Dynamical Quark Effects on Light Quark Masses

We present results for light quark masses from a systematic lattice QCD study with two degenerate flavors of dynamical quarks. Simulations are made with a renormalization-group improved gauge action and a mean-field improved clover quark action for sea quark masses corresponding to $m_{\rm PS}/m_{\rm V} \approx 0.8$--0.6 and the lattice spacing $a=0.22$--0.11 fm. In the continuum limit we find $m_{ud}^{\bar{MS}}(2 {\rm GeV})=3.44^{+0.14}_{-0.22}$ MeV using the $\pi$ and $\rho$ meson masses as physical input, and $m_s^{\bar{MS}}(2 {\rm GeV})=88^{+4}_{-6}$ MeV or $90^{+5}_{-11}$ MeV with the $K$ or $\phi$ meson mass as additional input. The quoted errors represent statistical and systematic combined, the latter including those from continuum and chiral extrapolations, and from renormalization factors. Compared to quenched results, two flavors of dynamical quarks reduce quark masses by about 25%.