The nucleon mass in N_f=2 lattice QCD: finite size effects from chiral perturbation theory

Abstract

In the framework of relativistic SU(2)_f baryon chiral perturbation theory we calculate the volume dependence of the nucleon mass up to and including O(p^4). Since the parameters in the resulting finite size formulae are fixed from the pion mass dependence of the large volume nucleon masses and from phenomenology, we obtain a parameter-free prediction of the finite size effects. We present mass data from the recent N_f=2 simulations of the UKQCD and QCDSF collaborations and compare these data as well as published mass values from the dynamical simulations of the CP-PACS and JLQCD collaborations with the theoretical expectations. Remarkable agreement between the lattice data and the predictions of chiral perturbation theory in a finite volume is found.