QCD sum rules for the pseudoscalar decay constants - To constrain the strange quark mass

Abstract

We study the higher order corrections of quark masses to the Gell-Mann$-$Oakes$-$Renner (GOR) relation by constructing QCD sum rules exclusively for pseudoscalar mesons from the axial-vector correlation function, $i \int d^4x~ e^{ip\cdot x} < 0| T[A_μ(x) A_ν(0)] | 0>$. To project out the pseudoscalar meson contributions, we apply $-p^μp^ν/p^2$ to this correlation function and construct sum rules for the decay constants of pseudoscalar mesons, $f_π, f_k$ and $f_{η_8}$. The OPE is proportional to quark masses due to PCAC. To leading order in quark mass, each sum rule reproduces the corresponding GOR relation. For kaon and $η_8$, the deviation from the GOR relation due to higher orders in quark mass is found to be substantial. But the deviation gives better agreements with the phenomenology. Our sum rule provides a sensitive relation between $f_K$ and $m_s$, which stringently constrain the value for $m_s$. To reproduce the experimental value for $f_K$, $m_s$ is found to be 186 MeV at 1 GeV scale. The $f_{η_8}$ sum rule also supports this finding.