Extrapolating Lattice QCD Results using Effective Field Theory

TL;DR

This paper uses nuclear Effective Field Theory to extrapolate lattice QCD results from finite to infinite volumes, enabling more accurate predictions of low-energy nuclear physics and guiding future lattice calculations.

Contribution

It introduces a method to use EFT for volume extrapolation of lattice QCD results, including predictions at the physical point for small nuclei.

Findings

EFT successfully fits lattice results at high quark masses.

Predicted finite-volume effects for light nuclei at the physical point.

Validated EFT extrapolation method with stochastic variational calculations.

Abstract

Lattice simulations are the only viable way to obtain ab-initio Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) predictions for low energy nuclear physics. These calculations are done, however, in a finite box and therefore extrapolation is needed to get the free space results. Here we use nuclear Effective Field Theory (EFT), designed to provide a low energy description of QCD using baryonic degrees of freedom, to extrapolate the lattice results from finite to infinite volumes. To this end, we fit the EFT to the results calculated with nonphysical high quark masses and solve it with the stochastic variational method in both finite and infinite volumes. Moreover, we perform similar EFT calculations of the physical point and predict the finite-volume effects to be found in future Lattice QCD calculations for atomic nuclei with mass number $A\le4$.