Physics of eta-prime with rooted staggered quarks

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the eta meson mass depends on quark mass in the Schwinger model using lattice simulations with rooted staggered quarks, confirming the correct treatment of the axial anomaly.

Contribution

It demonstrates that rooted staggered quarks can correctly reproduce the Schwinger mass and anomaly effects in the lattice Schwinger model.

Findings

Reproduces the Schwinger mass in the chiral limit.

Validates the use of rooted staggered quarks for anomaly-related phenomena.

Shows quark-mass dependence of eta in the Schwinger model.

Abstract

The quark-mass dependence of the eta in the Schwinger model, which -- like the eta-prime in QCD -- becomes massive through the axial anomaly, is studied on the lattice with N_f=0,1,2. Staggered quarks are used, with a rooted determinant for N_f=1. In the chiral limit the Schwinger mass is reproduced, which suggests that the anomaly is being treated correctly.