Baryon wave functions and nucleon decay

We apply to nucleon decay the knowledge about the short-distance structure of baryon wave functions gleaned from QCD form factor calculations nd the $\text{J}\text{gY →}\text{p}\text{?}\text{p}$ decay rate. We review the uncertainties arising when current algebra and PCAC are used to relate $\text{N}\text{→}\text{?}\text{+}$ meson decay rates to 〈0|qqq|N〉 matrix elements. We show that the relevant matrix elements are not directly related to those of the leading twist operators “measured” in conventional high momentum transfer physics, but argue for an indirect based on models that fit both form factor and $\text{J}\text{Ψ}$ decay data. We use these inputs to calculate the p → e⁺π⁰ decay rate in minimal SU(5) and other grand unified theories (GUTs) for a specified value of the heavy vector boson mass m_X. Our results combined with the recent experimental lower limit on this mode indicate that m_X > 2 × 10¹⁵ GeV in the minimal SU(5) GUT, and we derive analogous bounds for supersymmetric GUTs. Our calculated lifetime for a given value of m_X is considerably shorter than previous estimates made using non-relativistic SU(6) or the bag model, a difference traceable to the different normalizations of 2 and 3 quark wave functions at short distances.     

The use of finite energy sum rules for the description of the hadronic properties of QCD

We use finite energy sum rules, taking into account nonperturbative corrections, for the calculation of hadron masses within QCD. As a rule, we obtain reasonable agreement with experimental data. We also estimate the proton lifetime in theSU(5) model to beτ _p =10²⁸ (M _x /10¹⁴GeV)⁴ years.     

Proton pole contribution in proton decay

We show that nucleon pole terms contribute significantly to proton decay, increasing the branching ratio for e⁺π⁰ and $\text{ν}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>R</mtext>}}\text{π}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$ modes. The total lifetime is decreased to the point where keeping the SU(5) value of the lifetime below the experimental upper bound forces us to the choice of QCD scale parameter and proton radius parameter which are near the edge of the allowed region.     

PROTON DECAY RATE AND THE PROTON WAVEFUNCTION

The pionic two body decay process of the proton is discussed in the SU(5) grand unification theory by using the field-current relation of the composite particle and the soft pion approximations. We connect the proton decay process with the J/ψ→pp decay amplitude and determine the wavefunction at the origin from the experimental value of the decay rate J/ψ→pp, hence we can obtain the value of the proton decay lifetime. In order to estimate the uncertainty of the proton decay lifetime due to the proton wavefunction at the origin, the lower bound of it is analysed by using an interesting model. If taking Λ_MS=200 MeV, it will be a serious test for the minimal SU(5) grand unified gauge theory. It should be noted that this method which connect the proton decay process with other relavant processes will be very useful to determine the proton decay lifetime.     

Proton decay in supersymmetric models

We discuss proton decay in supersymmetric theories. We find that it is possible to obtain rates which are comparable with those of standard SU(5). In the presence of a discrete symmetry which occurs in an SU(5) supersymmetric unified model we obtain a definite prediction for the dominant decay mode, i.e. p → K^+?ν_μ and n → K^0?ν_μ.     

Target independence of the EMC-SMC effect

An approach to deep inelastic scattering is described in which the matrix elements arising from the operator product expansion are factorised into composite operator propagators and proper vertex functions. In the case of polarised μp scattering, the composite operator propagator is identified with the square root of the QCD topological susceptibility √x′(0) , while the corresponding proper vertex is a renormalisation group invariant. We estimate x′(0) using QCD spectral sum rules and find that it is significantly suppressed relative to the OZI expectation. Assuming OZI is a good approximation for the proper vertex, our predictions, f₀¹ d x g₁^p (x; Q²= 10 GeV²) = 0.143 ± 0.005 and G_A⁰ = ΔΣ = 0.353 ± 0.052, are in excellent agreement with the new SMC data. This result, together with one confirming the validity of the OZI rule in the η′ radiative decay, supports our earlier conjecture that the suppression in the flavour singlet component of the first moment of gp observed by the EMC-SMC Collaboration is a target-independent feature of QCD related to the U(1) anomaly and is not a property of the proton structure. As a corollary, we extract the magnitude of higher twist effects from the neutron and Bjorken sum rules.     

