Generalized heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory

Standard SU(2) Heavy Baryon Chiral Perturbation Theory is extended in order to include the case of small or even vanishing quark condensate. The effective lagrangian is given to in its most general form and to in the scalar sector. A method is developed to efficiently construct the relativistic baryonic effective lagrangian for chiral SU(2) to all orders in the chiral expansion. As a first application, mass- and wave-function renormalization as well as the scalar form factor of the nucleon is calculated to . The result is compared to a dispersive analysis of the nucleon scalar form factor adopted to the case of a small quark condensate. In this latter analysis, the shift of the scalar form factor between the Cheng-Dashen point and zero momentum transfer is found to be enhanced over the result assuming strong quark condensation by up to a factor of two, with substantial deviations starting to be visible for . Received: 22 July 1998 / Revised version: 2 September 1998 / Published online: 2 November 1998     

Sigma-terms in heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory revisited

The -terms are calculated at next-to-leading order in heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory by employing a cutoff regularization. The results do not depend on the cutoff value to the order we are working . The baryon masses and are used to perform a least-squares fit to the three appearing low-energy constants and predictions for the two KN -terms and the strange contribution to the nucleon mass are made. The lack of convergence in the chiral expansions of these quantities when regularized dimensionally is overcome in the cutoff scheme. The -term shifts to the pertinent Cheng-Dashen points are calculated. We also include the spin-3/2 decuplet in the effective theory. Received: 21 July 1998 / Revised version: 31 August 1998 / Published online: 25 January 1999     

Derivation of the effective pion-nucleon Lagrangian within heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory

We develop a method for constructing the heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory (HBChPT) Lagrangian, to a given chiral order, within HBChPT. We work within SU(2) theory, with only the pion field interacting with the nucleon. The main difficulties, which are solved, are to develop techniques for implementing charge conjugation invariance, and for taking the nucleon on shell, both within the non-relativistic formalism. We obtain complete lists of independent terms in L_HBChPT through O(q³) for off-shell nucleons. Then, eliminating equation-of-motion (e.o.m.) terms at the relativistic and non-relativistic level (both within HBChPT), we obtain L_HBChPT for on-shell nucleons, through O(q³). The extension of the method (to obtain on-shell L_HBChPT within HBChPT) to higher orders is also discussed.     

Some recent results in baryon chiral perturbation theory

I present and discuss recent results on elastic pion-nucleon scattering and near-threshold neutral-pion electroproduction off deuterium obtained in the framework of chiral perturbation theory.Received: 30 September 2002, Published online: 22 October 2003PACS: 13.75.Gx Pion-baryon interactions - 25.30.Rw Electroproduction reactions - 12.39.Fe Chiral Lagrangians     

Two-nucleon problem in semi-relativistic baryon chiral perturbation theory

We consider a symmetry-preserving approach to the nucleon-nucleon scattering problem in the framework of the higher-derivative formulation of baryon chiral perturbation theory. Within this framework the leading-order amplitude is calculated by solving renormalizable equations and corrections are taken into account perturbatively.     

Generalized polarizabilities of the nucleon in baryon chiral perturbation theory

The nucleon generalized polarizabilities (GPs), probed in virtual Compton scattering (VCS), describe the spatial distribution of the polarization density in a nucleon. They are accessed experimentally via the process of electron–proton bremsstrahlung (\(ep\rightarrow ep\gamma \)) at electron-beam facilities, such as MIT-Bates, CEBAF (Jefferson Lab), and MAMI (Mainz). We present the calculation of the nucleon GPs and VCS observables at next-to-leading order in baryon chiral perturbation theory (B\(\chi \)PT), and confront the results with the empirical information. At this order our results are predictions, in the sense that all the parameters are well known from elsewhere. Within the relatively large uncertainties of our calculation we find good agreement with the experimental observations of VCS and the empirical extractions of the GPs. We find large discrepancies with previous chiral calculations – all done in heavy-baryon \(\chi \)PT (HB\(\chi \)PT) – and discuss the differences between B\(\chi \)PT and HB\(\chi \)PT responsible for these discrepancies.     

NN scattering in higher-derivative formulation of baryon chiral perturbation theory

We consider a new approach to the nucleon-nucleon scattering problem in the framework of the higher-derivative formulation of baryon chiral perturbation theory. Starting with a Lorentz-invariant form of the effective Lagrangian we work out a new symmetry-preserving framework where the leading-order amplitude is calculated by solving renormalizable equations and corrections are taken into account perturbatively. Analogously to the KSW approach, the (leading) renormalization scale dependence to any finite order is absorbed in the redefinition of a finite number of parameters of the effective potential at given order. On the other hand, analogously to Weinberg’s power counting, the one-pion-exchange potential is of leading order and is treated non-perturbatively.     

