We provide an experimental and theoretical perspective on the behavior of unpolarized distribution functions for the nucleon and pion on the valence-quark domain; namely, Bjorken-x \gtrsim 0.4. This domain is key to much of hadron physics; e.g., a hadron is defined by its flavor content and that is a valence-quark property. Furthermore, its accurate parametrization is crucial to the provision of reliable input for large collider experiments. We focus on experimental extractions of distribution functions via electron and muon inelastic scattering, and from Drell-Yan interactions; and on theoretical treatments that emphasize an explanation of the distribution functions, providing an overview of major contemporary approaches and issues. Valence-quark physics is a compelling subject, which probes at the heart of our understanding of the Standard Model. There are numerous outstanding and unresolved challenges, which experiment and theory must confront. In connection with experiment, we explain that an upgraded Jefferson Lab facility is well-suited to provide new data on the nucleon, while a future electron ion collider could provide essential new data for the mesons. There is also great potential in using Drell-Yan interactions, at FNAL, J-PARC and GSI, to push into the large-x domain for both mesons and nucleons. We argue furthermore that explanation, in contrast to modeling and parametrization, requires a widespread acceptance of the need to adapt theory: to the lessons learnt already from the methods of nonperturbative quantum field theory; and a fuller exploitation of those methods.
Pion valence distributions in nuclear medium and vacuum are studied in a light-front constituent quark model. The in-medium input for studying the pion properties is calculated by the quark-meson coupling model. We find that the in-medium pion valence distribution, as well as the in-medium pion valence wave function, are substantially modified at normal nuclear matter density, due to the reduction in the pion decay constant.
We present a calculation of the pion valence quark distribution extracted using the formalism of reduced Ioffe time pseudo-distributions or more commonly known as pseudo-PDFs. Our calculation is carried out on two different 2+1 flavor QCD ensembles using the isotropic-clover fermion action, with lattice dimensions $24^3\times 64$ and $32^3\times 96$ at the lattice spacing of $a=0.127$ fm, and with the quark mass equivalent to a pion mass of $m_π\simeq 415$ MeV. We incorporate several combinations of smeared-point and smeared-smeared pion source-sink interpolation fields in obtaining the lattic…
We calculate the pion's valence-quark momentum-fraction probability distribution using a Dyson-Schwinger equation model. Valence-quarks with an active mass of 0.30 GeV carry 71% of the pion's momentum at a resolving scale q_0=0.54 GeV = 1/(0.37 fm). The shape of the calculated distribution is characteristic of a strongly bound system and, evolved from q_0 to q=2 GeV, it yields first, second and third moments in agreement with lattice and phenomenological estimates, and valence-quarks carrying 49% of the pion's momentum. However, pointwise there is a discrepancy between our calculated distribut…
After a brief review of the quark-based model for nuclear matter, and some pion properties in medium presented in our previous works, we report new results for the pion valence wave function as well as the valence distribution amplitude in medium, which are presented in our recent article. We find that both the in-medium pion valence distribution and the in-medium pion valence wave function, are substantially modified at normal nuclear matter density, due to the reduction in the pion decay constant.
We compute the pion electromagnetic form factor in a hybrid calculation with domain wall valence quarks and improved staggered (asqtad) sea quarks. This method can easily be extended to rho-to-gamma-pi transition form factors.
The impulse-approximation expression used hitherto to define the pion's valence-quark distribution function is flawed because it omits contributions from the gluons which bind quarks into the pion. A corrected leading-order expression produces the model-independent result that quarks dressed via the rainbow-ladder truncation, or any practical analogue, carry all the pion's light-front momentum at a characteristic hadronic scale. Corrections to the leading contribution may be divided into two classes, responsible for shifting dressed-quark momentum into glue and sea-quarks. Working with availab…
A rainbow-ladder truncation of QCD's Dyson-Schwinger equations, constrained by existing applications to hadron physics, is employed to compute the valence-quark parton distribution functions of the pion and kaon. Comparison is made to pi-N Drell-Yan data for the pion's u-quark distribution and to Drell-Yan data for the ratio u_K(x)/u_π(x): the environmental influence of this quantity is a parameter-free prediction, which agrees well with existing data. Our analysis unifies the computation of distribution functions with that of numerous other properties of pseudoscalar mesons.
