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In this work, we present a lattice QCD calculation of the Mellin moments of the twist-2 axial-vector generalized parton distribution (GPD), $\widetilde{H}(x,\xi,t)$, at zero skewness, $\xi$, with multiple values of the momentum transfer, $t$. Our analysis employs the short-distance factorization framework on ratio-scheme renormalized quasi-GPD matrix elements. The calculations are based on an $N_f=2+1+1$ twisted mass fermions ensemble with clover improvement, a lattice spacing of $a = 0.093$ fm, and a pion mass of $m_\pi = 260$ MeV. We consider both the iso-vector and iso-scalar cases, utilizing next-to-leading-order perturbative matching while ignoring the disconnected contributions and gluon mixing in the iso-scalar case. For the first time, we determine the Mellin moments of $\widetilde{H}$ up to the fifth order. From these moments, we discuss the quark helicity and orbital angular momentum contributions to the nucleon spin, as well as the spin-orbit correlations of the quarks. Additionally, we perform a Fourier transform over the momentum transfer, which allows us to explore the spin structure in the impact-parameter space., Comment: 17 pages, 13 figures

We present an exploratory work on integrating lattice-QCD results with experimental data for elastic scattering. Within the framework of generalized parton distributions (GPDs), this approach allows for the extraction of detailed information about nucleon tomography and the total angular momentum carried by valence quarks. To accomplish this reliably, we introduce a new quantity, the "double ratio", which significantly reduces the systematic uncertainties inherent in lattice QCD computations. Moreover, we introduce a "shadow" term in the extraction procedure, which is sensitive only to lattice-QCD results. This term allows us to investigate the model dependence of the extraction, providing a more flexible description of the nucleon that goes beyond the previously considered bell-shaped distribution., Comment: 20 pages, 9 figures

Parton distribution functions (PDFs) describe universal properties of bound states and allow us to calculate scattering amplitudes in processes with large momentum transfer. Calculating PDFs involves the evaluation of matrix elements with a Wilson line in a light-cone direction. In contrast to Monte Carlo methods in Euclidean spacetime, these matrix elements can be directly calculated in Minkowski-space using the Hamiltonian formalism. The necessary spatial- and time-evolution can be efficiently applied using established tensor network methods. We present PDFs in the Schwinger model calculated with matrix product states., Comment: Proceedings of the 41st International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, LATTICE2024, 28th July - 3rd August 2024, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, Speaker: Manuel Schneider

Using tensor network methods, we simulate the real-time evolution of the lattice Thirring model quenched out of equilibrium in both the critical and massive phases, and study the appearance of dynamical quantum phase transitions, as non-analyticities in the Loschmidt rate. Whereas the presence of a dynamical quantum phase transition in the model does not correspond to quenches across the critical line of the equilibrium phase diagram at zero temperature, we identify a threshold in the energy density of the initial state, necessary for a dynamical quantum phase transition to be present. Moreover, in the case of the gapped quench Hamiltonian, we unveil a connection of this threshold to a transition between different regions in the finite temperature phase diagram.

Generalized parton distributions (GPDs) are key quantities for the description of a hadron's three-dimensional structure. They are the current focus of all areas of hadronic physics -- phenomenological, experimental, and theoretical, including lattice QCD. Synergies between these areas are desirable and essential to achieve precise quantification and understanding of the structure of, particularly nucleons, as the basic ingredients of matter. In this paper, we investigate, for the first time, the numerical implementation of the pseudo-distribution approach for the extraction of zero-skewness GPDs for unpolarized quarks. Pseudo-distributions are Euclidean parton correlators computable in lattice QCD that can be perturbatively matched to the light-cone parton distributions of interest. Being closely related to the quasi-distributions and coming from the same lattice-extracted matrix elements, they are, however, subject to different systematic effects. We use the data previously utilized for quasi-GPDs and extend it with other momentum transfers and nucleon boosts, in particular a higher one ($P_3=1.67$ GeV) with eight-fold larger statistics than the largest one used for quasi-distributions ($P_3=1.25$ GeV). We renormalize the matrix elements with a ratio scheme and match the resulting Ioffe time distributions to the light cone in coordinate space. The matched distributions are then used to reconstruct the $x$-dependence with a fitting ansatz.We investigate some systematic effects related to this procedure, and we also compare the results with the ones obtained in the framework of quasi-GPDs. Our final results involve the invariant four-momentum transfer squared ($-t$) dependence of the flavor non-singlet ($u-d$) $H$ and $E$ GPDs., Comment: 35 pages, 29 figures, compatible with journal version

First lattice QCD calculations of $x$-dependent GPD have been performed in the (symmetric) Breit frame, where the momentum transfer is evenly divided between the initial and final hadron states. However, employing the asymmetric frame, we are able to obtain proton GPDs for multiple momentum transfers in a computationally efficient setup. In these proceedings, we focus on the helicity twist-2 GPD at zero skewness that gives access to the $\widetilde{H}$ GPD. We will cover the implementation of the asymmetric frame, its comparison to the Breit frame, and the dependence of the GPD on the squared four-momentum transfer, $-t$. The calculation is performed on an $N_f = 2+1+1$ ensemble of twisted mass fermions with a clover improvement. The mass of the pion for this ensemble is roughly 260 MeV., Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, Contribution to The 40th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (Lattice 2023)

