Strange quark mass and Lambda parameter by the ALPHA collaboration

We determine f_K for lattice QCD in the two flavor approximation with non-perturbatively improved Wilson fermions. The result is used to set the scale for dimensionful quantities in CLS/ALPHA simulations. To control its dependence on the light quark mass, two different strategies for the chiral extrapolation are applied. Combining f_K and the bare strange quark mass with non-perturbative renormalization factors and step scaling functions computed in the Schroedinger Functional, we determine the RGI strange quark mass and the Lambda parameter in units of f_K.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures; talk given at LATTICE 2011, XXIX International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, July 11-16 2011, Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe, Californi

The revelation principle and regularity conditions

The revelation principle asserts that every outcome brought by a mechanism is realized by a truthful direct mechanism. The present paper investigates the regularity conditions of these two mechanisms in the continuous space of the agent’s type. It questions what regularity condition a general mechanism confers upon a direct mechanism through the revelation principle. By so doing, we elucidate the limit of the revelation principle

Critical slowing down and error analysis of lattice QCD simulations

In dieser Arbeit untersuchen wir das Critical Slowing down der Gitter-QCD Simulationen. Wir führen eine Vorstudie in der quenched Approximation durch, in der wir feststellen, dass unsere Schätzung der exponentiellen Autokorrelation wie \tauexp(a) \sim a^{-5} skaliert, wobei $a$ der Gitterabstand ist. In unquenched Simulationen mit O(a)-verbesserten Wilson-Fermionen finden wir ein ähnliches Skalierungsgesetz. Die Diskussion wird von einem gro\ss{}en Satz an Ensembles sowohl in reiner Eichtheorie als auch in der Theorie mit zwei entarteten Seequarks unterstützt. Wir haben darüber hinaus die Wirkung von langsamen algorithmischen Modi in der Fehleranalyse des Erwartungswertes von typischen Gitter-QCD-Observablen (hadronische Matrixelemente und Massen) untersucht. Im Kontext der Simulationen, die durch langsame Modi betroffen sind, schlagen wir vor und testen eine Methode, um zuverlässige Schätzungen der statistischen Fehler zu bekommen. Diese Methode soll in dem typischen Simulationsbereich der Gitter-QCD helfen, nämlich dann, wenn die gesamte erfasste Statistik O(10)\tauexp ist. Dies ist der typische Fall bei Simulationen in der Nähe des Kontinuumslimes, wo der Rechenaufwand für die Erzeugung von zwei unabhängigen Datenpunkten sehr gro\ss{} sein kann. Schlie\ss{}lich diskutieren wir die Skalenbestimmung in N_f=2-Simulationen mit der Kaon Zerfallskonstante f_K als experimentellem Input. Die Methode wird zusammen mit einer gründlichen Diskussion der angewandten Fehleranalyse erklärt. Eine Beschreibung der öffentlich zugänglichen Software, die für die Fehleranalyse genutzt wurde, ist eingeschlossen.In this work we investigate the critical slowing down of lattice QCD simulations. We perform a preliminary study in the quenched approximation where we find that our estimate of the exponential auto-correlation time scales as \tauexp(a)\sim a^{-5}, where $a$ is the lattice spacing. In unquenched simulations with O(a) improved Wilson fermions we do not obtain a scaling law but find results compatible with the behavior that we find in the pure gauge theory. The discussion is supported by a large set of ensembles both in pure gauge and in the theory with two degenerate sea quarks. We have moreover investigated the effect of slow algorithmic modes in the error analysis of the expectation value of typical lattice QCD observables (hadronic matrix elements and masses). In the context of simulations affected by slow modes we propose and test a method to obtain reliable estimates of statistical errors. The method is supposed to help in the typical algorithmic setup of lattice QCD, namely when the total statistics collected is of O(10)\tauexp. This is the typical case when simulating close to the continuum limit where the computational costs for producing two independent data points can be extremely large. We finally discuss the scale setting in Nf=2 simulations using the Kaon decay constant f_K as physical input. The method is explained together with a thorough discussion of the error analysis employed. A description of the publicly available code used for the error analysis is included

Charm quark mass and D-meson decay constants from two-flavour lattice QCD

We present a computation of the charm quark's mass and the leptonic D-meson decay constants f_D and f_{D_s} in two-flavour lattice QCD with non-perturbatively O(a) improved Wilson quarks. Our analysis is based on the CLS configurations at two lattice spacings (a=0.065 and 0.048 fm, where the lattice scale is set by f_K) and pion masses ranging down to ~ 190 MeV at L*m_pi > 4, in order to perform controlled continuum and chiral extrapolations with small systematic uncertainties

Charm quark mass and D-meson decay constants from two-flavour lattice QCD

We present a computation of the charm quark's mass and the leptonic D-meson decay constants f_D and f_{D_s} in two-flavour lattice QCD with non-perturbatively O(a) improved Wilson quarks. Our analysis is based on the CLS configurations at two lattice spacings (a=0.065 and 0.048 fm, where the lattice scale is set by f_K) and pion masses ranging down to ~ 190 MeV at L*m_pi > 4, in order to perform controlled continuum and chiral extrapolations with small systematic uncertainties

Critical slowing down and error analysis in lattice QCD simulations

We study the critical slowing down towards the continuum limit of lattice QCD simulations with Hybrid Monte Carlo type algorithms. In particular for the squared topological charge we find it to be very severe with an effective dynamical critical exponent of about 5 in pure gauge theory. We also consider Wilson loops which we can demonstrate to decouple from the modes which slow down the topological charge. Quenched observables are studied and a comparison to simulations of full QCD is made. In order to deal with the slow modes in the simulation, we propose a method to incorporate the information from slow observables into the error analysis of physical observables and arrive at safer error estimates.Comment: 33 pages including 15 figures and 4 table

The strange quark mass and Lambda parameter of two flavor QCD

We complete the non-perturbative calculations of the strange quark mass and the Lambda parameter in two flavor QCD by the ALPHA collaboration. The missing lattice scale is determined via the kaon decay constant, for whose chiral extrapolation complementary strategies are compared. We also give a value for the scale r_0 in physical units as well as an improved determination of the renormalization constant Z_A.Comment: 46 pages, 11 figures, v2: minor corrections, results unchange