Highly Improved Staggered Quark Research Articles

Unpolarized transverse momentum dependent parton distributions of the nucleon from lattice QCD

We present a first lattice QCD calculation of the unpolarized nucleon’s isovector transverse-momentum-dependent parton distribution functions (TMDPDFs), which are essential to predict observables of multiscale, semi-inclusive processes in the standard model. We use a Nf=2+1+1 MILC ensemble with valence clover fermions on a highly improved staggered quark (HISQ) sea to compute the quark momentum distributions in a large-momentum nucleon on the lattice. The state-of-the-art techniques in renormalization and extrapolation in the correlation distance on the lattice are adopted. The perturbative kernel up to next-to-next-to-leading order is taken into account, and the dependence on the pion mass and the hadron momentum is explored. Our results are qualitatively comparable with phenomenological TMDPDFs, which provide an opportunity to predict high energy scatterings from first principles. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Gluon moment and parton distribution function of the pion from Nf=2+1+1 lattice QCD

We present the first calculation of the pion gluon moment from lattice QCD in the continuum-physical limit. The calculation is done using clover fermions for the valence action with three pion masses, 220, 310 and 690 MeV, and three lattice spacings, 0.09, 0.12, and 0.15 fm, using ensembles generated by MILC Collaboration with 2+1+1 flavors of highly improved staggered quarks (HISQ). On the lattice, we nonperturbatively renormalize the gluon operator in RI/MOM scheme using the cluster-decomposition error reduction (CDER) technique to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio of the renormalization constant. We extrapolate the pion gluon moment to the continuum-physical limit and obtain ⟨x⟩g=0.394(58)stat+NPR(39)mixing in the MS¯ scheme at 2 GeV, with first error being the statistical error and uncertainties in nonperturbative renormalization, and the second being a systematic uncertainty estimating the effect of ignoring quark mixing. Our pion gluon momentum fraction has a central value lower than two recent single-ensemble lattice-QCD results near physical pion mass but is consistent with the recent global fits by JAM and xFitter and with most QCD-model estimates. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

B→D* and Bs→Ds* vector, axial-vector and tensor form factors for the full q2 range from lattice QCD

We compute the complete set of Standard Model (SM) and tensor B→D*ℓν¯ and Bs→Ds*ℓν¯ semileptonic form factors across the full kinematic range of the decays using second generation MILC nf=2+1+1 highly improved staggered quark (HISQ) gluon field configurations and HISQ valence quarks, with the method. Lattice spacings range from 0.09 to 0.044 fm with pion masses from ≈300 MeV down to the physical value and heavy quark masses ranging between ≈1.5mc and 4.1mc≈0.9mb; currents are normalized nonperturbatively. Using the recent untagged B→D*ℓν¯ℓ data from Belle and Bs→Ds*μν¯μ from LHCb together with our form factors, we determine a model independent value of Vcb=39.03(56)exp(67)latt×10−3, in agreement with previous exclusive determinations and in tension with the most recent inclusive result at the level of 3.6σ. We also observe a ≈1σ tension between the shape of the differential decay rates computed using our form factors and those measured by Belle. We compute a purely theoretical Standard Model value for the ratio of semitauonic and semimuonic decay rates, R(D*)=0.273(15), which we find to be closer to the recent Belle measurement and heavy flavor averaging group average than theory predictions using fits to experimental differential rate data for B→D*ℓν¯ℓ. Determining Vcb from our form factors and the experimental total rate for B→D*ℓν also gives a value in agreement with inclusive results. We also compute the longitudinal polarization fraction for the semitauonic mode, FLD*=0.395(24), which is in tension at the level of 2.2σ with the recent Belle measurement. Our calculation combines B→D* and Bs→Ds* lattice results in a simultaneous chiral continuum extrapolation, maintaining correlations between both modes. We then give results for both B→D* and Bs→Ds*, with the Bs→Ds* results superseding our previous lattice computation. We also give the chiral perturbation theory needed to analyze the tensor form factors. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

