Analysis of a dilaton EFT for lattice data

Abstract

In a recent paper, we developed and applied a dilaton-based effective field theory (EFT) to the analysis of lattice-simulation data for a class of confining gauge theories with near-conformal infrared behavior. It was employed there at the classical level to the SU(3) gauge theory with eight Dirac fermions in the fundamental representation. Here, we explore the structure of the EFT further. We examine its application to lattice data (newly updated) for the SU(3) theory with eight Dirac fermions in the fundamental representation, and the SU(3) theory with two Dirac fermions in the sextet representation. In each case, we determine additional fit parameters and discuss uncertainties associated with extrapolation to zero fermion mass. We highlight universal features, study the EFT at the quantum loop level and discuss the importance of future lattice simulations.