Multiple Series Representations of N-fold Mellin-Barnes Integrals.

Mellin-Barnes (MB) integrals are well-known objects appearing in many branches of mathematics and physics, ranging from hypergeometric functions theory to quantum field theory, solid-state physics, asymptotic theory, etc. Although MB integrals have been studied for more than one century, until now there has been no systematic computational technique of the multiple series representations of N-fold MB integrals for N>2. Relying on a simple geometrical analysis based on conic hulls, we show here a solution to this important problem. Our method can be applied to resonant (i.e., logarithmic) and nonresonant cases and, depending on the form of the MB integrand, it gives rise to convergent series representations or diverging asymptotic ones. When convergent series are obtained, the method also allows, in general, the determination of a single "master series" for each series representation, which considerably simplifies convergence studies and/or numerical checks. We provide, along with this Letter, a Mathematica implementation of our technique with examples of applications. Among them, we present the first evaluation of the hexagon and double box conformal Feynman integrals with unit propagator powers.

An analytic analysis of the pion decay constant in three-flavoured chiral perturbation theory.

A representation of the two-loop contribution to the pion decay constant in SU(3) chiral perturbation theory is presented. The result is analytic up to the contribution of the three (different) mass sunset integrals, for which an expansion in their external momentum has been taken. We also give an analytic expression for the two-loop contribution to the pion mass based on a renormalized representation and in terms of the physical eta mass. We find an expansion of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] in the strange-quark mass in the isospin limit, and we perform the matching of the chiral SU(2) and SU(3) low-energy constants. A numerical analysis demonstrates the high accuracy of our representation, and the strong dependence of the pion decay constant upon the values of the low-energy constants, especially in the chiral limit. Finally, we present a simplified representation that is particularly suitable for fitting with available lattice data.

Electromagnetic Charge Radius of the Pion at High Precision.

We present a determination of the pion charge radius from high precision data on the pion vector form factor from both timelike and spacelike regions, using a novel formalism based on analyticity and unitarity. At low energies, instead of the poorly known modulus of the form factor, we use its phase, known with high accuracy from Roy equations for ππ elastic scattering via the Fermi-Watson theorem. We use also the values of the modulus at several higher timelike energies, where the data from e^{+}e^{-} annihilation and τ decay are mutually consistent, as well as the most recent measurements at spacelike momenta. The experimental uncertainties are implemented by Monte Carlo simulations. The results, which do not rely on a specific parametrization, are optimal for the given input information and do not depend on the unknown phase of the form factor above the first inelastic threshold. Our prediction for the charge radius of the pion is r_{π}=(0.657±0.003) fm, which amounts to an increase in precision by a factor of about 2.7 compared to the Particle Data Group average.

Constraints on the [Formula: see text] form factor from analyticity and unitarity.

Motivated by the discrepancies noted recently between the theoretical calculations of the electromagnetic [Formula: see text] form factor and certain experimental data, we investigate this form factor using analyticity and unitarity in a framework known as the method of unitarity bounds. We use a QCD correlator computed on the spacelike axis by operator product expansion and perturbative QCD as input, and exploit unitarity and the positivity of its spectral function, including the two-pion contribution that can be reliably calculated using high-precision data on the pion form factor. From this information, we derive upper and lower bounds on the modulus of the [Formula: see text] form factor in the elastic region. The results provide a significant check on those obtained with standard dispersion relations, confirming the existence of a disagreement with experimental data in the region around [Formula: see text].