Understanding the intricate three-dimensional internal structure of the nucleon has been a long-standing challenge. The main quantitative tool to map out this structure are the generalized parton distributions (GPDs). In these proceedings, we present our exploratory results from applying the pseudo-distribution approach on the lattice, showing the unpolarized isovector $E$ GPD as an example. We use one ensemble of $N_f=2+1+1$ twisted mass fermions with a clover term, at a non-physical pion mass of $260 \textrm{ MeV}$ and a lattice spacing of $0.093 \textrm{ fm}$., Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, contribution to the 40th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, Lattice 2023, Fermilab, Batavia, Illinois, USA

Recently, we made significant advancements in improving the computational efficiency of lattice QCD calculations for Generalized Parton Distributions (GPDs). This progress was achieved by adopting calculations of matrix elements in asymmetric frames, deviating from the computationally-expensive symmetric frame typically used, and allowing freedom in the choice for the distribution of the momentum transfer between the initial and final states. A crucial aspect of this approach involves the adoption of a Lorentz covariant parameterization for the matrix elements, introducing Lorentz-invariant amplitudes. This approach also allows us to propose an alternative definition of quasi-GPDs, ensuring frame independence and potentially reduce power corrections in matching to light-cone GPDs. In our previous work, we presented lattice QCD results for twist-2 unpolarized GPDs ($H$ and $E$) of quarks obtained from calculations performed in asymmetric frames at zero skewness. Building upon this work, we now introduce a novel Lorentz covariant parameterization for the axial-vector matrix elements. We employ this parameterization to compute the axial-vector GPD $\widetilde{H}$ at zero skewness, using an $N_f=2+1+1$ ensemble of twisted mass fermions with clover improvement. The light-quark masses employed in our calculations correspond to a pion mass of approximately 260 MeV., Comment: 32 pages, 20 figures. Version accepted for publication in Physical Review D

In this paper, we present lattice QCD results for the $x$-dependence of the unpolarized gluon PDF for the proton. We use one ensemble of $N_f=2+1+1$ maximally twisted mass fermions with a clover improvement, and the Iwasaki improved gluon action. The quark masses are tuned to produce a pion with a mass of 260 MeV. The ensemble has a lattice spacing of $a=0.093$ fm and a spatial extent of 3 fm. We employ the pseudo-distribution approach, which relies on matrix elements of non-local operators that couple to momentum-boosted hadrons. In this work, we use five values of the momentum boost between 0 and 1.67 GeV. The gluon field strength tensors of the non-local operator are connected with straight Wilson lines of varying length $z$. The light-cone Ioffe time distribution (ITD) is extracted utilizing data with $z$ up to 0.56 fm and a quadratic parametrization in terms of the Ioffe time at fixed values of $z$. We explore systematic effects, such as the effect of the stout smearing for the gluon operator, excited states effects, and the dependence on the maximum value of $z$ entering the fits to obtain the gluon PDF. Also, for the first time, the mixing with the quark singlet PDFs is eliminated using matrix elements with non-local quark operators that were previously analyzed within the quasi-PDF framework on the same ensemble. Here, we expand the data set for the quark singlet and reanalyze within the pseudo-PDFs method eliminating the corresponding mixing in the gluon PDF.

This work presents the first lattice-QCD calculation of the twist-3 axial quark GPDs for the proton using the large-momentum effective theory approach. We calculate matrix elements with momentum-boosted proton states and a non-local axial operator. The calculation is performed using one ensemble of two degenerate light, a strange and a charm quark ($N_f=2+1+1$) of maximally twisted mass fermions with a clover term. The ensemble has a volume $32^3\times64$, lattice spacing 0.0934 fm, and corresponds to a pion mass of 260 MeV. The matrix elements are calculated for three values of the proton momentum, namely 0.83, 1.25, and 1.67 GeV. The light-cone GPDs are defined in the symmetric frame, which we implement here with a (negative) 4-momentum transfer squared of 0.69, 1.38, and 2.76 GeV$^2$, all at zero skewness. We also conduct several consistency checks, including assessing the local limit of the twist-3 GPDs and examining the Burkhardt-Cottingham-type as well as Efremov-Teryaev-Leader-type sum rules., Comment: 22 pages, 17 figures. Version accepted for publication in Physical Review D

Staple-shaped Wilson line operators are necessary for the study of transverse momentum-dependent parton distribution functions (TMDPDFs) in lattice QCD and beyond. In this work, we study the renormalization of such operators in the general case of an asymmetric staple. We analyze the mixing pattern of these operators using their symmetry properties, where we find that the possible mixing is restricted within groups of four operators. We then present numerical results using the regularization independent momentum subtraction (RI/MOM) scheme to study the importance of mixing using one operator in particular, the $\gamma_0$ operator. Based on these results, we consider the short distance ratio (SDR) scheme, which is desirable in the absence of mixing. Finally, we investigate a variant of the RI/MOM scheme, where the renormalization factors are computed at short distances., Comment: 20 pages, 14 figures

For the first time, we present a lattice QCD determination of Mellin moments of unpolarized generalized parton distributions (GPDs) of the proton from an analysis of the quasi-GPD matrix elements within the short-distance factorization framework. We perform our calculation on an $N_f$=2+1+1 twisted mass fermions ensemble with a clover improvement at lattice spacing $a=0.093$ fm and a pion mass of $m_\pi=260$ MeV. Focusing on the zero-skewness case, the iso-vector and iso-scalar quasi-GPDs are calculated from the $\gamma_0$ definition, as well as a recently proposed Lorentz-invariant definition. We utilize data on both symmetric and asymmetric kinematic frames, which allows us to obtain the Mellin moments for several values of the momentum transfer, $-t$, in the range 0.17 to $2.77~\rm{GeV}^2$. We use the ratio scheme for GPDs, i.e. renormalization group invariant ratios with leading-twist factorization formula and perturbatively calculated matching coefficients up to the next-next-to-leading order (NNLO) to extract Mellin moments of GPDs, which are consistent with renormalization-group improved results. We compare our determination from quasi-GPDs with the results extracted using standard calculations of Mellin moments of local operators, specifically those related to the electromagnetic and gravitational form factors. We estimated the moments of GPDs up to the fifth ones for the first time. By extrapolating the Mellin moments to $-t=0$, we obtained the quark charges, momentum fraction, as well as the angular momentum contributions to the proton spin. The impact parameter space interpretation of the GPD moments is discussed, which provides insights into the spatial distribution of unpolarized quarks and their correlations in the transverse plane of an unpolarized or transversely polarized proton., Comment: 28 pages, 22 figures

