used to construct the correlation matrix.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl

Hamiltonian effective field theory study of the N∗(1440)\mathbf{N^*(1440)} resonance in lattice QCD

We examine the phase shifts and inelasticities associated with the $N^*(1440)$ Roper resonance and connect these infinite-volume observables to the finite-volume spectrum of lattice QCD using Hamiltonian effective field theory. We explore three hypotheses for the structure of the Roper resonance. All three hypotheses are able to describe the scattering data well. In the third hypothesis the Roper resonance couples the low-lying bare basis-state component associated with the ground state nucleon with the virtual meson-baryon contributions. Here the non-trivial superpositions of the meson-baryon scattering states are complemented by bare basis-state components explaining their observation in contemporary lattice QCD calculations. The merit of this scenario lies in its ability to not only describe the observed nucleon energy levels in large-volume lattice QCD simulations but also explain why other low-lying states have been missed in today's lattice QCD results for the nucleon spectrum.Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures; version to be published in Phys. Rev.

Hamiltonian effective field theory study of the N∗(1535)\mathbf{N^*(1535)} resonance in lattice QCD

Drawing on experimental data for baryon resonances, Hamiltonian effective field theory (HEFT) is used to predict the positions of the finite-volume energy levels to be observed in lattice QCD simulations of the lowest-lying $J^P=1/2^-$ nucleon excitation. In the initial analysis, the phenomenological parameters of the Hamiltonian model are constrained by experiment and the finite-volume eigenstate energies are a prediction of the model. The agreement between HEFT predictions and lattice QCD results obtained on volumes with spatial lengths of 2 and 3 fm is excellent. These lattice results also admit a more conventional analysis where the low-energy coefficients are constrained by lattice QCD results, enabling a determination of resonance properties from lattice QCD itself. Finally, the role and importance of various components of the Hamiltonian model are examined.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures; version published in Phys. Rev. Let

Emergent phenomena from centre vortices

Quark confinement is perhaps the most important emergent property of the theory of quantum chromodynamics. Herein we review some key aspects of centre vortices in SU(3) lattice gauge theory. Starting from the original Monte Carlo gauge fields, a vortex identification procedure yields vortex-removed and vortex-only backgrounds. The comparison between the original `untouched' Monte Carlo gauge fields and these so called vortex-modified ensembles has provided a variety of results that support the notion that centre vortices are fundamental to confinement in pure gauge theory. For the first time we perform direct numerical tests of the response of centre vortices to the presence of dynamical quarks in SU(3).Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures; Proceedings of 38th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (LATTICE2021), 26-30 July 2021, Zoom/Gather@MIT, US

The mixing of two-pion and vector-meson states using staggered fermions

In this study we employ staggered fermions to calculate the two-pion taste singlet states at rest. Leveraging the Clebsch-Gordan coefficients of the symmetry group associated with staggered fermions, we effectively compute the $\pi\pi$ contributions to the resting $\rho$-meson correlator. To discern the distinct energy states involved, we adopt a generalized eigenvalue problem-solving approach. This work will provide insight into the important role played by the two-pion contribution to the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. In this paper we present our group theoretic considerations and preliminary results on the contribution of two-pion states to the rho meson correlation function.Comment: 8 pages, 2 tables, 5 figure

Hadronic vacuum polarization: comparing lattice QCD and data-driven results in systematically improvable ways

The precision with which hadronic vacuum polarization (HVP) is obtained determines how accurately important observables, such as the muon anomalous magnetic moment, a_\mu, or the low-energy running of the electromagnetic coupling, \alpha, are predicted. The two most precise approaches for determining HVP are: dispersive relations combined with e+e- to hadrons cross-section data, and lattice QCD. However, the results obtained in these two approaches display significant tensions, whose origins are not understood. Here we present a framework that sheds light on this issue and, if the two approaches can be reconciled, allows them to be combined. Via this framework, we test the hypothesis that the tensions can be explained by modifying the R-ratio in different intervals of center-of-mass energy sqrt(s). As ingredients, we consider observables that have been precisely determined in both approaches. These are the leading hadronic contributions to a_\mu, to the so-called intermediate window observable and to the running of \alpha between spacelike virtualities 1GeV^2 and 10GeV^2 (for which only a preliminary lattice result exists). Our tests take into account all uncertainties and correlations, as well as uncertainties on uncertainties in the lattice results. Among our findings, the most striking is that results obtained in the two approaches can be made to agree for all three observables by modifying the \rho peak in the experimental spectrum. In particular, we find that this requires a common ~5\% increase in the contributions of the peak to each of the three observables. This finding is robust against the presence or absence of one of the constraining observables. However, such an increase is much larger than the uncertainties on the measured R-ratio. We also discuss a variety of generalizations of the methods used here, as well as the limits in the information that can be extracted...Comment: 38 pages, 8 figure