Continuum Limit of Lattice Qcd with Staggered Quarks in the Quenched Approximation | a Critical Role for the Chiral Extrapolation Typeset Using Revt E X

We calculate the light quark spectrum of lattice QCD in the quenched approximation using Kogut-Susskind quarks. By combining results for different lattice spacings, several volumes and ve quark masses, we are able to take the light quark mass, innnite volume, continuum limit. When we use non-linear chiral extrapolations, we nd that the nucleon to rho mass ratio is m N =m = 1:254 0:018 0:027, where the errors are statistical and systematic (within the quenched approximation), respectively. This should be compared with the experimental value of 1.22. Our results indicate that the error due to quenching is less than about 5%.