In recent years, there has been a breakthrough in lattice calculations of $x$-dependent partonic distributions. This encompasses also distributions describing the 3D structure of the nucleon, such as generalized parton distributions (GPDs). We report a new method of accessing GPDs in asymmetric frames of reference, relying on a novel Lorentz-covariant parametrization of the accessed off-forward matrix elements in boosted nucleon states. The approach offers the possibility of computationally more efficient determination of the full parameter dependence of GPDs and as such, it can contribute to better understanding of nucleon's structure., Comment: Proceedings of XXIX Cracow Epiphany Conference on Physics at the EIC and Future Facilities, 16-19 January 2023; 15 pages, 7 figures

It is often taken for granted that Generalized Parton Distributions (GPDs) are defined in the "symmetric" frame, where the transferred momentum is symmetrically distributed between the incoming/outgoing hadrons. However, such frames pose computational challenges for the lattice QCD practitioners. In these proceedings, we lay the foundation for lattice QCD calculations of GPDs in "asymmetric" frames, where the transferred momentum is not symmetrically distributed between the incoming/outgoing hadrons. The novelty of our work relies on the parameterization of the matrix elements in terms of Lorentz-invariant amplitudes, which not only helps in establishing relations between the said frames but also helps in isolating higher-twist contaminations. As an example, we focus on the unpolarized GPDs for spin-1/2 particles., Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure, contribution to the 39th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, Lattice 2022, Bonn, Germany

We present results of the x-dependence of the unpolarized gluon PDF for the proton. We use an $N_f=2+1+1$ ensemble of maximally twisted mass fermions with clover improvement and the Iwasaki improved gluon action. The quark masses are tuned so that the pion mass is 260 MeV. We use a $32^3\times64$ lattice size with a lattice spacing $a=0.093$ fm giving a spatial extent of 3 fm. We employ the pseudo-distribution approach and obtain the light-cone Ioffe time distribution (ITD) combining data for nucleon momentum boosts up to 1.67 GeV and Wilson line lengths, $z$, up to 0.56 fm. We explore systematic effects such as the dependence on the maximum value of $z$ entering the fits to obtain the gluon PDF.

In this work, we present a numerical investigation of a novel Lorentz-covariant parametrization to extract $x$-dependent GPDs using off-forward matrix elements of momentum-boosted hadrons coupled to non-local operators. The novelty of the method is the implementation of an asymmetric frame for the momentum transfer between the initial and final hadron state and the parametrization of the matrix elements into Lorentz-invariant amplitudes. The amplitudes can then be related to the standard light-cone GPDs. GPDs are defined in the symmetric frame, which requires a separate calculation for each value of the momentum transfer, increasing the computational cost significantly. The proposed method is powerful, as one can extract the GPDs at multiple values of the momentum transfer at the computational cost of a single value. For this proof-of-concept calculation, we use one ensemble of $N_f=2+1+1$ twisted mass fermions and a clover improvement with a pion mass of 260 MeV to calculate the proton unpolarized GPDs., Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, contribution to the 39th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, Lattice 2022, Bonn, Germany

Precise exploration of the partonic structure of the nucleon is one of the most important aims of high-energy physics. In recent years, it has become possible to address this topic with first-principle lattice QCD investigations. In this talk, we focus on the so-called pseudo-distribution approach to determine the isovector unpolarized PDFs. In particular, we employ three lattice spacings to study discretization effects and extract the distributions in the continuum limit, at a pion mass of around 370 MeV. Also, for the first time with pseudo-PDFs, we explore effects of the 2-loop matching from pseudo- to light-cone distributions., Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, proceedings of the 39th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory LATTICE 2022, 8-13 August 2022, Bonn, Germany

Traditionally, lattice QCD computations of generalized parton distributions (GPDs) have been carried out in a symmetric frame, where the transferred momentum is symmetrically distributed between the incoming and outgoing hadrons. However, such frames are inconvenient since they require a separate calculation for each value of the momentum transfer, increasing significantly the computational cost. In this work, by focusing on the quasi-distribution approach, we lay the foundation for faster and more effective lattice QCD calculations of GPDs exploiting asymmetric frames, with freedom in the transferred momentum distribution. An important ingredient of our approach is the Lorentz covariant parameterization of the matrix elements in terms of Lorentz-invariant amplitudes, which allows one to relate matrix elements in different frames. We also use this amplitude approach to propose a new definition of quasi-GPDs that is frame-independent and, more importantly, may lead to smaller power corrections in the matching relations to the light-cone GPDs. We demonstrate the efficacy of the formalism through numerical calculations using one ensemble of $N_f$=2+1+1 twisted mass fermions with a clover improvement. The value of the light-quark masses lead to a pion mass of about 260 MeV. Concentrating on the proton, and limiting ourselves to a vanishing longitudinal momentum transfer to the target, we extract the invariant amplitudes from matrix element calculations in both the symmetric and asymmetric frame, and obtain results for the twist-2 light-cone GPDs for unpolarized quarks, that is, $H$ and $E$., Comment: 39 pages, 19 figures, matches with published version