In order to learn effectively from measurements of generalised parton distributions (GPDs), it is desirable to compute them using a framework that can potentially connect empirical information with basic features of the Standard Model. We sketch an approach to such computations, based upon a rainbow-ladder (RL) truncation of QCD's Dyson-Schwinger equations and exemplified via the pion's valence dressed-quark GPD, $H_π^{\rm v}(x,ξ,t)$. Our analysis focuses primarily on $ξ=0$, although we also capitalise on the symmetry-preserving nature of the RL truncation by connecting $H_π^{\rm v}(x,ξ=\pm 1,…
We present a lattice QCD study of valence parton distribution inside the pion within the framework of Large Momentum Effective Theory. We use a mixed action approach with 1-HYP smeared valence Wilson clover quarks on 2+1 flavor HISQ sea with the valence quark mass tuned to 300 MeV pion mass. We use $48^3 \times 64$ lattice at a fine lattice spacing $a=0.06$ fm for this computation. We renormalize the quasi-PDF matrix element in the non-perturbative RI-MOM scheme. As a byproduct, we test the validity of 1-loop matching procedure by comparing the RI-MOM renormalized quasi-PDF matrix element with…
We present the first lattice-QCD calculation of the kaon valence-quark distribution functions using the large-momentum effective theory (LaMET) approach. The calculation is performed with multiple pion masses with the lightest one around 220 MeV, 2 lattice spacings $a=0.06$ and 0.12 fm, $(M_π)_\text{min} L \approx 5.5$, and high statistics ranging from 11,600 to 61,312 measurements. We also calculate the valence-quark distribution of pion and find it to be consistent with the FNAL E615 experimental results, and our ratio of the $u$ quark PDF in the kaon to that in the pion agrees with the CERN…
Algebraic Ansaetze for the Poincaré-covariant Bethe-Salpeter wave functions of the pion and kaon are used to calculate their light-front wave functions (LFWFs), parton distribution amplitudes (PDAs), quasi-PDAs (qPDAs), valence parton distribution functions (PDFs), and quasi-PDFs (qPDFs). The LFWFs are broad, concave functions; and the scale of flavour-symmetry violation in the kaon is roughly 15%, being set by the ratio of emergent masses in the $s$-and $u$-quark sectors. qPDAs computed with longitudinal momentum $P_z =1.75\,$GeV provide a semiquantitatively accurate representation of the obj…
The nucleon is naturally viewed as a bipartite system of valence spin -- defined by its non-vanishing chiral charge -- and non-valence or sea spin. The sea spin can be traced over to give a reduced density matrix, and it is shown that the resulting entanglement entropy acts as an order parameter of chiral symmetry breaking in the nucleon. In the large-$N_c$ limit, the entanglement entropy vanishes and the valence spin accounts for all of the nucleon spin, while in the limit of maximal entanglement entropy, the nucleon loses memory of the valence spin and consequently has spin dominated by the …
We present a high-statistics lattice QCD determination of the valence parton distribution function (PDF) of the pion, with a mass of 300 MeV, using two very fine lattice spacings of $a=0.06$ fm and 0.04 fm. We reconstruct the $x$-dependent PDF, as well as infer the first few even moments of the PDF using leading-twist 1-loop perturbative matching framework. Our analyses use both RI-MOM and ratio-based schemes to renormalize the equal-time bi-local quark-bilinear matrix elements of pions boosted up to 2.4 GeV momenta. We use various model-independent and model-dependent analyses to infer the la…
In this contribution, we discuss the spin and flavor content of the proton in the framework of the unquenched quark model, and address the role of valence and sea quarks in the nucleon.
We have calculated the Bjorken-x dependence of the kaon and pion valence quark distributions in a statistical model. Each meson is described by a Fock state expansion in terms of quarks, antiquarks and gluons. Although Drell-Yan experiments have measured the pion valence quark distributions directly, the kaon valence quark distributions have only been deduced from the measurement of the ratio $\bar{u}_K(x)/\bar{u}_π(x)$. We show that, using no free parameters, our model predicts the decrease of this ratio with increasing x.