SIMULATeQCD: A simple multi-GPU lattice code for QCD calculations

The rise of exascale supercomputers has fueled competition among GPU vendors, driving lattice QCD developers to write code that supports multiple APIs. Moreover, new developments in algorithms and physics research require frequent updates to existing software. These challenges have to be balanced against constantly changing personnel. At the same time, there is a wide range of applications for HISQ fermions in QCD studies. This situation encourages the development of software featuring a HISQ action that is flexible, high-performing, open source, easy to use, and easy to adapt. In this technical paper, we explain the design strategy, provide implementation details, list available algorithms and modules, and show key performance indicators for SIMULATeQCD, a simple multi-GPU lattice code for large-scale QCD calculations, mainly developed and used by the HotQCD collaboration. The code is publicly available on GitHub. Program summaryProgram Title: SIMULATeQCDCPC Library link to program files:https://doi.org/10.17632/ytgycy9nc3.1Developer's repository link:https://github.com/LatticeQCD/SIMULATeQCDLicensing provisions: MITProgramming language: C++, CUDA, HIPNature of problem: Quantum chromodynamics (QCD) is the fundamental theory behind the strong force, one of the four fundamental forces in nature. It describes interactions, mediated by gluons, between quarks, the elementary particles that build up protons, neutrons and other hadrons. One of its unique features is asymptotic freedom: with increasing energy, the interaction strength or coupling between quarks and gluons weakens, which enables studying QCD with peturbation theory. At lower energy scales, however, the strong coupling between quarks and gluons causes perturbation theory to break down, and other tools, such as lattice QCD, need to be employed to obtain QCD predictions.Solution method: Lattice QCD is a technique to solve QCD non-perturbatively by discretizing space and time onto a four-dimensional grid. The QCD path integral is thereby rendered finite dimensional and can be evaluated numerically via Monte Carlo methods. In this paper, we present SIMULATeQCD, a C++ code to perform lattice QCD calculations on multiple GPUs, supporting multiple APIs. SIMULATeQCD implements various Monte Carlo sampling methods ranging from sampling of purely gluonic configurations to fully dynamical quark simulations with the Highly Improved Staggered Quark (HISQ) discretization. Modules for measuring various physical observables on these samples are also available.

Nucleon isovector axial form factors

We present results for the isovector axial vector form factors obtained using thirteen 2+1+1-flavor highly improved staggered quark (HISQ) ensembles generated by the MILC collaboration. The calculation of nucleon two- and three-point correlation functions has been done using Wilson-clover fermions. In the analysis of these data, we quantify the sensitivity of the results to strategies used for removing excited state contamination and invoke the partially conserved axial current relation between the form factors to choose between them. Our data driven analysis includes removing contributions from multihadron Nπ states that make significant contributions. Our final results are gA=1.292(53)stat(24)sys for the axial charge; gS=1.085(50)stat(103)sys and gT=0.991(21)stat(10)sys for the scalar and tensor charges; ⟨rA2⟩=0.439(56)stat(34)sys fm2 for the mean squared axial charge radius, gP*=9.03(47)stat(42)sys for the induced pseudoscalar charge; and gπNN=14.14(81)stat(85)sys for the pion-nucleon coupling. We also provide a parametrization of the axial form factor GA(Q2) over the range 0≤Q2≤1 GeV2 for use in phenomenology and a comparison with other lattice determinations. We find that the various lattice data agree within 10% but are significantly different from the extraction of GA(Q2) from the ν-deuterium scattering data. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Pion valence-quark generalized parton distribution at physical pion mass

We present the first lattice-QCD x-dependent pion valence-quark generalized parton distribution (GPD) calculated directly at physical pion mass using the Large-Momentum Effective Theory (LaMET) with next-to-next-to-leading order perturbative matching correction. We use clover fermions for the valence action on 2+1+1 flavors of highly improved staggered quarks (HISQ), generated by MILC Collaboration, with lattice spacing a≈0.09 fm and box size L≈5.5 fm; the pion two-point measurements number up to O(106) with boost momentum 1.73 GeV. The pion valence distribution is renormalized in hybrid scheme with Wilson-line mass subtraction at large distances in coordinate space, followed by a procedure to match it to the MS‾ scheme. We focus on the zero-skewness limit, where the GPD has a probability-density interpretation in the longitudinal Bjorken x and the transverse impact-parameter distributions. We take the integral of our GPD functions to generate leading moment so that we can make comparisons with past lattice-QCD and experimental determinations of the pion form factors and found consistent agreement among them. We predict the higher GPD moments and reveal x-dependent tomography of the pion for the first time using lattice QCD.