Momentum and spatial distributions of quarks and gluons inside hadrons are typically encoded in the so-called generalized parton distributions (GPDs). GPDs are multi-dimensional quantities that are very challenging to extract, both experimentally and within lattice QCD. We present the first lattice results on the $x$-dependence of isovector unpolarized, helicity and transversity GPDs of the proton, obtained from lattice QCD using an ensemble of $N_f=2+1+1$ maximally twisted mass fermions, with pion mass $M_\pi=260$ MeV and lattice spacing $a\simeq 0.093$ fm. Our calculations use the quasi-distribution formalism and the final distributions are presented in the MS-bar scheme at a renormalization scale of 2 GeV., Comment: Invited talk at the Hadron 2021 conference. 7 pages, 4 figures

We present first results on selected twist-3 quark GPDs using the quasi-distribution method. This approach relates lattice QCD data and light-cone distribution functions using Large Momentum Effective Theory (LaMET). We calculate quark-antiquark correlators of boosted nucleons coupled to non-local operators with vector and axial Dirac structure, which is transverse to the momentum boost. We use three values of the momentum boost, namely 0.83, 1.25, 1.67 GeV. The GPDs are defined in the symmetric (Breit) frame, which we implement here with 4-vector momentum transfer squared of 0, 0.69 and 1.39 GeV 2 , all at zero skewness. The calculation is performed using one ensemble of two degenerate light, a strange and a charm quark ($N_f$ = 2 + 1 + 1) of maximally twisted mass fermions with a clover term, corresponding to a pion mass of 260 MeV.

For a long time, lattice QCD was unable to address the $x$-dependence of partonic distributions, direct access to which is impossible in Euclidean spacetime. Recent years have brought a breakthrough for such calculations when it was realized that partonic light-cone correlations can be accessed through spatial correlations computable on the lattice. Appropriately devised observables can be factorized into physical PDFs via a perturbative procedure called matching, analogous to the standard factorization of experimental cross sections. In this short review, aimed at a broader high-energy and nuclear physics community, we discuss the recent highlights of this research program. Key concepts are outlined, followed by a case study illustrating the typical stage of current lattice extractions and by a brief review of the most recent explorations. We finalize with a number of messages for the prospects of lattice determinations of partonic structure., Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures; invited plenary talk at the Virtual Tribute to Quark Confinement and the Hadron Spectrum 2021, August 2-6, 2021

Generalized parton distributions (GPDs) are among the most fundamental quantities for describing the internal structure of hadrons. In this work, we present results on isovector GPDs of the proton obtained within lattice Quantum Chromodynamics. We use the quasi-distribution formalism and perform the calculations on an ensemble of $N_f = 2 + 1 + 1$ twisted mass fermions, with pion mass $M_\pi=260$~MeV and lattice spacing $a\simeq 0.093$~fm. Results are presented for unpolarized, helicity, and transversity GPDs at zero and nonzero skewness with controlled statistical uncertainties. Comparisons with their forward limit show qualitative features anticipated from model calculations., Comment: Talk at the 38th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (LATTICE 2021), 26th-30th July, 2021, Zoom/Gather@Massachusetts Institute of Technology

In these proceedings, we summarize the main results from the first-ever calculations of the chiral-even and chiral-odd twist-3 parton distributions, $g_T(x)$ and $h_L(x)$, of the proton from lattice QCD. We use an $N_f=2+1+1$ ensemble of maximally twisted mass fermions with a clover improvement. The lattice has a spatial extent of 3~fm, the lattice spacing is 0.093~fm, and the pion mass is $260$~MeV. The matrix elements are obtained with a source-sink time separation of 1.12~fm to control contamination from excited states. The calculation is based on the quasi-PDF approach and employs three values for the proton momentum: 0.83~GeV, 1.25~GeV, and 1.67~GeV. The lattice data are renormalized non-perturbatively using the RI$'$ scheme, and the final results are presented in the $\overline{\rm MS}$ scheme at the scale of 2~GeV. Furthermore, we compute in the same setup the helicity, $g_1(x)$, and transversity, $h_1(x)$, distributions, which are used to compare $g_T(x)$ and $h_L(x)$ to their Wandzura-Wilczek approximations. For $h_L(x)$, we combine results for the isovector and isoscalar flavor combinations to disentangle the individual up- and down-quark contributions., Comment: Talk at the 38th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (LATTICE 2021), 26th-30th July, 2021, Zoom/Gather@Massachusetts Institute of Technology

We review the latest progress in lattice QCD calculations of the partonic structure of hadrons. This structure is, in particular, described in terms of $x$-dependent distributions, the simplest of which are the standard parton distribution functions (PDFs). The lattice calculations rely on matrix elements probing spatial correlations between partons in a boosted hadron, that can be matched to light-cone correlations defining the relevant distributions. We discuss the recent theoretical and practical refinements of this strategy, as well as new exploratory directions. The latter include generalized parton distributions (GPDs), distributions beyond leading twist, flavor-singlet distributions and transverse-momentum dependent PDFs (TMDs). We also shortly consider the potential future impact of lattice data on phenomenology., Comment: 25 pages, 17 figures. Invited plenary talk at the 38th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (LATTICE 2021), 26th-30th July, 2021, Zoom/Gather@Massachusetts Institute of Technology

