Search Results (69)

Using a Dyson–Schwinger approach, we perform an analysis of the non-trivial ground state of thermal $SU\left(N\right)$ Yang–Mills theory in the non-perturbative regime where chiral symmetry is dynamically broken by a mass gap. Basic thermodynamic observables such as energy density and pressure are derived analytically, using Jacobi elliptic functions. The results are compared with the lattice results. Good agreement is found at low temperatures, providing a viable scenario for a gas of massive glue states populating higher levels of the spectrum of the theory. At high temperatures, a scenario without glue states consistent with a massive scalar field is observed, showing an interesting agreement with lattice data. The possibility is discussed that the results derived in this analysis open up a novel pathway beyond lattice to precision studies of phase transitions with false vacuum and cosmological relics that depend on the equations of state in strong coupled gauge theories of the type of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). Full article

This paper presents a novel approach to solving the Yang–Mills existence and mass gap problem using quantum information theory. We develop a rigorous mathematical framework that reformulates the Yang–Mills theory in terms of quantum circuits and entanglement structures. Our method provides a concrete realization of the Yang–Mills theory that is manifestly gauge-invariant and satisfies the Wightman axioms. We demonstrate the existence of a mass gap by analyzing the entanglement spectrum of the vacuum state, establishing a direct connection between the mass gap and the minimum non-zero eigenvalue of the entanglement Hamiltonian. Our approach also offers new insights into non-perturbative phenomena such as confinement and asymptotic freedom. We introduce new mathematical tools, including entanglement renormalization for gauge theories and quantum circuit complexity measures for quantum fields. The implications of our work extend beyond the Yang–Mills theory, suggesting new approaches to quantum gravity, strongly coupled systems, and cosmological problems. This quantum information perspective on gauge theories opens up exciting new directions for research at the intersection of quantum field theory, quantum gravity, and quantum computation. Full article

About twelve years ago, the use of standard functional manipulations was demonstrated to imply an unexpected property satisfied by the fermionic Green’s functions of $QCD$. This non-perturbative phenomenon has been dubbed an effective locality. In a much simpler way than in $QCD$, the most remarkable and intriguing aspects of effective locality have been presented in a recent publication on the Yang-Mills theory on Minkowski spacetime. While quickly recalled in the current paper, these results are used to calculate the problematic gluonic propagator in the Yang-Mills non-perturbative regime. This paper is dedicated to the memory of Professor Herbert M. Fried (1929–2023), whose inspiring manner, impressive command of functional methods in quantum field theories, enthusiasm for a broad range of topics in Theoretical Physics, and warm friendship are missed greatly by the authors. Full article

For the deconfinement phase of an SU(2) Yang–Mills theory, we compute the axion mass $m_A$ by appealing to the Veneziano–Witten formula. The topological susceptibility $\chi$ arises (i) from a precisely computable thermal ground-state contribution due to a center of a relevant (anti)caloron, and (ii) from contributions due to free thermal quasi-particles in the effective theory. Both (i) and (ii) are derived by using standard Euclidean thermal field theory techniques. While contribution (i) is positive and $\propto T^4$, contribution (ii) is negative, as demanded by reflection positivity, but negligible compared to contribution (i). As a consequence, practically from the critical temperature $T_c$ onward, a real-valued axion mass $m_A\left(T\right)=\sqrt{{\displaystyle \frac{2}{3}}}\pi {\displaystyle \frac{T^2}{M_P}}$ emerges when the Peccei–Quinn scale is assumed to be the Planck mass $M_P$, independently of the Yang–Mills scale that the axion associates with. We discuss why our results deviate from those found in the dilute instanton gas and interacting instanton liquid approximations, and from results obtained in lattice simulations. Assuming the universe is dark sector to be based on such ultralight axion species, which are nonrelativistic for $T\ll M_P$, we investigate the cosmological conditions for their global Bose condensation as the very early universe cooled to temperatures of the order of ${10}^9$eV. Full article

