Consistency checks for two-body finite-volume matrix elements: II. Perturbative systems

Abstract

Using the general formalism presented in Refs. [1,2], we study the finite-volume effects for the $\mathbf{2}+\mathcal{J}\to\mathbf{2}$ matrix element of an external current coupled to a two-particle state of identical scalars with perturbative interactions. Working in a finite cubic volume with periodicity $L$, we derive a $1/L$ expansion of the matrix element through $\mathcal O(1/L^5)$ and find that it is governed by two universal current-dependent parameters, the scalar charge and the threshold two-particle form factor. We confirm the result through a numerical study of the general formalism and additionally through an independent perturbative calculation. We further demonstrate a consistency with the Feynman-Hellmann theorem, which can be used to relate the $1/L$ expansions of the ground-state energy and matrix element. The latter gives a simple insight into why the leading volume corrections to the matrix element have the same scaling as those in the energy, $1/L^3$, in contradiction to earlier work, which found a $1/L^2$ contribution to the matrix element. We show here that such a term arises at intermediate stages in the perturbative calculation, but cancels in the final result.