Search

We discuss preliminary results for the vector form factors $f_+^{\{\pi,K\}}$ at zero-momentum transfer for the decays $D\to\pi\ell\nu$ and $D\to K \ell\nu$ using MILC's $N_f = 2+1+1$ HISQ ensembles at four lattice spacings, $a \approx 0.042, 0.06, 0.09$, and 0.12 fm, and various HISQ quark masses down to the (degenerate) physical light quark mass. We use the kinematic constraint $f_+(q^2)= f_0(q^2)$ at $q^2 = 0$ to determine the vector form factor from our study of the scalar current, which yields $f_0(0)$. Results are extrapolated to the continuum physical point in the framework of hard pion/kaon SU(3) heavy-meson-staggered $\chi$PT and Symanzik effective theory. Our calculation improves upon the precision achieved in existing lattice-QCD calculations of the vector form factors at $q^2=0$. We show the values of the CKM matrix elements $|V_{cs}|$ and $|V_{cd}|$ that we would obtain using our preliminary results for the form factors together with recent experimental results, and discuss the implications of these values for the second row CKM unitarity.

In this thesis, we study the Fisher’s zeros in lattice gauge theory. The analysis of singularities in the complex coupling plane is an important tool to understand the critical phenomena of statistical models. The Fisher’s zero structure characterizes the scaling properties of the underlying models [40, 33] and has a strong influence on the complex renormalization group transformation flows in the region away from both the strong and weak coupling regimes [24]. By reconstructing the density of states, we try to develop a systematical method to investigate these singularities and we apply the method to SU(2) and U(1) lattice gauge models with a Wilson action in the fundamental representation. We first take the perturbative approach. By using the saddle point approximation, we construct the series expansions of the density of states in both of the strong and weak regimes from the strong and weak coupling expansions of the free energy density[5, 4]. We analyze the SU(2) and U(1) models. The expansions in the strong and weak regimes for the two models indicate both possess finite radii of convergence, suggesting the existence of complex singularities. We then perform the numerical calculations. We useMonte Carlo simulations to construct the numerical density of states of the SU(2) [22] and U(1) models [9]. We also discuss the convergence of the Ferrenberg-Swendsen’s method [32] whichwe use for the SU(2) model and propose a practical method to find the initial values that improve the convergence of the iterations. The strong and weak series expansions are in good agreement with the numerical results in their respective limits. The numerical calculations also enable the discussion of the finite volume effects which are important to the weak expansion. We calculate the Fisher’s zeros of the SU(2) and U(1) models at various

We discuss the reduction of errors in the calculation of the form factor $$f_+^{K \pi}(0)$$ with HISQ fermions on the $$N_f=2+1+1$$ MILC configurations from increased statistics on some key ensembles, new data on ensembles with lattice spacings down to 0.042 fm and the study of finite-volume effects within staggered ChPT. We also study the implications for the unitarity of the CKM matrix in the first row and for current tensions with leptonic determinations of $$\vert V_{us}\vert$$.

We calculate the kaon semileptonic form factor f+(0) from lattice QCD, working, for the first time, at the physical light-quark masses. We use gauge configurations generated by the MILC Collaboration with Nf = 2 + 1 + 1 flavors of sea quarks, which incorporate the effects of dynamical charm quarks as well as those of up, down, and strange. We employ data at three lattice spacings to extrapolate to the continuum limit. Our result, f+(0) = 0.9704(32), where the error is the total statistical plus systematic uncertainty added in quadrature, is the most precise determination to date. Combining our result with the latest experimental measurements of K semileptonic decays, one obtains the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element |V(us)| = 0.22290(74)(52), where the first error is from f+(0) and the second one is from experiment. In the first-row test of Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa unitarity, the error stemming from |V(us)| is now comparable to that from |V(ud)|.