In this letter, we highlight the structure and main properties of an abstract approach to quantum cosmology and gravity, dubbed $SU(\infty )$-QGR. Beginning from the concept of the Universe as an isolated quantum system, the main axiom of the model is the existence of an infinite number of mutually commuting observables. Consequently, the Hilbert space of the Universe represents $SU(\infty )$ symmetry. This Universe as a whole is static and topological. Nonetheless, quantum fluctuations induce local clustering in its quantum state and divide it into approximately isolated subsystems representing $G\times SU(\infty )$, where G is a generic finite-rank internalsymmetry. Due to the global $SU(\infty )$ each subsystem is entangled to the rest of the Universe. In addition to parameters characterizing the representation of G, quantum states of subsystems depend on four continuous parameters: two of them characterize the representation of $SU(\infty )$, a dimensionful parameter arises from the possibility of comparing representations of $SU(\infty )$ by different subsystems, and the fourth parameter is a measurable used as time registered by an arbitrary subsystem chosen as a quantum clock. It introduces a relative dynamics for subsystems, formulated by a symmetry-invariant effective Lagrangian defined on the (3+1)D space of the continuous parameters. At lowest quantum order, the Lagrangian is a Yang–Mills field theory for both $SU(\infty )$ and internal symmetries. We identify the common $SU(\infty )$ symmetry and its interaction with gravity. Consequently, $SU(\infty )$-QGR predicts a spin-1 mediator for quantum gravity (QGR). Apparently, this is in contradiction with classical gravity. Nonetheless, we show that an observer who is unable to detect the quantumness of gravity perceives its effect as curvature of the space of average values of the continuous parameters. We demonstrate Lorentzian geometry of this emergent classical spacetime. Full article

Based on the thermal phase structure of pure SU(2) quantum Yang–Mills theory, we describe the electron at rest as an extended particle, a droplet of radius $r_0\sim a_0$, where $a_0$ is the Bohr radius. This droplet is of vanishing pressure and traps a monopole within its bulk at a temperature of $T_c=7.95$ keV. The monopole is in the Bogomolny–Prasad–Sommerfield (BPS) limit. It is interpreted in an electric–magnetically dual way. Utilizing a spherical mirror-charge construction, we approximate the droplet’s charge at a value of the electromagnetic fine-structure constant $\alpha$ of ${\alpha }^{-1}\sim 134$ for soft external probes. It is shown that the droplet does not exhibit an electric dipole or quadrupole moment due to averages of its far-field electric potential over monopole positions. We also calculate the mixing angle ${\theta }_{\mathrm{W}}\sim 30°$, which belongs to deconfining phases of two SU(2) gauge theories of very distinct Yang–Mills scales (${\Lambda }_{\mathrm{e}}=3.6$ keV and ${\Lambda }_{\mathrm{CMB}}\sim {10}^{-4}$ eV). Here, the condition that the droplet’s bulk thermodynamics is stable determines the value of ${\theta }_W$. The core radius of the monopole, whose inverse equals the droplet’s mass in natural units, is about 1% of $r_0$. Full article

Topological susceptibility of the SU(3) gluon plasma is calculated by accounting for both factorized and non-factorized contributions to the two-point correlation function of topological-charge densities. It turns out that, while the factorized contribution keeps this correlation function non-positive away from the origin, the non-factorized contribution makes it positive at the origin, in accordance with the reflection positivity condition. Matching the obtained result for topological susceptibility to its lattice value at the deconfinement critical temperature, we fix the parameters of the quartic cumulant of gluonic field strengths, and calculate the contribution of that cumulant to the string tension. This contribution reduces the otherwise too large value of the string tension, which stems from the quadratic cumulant, making it much closer to the standard phenomenological value. Full article