We present the first calculation of the $x$-dependence of the isovector transversity generalized parton distributions (GPDs) for the proton within lattice QCD. We compute the matrix elements with non-local operators containing a Wilson line. The calculation implements the Breit symmetric frame. The proton momenta are chosen as $0.83,\,1.25,\,1.67$ GeV, and the values of the momentum transfer squared are $0.69,\,1.02$ GeV$^2$. These combinations include cases with zero and nonzero skewness. The calculation is performed using one ensemble of two degenerate-mass light, a strange and a charm quark of maximally twisted mass fermions with a clover term. The lattice results are renormalized non-perturbatively and finally matched to the light-cone GPDs using one-loop perturbation theory within the framework of large momentum effective theory. The final GPDs are given in the $\overline{\rm MS}$ scheme at a scale of 2 GeV. In addition to the individual GPDs, we form the combination of the transversity GPDs that is related to the transverse spin structure of the proton. Finally, we extract the lowest two moments of GPDs and draw a number of important qualitative conclusions., Comment: 24 pages, 11 figures, version accepted in Phys. Rev. D

Twist-3 partonic distributions contain important information that characterizes nucleon's structure. In this work, we show our lattice exploration of the twist-3 PDFs $g_T(x)$, and $h_L(x)$. We also present our preliminary results on the twist-3 GPD $\tilde{G}_2(x)$. We use the quasi-distribution approach to connect the lattice-extracted matrix elements, renormalized in the RI/MOM scheme, to light-cone distributions, applying the matching procedure that we developed in parallel. We also calculate the twist-2 counterparts of $g_T(x)$ and $h_L(x)$, i.e. $g_1(x)$, and $h_1(x)$, and test the Wandzura-Wilczek approximation., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, submission to SciPost Proceedings (DIS 2021)

We report the first-ever calculation of the isovector flavor combination of the chiral-odd twist-3 parton distribution $h_L(x)$ for the proton from lattice QCD. We employ gauge configurations with two degenerate light, a strange and a charm quark ($N_f=2+1+1$) of maximally twisted mass fermions with a clover improvement. The lattice has a spatial extent of 3 fm and lattice spacing of 0.093 fm. The values of the quark masses lead to a pion mass of $260$ MeV. We use a source-sink time separation of 1.12 fm to control contamination from excited states. Our calculation is based on the quasi-distribution approach, with three values for the proton momentum: 0.83 GeV, 1.25 GeV, and 1.67 GeV. The lattice data are renormalized non-perturbatively using the RI$'$ scheme, and the final result for $h_L(x)$ is presented in the $\overline{\rm MS}$ scheme at the scale of 2 GeV. Furthermore, we compute in the same setup the transversity distribution, $h_1(x)$, which allows us, in particular, to compare $h_L(x)$ to its Wandzura-Wilczek approximation. We also combine results for the isovector and isoscalar flavor combinations to disentangle the individual quark contributions for $h_1(x)$ and $h_L(x)$, and address the Wandzura-Wilczek approximation in that case as well., Comment: 18 pages, 13 figures

In this work, we perform a lattice QCD study of the intrinsic, rapidity-independent soft function within the framework of large momentum effective theory. The computation is carried out using a gauge ensemble of $N_f=2+1+1$ clover-improved twisted mass fermion. After applying an appropriate renormalization procedure and the removal of significant higher-twist contamination, we obtain the intrinsic soft function that is comparable to the one-loop perturbative result at large external momentum. The determination of the nonperturbative soft function from first principles is crucial to sharpen our understanding of the processes with small transverse momentum such as the Drell-Yan production and the semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering. Additionally, we calculate the Collins-Soper evolution kernel using the quasi-transverse-momentum-dependent wave function as input., Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures

In the high energy limit of hadron collisions, the evolution of the gluon density in the longitudinal momentum fraction can be deduced from the Balitsky hierarchy of equations or, equivalently, from the nonlinear Jalilian-Marian-Iancu-McLerran-Weigert-Leonidov-Kovner (JIMWLK) equation. The solutions of the latter can be studied numerically by using its reformulation in terms of a Langevin equation. In this paper, we present a comprehensive study of systematic effects associated with the numerical framework, in particular the ones related to the inclusion of the running coupling. We consider three proposed ways in which the running of the coupling constant can be included: "square root" and "noise" prescriptions and the recent proposal by Hatta and Iancu. We implement them both in position and momentum spaces and we investigate and quantify the differences in the resulting evolved gluon distributions. We find that the systematic differences associated with the implementation technicalities can be of a similar magnitude as differences in running coupling prescriptions in some cases, or much smaller in other cases., Comment: 21 pages, 18 figures, references updated

The quasi-PDF approach provides a path to computing parton distribution functions (PDFs) using lattice QCD. This approach requires matrix elements of a power-divergent operator in a nucleon at high momentum and one generically expects discretization effects starting at first order in the lattice spacing $a$. Therefore, it is important to demonstrate that the continuum limit can be reliably taken and to understand the size and shape of lattice artifacts. In this work, we report a calculation of isovector unpolarized and helicity PDFs using lattice ensembles with $N_f=2+1+1$ Wilson twisted mass fermions, a pion mass of approximately 370 MeV, and three different lattice spacings. Our results show a significant dependence on $a$, and the continuum extrapolation produces a better agreement with phenomenology. The latter is particularly true for the antiquark distribution at small momentum fraction $x$, where the extrapolation changes its sign., Comment: 24 pages, 21 figures. v2: additional references, discussion of systematics, and position-space comparison with phenomenology. v3: applied workaround for problem affecting Greek symbols in figures with some PDF viewers

