The Scalar Strange Content of the Nucleon from Lattice QCD

Abstract

The scalar strange-quark matrix element of the nucleon is computed with lattice QCD. A mixed-action scheme is used with domain-wall valence fermions computed on the staggered MILC sea-quark configurations. The matrix element is determined by making use of the Feynman-Hellmann theorem which relates this strange matrix element to the change in the nucleon mass with respect to the strange-quark mass. The final result of this calculation is m_s < N | s-bar s| N > = 49 +-10 +- 15 MeV and, correspondingly f_s = m_s < N | s-bar s |N > / m_N = 0.051 +- 0.011 +- 0.016. Given the lack of a quantitative comparison of this phenomenologically important quantity determined from various lattice QCD calculations, we take the opportunity to present such an average. The resulting conservative determination is f_s = 0.043 +- 0.011.

20 pages, 19 figures: v2. improved discussion of scale setting, Matrix-Prony method and lattice average. Updated references. Version accepted for publication in PRD: v3, improved figure 5