Undergraduate Research at Jefferson Lab

Relativistic Loop Corrections to Baryon Masses and Sigma Terms

Student: Paul Marston Copeland

School: Clemson University

Mentored By: Wally Melnitchouk

We calculate the pseudoscalar meson loop contributions to the properties of flavor SU(3) octet and decuplet baryons, using a relativistic chiral effective theory framework consistent with Lorentz and gauge invariance. A finite range regularization prescription is applied and compared with dimensional regularization to show better convergence at higher meson masses. Results showing loop contributions to baryon masses, electromagnetic elastic and transition form factors, and flavor asymmetries in parton distribution are presented. The results are also compared with lattice QCD data to compute sigma terms and other relevant quantities.

[Watch the presentation on YouTube]