Lattice QCD Calculation of the $\rho$ Meson Decay Width

Abstract

We present a lattice QCD calculation of the $\rho$ meson decay width via the $P$-wave scattering phase shift for the I=1 two-pion system. Our calculation uses full QCD gauge configurations for $N_f=2$ flavors generated using a renormalization group improved gauge action and an improved Wilson fermion action on a $12^3\times24$ lattice at $m_\pi/m_\rho=0.41$ and the lattice spacing $1/a=0.92 {\rm GeV}$. The phase shift calculated with the use of the finite size formula for the two-pion system in the moving frame shows a behavior consistent with the existence of a resonance at a mass close to the vector meson mass obtained in spectroscopy. The decay width estimated from the phase shift is consistent with the experiment, when the quark mass is scaled to the realistic value.