We explore further applications of the twist-two quark interference fragmentation functions introduced earlier. We show that semi-inclusive production of two pions in the current fragmentation region in deep inelastic scattering of a longitudinally polarized electron on a longitudinally polarized nucleon can provide a probe of the valence quark spin (or helicity difference) distribution in the nucleon.
In recent years, high-accuracy data for pionic hydrogen and deuterium have become the primary source of information on the pion-nucleon scattering lengths. Matching the experimental precision requires, in particular, the study of isospin-breaking corrections both in pion-nucleon and pion-deuteron scattering. We review the mechanisms that lead to the cancellation of potentially enhanced virtual-photon corrections in the pion-deuteron system, and discuss the subtleties regarding the definition of the pion-nucleon scattering lengths in the presence of electromagnetic interactions by comparing to …
Within the Dyson-Schwinger equation formulation of QCD, a rainbow ladder truncation is used to calculate the pion valence-quark distribution function(PDF). The gap equation is renormalized at a typical hadronic scale, of order 0.5GeV, which is also set as the default initial scale for the pion PDF. We implement a corrected leading-order expression for the PDF which ensures that the valence-quarks carry all of the pion's light-front momentum at the initial scale. The scaling behavior of the pion PDF at a typical partonic scale of order 5.2GeV is found to be $(1-x)^ν$, with $ν\simeq 1.6$, as $x$…
We extend the study of a JP=2+, I=3/2 pion-Lambda-nucleon quasibound state [Phys. Rev. D 78, 014013 (2008)] by solving nonrelativistic Faddeev equations, using 3S1-3D1, Lambda N - Sigma N coupled channels Chiral Quark Model local interactions, and pion-nucleon and coupled pion-Lambda - pion-Sigma separable interactions fitted to the position and decay parameters of the Delta(1232) and Sigma(1385) resonances, respectively. The results exhibit a strong sensitivity to the p-wave pion-hyperon interaction, with a pion-Lambda-nucleon quasibound state persisting over a wide range of acceptable parame…
We present the first exploratory lattice QCD calculation of the pion valence quark distribution extracted from spatially separated current-current correlations in coordinate space. We show that an antisymmetric combination of vector and axial-vector currents provides direct information on the pion valence quark distribution. Using the collinear factorization approach, we calculate the perturbative tree-level kernel for this current combination and extract the pion valence distribution. The main goal of this article is to demonstrate the efficacy of this general lattice QCD approach in the reli…
The pion-nucleon $σ$-term can be stringently constrained by the combination of analyticity, unitarity, and crossing symmetry with phenomenological information on the pion-nucleon scattering lengths. Recently, lattice calculations at the physical point have been reported that find lower values by about $3σ$ with respect to the phenomenological determination. We point out that a lattice measurement of the pion-nucleon scattering lengths could help resolve the situation by testing the values extracted from spectroscopy measurements in pionic atoms.
The uncoupled $P$-wave channels of nucleon-nucleon scattering are studied in an effective field theory (EFT) including a perturbative dibaryon field and perturbative pions. Good agreement between EFT results and the Nijmegen partial wave analysis is observed up to a center-of-mass momentum $k \approx 400$ MeV. Using a method that combines renormalization and fitting together, the long-standing convergence problem of EFTs in these channels with perturbative pions, for momenta above the pion mass is addressed from a new perspective.
We have searched for bound states in the pion-Lambda-nucleon system by solving the nonrelativistic Faddeev equations, as well as a relativistic version, with input separable pion-nucleon, pion-Lambda, and Lambda-nucleon interactions. A bound-state solution, driven by the Delta(1232) and Sigma(1385) p-wave meson-baryon resonances, was found in the channel (I,JP)=(3/2,2+), provided the Lambda lab momentum at which the Lambda-nucleon S=1,L=0,J=1 phase shift becomes negative is larger than about 750-800 MeV/c. Other strange and charmed pion-baryon-baryon systems that might have bound states of a s…
We calculate pion mass, pion decay constant, PCAC quark mass and nucleon mass in two flavour lattice QCD with unimproved Wilson fermion and gauge actions. Simulations are performed using DD-HMC algorithm at two lattice spacings and two volumes for several values of the quark mass. The cutoff effects in pion mass and nucleon mass for the explored region of parameter space are found to be negligible. The chiral behaviours of pion mass, pion decay constant and quark condensate are found to be qualitatively consistent with NLO chiral perturbation theory.