Low-energy dilation

We study consequences of scale symmetry breaking in the QCD effective SU(2)×SU(2) chiral model. The mass of a pseudo-Goldstone boson dilation is estimated to be M_σ≅1 GeV and the upper bound to its lifetime τ_σ⩽4×10⁻²⁸ s. We also show that the dilation gives a considerable contribution to the pion scalar radius.     

Mass corrections to the tau decay rate

In this note radiative corrections to the total hadronic decay rate of the τ-lepton are studied employing perturbative QCD and the operator product expansion. We calculate quadratic quark mass corrections to the decay rate rationR _τ to the order0(α _s ² m²) and find that they contribute appreciably to the Cabbibo supressed decay modes of the τ-lepton. We also discuss corrections of mass dimensionD=4, where we emphasize the need of a suitable choice of the renormalization scale of the quark and gluon condensates.     

Static hyperon properties in a linearizedSU(3)-Chiral Bag model

We use a linearized Chiral Bag model to describe the strange octet and decuplet baryons. The approach is canonically extended to spontaneously broken chiral SU(3)_L × SU(3)_R, and the corresponding Goldstone Bosons are identified with the pseudoscalar meson octet. We include explicit symmetry breaking corrections both for baryons and mesons. The linearized quark-meson intraction is applied in a self-consistent calculation of the masses and, for Δ, Σ^* and Ξ^*, of the decay widths. Our special interest is in the influence of theK- andη-cloud (in addition to theπ) on hyperon static properties. We show results for radii, masses, decay widths and renormalization constants as obtained by a fit to the experimental hyperon spectra. The effects of theK- andη-mesons are found to be non-negligible, although supressed by symmetry breaking effects. The effective gluon coupling α is reduced in comparison to the SU(2)_L × SU(2)_R case. In addition, we discuss the dependence on the bag constantB. It turns out that the lightest hyperon states, Λ and Σ are well described and stable for B^1/4 < 130 MeV. The heavier strange baryons have stable solutions also for larger values ofB. The bag radii determined at the minimal energies are R₀?1.15 fm for the octet and R₀?1.25 fm for the decuplet baryons.     

Deep-inelastic scattering in κ factorization and the anatomy of the differential gluon structure function of the proton

The differential gluon structure function of the proton, ?(x, Q ²), introduced by Fadin, Kuraev, and Lipatov in 1975 is extensively used in small-x QCD. We report here the first determination of ?(x, Q ²) from experimental data on the small-x proton structure function F _2p (x, Q ²). We give convenient parametrizations for ?(x, Q ²) based partly on the available DGLAP evolution fits (GRV, CTEQ, and MRS) to parton distribution functions and on realistic extrapolations into the soft region. We discuss the impact of soft gluons on various observables. The x dependence of the so-determined ?(x, Q ²) varies strongly with Q ² and does not exhibit simple Regge properties. Nonetheless, the hard-to-soft diffusion is found to give rise to a viable approximation of the proton structure function F _2p (x, Q ²) by the soft and hard Regge components with intercepts Δ_soft=0 and Δ_hard ～ 0.4.     

η → 3π decay and πη scattering in chiral SU(2) × SU(2) symmetry

The problem of η → 3π decay in chiral SU(2) × SU(2) symmetry is investigated. We argue that the well-known difficulties of the conventional pole model originate from underestimating the role of the η-meson pole graph. This model is shown to be suitable for describing η → 3π decay if the strong ηηππ vertex in the η-pole graph is determined by an SU(2) × SU(2)-invariant interaction. The π^o ? η transition constant g_πη is evaluated from U-spin invariance with the help of a current-mixing model: | g_πη | ≈ 0.05. It turns out that the experimental data on both the decay widths and the energy spectrum can be satisfied by fitting the value of the ηηππ coupling constant as a parameter. As a result, predictions for the s- and p-wave πη scattering lengths are obtained: |a_πη⁰| ≈ 0.2m_π^?1, |a_πη¹| ≈ 0.1m_π^?3.     

Effects of additional Higgses in supersymmetric grand unified theories

We consider modifications of the minimal supersymmetric SU(5) grand unified model. With the additional Higgses 10 +$\text{10}$, the theory may be modified so that the proton decays dominantly via the conventional mode p→e⁺π with the lifetime π_p=(0.04-710)×10³⁰yr, and sin²θ_W=0.222±0.003.     

