Two-Loop Analysis of Vector Current Propagators in Chiral Perturbation Theory

Abstract

We perform a calculation of the isospin and hypercharge vector current propagators ($\Delta_{V33}^{\mu\nu}(q^2)$ and $\Delta_{V88}^{\mu\nu}(q^2)$) to two loops in chiral perturbation theory. The analysis is carried out with straightforward Feynman diagram methods by making appropriate use of external vector sources. Counterterms from the ${\cal O}(q^6)$ chiral lagrangian, required to absorb divergences and scale dependence encountered at the two-loop level, are constructed. Our final results are finite, covariant, and scale-independent. Several applications are described, including a comparison of the two-loop isospin vector spectral function with data and the construction of new chiral sum rules.