Numerical methods for the 1-D Dirac equation based on operator splitting and on the quantum lattice Boltzmann (QLB) schemes are reviewed. It is shown that these discretizations fall within the class of quantum walks, i.e. discrete maps for complex fi
elds, whose continuum limit delivers Dirac-like relativistic quantum wave equations. The correspondence between the quantum walk dynamics and these numerical schemes is given explicitly, allowing a connection between quantum computations, numerical analysis and lattice Boltzmann methods. The QLB method is then extended to the Dirac equation in curved spaces and it is demonstrated that the quantum walk structure is preserved. Finally, it is argued that the existence of this link between the discretized Dirac equation and quantum walks may be employed to simulate relativistic quantum dynamics on quantum computers.
A simple 1-D relativistic model for a diatomic molecule with a double point interaction potential is solved exactly in a constant electric field. The Weyl-Titchmarsh-Kodaira method is used to evaluate the spectral density function, allowing the corre
ct normalization of continuum states. The boundary conditions at the potential wells are evaluated using Colombeaus generalized function theory along with charge conjugation invariance and general properties of self-adjoint extensions for point-like interactions. The resulting spectral density function exhibits resonances for quasibound states which move in the complex energy plane as the model parameters are varied. It is observed that for a monotonically increasing interatomic distance, the ground state resonance can either go deeper into the negative continuum or can give rise to a sequence of avoided crossings, depending on the strength of the potential wells. For sufficiently low electric field strength or small interatomic distance, the behavior of resonances is qualitatively similar to non-relativistic results.
The validation and parallel implementation of a numerical method for the solution of the time-dependent Dirac equation is presented. This numerical method is based on a split operator scheme where the space-time dependence is computed in coordinate s
pace using the method of characteristics. Thus, most of the steps in the splitting are calculated exactly, making for a very efficient and unconditionally stable method. We show that it is free from spurious solutions related to the fermion-doubling problem and that it can be parallelized very efficiently. We consider a few simple physical systems such as the time evolution of Gaussian wave packets and the Klein paradox. The numerical results obtained are compared to analytical formulas for the validation of the method.
We compute the inclusive differential cross section production of the pseudo-scalar meson eta in high-energy proton-proton (pp) and proton-nucleus (pA) collisions. We use an effective coupling between gluons and eta meson to derive a reduction formul
a that relates the eta production to a field-strength tensor correlator. For pA collisions we take into account saturation effects on the nucleus side by using the Color Glass Condensate formalism to evaluate this correlator. We derive new results for Wilson line - color charges correlators in the McLerran-Venugopalan model needed in the computation of eta production. The unintegrated parton distribution functions are used to characterize the gluon distribution inside protons. We show that in pp collisions, the cross section depends on the parametrization of unintegrated parton distribution functions and thus, it can be used to put constraints on these distributions. We also demonstrate that in pA collisions, the cross section is sensitive to saturation effects so it can be utilized to estimate the value of the saturation scale.
We compute the inclusive cross-section of $f_{2}$ tensor mesons production in proton-proton collisions at high-energy. We use an effective theory inspired from the tensor meson dominance hypothesis that couples gluons to $f_{2}$ mesons. We compute th
e differential cross-section in the $k_{perp}$-factorization and in the Color Glass Condensate formalism in the low density regime. We show that the two formalisms are equivalent for this specific observable. Finally, we study the phenomenology of $f_{2}$ mesons by comparing theoretical predictions of different parameterizations of the unintegrated gluon distribution function. We find that $f_{2}$-meson production is another observable that can be used to put constraints on these distributions.
