Calculation of the axial-vector coupling constant gA 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.