Heavy-quark physics with a tmQCD valence action

Abstract

We introduce a mixed-action approach based on CLS ensembles, where a valence $N_f$=2+1+1 Twisted Mass QCD action is combined with the $N_f$=2+1 non-perturbatively O$(a)$-improved Wilson sea sector. We show that for maximally twisted valence quarks, the automatic O$(a)$-improvement of this set-up holds up to lattice artifacts coming from sea quark mass effects. Furthermore, we introduce a three-dimensional Gradient Flow smearing in order to tame the signal to noise ratio problem.

6 pages, 3 figures, talk presented at the 36th Annual International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, 22-28 July 2018, East Lansing, Michigan, USA