The decays ψ';'→J/ψ+π0(η) and quark masses

We discuss the decays ψ';'→J/ψ+π⁰ and ψ';'→J/ψ+η. We obtain a reliable, model-independent theoretical prediction for the ratio of the decay rates based only on the QCD lagrangian and certain low-energy theorems. The theoretical formula, apart from kinematical factors, contains only the ratio of the current quark masses, m_d/m_u. Under a standard choice of m_d/m_u theory and experiment are in good agreement with each other.     

Chiral symmetry breaking and condensates in the rishon model

The rishon model is studied in the limit g_c → 0, α → 0 when its global flavour symmetry is SU(6) × SU(6) × U(1) analogous to six massless flavour QCD. Recently it was shown that the ad hoc breaking SU(6) × SU(6) → SU(3) × SU(3) allows the anomaly constraint to be satisfied. In this paper this is shown to be but one of several successful patterns of chiral symmetry breaking. The condensates required to perform these breakings are fully discussed. A plausibility argument based on single gauge boson exchange is presented which determines the condensate uniquely to be 〈(v_LV_L)³〉 corresponding to the original breaking above. The same argument applies to QCD, which is argued to differ in its chiral behaviour due to the large intrinsic masses of the quarks. The implications of the above condensate and pattern of chiral symmetry breaking for the rishon model include the prediction of integer charged colour octet fermions, a naive mass formula m_e = 2m_u ? m_d, new insight into the parity-violating condensate 〈(v_Lv_L)²(v_Rv_R)〉 and the prediction of 52 new pseudos whose masses are estimated.     

B−L non-conserving proton decay in guts

It is shown that B?L non-conserving proton decay (p→e^?π⁺π⁺ etc.) is allowed through gauge boson mixing in both SO(10) and E(6) GUTs, but not in the SU(5) GUT. The lifetime for this decay mode is estimated.     

Nucleon wave functions from lattice-gauge theories: Measurements of baryonic operators

We present measurements of the matrix elements of certain 3-quark operators that govern the short-distance and light-cone properties of the proton wave function obtained on an 8³ × 16 lattice at β = 5.7 with Wilson fermions. Using these measurements we find the proton lifetime in the minimal SU(5) grand unified theory to be incompatible with the current experimental limits, in accord with another recent lattice calculation.     

The weak mixing angle and unification mass in supersymmetric SU(5)

We consider the predictions for the weak mixing angle θ_W and the scale M of unification in a supersymmetric extension of SU(5), with particular emphasis on the sensitivity to the number of Higgs multiplets. In the one-loop approximation, we also calculate the ratio m_b/m_τ. We discuss generally the effects of an intermediate threshold between the weak interaction scale and M and estimate the sensitivity of θ_W and M to the scale of supersymmetry breaking.The evolution of the coupling constants of the supersymmetric SU(3) ? SU(2) ? U(1) effective gauge theory is described and the two-loop corrections to θ_{W and M} are calculated.     

Virtual effects of Higgs particles

The possibility of observing Higgs particles through virtual effects is considered in detail for a general gauge theory. The effect of charged Higgs particles on low-energy weak interaction processes, like muon decay, tau decay, nuclear beta decay, pion decay, and some higher-order processes is analyzed. The effect of flavor-changing neutral Higgs particles on rare decay modes of the muon and kaon, μe conversion, K^o-$\text{K}$^o and D^o-$\text{D}$^o mixing is also studied. We discuss constraints on possible extensions of the Weinberg-Salam model and experiments sensitive to their Higgs particles. In particular, we analyze the neutral Higgs which couple to fermions in the minimal SU(2)_L×SU(2)_R×U(1) model and find that they probably have mass greater than 100 GeV.     

Mixing of pseudoscalar mesons and M1 radiative decays

We discuss the mixing of pseudoscalar mesons, in particular SU(3) breaking effects, based on ideas abstracted from QCD. The admixtures of η and η′ in η_c are calculated and utilized to estimate the M1 radiative decays ψ → ηγ, η′γ. A reasonably consistent picture emerges for these decays as well as others involving only the light quarks.