We report on form factors for the B->K l^+ l^- semi-leptonic decay process. We use several lattice spacings from a=0.12 fm down to 0.06 fm and a variety of dynamical quark masses with 2+1 flavors of asqtad quarks provided by the MILC Collaboration. These ensembles allow good control of the chiral and continuum extrapolations. The b-quark is treated as a clover quark with the Fermilab interpretation. We update our results for f_\parallel and f_\perp, or, equivalently, f_+ and f_0. In addition, we present new results for the tensor form factor f_T. Model independent results are obtained based upon the z-expansion., 7 pages, 4 figures, presented at The XXXth International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory - Lattice 2012, June 24-29, 2012 Cairns, Australia, to appear as PoS(Lattice 2012)120

We present preliminary results for light, strange and charmed pseudoscalar meson physics from simulations using four flavors of dynamical quarks with the highly improved staggered quark (HISQ) action. These simulations include lattice spacings ranging from 0.15 to 0.06 fm, and sea-quark masses both above and at their physical value. The major results are charm meson decay constants f_D, f_{D_s} and f_{D_s}/f_D and ratios of quark masses. This talk will focus on our procedures for finding the decay constants on each ensemble, the continuum extrapolation, and estimates of systematic error., Proceedings of Lattice 2012 Int. Symposium

We calculate form-factor ratios between the semileptonic decays {bar B}{sup 0} {yields} D{sup +} {ell}{sup -}{bar {nu}} and {bar B}{sub s}{sup 0} {yields} D{sub s}{sup +}{ell}{sup -}{bar {nu}} with lattice QCD. These ratios are a key theoretical input in a new strategy to determine the fragmentation fractions of the neutral B decays, which are needed for measurements of BR(B{sub s}{sup 0} {yields} {mu}{sup +}{mu}{sup -}). They use the MILC ensembles of gauge configurations with 2 + 1 flavors of sea quarks at two lattice spacings of approximately 0.12 fm and 0.09 fm. We use the model-independent z parametrization to extrapolate their simulation results at small recoil toward maximum recoil. The results for the form-factor ratios are {line_integral}{sub 0}{sup (s)} (M{sub {pi}}{sup 2})/{line_integral}{sub 0}{sup (d)} (M{sub K}{sup 2}) = 1.046(44){sub stat.}(15){sub syst.} and {line_integral}{sub 0}{sup (s)} (M{sub {pi}}{sup 2})/{line_integral}{sub 0}{sup (d)} (M{sub {pi}}{sup 2}) = 1.054(47){sub stat.}(17){sub syst.}. In contrast to a QCD sum-rule calculation, no significant departure from U-spin (d {leftrightarrow} s) symmetry is observed.

The Fermilab Lattice-MILC collaboration is completing a comprehensive program of heavy-light physics on the MILC (2+1)-flavor asqtad ensembles with lattice spacings as small as 0.045 fm and light-to-strange-quark mass ratios as low as 1/20. We use the Fermilab interpretation of the clover action for heavy valence quarks and the asqtad action for light valence quarks. The central goal of the program is to provide ever more exacting tests of the unitarity of the CKM matrix. We give a progress report on one part of the program, namely the analysis of the semileptonic decay B to D at both zero and nonzero recoil. Although final results are not presented, we discuss improvements in the analysis methods, the statistical errors, and the parameter coverage that we expect will lead to a significant reduction in the final error for |V{sub cb}| from this decay channel.

We calculate form-factor ratios between the semileptonic decays ${\overline{B}}^{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{D}^{+}{\ensuremath{\ell}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}$ and ${\overline{B}}_{s}^{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{D}_{s}^{+}{\ensuremath{\ell}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}$ with lattice QCD. These ratios are a key theoretical input in a new strategy to determine the fragmentation fractions of neutral $B$ decays, which are needed for measurements of $\mathrm{BR}({B}_{s}^{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}})$. We use the MILC ensembles of gauge configurations with $2+1$ flavors of sea-quarks at two s of approximately 0.12 fm and 0.09 fm. We use the model-independent $z$ parametrization to extrapolate our simulation results at small recoil toward maximum recoil. Our results for the form-factor ratios are ${f}_{0}^{(s)}({M}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{2})/{f}_{0}^{(d)}({M}_{K}^{2})=1.046(44{)}_{\mathrm{stat}}(15{)}_{\mathrm{syst}}$ and ${f}_{0}^{(s)}({M}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{2})/{f}_{0}^{(d)}({M}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{2})=1.054(47{)}_{\mathrm{stat}}(17{)}_{\mathrm{syst}}$. In contrast to a QCD sum-rule calculation, no significant departure from $U$-spin ($d\ensuremath{\leftrightarrow}s$) symmetry is observed.