We derive a Nambu–Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model from a non-local gauge theory and show that it has confining properties at low energies. In particular, we present an extended approach to non-local QCD and a complete revision of the technique of Bender, Milton and Savage applied to non-local theories, providing a set of Dyson–Schwinger equations in differential form. In the local case, we obtain closed-form solutions in the simplest case of the scalar field and extend it to the Yang–Mills field. In general, for non-local theories, we use a perturbative technique and a Fourier series and show how higher-order harmonics are heavily damped due to the presence of the non-local factor. The spectrum of the theory is analysed for the non-local Yang–Mills sector and found to be in agreement with the local results on the lattice in the limit of the non-locality mass parameter running to infinity. In the non-local case, we confine ourselves to a non-locality mass that is sufficiently large compared to the mass scale arising from the integration of the Dyson–Schwinger equations. Such a choice results in good agreement, in the proper limit, with the spectrum of the local theory. We derive a gap equation for the fermions in the theory that gives some indication of quark confinement in the non-local NJL case as well. Confinement seems to be a rather ubiquitous effect that removes some degrees of freedom in the original action, favouring the appearance of new observable states, as seen, e.g., for quantum chromodynamics at lower energies. Full article

We investigate the effects of boost invariance breaking on the isotropization of pressure in the glasma, using a 3+1D glasma simulation. The breaking is attributed to spatial fluctuations in the classical color charge density along the collision axis. We present numerical results for pressure and energy density at mid-rapidity and across a wider rapidity region. It is found that, despite varying longitudinal correlation lengths, the behaviors of the pressure isotropizations are qualitatively similar. The numerical results suggest that, in the initial stage, longitudinal color electromagnetic fields develop, similar to those in the boost invariant glasma. Subsequently, these fields evolve into a dilute glasma, expanding longitudinally in a manner akin to a dilute gas. We also show that the energy density at mid-rapidity exhibits a $1/\tau$ decay in the dilute glasma stage. Full article

This essay’s title is justified by discussing a class of Yang–Mills-type theories of which standard Yang–Mills theories are special cases but which is broad enough to include gravity as a double field theory. We use the framework of homotopy algebras, where conventional Yang–Mills theory is the tensor product $\mathcal{K}\otimes \mathfrak{g}$ of a ‘kinematic’ algebra $\mathcal{K}$ with a color Lie algebra $\mathfrak{g}$. The larger class of Yang–Mills-type theories are given by the tensor product of $\mathcal{K}$ with more general Lie-type algebras, of which $\mathcal{K}$ itself is an example, up to anomalies that can be canceled for the tensor product with a second copy $\overline{\mathcal{K}}$. Gravity is then given by $\mathcal{K}\otimes \overline{\mathcal{K}}$. Full article

We argue in favor of the independence on any scale, ultraviolet or infrared, in kernels of the effective action expressed in terms of dressed $\mathcal{N}=1$ superfields for the case of $\mathcal{N}=4$ super-Yang–Mills theory. Under “scale independence” of the effective action of dressed mean superfields, we mean its “finiteness in the off-shell limit of removing all the regularizations”. This off-shell limit is scale independent because no scale remains inside these kernels after removing the regularizations. We use two types of regularization: regularization by dimensional reduction and regularization by higher derivatives in its supersymmetric form. Based on the Slavnov–Taylor identity, we show that dressed fields of matter and of vector multiplets can be introduced to express the effective action in terms of them. Kernels of the effective action expressed in terms of such dressed effective fields do not depend on the ultraviolet scale. In the case of dimensional reduction, by using the developed technique, we show how the problem of inconsistency of the dimensional reduction can be solved. Using Piguet and Sibold formalism, we indicate that the dependence on the infrared scale disappears off shell in both the regularizations. Full article

