Pion-nucleon scattering in the Roper channel from lattice QCD

TL;DR

This lattice QCD study investigates the Nπ scattering in the Roper channel, finding multi-hadron states but no additional eigenstate near the Roper mass, suggesting the Roper resonance may be dynamically generated through coupled channels.

Contribution

First simulation to identify multi-hadron states in the Roper channel using lattice QCD, highlighting the importance of coupled-channel effects for the Roper resonance.

Findings

Found three eigenstates below 1.65 GeV dominated by different multi-hadron configurations.

Did not observe an eigenstate near the Roper mass, indicating elastic Nπ scattering alone is insufficient.

Supports the idea that the Roper resonance is dynamically generated through coupled channels.

Abstract

We present a lattice QCD study of $N\pi$ scattering in the positive-parity nucleon channel, where the puzzling Roper resonance $N^*(1440)$ resides in experiment. The study is based on the PACS-CS ensemble of gauge configurations with $N_f=2+1$ Wilson-clover dynamical fermions, $m_\pi \simeq 156~$MeV and $L\simeq 2.9~$fm. In addition to a number of $qqq$ interpolating fields, we implement operators for $N\pi$ in $p$-wave and $N\sigma$ in $s$-wave. In the center-of-momentum frame we find three eigenstates below 1.65 GeV. They are dominated by $N(0)$, $N(0)\pi(0)\pi(0)$ (mixed with $N(0)\sigma(0)$) and $N(p)\pi(-p)$ with $p\simeq 2\pi/L$, where momenta are given in parentheses. This is the first simulation where the expected multi-hadron states are found in this channel. The experimental $N\pi$ phase-shift would -- in the approximation of purely elastic $N\pi$ scattering -- imply an additional eigenstate near the Roper mass $m_R\simeq 1.43~$GeV for our lattice size. We do not observe any such additional eigenstate, which indicates that $N\pi$ elastic scattering alone does not render a low-lying Roper. Coupling with other channels, most notably with $N\pi\pi$, seems to be important for generating the Roper resonance, reinforcing the notion that this state could be a dynamically generated resonance. Our results are in line with most of previous lattice studies based just on $qqq$ interpolators, that did not find a Roper eigenstate below $1.65~$GeV. The study of the coupled-channel scattering including a three-particle decay $N\pi\pi$ remains a challenge.