Calculation of the axial-vector coupling constant $g_A$ to two loops in covariant chiral perturbation theory

Abstract

We present a calculation of the leading two-loop corrections to the axial-vector coupling constant $g_A$ in two covariant versions of two-flavor baryon chiral perturbation theory. Taking the low-energy constants from a combined analysis of elastic and inelastic pion-nucleon scattering, we find that these corrections are rather moderate.

Comments: 11 pages, 3 figures, published version, a few corrections, all conclusions unchanged