In axiomatic quantum field theory, the postulate of the uniqueness of the vacuum (a pure vacuum state) is independent from the other axioms and equivalent to the cluster decomposition property. The latter, however, implies a Coulomb or Yukawa attenuation of the interactions at growing distances and hence cannot accommodate the confining properties of the strong interaction. Thesolution of the Yang–Mills quantum theory given previously uses an auxiliary field to incorporate Gauss’s law and demonstrates the existence of two separate vacua, the perturbative and the confining vacuum, therefore resulting in a mixed vacuum state, deriving confinement, as well as the related, expected properties of the strong interaction. The existence of multiple vacua is, in fact, expected by the axiomatic, algebraic quantum field theory, via the decomposition of the vacuum state to eigenspaces of the auxiliary field. The general vacuum state is a mixed quantum state, and the cluster decomposition property does not hold. Because of the energy density difference between the two vacua, the physics of the strong interactions does not admit a Lagrangian description. I clarify the above remarks related to the previous solution of the Yang–Mills interaction and conclude with some discussion a criticism of a related mathematical problem and some tentative comments regarding the spin-2 case. Full article

We discuss the double-copy formulation of Moyal–Weyl-type noncommutative gauge theories from the homotopy algebraic perspective of factorisations of $L_{\infty }$-algebras. We define new noncommutative scalar field theories with rigid colour symmetries taking the role of the zeroth copy, where the deformed colour algebra plays the role of a kinematic algebra; some of these theories have a trivial classical limit but exhibit colour–kinematics duality, from which we construct the double copy theory explicitly. We show that noncommutative gauge theories exhibit a twisted form of colour–kinematics duality, which we use to show that their double copies match with the commutative case. We illustrate this explicitly for Chern–Simons theory, and for Yang–Mills theory where we obtain a modified Kawai–Lewellen–Tye relationship whose momentum kernel is linked to a binoncommutative biadjoint scalar theory. We reinterpret rank-one noncommutative gauge theories as double copy theories and discuss how our findings tie in with recent discussions of Moyal–Weyl deformations of self–dual Yang–Mills theory and gravity. Full article

We review the current status of the long-term programme of numerical investigation of $Sp\left(2N\right)$ gauge theories with and without fermionic matter content. We start by introducing the phenomenological as well as theoretical motivations for this research programme, which are related to composite Higgs models, models of partial top compositeness, dark matter models, and in general to the physics of strongly coupled theories and their approach to the large-N limit. We summarise the results of lattice studies conducted so far in the $Sp\left(2N\right)$ Yang–Mills theories, measuring the string tension, the mass spectrum of glueballs and the topological susceptibility, and discuss their large-N extrapolation. We then focus our discussion on $Sp\left(4\right)$, and summarise the numerical measurements of mass and decay constant of mesons in the theories with fermion matter in either the fundamental or the antisymmetric representation, first in the quenched approximation, and then with dynamical fermions. We finally discuss the case of dynamical fermions in mixed representations, and exotic composite fermion states such as the chimera baryons. We conclude by sketching the future stages of the programme. We also describe our approach to open access. Full article

In 1978, Friedberg and Lee introduced the phenomenological soliton bag model of hadrons, generalizing the MIT bag model developed in 1974 shortly after the formulation of QCD. In this model, quarks and gluons are confined due to coupling with a real scalar field $\rho$, which tends to zero outside some compact region $S\subset {\mathbb{R}}^3$ determined dynamically from the equations of motion. The gauge coupling in the soliton bag model runs as the inverse power of $\rho$, already at the semiclassical level. We show that this model arises naturally as a consequence of introducing the warped product metric $\mathrm{d}{s}_M^2+{\rho }^2\mathrm{d}{s}_G^2$ on the principal G-bundle $P(M,G)\cong M\times G$ with a non-Abelian group G over Minkowski space $M={\mathbb{R}}^{3,1}$. Confinement of quarks and gluons in a compact domain $S\subset {\mathbb{R}}^3$ is a consequence of the collapse of the bundle manifold $M\times G$ to M outside S due to shrinking of the group manifold G to a point. We describe the formation of such regions S as a dynamical process controlled by the order parameter field $\rho$. Full article