D -meson semileptonic decays to pseudoscalars from four-flavor lattice QCD

We present lattice-QCD calculations of the hadronic form factors for the semileptonic decays $D\to\pi\ell\nu$, $D\to K\ell\nu$, and $D_s\to K\ell\nu$. Our calculation uses the highly improved staggered quark (HISQ) action for all valence and sea quarks and includes $N_f=2+1+1$ MILC ensembles with lattice spacings ranging from $a\approx0.12$ fm down to $0.042$ fm. At most lattice spacings, an ensemble with physical-mass light quarks is included. The HISQ action allows all the quarks to be treated with the same relativistic light-quark action, allowing for nonperturbative renormalization using partial conservation of the vector current. We combine our results with experimental measurements of the differential decay rates to determine $|V_{cd}|^{D\to\pi}=0.2238(11)^{\rm Expt}(15)^{\rm QCD}(04)^{\rm EW}(02)^{\rm SIB}[22]^{\rm QED}$ and $|V_{cs}|^{D\to K}=0.9589(23)^{\rm Expt}(40)^{\rm QCD}(15)^{\rm EW}(05)^{\rm SIB}[95]^{\rm QED}$ This result for $|V_{cd}|$ is the most precise to date, with a lattice-QCD error that is, for the first time for the semileptonic extraction, at the same level as the experimental error. Using recent measurements from BES III, we also give the first-ever determination of $|V_{cd}|^{D_s\to K}=0.258(15)^{\rm Expt}(01)^{\rm QCD}[03]^{\rm QED}$ from $D_s\to K \ell\nu$. Our results also furnish new Standard Model calculations of the lepton flavor universality ratios $R^{D\to\pi}=0.98671(17)^{\rm QCD}[500]^{\rm QED}$, $R^{D\to K}=0.97606(16)^{\rm QCD}[500]^{\rm QED}$, and $R^{D_s\to K}=0.98099(10)^{\rm QCD}[500]^{\rm QED}$, which are consistent within $2\sigma$ with experimental measurements. Our extractions of $|V_{cd}|$ and $|V_{cs}|$, when combined with a value for $|V_{cb}|$, provide the most precise test of second-row CKM unitarity, finding agreement with unitarity at the level of one standard deviation.

Muon g-2 with overlap valence fermions

We present a lattice calculation of the leading order (LO) hadronic vacuum polarization (HVP) contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment for the connected light and strange quarks, $a^{\rm W}_{{\rm con}, l/s}$ in the widely used window $t_0=0.4~\mathrm{fm}$, $t_1=1.0~\mathrm{fm}$, $\Delta=0.15~\mathrm{fm}$, and also of $a^{\rm S}_{{\rm con}, l/s}$ in the short distance region. We use overlap fermions on 4 physical-point ensembles. Two 2+1 flavor RBC/UKQCD ensembles use domain wall fermions (DWF) and Iwasaki gauge actions at $a = 0.084$ and 0.114 fm, and two 2+1+1 flavor MILC ensembles use the highly improved staggered quark (HISQ) and Symanzik gauge actions at $a = 0.088$ and 0.121 fm. We have incorporated infinite volume corrections from 3 additional DWF ensembles at ${\rm L}$ = 4.8, 6.4 and 9.6 fm and physical pion mass. For $a^{\rm W}_{{\rm con}, l}$, we find that our results on the two smaller lattice spacings are consistent with those using the unitary setup, but those at the two coarser lattice spacings are slightly different. Eventually, we predict $a^{\rm W}_{{\rm con}, l}=206.7(1.5)(1.0)$ and $a^{\rm W}_{{\rm con}, s}=26.8(0.1)(0.3)$, using linear extrapolation in $a^2$, with systematic uncertainties estimated from the difference of the central values from the RBC/UKQCD and MILC ensembles.

B→K and D→K form factors from fully relativistic lattice QCD

We present the result of lattice QCD calculation of the scalar, vector and tensor form factors for the $B\to K\ell^+\ell^-$ decay, across the full physical range of momentum transfer. We use the highly improved staggered quark (HISQ) formalism for all valence quarks on eight ensembles of gluon field configurations generated by the MILC collaboration. These include four flavours of HISQ quarks in the sea, with three ensembles having the light $u/d$ quarks at physical masses. In the first fully relativistic calculation of these form factors, we use the heavy-HISQ method. This allows us to determine the form factors as a function of heavy quark mass from the $c$ to the $b$, and so we also obtain new results for the $D\to K$ tensor form factor. The advantage of the relativistic formalism is that we can match the lattice weak currents to their continuum counterparts much more accurately than in previous calculations; our scalar and vector currents are renormalised fully nonperturbatively and we use a well-matched intermediate momentum-subtraction scheme for our tensor current. Our scalar and vector $B\to K$ form factors have uncertainties of less than 4% across the entire physical $q^2$ range and the uncertainty in our tensor form factor is less than 7%. Our heavy-HISQ method allows us to map out the dependence on heavy-quark mass of the form factors and we can also see the impact of changing spectator quark mass by comparing to earlier HPQCD results for the same quark weak transition but for heavier mesons.