Radiative charged pion photoproduction and pion polarizabilities: An analysis within heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory

We analyze the amplitude for radiative charged pion photoproduction within the framework of heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory and discuss the best experimental setup for the extraction of the pion polarizabilities from the differential cross section. Correspondence: C.-W. Kao, Department of Physics, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li 320, Taiwan     

Probing the convergence of perturbative series in baryon chiral perturbation theory

Using the examples of pion-nucleon scattering and the nucleon mass we analyze the convergence of perturbative series in the framework of baryon chiral perturbation theory. For both cases we sum up sets of an infinite number of diagrams by solving equations exactly and compare the solutions with the perturbative contributions.     

Heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory and the weak nonleptonic p-wave decays of the baryon octet

Considerable confusion in the literature about heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory, its convergence properties, and appropriate calculational techniques, make it timely to discuss the nonleptonic p-wave decays of the octet of baryons. We present model independent results.     

Recent development in SU(3) covariant baryon chiral perturbation theory

Baryon chiral perturbation theory (BChPT), as an effective field theory of low-energy quantum chromodynamics (QCD), has played and is still playing an important role in our understanding of non-perturbative strong-interaction phenomena. In the past two decades, inspired by the rapid progress in lattice QCD simulations and the new experimental campaign to study the strangeness sector of low-energy QCD, many efforts have been made to develop a fully covariant BChPT and to test its validity in all scenarios. These new endeavours have not only deepened our understanding of some long-standing problems, such as the power-counting-breaking problem and the convergence problem, but also resulted in theoretical tools that can be confidently applied to make robust predictions. Particularly, the manifestly covariant BChPT supplemented with the extended-on-mass-shell (EOMS) renormalization scheme has been shown to satisfy all analyticity and symmetry constraints and converge relatively faster compared to its non-relativistic and infrared counterparts. In this article, we provide a brief review of the fully covariant BChPT and its latest applications in the u, d, and s three-flavor sector.     

In-medium chiral perturbation theory

This talk will report about a systematical implementation of a chiral effective field theory in nuclear matter with explicit pion fields and in the presence of external sources[1]. Within the generating functional approach of Ref.[2] the so-called standard power counting rules for the calculation of in-medium pion properties are developed that apply if the residual nucleon energies are of the order of the pion mass. In addition, for the case of vanishing residual nucleon energies, a modified scheme (non-standard counting) is introduced. For both schemes the pertinent scales where the chiral expansions have to break down are established as well. We report about a systematic analysis of n-point in-medium Green functions up to and including next-to-leading order when the standard rules apply. These include the in-medium contributions to quark condensates, pion propagators, pion masses and couplings of the axial-vector, vector and pseudoscalar currents to pions.     

In-medium chiral perturbation theory

We report on how to tackle the problem of establishing a chiral effective field theory in nuclear matter with explicit pion fields and in the presence of external sources (Ann. Phys. 297, 27 (2002)). We have made use of the results of J.A. Oller (Phys. Rev. C 65, 025204 (2002)) where the generating functional for the in-medium chiral SU(2) x SU(2) Lagrangian has been derived. Within this approach we develop the so-called standard power counting rules for the calculation of in-medium pion properties if the residual nucleon energies are of the order of the pion mass. In addition, for the case of vanishing residual nucleon energies, a modified scheme (non-standard counting) is introduced. For both schemes the pertinent scales where the chiral expansions have to break down are established as well. We have performed a systematic analysis of n-point in-medium Green functions up to and including next-to-leading order when the standard rules apply. These include the in-medium contributions to quark condensates, pion propagators, pion masses and couplings of the axial-vector, vector and pseudoscalar currents to pions.Received: 30 September 2002, Published online: 22 October 2003PACS: 12.39.Fe Chiral Lagrangians - 11.30.Rd Chiral symmetries - 21.65. + f Nuclear matter     

Topics in chiral perturbation theory

I consider some selected topics in chiral perturbation theory (CHPT). For the meson sector, emphasis is put on processes involving pions in the isospin zero S-wave which require multi-loop calculations. The advantages and shortcomings of heavy baryon CHPT are discussed. Some recent results on the structure of the baryons are also presented.     

Topics in chiral perturbation theory

I consider some selected topics in chiral perturbation theory (CHPT). For the meson sector, emphasis is put on processes involving pions in the isospin zero S-wave which require multi-loop calculations. The advantages and shortcomings of heavy baryon CHPT are discussed. Some recent results on the structure of the baryons are also presented.     

Complex-mass renormalization in chiral effective field theory

We consider a low-energy effective field theory of vector mesons and Goldstone bosons using the complex-mass renormalization. As an application we calculate the mass and the width of the ρ meson.