David Richards
Jefferson Laboratory, Newport News
Lattice QCD: Ab Initio Computations in Hadronic Physics
Lattice gauge theory allows ab initio computations of QCD in the non-perturbative regime.
In this talk, I describe recent applications of lattice QCD to the study of hadronic physics,
and in particular to the physics of the 6 GeV and 12 GeV programs at Jefferson Laboratory.
I will begin with a brief introduction to the formulation of gauge theories on the lattice,
and discuss some of the computational challenges. I will then concentrate on lattice studies
of two areas that are cornerstones of the upcoming 12 GeV program. Firstly, the study of nucleon
structure through the measurement of form factors, structure functions, and GPD's.
Secondly, the study of the hadron spectrum in both the baryon and meson sectors, and the insight
that such studies provide into the dynamics of QCD. I will conclude with prospects for
future calculations, and in particular for lattice calculations of hadronic decays and of
multi-hadron systems.
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