Preliminary results on deconfinement phase transition in full QCD

We explore the profiles of the flux tube connecting a quark and an antiquark in hightemperature SU(3) lattice gauge theory in close vicinity to the critical temperature of thephase transition. In this work, we consider the more realistic case of the flux tube withdynamical quarks, extending the previous study to SU(3) gauge group and making use ofthe Gradient flow method in smoothing procedure for noise reduction. The profiles of thechromoelectric and chromomagnetic field strengths in the flux tube have been measuredfrom Polyakov loop-plaquette correlations using the highly improved staggered quark(HISQ) action on a lattice with temporal extent.

Chiral phase transition in three-flavor QCD from lattice QCD

We analyze the pseudo-critical behavior of three-flavor QCD using highly improved staggered quarks (HISQ) on lattices with temporal extent $N_\tau =8$ and for quark masses corresponding to a pseudoscalar Goldstone mass in the range $80 ~ {\rm MeV} ~ \lesssim ~ m_\pi ~ \lesssim ~ 140 ~ {\rm MeV}$. Our findings are consistent with the occurrence of a second order chiral phase transition at vanishing values of the quark masses. The chiral phase transition temperature at this finite value of the lattice spacing is determined to be $T_c = 98_{-6}^{+3}~{\rm MeV}$. A comparison with a corresponding analysis performed in (2+1)-flavor QCD suggests that the continuum limit extrapolated chiral phase transition temperature in 3-flavor QCD will turn out to be below $90 ~ {\rm MeV}$.

Form factors for the processes Bc+→D0ℓ+νℓ and Bc+→Ds+ℓ+ℓ−(νν¯) from lattice QCD

We present results of the first lattice QCD calculations of the weak matrix elements for the decays $B_c^+ \to D^0 \ell^+ \nu_{\ell}$, $B_c^+ \to D_s^+ \ell^+ \ell^-$ and $B_c^+ \to D_s^+ \nu \overline{\nu}$. Form factors across the entire physical $q^2$ range are then extracted and extrapolated to the continuum limit with physical quark masses. Results are derived from correlation functions computed on MILC Collaboration gauge configurations with three different lattice spacings and including 2+1+1 flavours of sea quarks in the Highly Improved Staggered Quark (HISQ) formalism. HISQ is also used for all of the valence quarks. The uncertainty on the decay widths from our form factors is similar in size to that from the present value for $V_{ub}$. We obtain the ratio $\Gamma (B_{c}^{+} \rightarrow D^0 \mu^{+} \nu_{\mu}) /\left|\eta_{\mathrm{EW}} V_{u b}\right|^{2}=4.43(63) \times 10^{12} \mathrm{~s}^{-1}$. Combining our form factors with those found previously by HPQCD for $B_{c}^{+} \rightarrow J / \psi \mu^{+} \nu_{\mu}$, we find $\left|V_{cb}/V_{ub} \right|^2 \Gamma( B_c^+ \to D^0 \mu^+ \nu_\mu )/\Gamma(B_{c}^{+} \rightarrow J / \psi \mu^{+} \nu_{\mu}) = 0.257(36)_{B_c \to D}(18)_{B_c \to J/\psi}$. We calculate the differential decay widths of $B_c^+ \to D_s^+ \ell^+ \ell^-$ across the full $q^2$ range, and give integrated results in $q^2$ bins that avoid possible effects from charmonium and $u \overline{u}$ resonances. For example, we find that the ratio of differential branching fractions integrated over the range $q^2 = 1 \; \mathrm{GeV}^2 - 6 \; \mathrm{GeV}^2$ for $B_c^+ \to D_s^+ \mu^+ \mu^-$ and $B_{c}^{+} \rightarrow J / \psi \mu^{+} \nu_{\mu}$ is $5.23{\tiny }(73)_{B_c \to D_s}(54)_{B_c \to J/\psi} \times 10^{-6}$. We also give results for the branching fraction of $B_c^+ \to D_s^+ \nu \overline{\nu}$. Prospects for reducing our errors in the future are discussed.

