alpha_s from the static energy in QCD

TL;DR

This paper determines the strong coupling constant alpha_s by comparing perturbative calculations with lattice QCD data of the static energy at short distances, providing a precise value at the Z-boson mass scale.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method of extracting alpha_s from static energy comparisons, improving precision at a specific energy scale.

Findings

Alpha_s(M_Z)=0.1156^{+0.0021}_{-0.0022} at the Z-boson mass scale.

Determination performed at a scale of around 1.5 GeV.

Method bridges perturbative and lattice QCD calculations.

Abstract

Comparing perturbative calculations with a lattice computation of the static energy in quantum chromodynamics at short distances, we obtain a determination of the strong coupling alpha_s. Our determination is performed at a scale of around 1.5 GeV (the typical distance scale of the lattice data) and, when evolved to the Z-boson mass scale M_Z, it corresponds to alpha_s(M_Z)=0.1156^{+0.0021}_{-0.0022}.