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Aguilar, A. C., Binosi, D., Figueiredo, C. T., & Papavassiliou, J. (2018). Evidence of ghost suppression in gluon mass scale dynamics. Eur. Phys. J. C, 78(3), 181–15pp.
Abstract: In this work we study the impact that the ghost sector of pure Yang-Mills theories may have on the generation of a dynamical gauge boson mass scale, which hinges on the appearance of massless poles in the fundamental vertices of the theory, and the subsequent realization of the well-known Schwinger mechanism. The process responsible for the formation of such structures is itself dynamical in nature, and is governed by a set of Bethe-Salpeter type of integral equations. While in previous studies the presence of massless poles was assumed to be exclusively associated with the background-gauge three-gluon vertex, in the present analysis we allow them to appear also in the corresponding ghost-gluon vertex. The full analysis of the resulting Bethe-Salpeter system reveals that the contribution of the poles associated with the ghost-gluon vertex are particularly suppressed, their sole discernible effect being a slight modification in the running of the gluon mass scale, for momenta larger than a few GeV. In addition, we examine the behavior of the (background-gauge) ghost-gluon vertex in the limit of vanishing ghost momentum, and derive the corresponding version of Taylor's theorem. These considerations, together with a suitable Ansatz, permit us the full reconstruction of the pole sector of the two vertices involved.
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Aguilar, A. C., Binosi, D., Figueiredo, C. T., & Papavassiliou, J. (2016). Unified description of seagull cancellations and infrared finiteness of gluon propagators. Phys. Rev. D, 94(4), 045002–22pp.
Abstract: We present a generalized theoretical framework for dealing with the important issue of dynamical mass generation in Yang-Mills theories, and, in particular, with the infrared finiteness of the gluon propagators, observed in a multitude of recent lattice simulations. Our analysis is manifestly gauge invariant, in the sense that it preserves the transversality of the gluon self-energy, and gauge independent, given that the conclusions do not depend on the choice of the gauge-fixing parameter within the linear covariant gauges. The central construction relies crucially on the subtle interplay between the Abelian Ward identities satisfied by the nonperturbative vertices and a special integral identity that enforces a vast number of “seagull cancellations” among the one-and two-loop dressed diagrams of the gluon Schwinger-Dyson equation. The key result of these considerations is that the gluon propagator remains rigorously massless, provided that the vertices do not contain (dynamical) massless poles. When such poles are incorporated into the vertices, under the pivotal requirement of respecting the gauge symmetry of the theory, the terms comprising the Ward identities conspire in such a way as to still enforce the total annihilation of all quadratic divergences, inducing, at the same time, residual contributions that account for the saturation of gluon propagators in the deep infrared.
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Aguilar, A. C., Binosi, D., Ibañez, D., & Papavassiliou, J. (2014). Effects of divergent ghost loops on the Green's functions of QCD. Phys. Rev. D, 89(8), 085008–26pp.
Abstract: In the present work, we discuss certain characteristic features encoded in some of the fundamental QCD Green's functions, for which the origin can be traced back to the nonperturbative masslessness of the ghost field, in the Landau gauge. Specifically, the ghost loops that contribute to these Green's functions display infrared divergences, akin to those encountered in the perturbative treatment, in contradistinction to the gluonic loops, for which perturbative divergences are tamed by the dynamical generation of an effective gluon mass. In d = 4, the aforementioned divergences are logarithmic, thus causing a relatively mild impact, whereas in d = 3 they are linear, giving rise to enhanced effects. In the case of the gluon propagator, these effects do not interfere with its finiteness, but make its first derivative diverge at the origin, and introduce a maximum in the region of infrared momenta. The three-gluon vertex is also affected, and the induced divergent behavior is clearly exposed in certain special kinematic configurations, usually considered in lattice simulations; the sign of the corresponding divergence is unambiguously determined. The main underlying concepts are developed in the context of a simple toy model, which demonstrates clearly the interconnected nature of the various effects. The picture that emerges is subsequently corroborated by a detailed nonperturbative analysis, combining lattice results with the dynamical integral equations governing the relevant ingredients, such as the nonperturbative ghost loop and the momentumdependent gluon mass.
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Aguilar, A. C., Binosi, D., Ibañez, D., & Papavassiliou, J. (2014). New method for determining the quark-gluon vertex. Phys. Rev. D, 90(6), 065027–26pp.
