Light- and strange-quark mass dependence of the ρ(770) meson revisited

Recent lattice data on ππ-scattering phase shifts in the vector-isovector channel, pseudoscalar meson masses and decay constants for strange-quark masses smaller or equal to the physical value allow us to study the strangeness dependence of these observables for the first time. We perform a global analysis on two kind of lattice trajectories depending on whether the sum of quark masses or the strange-quark mass is kept fixed to the physical point. The quark mass dependence of these observables is extracted from unitarized coupled-channel one-loop Chiral Perturbation Theory. This analysis guides new predictions on the ρ(770) meson properties over trajectories where the strange-quark mass is lighter than the physical mass, as well as on the SU(3) symmetric line. As a result, the light- and strange-quark mass dependence of the ρ(770) meson parameters are discussed and precise values of the Low Energy Constants present in unitarized one-loop Chiral Perturbation Theory are given. Finally, the current discrepancy between two- and three-flavor lattice results for the ρ(770) meson is studied.

Inverse moment of the Bs-meson distribution amplitude from QCD sum rule

We derive a QCD sum rule for the inverse moment of the Bs-meson light-cone distribution amplitude in HQET. Within this method, the SU(3)f l symmetry violation is traced to the strange quark mass and to the difference between strange and nonstrange quark condensate densities. We predict the ratio of inverse moments λBs/λB = 1.19 ± 0.14 which can be used in various applications of these distribution amplitudes to the analyses of Bs-meson decays, provided an accurate value of λB is available from other sources, such as the B → ℓνℓγ decay.

Bs → Kℓv form factors with 2+1 flavors

Using the MILC 2+1 flavor asqtad quark action ensembles, we are calculating the form factors f0 and f+ for the semileptonic Bs → Kℓv decay. A total of six ensembles with lattice spacing from ≈ 0.12 to 0.06 fm are being used. At the coarsest and finest lattice spacings, the light quark mass m’l is one-tenth the strange quark mass m’s. At the intermediate lattice spacing, the ratio m’l/m’s ranges from 0.05 to 0.2. The valence b quark is treated using the Sheikholeslami-Wohlert Wilson-clover action with the Fermilab interpretation. The other valence quarks use the asqtad action. When combined with (future) measurements from the LHCb and Belle II experiments, these calculations will provide an alternate determination of the CKM matrix element |Vub|.

Strange quark mass effect on the structure of hybrid stars

We study the strange quark mass effect on the phase diagram of strong interaction and the structure of compact stars with a thermodynamically enhanced perturbative QCD model by matching quark matter onto nuclear matter using the Gibbs conditions. It is found that the mass effect of strange quark matter can obviously stiffen the equation of state of mixed phases and result in more massive hybrid stars (HSs), while that usually lowers the maximum mass of pure quark stars. Given reasonable model parameters, the maximum mass of HSs can reach two times the solar mass and the stars always have mixed-phase core in a considerably wide range of model parameters.

CLS 2+1 flavor simulations at physical light-and strange-quark masses

We report recent efforts by CLS to generate an ensemble with physical lightand strange-quark masses in a lattice volume of 192 × 963 at β = 3:55 corresponding to a lattice spacing of 0:064 fm. This ensemble is being generated as part of the CLS 2+1 flavor effort with improved Wilson fermions. Our simulations currently cover 5 lattice spacings ranging from 0:039 fm to 0:086 fm at various pion masses along chiral trajectories with either the sum of the quark masses kept fixed, or with the strange-quark mass at the physical value. The current status of simulations is briefly reviewed, including a short discussion of measured autocorrelation times and of the main features of the simulations. We then proceed to discuss the thermalization strategy employed for the generation of the physical quark-mass ensemble and present first results for some simple observables. Challenges encountered in the simulation are highlighted.

Mapping the QCD phase diagram with susceptibilities of conserved charges within Nambu–Jona-Lasinio model

We evaluate the second to fourth-order baryon, charge and strangeness susceptibilities near a chiral critical point using the Nambu–Jona-Lasinio model under different temperatures and baryon chemical potential. Baryon number susceptibilities are found to be of the greatest magnitude, offering the strongest signal. Whereas the strangeness susceptibilities have the smallest divergence dominating area, owing to the large strange quark mass. We also make an attempt to compare our results with experiment data. The trend at high collision energy is found to be consistent between theory and experiment. The model calculation predicts more complex behavior at low collision energies, near the postulated critical end point.