We present lattice QCD calculations of valence parton distribution function (PDF) of pion employing next-to-next-leading-order (NNLO) perturbative QCD matching. Our calculations are based on three gauge ensembles of 2+1 flavor highly improved staggered quarks and Wilson--Clover valance quarks, corresponding to pion mass $m_π=140$~MeV at a lattice spacing $a=0.076$~fm and $m_π=300$~MeV at $a=0.04, 0.06$~fm. This enables us to present, for the first time, continuum-extrapolated lattice QCD results for NNLO valence PDF of the pion at the physical point. Applying leading-twist expansion for renorm…
The simple model describing charge independence and charge symmetry breaking of the pion-nucleon coupling constant is proposed. The model, which has simple physical meaning and foundation, suggests directly proportional dependence of the pion-nucleon coupling constants on the masses of interacting nucleons and pions. Charge dependence of the pion-nucleon coupling constant and the $^{1}S_{0}$-state low-energy nucleon-nucleon ($NN$) scattering parameters are studied on the basis of the Yukawa meson theory. The values of the $np$ and $nn$ interaction characteristics calculated by the proposed mod…
The pion-mass dependence of the nucleon mass within the covariant SU(2) baryon chiral perturbation theory both without and with explicit Delta(1232) degrees of freedom up to order p^4 is investigated. By fitting to lattice QCD data in 2 and 2+1 flavors from several collaborations, for pion masses M_pi < 420 MeV, we obtain low energy constants of natural size and compatible with pion nucleon scattering data. Our results are consistent with the rather linear pion-mass dependence showed by lattice QCD. In the 2 flavor case we have also performed simultaneous fits to the nucleon mass and pion-nucl…
Valence double parton distribution functions of the nucleon are evaluated in the framework of a simple model, where the conservation of the longitudinal momentum is taken into account. The leading-order DGLAP QCD evolution from the low quark-model scale to higher renormalization scales is carried out via the Mellin moments of the distributions. Results of the valence quark correlation function show that in general the double distributions cannot be approximated as a product of the single-particle distributions.
We briefly report on a recent computation, with the help of a fruitful algebraic model, sketching the pion valence dressed-quark generalized parton distribution. Then, preliminary, we introduce on a sensible procedure to get reliable results in both Dokshitzer-Gribov-Lipatov-Altarelli-Parisi (DGLAP) and Efremov-Radyushkin-Brodsky-Lepage (ERBL) kinematical regions, grounded on the GPD overlap representation and its parametrization of a Radon transform of the so-called double distribution (DD).
We present a general representation for the nucleon distribution amplitudes and for the nucleon to pion transition distribution amplitudes in terms of light-cone wave functions. We apply our formalism to a light-cone constituent quark model giving some numerical results for both the classes of observables.
I discuss recent results regarding the influence of pion-nucleon and and nucleon-resonance physics on the (spin-) polarizabilities of the nucleon as measured in (polarized) Compton scattering.