We present high-accuracy calculations of the density of states using multicanonical methods for lattice gauge theory with a compact gauge group $U(1)$ on ${4}^{4}$, ${6}^{4}$, and ${8}^{4}$ lattices. We show that the results are consistent with weak and strong coupling expansions. We present methods based on Chebyshev interpolations and Cauchy theorem to find the (Fisher's) zeros of the partition function in the complex $\ensuremath{\beta}=1/{g}^{2}$ plane. The results are consistent with reweighting methods whenever the latter are accurate. We discuss the volume dependence of the imaginary part of the Fisher's zeros, the width and depth of the plaquette distribution at the value of $\ensuremath{\beta}$ where the two peaks have equal height. We discuss strategies to discriminate between first- and second-order transitions and explore them with data at larger volume but lower statistics. Higher statistics and even larger lattices are necessary to draw strong conclusions regarding the order of the transition.

The zeros of the partition function in the complex beta plane (Fisher's zeros) play an important role in our understanding of phase transitions and RG flows. Recently, we argued that they act as gates or separatrices for complex RG flows. Using histogram reweighting to construct the density of states, we calculate the Fisher's zeros for pure gauge SU(2) and U(1) on L^4 lattices. For SU(2), these zeros appear to move almost horizontally when the volume increases. They stay away from the real axis which indicates a confining theory at zero temperature. We discuss the effect of an adjoint term on these results. In contrast, using recent multicanonical simulations for the U(1) model for L up to 8 we find that the zeros pinch the real axis near beta =1.0113. Preliminary results concerning U(1) at larger volumes, SU(3) with 3 light flavors and plans to delimit the boundary of the conformal window are briefly discussed., 7 pages, 8 figures, Poster presented at the XXIX International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (Lattice 2011), July 10-16, 2011, Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe, California, USA

We propose new methods to extend the renormalization group transformation to complex coupling spaces. We argue that the Fisher's zeros are located at the boundary of the complex basin of attraction of infra-red fixed points. We support this picture with numerical calculations at finite volume for two-dimensional O(N) models in the large-N limit and the hierarchical Ising model. We present numerical evidence that, as the volume increases, the Fisher's zeros of 4-dimensional pure gauge SU(2) lattice gauge theory with a Wilson action, stabilize at a distance larger than 0.15 from the real axis in the complex beta=4/g^2 plane. We discuss the implications for proofs of confinement and searches for nontrivial infra-red fixed points in models beyond the standard model., 4 pages, 3 figs

We calculate numerically the density of states n(S) for SU(2) lattice gauge theory on L{sup 4} lattices [S is the Wilson's action and n(S) measures the relative number of ways S can be obtained]. Small volume dependences are resolved for small values of S. We compare ln(n(S)) with weak and strong coupling expansions. Intermediate order expansions show a good overlap for values of S corresponding to the crossover. We relate the convergence of these expansions to those of the average plaquette. We show that, when known logarithmic singularities are subtracted from ln(n(S)), expansions in Legendre polynomials appear to converge and could be suitable to determine the Fisher's zeros of the partition function.

We discuss apparent paradoxes regarding the location of the zeros of the partition function in the complex $\beta$ plane (Fisher's zeros) of a pure SU(2) lattice gauge theory in 4 dimensions. We propose a new criterion to draw the region of the complex $\beta$ plane where reweighting methods can be trusted when the density of states is almost but not exactly Gaussian. We propose new methods to infer the existence of zeros outside of this region. We demonstrate the reliability of these proposals with quasi Gaussian Monte Carlo distributions where the locations of the zeros can be calculated by independent numerical methods. The results are presented in such way that the methods can be applied for general lattice models. Applications to specific lattice models will be discussed in a separate publication., Comment: 11 pages, 21 figures, with minor corrections