We present the first calculation of the $x$-dependence of the proton generalized parton distributions (GPDs) within lattice QCD. Results are obtained for the isovector unpolarized and helicity GPDs. We compute the appropriate matrix elements of fast-moving protons coupled to non-local operators containing a Wilson line. We present results for proton momenta $0.83,\,1.25,\,1.67$ GeV, and momentum transfer squared $0.69,\,1.38$ GeV$^2$. These combinations include cases with zero and nonzero skewness. The calculation is performed using one ensemble of two degenerate mass light, a strange and a charm quark of maximally twisted mass fermions with a clover term. The lattice results are matched to the light-cone GPDs using one-loop perturbation theory within the framework of large momentum effective theory. The final GPDs are given in the $\overline{\rm MS}$ scheme at a scale of 2 GeV., Comment: Main document: 5 pages, Supplementary document (Appendix): 10 pages. Version accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters

The perturbative procedure of matching was proposed to connect parton quasi-distributions that are calculable in lattice QCD to the corresponding light-cone distributions which enter physical processes. Such a matching procedure has so far been limited to the twist-2 distributions. Recently, we addressed the matching for the twist-3 PDF $g_T(x)$. In this work, we extend our perturbative calculations to the remaining twist-3 PDFs, $e(x)$ and $h_{L}(x)$. In particular, we discuss the non-trivialities involved in the calculation of the singular zero-mode contributions for the quasi-PDFs., Comment: 20 pages, 2 figures, results for zero-mode contributions partly revised, associated discussion modified

Perturbative matching relates the parton quasi-distributions, defined by Euclidean correlators at finite hadron momenta, to the light-cone distributions which are accessible in experiments. Previous matching calculations have exclusively focused on twist-2 distributions. In this work, we address, for the first time, the one-loop matching for the twist-3 parton distribution function $g_T(x)$. The results have been obtained using three different infrared regulators, while dimensional regularization has been adopted to deal with the ultraviolet divergences. We present the renormalized expressions of the matching coefficient for $g_{T}(x)$ in the $\overline{\rm MS}$ and modified $\overline{\rm MS}$ schemes. We also discuss the role played by a zero-mode contribution. Our results have already been used for the extraction of $g_T(x)$ from lattice QCD calculations., Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures; V2: minor changes, PRD version; V3: results for zero-mode contribution partly revised

One of the great challenges of QCD is to determine the partonic structure of the nucleon from first principles. In this work, we provide such a determination of the flavor non-singlet ($u-d$) unpolarized parton distribution function (PDF), utilizing the non-perturbative formulation of QCD on the lattice. We apply Radyushkin's pseudo-distribution approach to lattice results obtained using simulations with the light quark mass fixed to its physical value; this is the first ever attempt for this approach directly at the physical point. The extracted coordinate-space matrix elements are used to find the relevant physical Ioffe time distributions from a matching procedure. The full Bjorken-$x$ dependence of PDFs is resolved using several reconstruction methods to tackle the ill-conditioned inverse problem encountered when using discrete lattice data. We consider both the valence distribution $q_v$ and the combination with antiquarks $q_v+2\bar{q}$, related to, respectively, the real and imaginary part of extracted matrix elements. Good agreement is found with PDFs from global fits already within statistical uncertainties and it is further improved by quantifying several systematic effects. The results presented here are the first ever \emph{ab initio} determinations of PDFs fully consistent with global fits in the whole $x$-range. Thus, they pave the way to investigating a wider class of partonic distributions, such as e.g.\ singlet PDFs and generalized parton distributions. Therefore, essential and yet missing first-principle insights can be achieved, complementing the rich experimental programs dedicated to the structure of the nucleon., Comment: Matches journal version. Added an alternative interpolation procedure + analysis of PDF moments + comparison with NNPDF ITDs. Main results and conclusions unchanged. 24 pages, 17 figures

In this work, we present the first-ever calculation of the isovector flavor combination of the twist-3 parton distribution function $g_T(x)$ for the proton from lattice QCD. We use an ensemble of gauge configurations with two degenerate light, a strange and a charm quark ($N_f=2+1+1$) of maximally twisted mass fermions with a clover improvement. The lattice has a spatial extent of 3~fm, lattice spacing of 0.093~fm, and reproduces a pion mass of $260$ MeV. We use the quasi-distribution approach and employ three values of the proton momentum boost, 0.83 GeV, 1.25 GeV, and 1.67 GeV. We use a source-sink separation of 1.12~fm to suppress excited-states contamination. The lattice data are renormalized non-perturbatively. We calculate the matching equation within Large Momentum Effective Theory, which is applied to the lattice data in order to obtain $g_T$. The final distribution is presented in the $\overline{\rm MS}$ scheme at a scale of 2 GeV. We also calculate the helicity distribution $g_1$ to test the Wandzura-Wilczek approximation for $g_T$. We find that the approximation works well for a broad range of $x$. This work demonstrates the feasibility of accessing twist-3 parton distribution functions from novel methods within lattice QCD and can provide essential insights into the structure of hadrons., Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, version accepted for publication