The longest-range part of the nuclear force due to the one-pion exchange governs the energy dependence of the scattering amplitude in the near-threshold region and imposes correlations between the coefficients in the effective range expansion. These correlations may be regarded as low-energy theorems and are known to hold to a high accuracy in the neutron-proton 3S1 partial wave. We generalize the low-energy theorems to the case of unphysical pion masses and provide results for the correlations between the coefficients in the effective range expansion in this partial wave for pion masses up to…
We present a light-front determination of the pionic contribution to the nucleon self-energy, $Σ_π$, to second-order in pion-baryon coupling constants that allows the pion-nucleon vertex function to be treated in a model-independent manner constrained by experiment. The pion mass $μ$ dependence of $Σ_π$ is consistent with chiral perturbation theory results for small values of $μ$ and is also linearly dependent on $μ$ for larger values, in accord with the results of lattice QCD calculations. The derivative of $Σ_π$ with respect to $μ^2$ yields the dominant contribution to the pion content, whic…
We study relationship between the physical quantities that characterize pion-nucleon and nucleon-nucleon interaction on the basis of the fact that nuclear forces in the nucleon-nucleon system at low energies are mainly determined by the one-pion exchange mechanism. By making use of the recommended proton-proton low-energy scattering parameters, we obtain the following value for the charged pion-nucleon coupling constant g$_{π^{\pm }}^{2}/4π=14.55(13)$. Calculated value of this quantity is in excellent agreement with the experimental result g$_{π^{\pm }}^{2}/4π=14.52(26)$ of the Uppsala Neutron…
We present the $x$-dependent nucleon and pion gluon distribution from lattice QCD using the pseudo-PDF approach, on lattice ensembles with $2+1+1$ flavors of highly improved staggered quarks (HISQ), generated by MILC Collaboration. We use clover fermions for the valence action and momentum smearing to achieve pion boost momentum up to 2.56~GeV on three lattice spacings $a\approx 0.9, 0.12$ and 0.15~fm and three pion masses $M_π\approx 220$, 310 and 690~MeV. We compare our pion and preliminary nucleon gluon results with the determination by global fits.
We undertake a covariance error analysis of the pion-nucleon-nucleon coupling constants from the Granada-2013 np and pp database comprising a total of 6720 scattering data below LAB energy of 350 MeV. Assuming a unique pion-nucleon coupling constant in the One Pion Exchange potential above a boundary radius $r_c=3 {\rm fm}$ we obtain $f^2=0.0763(1)$. The effects of charge symmetry breaking on the $^3P_0$, $^3P_1$ and $^3P_2$ partial waves are analyzed and we find $f_{p}^2 = 0.0761(4)$, $f_{0}^2 = 0.0790(9)$ and $f_{c}^2 = 0.0772(6)$ with a strong anti-correlation between $f_c^2$ and $f_0^2$. W…
In-medium valence-quark distributions of $π^+$ and $K^+$ mesons in symmetric nuclear matter are studied by combining the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model and the quark-meson coupling model. The in-medium properties of the current quarks, which are used as inputs for studying the in-medium pion and kaon properties in the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model, are calculated within the quark-meson coupling model. The light-quark condensates, light-quark dynamical masses, pion and kaon decay constants, and pion- and kaon-quark coupling constants are found to decrease as nuclear density increases. The obtained valen…
Using realistic quark propagators and meson Bethe-Salpeter amplitudes based on the Dyson-Schwinger equations, we calculate the pion and kaon's valence parton distribution functions (PDF) through the modified impulse approximation. The PDFs we obtained at hadronic scale have the purely valence characteristic and exhibit both dynamical chiral symmetry breaking and SU(3) flavor symmetry breaking effects. A new calculation technique is introduced to determine the valence PDFs with precision. Through NLO DGLAP evolution, our result is compared with pion and kaon valence PDF data at experimental sca…
A perturbative QCD treatment of the pion wave function is applied to computing the scattering amplitude for coherent high relative momentum di-jet production from a nucleon.
We study the nucleon-pion-state contribution to the QCD two-point function of the standard nucleon interpolating fields. For sufficiently small quark masses these two-particle states are expected to have a smaller total energy than the single-particle excited states. We calculate the nucleon-pion-state contribution to leading order in chiral perturbation theory. Both parity channels are considered. We find the nucleon-pion-state contribution to be small, contributing at the few percent level to the effective mass in the positive parity channel.
The isovector GMO sum rule for zero energy forward pion-nucleon scattering is critically studied to obtain the charged pion-nucleon coupling constant using the precise negatively charged pion-proton and pion-deuteron scattering lengths deduced recently from pionic atom experiments. This direct determination leads to a pseudoscalar charged pion-nucleon coupling constant of 14.23 +- 0.09 (statistic) +- 0.17 (systematic). We obtain also accurate values for the pion-nucleon scattering lengths.
