Quark–hadron duality: Pinched kernel approach

Hadronic spectral functions measured by the ALEPH collaboration in the vector and axial-vector channels are used to study potential quark–hadron duality violations (DV). This is done entirely in the framework of pinched kernel finite energy sum rules (FESR), i.e. in a model independent fashion. The kinematical range of the ALEPH data is effectively extended up to s = 10 GeV2 by using an appropriate kernel, and assuming that in this region the spectral functions are given by perturbative QCD. Support for this assumption is obtained by using e+ e− annihilation data in the vector channel. Results in both channels show a good saturation of the pinched FESR, without further need of explicit models of DV.