Strong coupling constant from moments of quarkonium correlators revisited

We revisit previous determination of the strong coupling constant from moments of quarkonium correlators in (2 + 1)-flavor QCD. We use previously calculated moments obtained with Highly Improved Staggered Quark (HISQ) action for five different quark masses and several lattice spacings. We perform a careful continuum extrapolations of the moments and from the comparison of these to the perturbative result we determine the QCD Lambda parameter, varLambda _{overline{MS}}^{n_f=3}=332 pm 17 pm 2(scale) MeV. This corresponds to alpha _s^{n_f=5}(mu =M_Z)=0.1177(12).

Eigenvalue spectra of QCD and the fate of UA(1) breaking towards the chiral limit

The finite temperature phase diagram of QCD with two massless quark flavors is not yet understood because of the subtle effects of anomalous $U_A(1)$ symmetry. In this work we address this issue by studying the fate of the anomalous $U_A(1)$ symmetry in $2+1$ flavor QCD just above the chiral crossover transition temperature $T_c$, lowering the light quark mass towards the chiral limit along line of constant physical strange quark mass. We use the gauge configurations generated using the Highly Improved Staggered Quark (HISQ) discretization on lattice volumes $32^3\times8$ and $56^3\times 8$ to study the renormalized eigenvalue spectrum of QCD with valence overlap Dirac operator. We have implemented new numerical techniques that have allowed us to measure about $100$-$200$ eigenvalues of the gauge ensembles with light quark masses $\gtrsim 0.6$ MeV. From a detailed analysis of the dependence of the renormalized eigenvalue spectrum and $U_A(1)$ breaking observables on the light quark mass, our study suggests $U_A(1)$ is broken at $T\gtrsim T_c$ even when the chiral limit is approached.

Gluon parton distribution of the pion from lattice QCD

We present the first determination of the x-dependent pion gluon distribution from lattice QCD using the pseudo-PDF approach. We use lattice ensembles with 2+1+1 flavors of highly improved staggered quarks (HISQ), generated by MILC Collaboration, at two lattice spacings a≈0.12 and 0.15 fm and three pion masses Mπ≈220, 310 and 690 MeV. We use clover fermions for the valence action and momentum smearing to achieve pion boost momentum up to 2.29 GeV. We find that the dependence of the pion gluon parton distribution on lattice spacing and pion mass is mild. We compare our results from the lightest pion mass ensemble with the determination by JAM and xFitter global fits.

Bottomonium melting from screening correlators at high temperature

We study the bottomonium screening masses in a 2+1 flavor QCD medium on the lattice using the Highly Improved Staggered Quark(HISQ) discretization for the quarks. We focus on a wide temperature range in the region $350~{\rm MeV}\le T < 1000 ~{\rm MeV}$, and perform our calculations on three different lattice spacings to control the lattice cut-off effects, corresponding to temporal lattice extent of $N_\tau=8,10,12$. From a detailed study of the temperature dependence of screening masses we conclude that while the $\eta_b(1S)$ and $\Upsilon(1S)$ states melt at $T>500$ MeV, the scalar and axial-vector states $\chi_{b0}(1P)$ and $h_b(1P)$ melt already at $T>350$ MeV.

Improved Vcs determination using precise lattice QCD form factors for D→Kℓν

We provide a 0.8%-accurate determination of ${V}_{cs}$ from combining experimental results for the differential rate of $D\ensuremath{\rightarrow}K$ semileptonic decays with precise form factors that we determine from lattice QCD. This is the first time that ${V}_{cs}$ has been determined with an accuracy that allows its difference from 1 to be seen. Our lattice QCD calculation uses the highly improved staggered quark (HISQ) action for all valence quarks on gluon field configurations generated by the MILC Collaboration that include the effect of $u$, $d$, $s$, and $c$ HISQ quarks in the sea. We use eight gluon field ensembles with five values of the lattice spacing ranging from 0.15 fm to 0.045 fm and include results with physical $u/d$ quarks for the first time. Our calculated form factors cover the full ${q}^{2}$ range of the physical decay process and enable a Standard Model test of the shape of the differential decay rate as well as the determination of ${V}_{cs}$ from a correlated weighted average over ${q}^{2}$ bins. We obtain $|{V}_{cs}|=0.9663(53{)}_{\mathrm{latt}}(39{)}_{\mathrm{exp}}(19{)}_{{\ensuremath{\eta}}_{\mathrm{EW}}}(40{)}_{\mathrm{EM}}$, where the uncertainties come from lattice QCD, experiment, short-distance electroweak, and electromagnetic corrections, respectively. This last uncertainty, neglected for $D\ensuremath{\rightarrow}K\ensuremath{\ell}\ensuremath{\nu}$ hitherto, now needs attention if the uncertainty on ${V}_{cs}$ is to be reduced further. We also determine ${V}_{cs}$ values in good agreement using the measured total branching fraction and the rates extrapolated to ${q}^{2}=0$. Our form factors enable tests of lepton flavor universality violation. We find the ratio of branching fractions for ${D}^{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ with $\ensuremath{\mu}$ and $e$ in the final state to be ${R}_{\ensuremath{\mu}/e}=0.9779(2{)}_{\mathrm{latt}}(50{)}_{\mathrm{EM}}$ in the Standard Model, with the uncertainty dominated by that from electromagnetic corrections.