In this Letter, we provide a determination of the coupling constant in three-flavor quantum chromodynamics (QCD), $\alpha^{\overline{\mathrm{MS}}}_s(\mu)$, for $\overline{\mathrm{MS}}$ renormalization scales $\mu \in (1,\,2)$ GeV. The computation uses gauge field configuration ensembles with $\mathcal{O}(a)$-improved Wilson-clover fermions generated by the Coordinated Lattice Simulations (CLS) consortium. Our approach is based on current-current correlation functions and has never been applied before in this context. We convert the results perturbatively to the QCD $\Lambda$-parameter and obtain $\Lambda_{\overline{\mathrm{MS}}}^{N_f=3} = 342 \pm 17$ MeV, which agrees with the world average published by the Particle Data Group and has competing precision. The latter was made possible by a unique combination of state-of-the-art CLS ensembles with very fine lattice spacings, further reduction of discretization effects from a dedicated numerical stochastic perturbation theory simulation, combining data from vector and axial-vector channels and matching to high-order perturbation theory., Comment: Matches version accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters. Extensive supplemental material added. Main manuscript: 6 pages, 4 figures. Supplemental material: 11 pages, 8 figures

We perform a first calculation for the unpolarized parton distribution function of the $\Delta^+$ baryon using lattice QCD simulations within the framework of Large Momentum Effective Theory. Two ensembles of $N_f=2+1+1$ twisted mass fermions are utilized with a pion mass of 270 MeV and 360 MeV, respectively. The baryon, which is treated as a stable single-particle state, is boosted with momentum $P_3$ with values $\{0.42,0.83,1.25\}$ GeV, and we utilize momentum smearing to improve the signal. The unpolarized parton distribution function of $\Delta^+$ is obtained using a non-perturbative renormalization and a one-loop formula for the matching, with encouraging precision. In particular, we compute the $\overline{d}(x)-\overline{u}(x)$ asymmetry and compare it with the same quantity in the nucleon, in a first attempt towards resolving the physical mechanism responsible for generating such asymmetry.

We present concluding results from our study for zero-temperature phase structure of the massive Thirring model in 1+1 dimensions with staggered regularisation. Employing the method of matrix product states, several quantities, including two types of correlators, are investigated, leading to numerical evidence of a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless phase transition. Exploratory results for real-time dynamics pertaining to this transition, obtained using the approaches of variational uniform matrix product state and time-dependent variational principle, are also discussed., Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, contribution to the 37th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (LATTICE2019), 16-22 June 2019, Wuhan, China

We discuss the recent progress in extracting partonic functions from the quasi-distribution approach, using twisted mass fermions. This concerns, among others, the investigation of several sources of systematic effects. Their careful analysis is a prerequisite to obtain precise determinations of PDFs from the lattice with realistic estimates of all uncertainties. In these proceedings, we shortly discuss systematic effects in the matching procedure. Moreover, we present preliminary results from our new simulations at the physical point. They involve, additionally, the dynamical strange and charm quarks, as well as a larger volume and a smaller lattice spacing than in our previous computations. In addition, we show first results from computations of generalized parton distributions (GPDs) in the quasi-distribution framework., Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, proceedings of the 37th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory - Lattice2019, Wuhan; v2 - references updated

Formulating gauge theories on a lattice offers a genuinely non-perturbative way of studying quantum field theories, and has led to impressive achievements. In particular, it significantly deepened our understanding of quantum chromodynamics. Yet, some very relevant problems remain inherently challenging, such as real time evolution, or the presence of a chemical potential, cases in which Monte Carlo simulations are hindered by a sign problem. In the last few years, a number of possible alternatives have been put forward, based on quantum information ideas, which could potentially open the access to areas of research that have so far eluded more standard methods. They include tensor network calculations, quantum simulations with different physical platforms and quantum computations, and constitute nowadays a vibrant research area. Experts from different fields, including experimental and theoretical high energy physics, condensed matter, and quantum information, are turning their attention to these interdisciplinary possibilities, and driving the progress of the field. The aim of this article is to review the status and perspectives of these new avenues for the exploration of lattice gauge theories., Comment: 28 pages (including 15 figures) plus bibliography. Comments are most welcome

Employing matrix product states as an ansatz, we study the non-thermal phase structure of the (1+1)-dimensional massive Thirring model in the sector of vanishing total fermion number with staggered regularization. In this paper, details of the implementation for this project are described. To depict the phase diagram of the model, we examine the entanglement entropy, the fermion bilinear condensate and two types of correlation functions. Our investigation shows the existence of two phases, with one of them being critical and the other gapped. An interesting feature of the phase structure is that the theory with non-zero fermion mass can be conformal. We also find clear numerical evidence that these phases are separated by a transition of the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless type. Results presented in this paper establish the possibility of using the matrix product states for probing this type of phase transition in quantum field theories. They can provide information for further exploration of scaling behaviour, and serve as an important ingredient for controlling the continuum extrapolation of the model., Comment: 31 pages, 18 figures; minor changes to the text, typos corrected, references added; version published in Physical Review D

We present results for renormalized matrix elements related to the unpolarized quasi-distribution function of the $\Delta^+$ baryon making use of the large momentum effective theory. Two ensembles of $N_f=2+1+1$ twisted mass fermions with a clover term and pion masses of 250 MeV and 330 MeV are analyzed. We employ momentum smearing to improve the overlap with the boosted $\Delta$ state significantly reducing in this way the statistical error of both two- and three-point functions., Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, conference

We revise the relation between Parton Distribution Functions (PDFs) and matrix elements computable from lattice QCD, focusing on the quasi-Parton Distribution Functions (qPDFs) approach. We exploit the relation between PDFs and qPDFs in the case of the unpolarized isovector parton distribution to obtain a factorization formula relating the real and imaginary part of qPDFs matrix elements to specific nonsinglet distributions, and we propose a general framework to extract PDFs from the available lattice data, treating them on the same footing as experimental data. We implement the proposed approach within the NNPDF framework, and we study the potentiality of such lattice data in constraining PDFs, assuming some plausible scenarios to assess the unknown systematic uncertainties. We finally extract the two nonsinglet distributions involved in our analysis from a selection of the available lattice data., Comment: 26 pages, 7 figures; added references, corrected typos

