Finite-volume effects in the hadronic vacuum polarization

Abstract

We investigate finite-volume effects in the hadronic vacuum polarization, with an eye toward the corresponding systematic error in the muon anomalous magnetic moment. While it is well known that leading-order chiral perturbation theory does not provide a good description of the hadronic vacuum polarization, it turns out that it gives a much better representation of finite-volume effects. Indications are that finite-volume effects cannot be ignored when the aim is a few percent level accuracy for the hadronic contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment, even when $m_\pi L \sim 4$ and $m_\pi \sim 200$ MeV.