Distribution Amplitudes of K^{*} and ϕ at the Physical Pion Mass from Lattice QCD.

We present the first lattice QCD calculation of the distribution amplitudes of longitudinally and transversely polarized vector mesons K^{*} and ϕ using large momentum effective theory. We use the clover fermion action on three ensembles with 2+1+1 flavors of highly improved staggered quarks action, generated by the MIMD Lattice Computation Collaboration, at physical pion mass and {0.06,0.09,0.12} fm lattice spacings and choose three different hadron momenta P_{z}={1.29,1.72,2.15} GeV. The resulting lattice matrix elements are nonperturbatively renormalized in a recently proposed hybrid scheme. An extrapolation to the continuum and infinite momentum limit is carried out. We find that, while the longitudinal distribution amplitudes tend to be close to the asymptotic form, the transverse ones deviate rather significantly from the asymptotic form. Our final results provide crucial abinitio theory inputs for analyzing pertinent exclusive processes.

Fluctuations and correlations of net baryon number, electric charge and strangeness in a background magnetic field

We present results on the second-order fluctuations of and correlations among net baryon number, electric charge and strangeness in (2+1)-flavor lattice QCD in the presence of a background magnetic field. Simulations are performed using the tree-level improved gauge action and the highly improved staggered quark (HISQ) action with a fixed scale approach ($a\simeq$ 0.117 fm). The light quark mass is set to be 1/10 of the physical strange quark mass and the corresponding pion mass is about 220 MeV at vanishing magnetic field. Simulations are performed on $32^3\times N_\tau$ lattices with 9 values of $N_\tau$ varying from 96 to 6 corresponding to temperatures ranging from zero up to 281 MeV. The magnetic field strength $eB$ is simulated with 15 different values up to $\sim$2.5 GeV$^2$ at each nonzero temperature. We find that quadratic fluctuations and correlations do not show any singular behavior at zero temperature in the current window of $eB$ while they develop peaked structures at nonzero temperatures as $eB$ grows. By comparing the electric charge-related fluctuations and correlations with hadron resonance gas model calculations and ideal gas limits we find that the changes in degrees of freedom start at lower temperatures in stronger magnetic fields. Significant effects induced by magnetic fields on the isospin symmetry and ratios of net baryon number and baryon-strangeness correlation to strangeness fluctuation are observed, which could be useful for probing the existence of a magnetic field in heavy-ion collision experiments.

Toward accurate form factors for B -to-light meson decay from lattice QCD

We present the results of a lattice QCD calculation of the scalar and vector form factors for the unphysical $B_s\to\eta_s$ decay, over the full physical range of $q^2$. This is a useful testing ground both for lattice QCD and for our wider understanding of the behaviour of form factors. Calculations were performed using the highly improved staggered quark (HISQ) action on $N_f = 2 + 1 + 1$ gluon ensembles generated by the MILC Collaboration with an improved gluon action and HISQ sea quarks. We use three lattice spacings and a range of heavy quark masses from that of charm to bottom, all in the HISQ formalism. This permits an extrapolation in the heavy quark mass and lattice spacing to the physical point and nonperturbative renormalisation of the vector matrix element on the lattice. We find results in good agreement with previous work using nonrelativistic QCD $b$ quarks and with reduced errors at low $q^2$, supporting the effectiveness of our heavy HISQ technique as a method for calculating form factors involving heavy quarks. A comparison with results for other decays related by SU(3) flavour symmetry shows that the impact of changing the light daughter quark is substantial but changing the spectator quark has very little effect. We also map out form factor shape parameters as a function of heavy quark mass and compare to heavy quark effective theory expectations for mass scaling at low and high recoil. This work represents an important step in the progression from previous work on heavy-to-heavy decays ($b\to c$) to the numerically more challenging heavy-to-light decays.