We present a detailed study of the helicity-dependent and helicity-independent collinear parton distribution functions (PDFs) of the nucleon, using the quasi-PDF approach. The lattice QCD computation is performed employing twisted mass fermions with a physical value of the light quark mass. We give a systematic and in-depth account of the salient features entering in the evaluation of quasi-PDFs and their relation to the light-cone PDFs. In particular, we give details for the computation of the matrix elements, including the study of the various sources of systematic uncertainties, such as excited states contamination. In addition, we discuss the non-perturbative renormalization scheme used here and its systematics, effects of truncating the Fourier transform and different matching prescriptions., Comment: 47 pages, 33 figures, 6 tables

Within the theory of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), the rich structure of hadrons can be quantitatively characterized, among others, using a basis of universal non-perturbative functions: parton distribution functions (PDFs), generalized parton distributions (GPDs), transverse-momentum dependent distributions (TMDs) and distribution amplitudes (DAs). For more than half a century, there has been a joint experimental and theoretical effort to obtain these partonic functions. However, the complexity of the strong interactions has placed severe limitations, and first-principle results on the distributions was extracted mostly from their moments computed in Lattice QCD. Recently, breakthrough ideas changed the landscape and several approaches were proposed to access the distributions themselves on the lattice. In this paper, we review in considerable detail approaches directly related to partonic distributions. We highlight a recent idea proposed by X. Ji on extracting quasi-distributions that spawned renewed interest in the whole field and sparked the largest amount of numerical studies of Lattice QCD. We discuss theoretical and practical developments, including challenges that had to be overcome, with some yet to be handled. We also review numerical results, including a discussion based on evolving understanding of the underlying concepts and theoretical and practical progress. Particular attention is given to important aspects that validated the quasi-distribution approach, such as renormalization, matching to light-cone distributions and lattice techniques. In addition to a thorough discussion of quasi-distributions, we consider other approaches: hadronic tensor, auxiliary quark methods, pseudo-PDFs, OPE without OPE and good lattice cross sections. In closing, we provide prospects of the field, with emphasis on the necessary conditions to obtain results with controlled uncertainties., Comment: 98 pages, 40 figures, Version accepted for publication

We present results for the flavor non-singlet u-d parton distribution functions within the nucleon using the quasi-PDF approach. The lattice calculation is performed by employing the twisted mass formulation and two gauge ensembles, having $N_f = 2$ and $N_f = 2 + 1 + 1$ dynamical fermions with masses tuned to their physical value. For the $N_f = 2$ physical point ensemble, the unpolarized, helicity and transversity distributions are computed for three values of the nucleon momentum, namely [6, 8, 10]$\pi/L$ corresponding to [0.83,1.11,1.38] GeV. Upon renormalization, we find that, as the nucleon momentum increases, the lattice results approach the phenomenological distributions resulting from analyses of deep inelastic scattering data, opening a promising path for a direct evaluation of parton distributions from the QCD Lagrangian. For the $N_f = 2 + 1 + 1$ physical point ensemble, we present preliminary results for the unpolarized distribution extracted from a nucleon boosted by $8\pi/L$ or 0.97 GeV., Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, The 36th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (Lattice 2018)

Using the approach proposed a few years ago by X. Ji, it has become feasible to extract parton distribution functions (PDFs) from lattice QCD, a task thought to be extremely difficult before Ji's proposal. In this talk, we discuss this approach, in particular different systematic effects that need to be controlled to ultimately have precise determinations of PDFs. Special attention is paid to the analysis of excited states. We emphasize that it is crucial to control excited states contamination and we show an analysis thereof for our lattice data, used to calculate quasi-PDFs and finally light-cone PDFs in the second part of this proceeding (C. Alexandrou et al., Quasi-PDFs from Twisted mass fermions at the physical point)., Comment: Proceedings of the The 36th Annual International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory LATTICE 2018. 7 pages, 1 figure

Tensor Network States are ans\"atze for the efficient description of quantum many-body systems. Their success for one dimensional problems, together with the fact that they do not suffer from the sign problem and can address the simulation of real time evolution, have turned them into one of the most promising techniques to study strongly correlated systems. In the realm of Lattice Gauge Theories they can offer an alternative to standard lattice Monte Carlo calculations, which are suited for static properties and regimes where no sign problem appears. The application of Tensor Networks to this kind of problems is a young but rapidly evolving research field. This paper reviews some of the recent progress in this area, and how, using one dimensional models as testbench, some fundamental milestones have been reached that may pave the way to more ambitious goals., Comment: Contribution to the proceedings of the 36th Annual International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory - LATTICE2018, 22-28 July, 2018 Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Bibliography updated in second version

We present preliminary results of a study on the non-thermal phase structure of the (1+1) dimensional massive Thirring model, employing the method of matrix product states. Through investigating the entanglement entropy, the fermion correlators and the chiral condensate, it is found that this approach enables us to observe numerical evidence of a Kosterlitz-Thouless phase transition in the model., Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures; contribution to the proceedings of Lattice 2018 conference

We present the first direct calculation of the transversity parton distribution function within the nucleon from lattice QCD. The calculation is performed using simulations with the light quark mass fixed to its physical value and at one value of the lattice spacing. Novel elements of the calculations are non-perturbative renormalization and extraction of a formula for the matching to light-cone PDFs. Final results are presented in the $\overline{\rm MS}$ scheme at a scale of $\sqrt{2}$ GeV., Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, 1 table