Abstract: Pion photoproduction off the nucleon close to threshold is studied in covariant baryon chiral perturbation theory at O(p(3)) in the extended-on-mass-shell scheme, with the explicit inclusion of the Delta(1232) resonance using the delta counting. The theory is compared to the available data of cross sections and polarization observables for all the charge channels. Most of the necessary low-energy constants arc well known from the analysis of other processes and the comparison with data constrains some of the still unknown ones. The Delta(1232) contribution is significant in improving the agreement with data, even at the low energies considered.

Abstract: Neutral current single pion production induced by neutrinos and antineutrinos on nucleon targets has been investigated in manifestly relativistic baryon chiral perturbation theory with explicit Delta(1232) degrees of freedom up to O(p(3)). At low energies, where chiral perturbation theory is applicable, the total cross sections for the different reaction channels exhibit a sizable non-resonant contribution, which is not present in event generators of broad use in neutrino oscillation and cross section experiments such as GENIE and NuWro.

Abstract: Low-energy partial-wave N scattering data is reexamined with the help of the production representation of partial-wave S matrix, where branch cuts and poles are thoroughly under consideration. The left-hand cut contribution to the phase shift is determined, with controlled systematic error estimates, by using the results of O(p(3)) chiral perturbative amplitudes obtained in the extended-onmass- shell scheme. In S-11 and P-11 channels, severe discrepancies are observed between the phase shift data and the sum of all known contributions. Statistically satisfactory fits to the data can only be achieved by adding extra poles in the two channels. We find that a S-11 resonance pole locates at zr = (0:895-0:081)-(0:164-0:023)i GeV, on the complex s-plane. On the other hand, a P-11 virtual pole, as an accompanying partner of the nucleon bound-state pole, locates atzv = (0:966-0:018) GeV, slightly above the nucleon pole on the real axis below threshold. Physical origin of the two newly established poles is explored to the best of our knowledge. It is emphasized that the O(p(3)) calculation greatly improves the fit quality comparing with the previous O(p(2)) one.

Abstract: By solving the Muskhelishvili-Omnes integral equations, the scalar form factors of the semileptonic heavy meson decays D -> pi(l) over bar nu(l), D -> (K) over bar(l) over bar nu(l), (K) over bar -> pi(l) over bar nu(l) and (B) over bar (s) -> Kl (nu) over bar (l) are simultaneously studied. As input, we employ unitarized heavy meson-Goldstone boson chiral coupled-channel amplitudes for the energy regions not far from thresholds, while, at high energies, adequate asymptotic conditions are imposed. The scalar form factors are expressed in terms of Omn\`es matrices multiplied by vector polynomials, which contain some undetermined dispersive subtraction constants. We make use of heavy quark and chiral symmetries to constrain these constants, which are fitted to lattice QCD results both in the charm and the bottom sectors, and in this latter sector to the light-cone sum rule predictions close to q(2)=0 as well. We find a good simultaneous description of the scalar form factors for the four semileptonic decay reactions. From this combined fit, and taking advantage that scalar and vector form factors are equal at q(2)=0, we obtain |V-cd| = 0.244 +/- 0.022, |V-cs| = 0.945 +/- 0.041 and |V-ub| = (4.3 +/- 0.7)x10(-3) for the involved Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix elements. In addition, we predict the following vector form factors at q(2) = 0: |f(+)(D ->eta)(0)| = 0.01 +/- 0.05, |f(+)(Ds ->eta)(0)| = 0.50 +/- 0.08, |f(+)(Ds ->eta)(0)| = 0.73 +/- 0.03 and|f(+)((B) over bar ->eta)(0)| = 0.82 +/- 0.08, which might serve as alternatives to determine the CKM elements when experimental measurements of the corresponding differential decay rates become available. Finally, we predict the different form factors above the q(2)-regions accessible in the semileptonic decays, up to moderate energies amenable to be described using the unitarized coupled-channel chiral approach.

Abstract: The S- and P- wave phase shifts of low-energy pion-nucleon scatterings are analysed using Peking University representation, in which they are decomposed into various terms contributing either from poles or branch cuts. We estimate the left-hand cut contributions with the help of tree-level perturbative amplitudes derived in relativistic baryon chiral perturbation theory up to O(p(2)). It is found that in S-11 and P-11 channels, contributions from known resonances and cuts are far from enough to saturate experimental phase shift data – strongly indicating contributions from low lying poles undiscovered before, and we fully explore possible physics behind. On the other side, no serious disagreements are observed in the other channels.