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Aguilar, A. C., Ferreira, M. N., Ibañez, D., Oliveira, B. M., & Papavassiliou, J. (2023). Patterns of gauge symmetry in the background field method. Eur. Phys. J. C, 83(1), 86–20pp.
Abstract: The correlation functions of Yang-Mills theories formulated in the background field method satisfy linear Slavnov-Taylor identities, which are naive generalizations of simple tree level relations, with no deformations originating from the ghost-sector of the theory. In recent years, a stronger version of these identities has been found to hold at the level of the background gluon self-energy, whose transversality is enforced separately for each special block of diagrams contributing to the gluon Schwinger-Dyson equation. In the present work we demonstrate by means of explicit calculations that the same distinct realization of the Slavnov-Taylor identity persists in the case of the background three-gluon vertex. The analysis is carried out at the level of the exact Schwinger-Dyson equation for this vertex, with no truncations or simplifying assumptions. The demonstration entails the contraction of individual vertex diagrams by the relevant momentum, which activates Slavnov-Taylor identities of vertices and multi-particle kernels nested inside these graphs; the final result emerges by virtue of a multitude of extensive cancellations, without the need of performing explicit integrations. In addition, we point out that background Ward identities amount to replacing derivatives of propagators by zero-momentum background-gluon insertions, in exact analogy to standard properties of Abelian gauge theories. Finally, certain potential applications of these results are briefly discussed.
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Aguilar, A. C., Ferreira, M. N., Papavassiliou, J., & Santos, L. R. (2023). Planar degeneracy of the three-gluon vertex. Eur. Phys. J. C, 83(6), 549–20pp.
Abstract: We present a detailed exploration of certain outstanding features of the transversely-projected three-gluon vertex, using the corresponding Schwinger-Dyson equation in conjunction with key results obtained from quenched lattice simulations. The main goal of this study is the scrutiny of the approximate property denominated “planar degeneracy”, unveiled when the Bose symmetry of the vertex is properly exploited. The planar degeneracy leads to a particularly simple parametrization of the vertex, reducing its kinematic dependence to essentially a single variable. Our analysis, carried out in the absence of dynamical quarks, reveals that the planar degeneracy is particularly accurate for the description of the form factor associated with the classical tensor, for a wide array of arbitrary kinematic configurations. Instead, the remaining three form factors display considerable violations of this property. In addition, and in close connection with the previous point, we demonstrate the numerical dominance of the classical form factor over all others, except in the vicinity of the soft-gluon kinematics. The final upshot of these considerations is the emergence of a very compact description for the three-gluon vertex in general kinematics, which may simplify significantly nonperturbative applications involving this vertex.
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Aguilar, A. C., Ferreira, M. N., Oliveira, B. M., Papavassiliou, J., & Santos, L. R. (2023). Schwinger poles of the three-gluon vertex: symmetry and dynamics. Eur. Phys. J. C, 83(10), 889–20pp.
Abstract: The implementation of the Schwinger mechanism endows gluons with a nonperturbative mass through the formation of special massless poles in the fundamental QCD vertices; due to their longitudinal character, these poles do not cause divergences in on-shell amplitudes, but induce detectable effects in the Green's functions of the theory. Particularly important in this theoretical setup is the three-gluon vertex, whose pole content extends beyond the minimal structure required for the generation of a gluon mass. In the present work we analyze these additional pole patterns by means of two distinct, but ultimately equivalent, methods: the Slavnov-Taylor identity satisfied by the three-gluon vertex, and the nonlinear Schwinger-Dyson equation that governs the dynamical evolution of this vertex. Our analysis reveals that the Slavnov-Taylor identity imposes strict model-independent constraints on the associated residues, preventing them from vanishing. Approximate versions of these constraints are subsequently recovered from the Schwinger-Dyson equation, once the elements responsible for the activation of the Schwinger mechanism have been duly incorporated. The excellent coincidence between the two approaches exposes a profound connection between symmetry and dynamics, and serves as a nontrivial self-consistency test of this particular mass generating scenario.
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Aguilar, A. C., Ferreira, M. N., Ibañez, D., & Papavassiliou, J. (2023). Schwinger displacement of the quark-gluon vertex. Eur. Phys. J. C, 83(10), 967–22pp.
Abstract: The action of the Schwinger mechanism in pure Yang-Mills theories endows gluons with an effective mass, and, at the same time, induces a measurable displacement to the Ward identity satisfied by the three-gluon vertex. In the present work we turn to Quantum Chromodynamics with two light quark flavors, and explore the appearance of this characteristic displacement at the level of the quark-gluon vertex. When the Schwinger mechanism is activated, this vertex acquires massless poles, whose momentum-dependent residues are determined by a set of coupled integral equations. The main effect of these residues is to displace the Ward identity obeyed by the pole-free part of the vertex, causing modifications to its form factors, and especially the one associated with the tree-level tensor. The comparison between the available lattice data for this form factor and the Ward identity prediction reveals a marked deviation, which is completely compatible with the theoretical expectation for the attendant residue. This analysis corroborates further the self-consistency of this mass-generating scenario in the general context of real-world strong interactions.
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Ferreira, M. N., & Papavassiliou, J. (2023). Gauge Sector Dynamics in QCD. Particles, 6(1), 312–363.
Abstract: The dynamics of the QCD gauge sector give rise to non-perturbative phenomena that are crucial for the internal consistency of the theory; most notably, they account for the generation of a gluon mass through the action of the Schwinger mechanism, the taming of the Landau pole, the ensuing stabilization of the gauge coupling, and the infrared suppression of the three-gluon vertex. In the present work, we review some key advances in the ongoing investigation of this sector within the framework of the continuum Schwinger function methods, supplemented by results obtained from lattice simulations.
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