Three pion spectrum in the $I=3$ channel from lattice QCD

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that lattice QCD can accurately resolve three-pion states in the I=3 channel, validating a phenomenological formalism for connecting finite-volume lattice results to infinite-volume physics.

Contribution

The study provides the first lattice QCD calculation of three-pion states in the I=3 channel across various parameters, confirming the formalism's reliability.

Findings

All states below inelastic threshold match predictions

Validation of the phenomenological formalism for three-body states

Demonstration of lattice QCD's capability to resolve three-pion states

Abstract

Three-body states are critical to the dynamics of many hadronic resonances. We show that lattice QCD calculations have reached a stage where these states can be accurately resolved. We perform a calculation over a wide range of parameters and find all states below inelastic threshold agree with predictions from a state-of-the-art phenomenological formalism. This also illustrates the reliability of the formalism used to connect lattice QCD results to infinite volume physics. Our calculation is performed using three positively charged pions, with different lattice geometries and quark masses.