Nuclear Physics Seminar

Abstract: Even after 50 years of the formulation of the QCD Lagrangian, a conceptual understanding of hadron structure starting from the microscopic theory remains elusive. A related problem is the calculation of Parton Distribution functions(PDFs) which encode the partonic content of the hadron wavefunction. In this talk, I ll propose a new approach towards unraveling this mystery by borrowing ideas from Quantum information science. We suggest that, since a strongly coupled bound state hadron is a complex system with numerous inter- actions between its partons, notions from complex systems, statistical mechanics, and information theory can be elevated to a more central role in describing its properties. In particular, I will put forward a possible emergent minimum free energy principle based on the quantum entanglement properties of partons making up the bound state . As a first step, I ll discuss the success of this technique in describing the ground state spectrum and PDF of mesons and baryons in 1+1 D gauge theories and speculate on how these ideas can be applied to gauge theories in higher dimensions.