Experimental tests of QCD through its predictions for the strange-quark content of the proton have been drastically restricted by our lack of knowledge of the violation of charge symmetry (CSV). We find unexpectedly tiny CSV in the protons electromagnetic form factors by performing the first extraction of these quantities based on an analysis of lattice QCD data. The resulting values are an order of magnitude smaller than current bounds on proton strangeness from parity violating electron-proton scattering experiments. This result paves the way for a new generation of experimental measurements of the protons strange form factors to challenge the predictions of QCD.
We present results for the isovector electromagnetic form factors of the nucleon computed on the CLS ensembles with $N_f=2+1$ flavors of $mathcal{O}(a)$-improved Wilson fermions and an $mathcal{O}(a)$-improved vector current. The analysis includes ensembles with four lattice spacings and pion masses ranging from 130 MeV up to 350 MeV and mainly targets the low-$Q^2$ region. In order to remove any bias from unsuppressed excited-state contributions, we investigate several source-sink separations between 1.0 fm and 1.5 fm and apply the summation method as well as explicit two-state fits. The chiral interpolation is performed by applying covariant chiral perturbation theory including vector mesons directly to our form factor data, thus avoiding an auxiliary parametrization of the $Q^2$ dependence. At the physical point, we obtain $mu=4.71(11)_{mathrm{stat}}(13)_{mathrm{sys}}$ for the nucleon isovector magnetic moment, in good agreement with the experimental value and $langle r_mathrm{M}^2rangle~=~0.661(30)_{mathrm{stat}}(11)_{mathrm{sys}},~mathrm{fm}^2$ for the corresponding square-radius, again in good agreement with the value inferred from the $ep$-scattering determination [Bernauer et~al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 105, 242001 (2010)] of the proton radius. Our estimate for the isovector electric charge radius, $langle r_mathrm{E}^2rangle = 0.800(25)_{mathrm{stat}}(22)_{mathrm{sys}},~mathrm{fm}^2$, however, is in slight tension with the larger value inferred from the aforementioned $ep$-scattering data, while being in agreement with the value derived from the 2018 CODATA average for the proton charge radius.
We present results on the Omega baryon electromagnetic form factors using $N_f=2+1$ domain-wall fermion configurations for three pion masses in the range of about 350 to 300 MeV. We compare results obtained using domain wall fermions with those of a mixed-action (hybrid) approach, which combine domain wall valence quarks on staggered sea quarks, for a pion mass of about 350 MeV. We pay particular attention in the evaluation of the subdominant electric quadrupole form factor to sufficient accuracy to exclude a zero value, by constructing a sequential source that isolates it from the dominant form factors. The $Omega^-$ magnetic moment, $mu_{Omega^{-}}$, the electric charge and magnetic radius, $langle r^{2}_{E0/M1} rangle$, are extracted for these pion masses. The electric quadrupole moment is determined for the first time using dynamical quarks.
We present results for the nucleon electromagnetic form factors, including the momentum transfer dependence and derived quantities (charge radii and magnetic moment). The analysis is performed using O(a) improved Wilson fermions in Nf=2 QCD measured on the CLS ensembles. Particular focus is placed on a systematic evaluation of the influence of excited states in three-point correlation functions, which lead to a biased evaluation, if not accounted for correctly. We argue that the use of summed operator insertions and fit ansatze including excited states allow us to suppress and control this effect. We employ a novel method to perform joint chiral and continuum extrapolations, by fitting the form factors directly to the expressions of covariant baryonic chiral effective field theory. The final results for the charge radii and magnetic moment from our lattice calculations include, for the first time, a full error budget. We find that our estimates are compatible with experimental results within their overall uncertainties.
The strange quark contributions to the electromagnetic form factors of the proton are ideal quantities to study the role of hidden flavor in the properties of the proton. This has motivated intense experimental measurements of these form factors. A major remaining source of systematic uncertainty in these determinations is the assumption that charge symmetry violation (CSV) is negligible. We use recent theoretical determinations of the CSV form factors and reanalyse the available parity-violating electron scattering data, up to $Q^2$ $sim$ 1 GeV$^2$. Our analysis considers systematic expansions of the strangeness electric and magnetic form factors of the proton. The results provide an update to the determination of strangeness over a range of $Q^2$ where, under certain assumptions about the effective axial form factor, an emergence of non-zero strangeness is revealed in the vicinity of $Q^2$ $sim$ 0.6 GeV$^2$. Given the recent theoretical calculations, it is found that the current limits on CSV do not have a significant impact on the interpretation of the measurements and hence suggests an opportunity for a next generation of parity-violating measurements to more precisely map the distribution of strange quarks.
The electromagnetic form factors of the proton and the neutron are computed within lattice QCD using simulations with quarks masses fixed to their physical values. Both connected and disconnected contributions are computed. We analyze two new ensembles of $N_f = 2$ and $N_f = 2 + 1 + 1$ twisted mass clover-improved fermions and determine the proton and neutron form factors, the electric and magnetic radii, and the magnetic moments. We use several values of the sink-source time separation in the range of 1.0 fm to 1.6 fm to ensure ground state identification. Disconnected contributions are calculated to an unprecedented accuracy at the physical point. Although they constitute a small correction, they are non-negligible and contribute up to 15% for the case of the neutron electric charge radius.