Ab initio calculation of the neutron-proton mass difference

Ab initio calculation of the neutron-proton mass difference.

The existence and stability of atoms rely on the fact that neutrons are more massive than protons. The measured mass difference is only 0.14% of the average of the two masses. A slightly smaller or larger value would have led to a dramatically different universe. Here, we show that this difference results from the competition between electromagnetic and mass isospin breaking effects. We perform...

Material for Ab initio calculation of the neutron - proton mass difference

Calculation of 〈 p | uu − dd | p 〉 from QCD sum rule and the neutron - proton mass difference

The proton matrix element of the isovector-scalar density, 〈p|uu−dd|p〉/2Mp, is calculated by evaluating the nucleon current correlation function in an external isovector-scalar field using the QCD sum-rule method. In addition to the usual chiral and gluon condensates of the QCD vacuum, the response of the chiral condensates to the external isovector field enters the calculation. The latter is d...

Ab initio calculation of the Hoyle state.

The Hoyle state plays a crucial role in the helium burning of stars heavier than our Sun and in the production of carbon and other elements necessary for life. This excited state of the carbon-12 nucleus was postulated by Hoyle as a necessary ingredient for the fusion of three alpha particles to produce carbon at stellar temperatures. Although the Hoyle state was seen experimentally more than a...

Strong-Isospin Breaking in the Neutron-Proton Mass Difference

We determine the strong-isospin violating component of the neutron-proton mass difference from fully-dynamical lattice QCD and partially-quenched QCD calculations of the nucleon mass, constrained by partially-quenched chiral perturbation theory at one-loop level. The lattice calculations were performed with domain-wall valence quarks on MILC lattices with rooted staggered sea-quarks at a lattic...