We develop a non-perturbative model for valence parton distribution functions (PDFs) based on the mean field interactions of valence quarks in the nucleonic interior. The main motivation for the model is to obtain a mean field description of the valence quarks as a baseline to study the short range quark-quark interactions that generate the high $x$ tail of PDFs. The model is based on the separation of the valence three-quark cluster and residual system in the nucleon. Then the nucleon structure function is calculated within the effective light-front diagrammatic approach introducing nonpertur…
The Nucleon-Nucleon interaction in the singlet ($^1 S_0$) and triplet ($^3 S_1$) channels have been studied in the framework of Relativistic Harmonic Model using the Resonating Group Method in Born-Oppenheimer approximation. The full Hamiltonian consists of the kinetic energy, two body confinement potential, confined one gluon exchange potential and one pion exchange potential. Contribution of Confined One Gluon Exchange Potential and One Pion Exchange Potential to the adiabatic nucleon-nucleon interaction potential is discussed.
The pion-nucleon and kaon-nucleon scattering lengths are studied in the QCD sum rule. We show that the leading and next-to-leading order terms of the OPE give rise to the Tomozawa-Weinberg and sigma terms, respectively. We also show that in the kaon-nucleon system the $Λ(1405)$ contribution has to be subtracted from the OPE side in order to obtain the scattering length. The odd components of the $T$-matrices are in agreement with the experimental values not only in the pion-nucleon channel but also in the kaon-nucleon channel after the $Λ(1405)$ contribution subtracted. The even components dis…
Making use of the quasi-coherent state developed by Eriksson et al., we can find a nucleon solution accompanied by the pion field with trivial topology. We compare our approach with other related works, and examine a coherent state description of pions in the baryon structure. Our solution suggests a kind of nucleon resonance due to the topological change of pion field without the usual quark excitation.
A chiral invariant effective Lagrangian may be used to calculate the three-body interactions among low-energy pions and nucleons in terms of known parameters. This method is illustrated by the calculation of the pion-nucleus scattering length.
The renormalized pion-nucleon Lagrangian is calculated to O(p^3) in heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory. By suitably chosen transformations of the nucleon field, the Lagrangian is brought to a standard form.
The pion-nucleon sigma term is shown to be equal to the Goldberger-Treiman discrepancy at tree level. Its value estimated this way is very sensitive to the pion-nucleon coupling constant g_{pi NN}. This relation, when combined with the pion-nucleon S-wave scattering lengths, yields a new determination of g_{pi NN} at tree level. The results of a one-loop analysis are also summarized determining an allowed range for the induced pseudoscalar coupling constant g_P.
In this paper we study the gluon and valence quark distributions in the pion and kaon in nuclear medium for various nuclear densities as well as in vacuum within the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model with the help of the proper-time regularization scheme which simulates a confinement of QCD. The nuclear medium effect is also determined in the same model for the symmetric nuclear matter. We then analyze the gluon and valence quark distributions for the bound pion and kaon in symmetric nuclear matter as well as those in vacuum. We find that the valence quark and gluon distributions in vacuum have …
It has been shown recently that a simple formula in terms of the valence nucleon numbers and the mass number can describe the essential trends of excitation energies of the first $2^+$ states in even-even nuclei. By evaluating the first order energy shift due to the zero-range residual interaction, we find that the factor which reflects the effective particle number participating in the interaction from the Fermi orbit governs the main dependence of the first $2^+$ excitation energy on the valence nucleon numbers.
Next to leading order effective field theory calculations are performed for $ {}^1S_0$ NN scattering using subtractive renormalization procedure. One pion exchange and contact interaction potentials are iterated using Lippman-Schwinger equation. Satisfactory fit to the Nijmegen data is obtained for the momenta up to 300 MeV in the centre of mass frame. Phase shifts are also compared with the results of KSW approach where pions are included perturbatively.
We analyze isospin breaking through quark mass differences and virtual photons in the pion-nucleon scattering lengths in all physical channels in the framework of covariant baryon chiral perturbation theory.
