Axial charge of the triton from lattice QCD

The axial charge of the triton is investigated using lattice quantum chromodynamics (QCD). Extending previous work at heavier quark masses, calculations are performed using three ensembles of gauge field configurations generated with quark masses corresponding to a pion mass of 450 MeV and a single value of the lattice spacing. Finite-volume energy levels for the triton, as well as for the deuteron and diproton systems, are extracted from analysis of correlation functions computed on these ensembles, and the corresponding energies are extrapolated to infinite volume using (mite-volume pionless effective field theory (FVEFT). It is found with high likelihood that there is a compact bound state with the quantum numbers of the triton at these quark masses. The axial current matrix elements are computed using background field techniques on one of the ensembles and FVEFT is again used to determine the axial charge of the proton and triton. A simple quark mass extrapolation of these results and earlier calculations at heavier quark masses leads to a value of the ratio of the triton to proton axial charges at the physical quark masses of g(A)(3H)/g(A)(p) = 0.91(-0.09)(+0.07). This result is consistent with the ratio determined from experiment and prefers values less than unity (in which case the triton axial charge would be unmodified from that of the proton), thereby demonstrating that QCD can explain the modification of the axial charge of the triton.

Automated summary

This study investigates the axial charge of the triton using lattice QCD, finding a compact bound state with the quantum numbers of the triton at specific quark masses, and a triton to proton axial charge ratio of 0.91. Results from correlation functions calculations and FVEFT extrapolation show that QCD can explain the modification to the triton's axial charge.