Few-baryon interactions from lattice QCD

TL;DR

This paper advances the calculation of three-nucleon forces in lattice QCD by developing a novel algorithm, revealing repulsive three-nucleon interactions at short distances, and providing insights into multi-baryon interactions.

Contribution

The paper introduces a unified contraction algorithm that significantly reduces computational costs in lattice QCD calculations of multi-baryon systems, enabling the extraction of three-nucleon forces.

Findings

Repulsive three-nucleon forces are observed at short distances.

The study successfully extracts 3NF in the triton channel.

Lattice QCD simulations used a large quark mass with N_f=2 dynamical fermions.

Abstract

We report the recent progress on the determination of three-nucleon forces (3NF) in lattice QCD. We utilize the Nambu-Bethe-Salpeter (NBS) wave function to define the potential in quantum field theory, and extract two-nucleon forces (2NF) and 3NF on equal footing. The enormous computational cost for calculating multi-baryon correlators on the lattice is drastically reduced by developing a novel contraction algorithm (the unified contraction algorithm). Quantum numbers of the three-nucleon (3N) system are chosen to be (I, J^P)=(1/2,1/2^+) (the triton channel), and we extract 3NF in which three nucleons are aligned linearly with an equal spacing. Lattice QCD simulations are performed using N_f=2 dynamical clover fermion configurations at the lattice spacing of a = 0.156 fm on a 16^3 x 32 lattice with a large quark mass corresponding to m(\pi)= 1.13 GeV. Repulsive 3NF is found at short distance.