Abstract: We present a novel nonperturbative approach for calculating the form factors of the quark-gluon vertex in terms of an unknown three-point function, in the Landau gauge. The key ingredient of this method is the exact all-order relation connecting the conventional quark-gluon vertex with the corresponding vertex of the background field method, which is Abelian-like. When this latter relation is combined with the standard gauge technique, supplemented by a crucial set of transverse Ward identities, it allows the approximate determination of the nonperturbative behavior of all 12 form factors comprising the quark-gluon vertex, for arbitrary values of the momenta. The actual implementation of this procedure is carried out in the Landau gauge, in order to make contact with the results of lattice simulations performed in this particular gauge. The most demanding technical aspect involves the approximate calculation of the components of the aforementioned (fully dressed) three-point function, using lattice data as input for the gluon propagators appearing in its diagrammatic expansion. The numerical evaluation of the relevant form factors in three special kinematical configurations (soft-gluon and quark symmetric limit, zero quark momentum) is carried out in detail, finding qualitative agreement with the available lattice data. Most notably, a concrete mechanism is proposed for explaining the puzzling divergence of one of these form factors observed in lattice simulations.
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Aguilar, A. C., Binosi, D., & Papavassiliou, J. (2017). Schwinger mechanism in linear covariant gauges. Phys. Rev. D, 95(3), 034017–16pp.
Abstract: In this work we explore the applicability of a special gluon mass generating mechanism in the context of the linear covariant gauges. In particular, the implementation of the Schwinger mechanism in pure Yang-Mills theories hinges crucially on the inclusion of massless bound-state excitations in the fundamental nonperturbative vertices of the theory. The dynamical formation of such excitations is controlled by a homogeneous linear Bethe-Salpeter equation, whose nontrivial solutions have been studied only in the Landau gauge. Here, the form of this integral equation is derived for general values of the gauge-fixing parameter, under a number of simplifying assumptions that reduce the degree of technical complexity. The kernel of this equation consists of fully dressed gluon propagators, for which recent lattice data are used as input, and of three-gluon vertices dressed by a single form factor, which is modeled by means of certain physically motivated Ansatze. The gauge-dependent terms contributing to this kernel impose considerable restrictions on the infrared behavior of the vertex form factor; specifically, only infrared finite Ansatze are compatible with the existence of nontrivial solutions. When such Ansatze are employed, the numerical study of the integral equation reveals a continuity in the type of solutions as one varies the gauge-fixing parameter, indicating a smooth departure from the Landau gauge. Instead, the logarithmically divergent form factor displaying the characteristic “zero crossing,” while perfectly consistent in the Landau gauge, has to undergo a dramatic qualitative transformation away from it, in order to yield acceptable solutions. The possible implications of these results are briefly discussed.
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Aguilar, A. C., Binosi, D., & Papavassiliou, J. (2016). The gluon mass generation mechanism: A concise primer. Front. Phys., 11(2), 111203–18pp.
Abstract: We present a pedagogical overview of the nonperturbative mechanism that endows gluons with a dynamical mass. This analysis is performed based on pure Yang-Mills theories in the Landau gauge, within the theoretical framework that emerges from the combination of the pinch technique with the background field method. In particular, we concentrate on the Schwinger-Dyson equation satisfied by the gluon propagator and examine the necessary conditions for obtaining finite solutions within the infrared region. The role of seagull diagrams receives particular attention, as do the identities that enforce the cancellation of all potential quadratic divergences. We stress the necessity of introducing nonperturbative massless poles in the fully dressed vertices of the theory in order to trigger the Schwinger mechanism, and explain in detail the instrumental role of these poles in maintaining the Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin symmetry at every step of the mass-generating procedure. The dynamical equation governing the evolution of the gluon mass is derived, and its solutions are determined numerically following implementation of a set of simplifying assumptions. The obtained mass function is positive definite, and exhibits a power law running that is consistent with general arguments based on the operator product expansion in the ultraviolet region. A possible connection between confinement and the presence of an inflection point in the gluon propagator is briefly discussed.
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Aguilar, A. C., Binosi, D., & Papavassiliou, J. (2015). Yang-Mills two-point functions in linear covariant gauges. Phys. Rev. D, 91(8), 085014–14pp.
Abstract: In this paper we use two different but complementary approaches in order to study the ghost propagator of a pure SU(3) Yang-Mills theory quantized in the linear covariant gauges, focusing on its dependence on the gauge-fixing parameter xi in the deep infrared. In particular, we first solve the Schwinger-Dyson equation that governs the dynamics of the ghost propagator, using a set of simplifying approximations, and under the crucial assumption that the gluon propagators for xi > 0 are infrared finite, as is the case in the Landau gauge (xi = 0). Then we appeal to the Nielsen identities, and express the derivative of the ghost propagator with respect to xi in terms of certain auxiliary Green's functions, which are subsequently computed under the same assumptions as before. Within both formalisms we find that for xi > 0 the ghost dressing function approaches zero in the deep infrared, in sharp contrast to what happens in the Landau gauge, where it is known to saturate at a finite (nonvanishing) value. The Nielsen identities are then extended to the case of the gluon propagator, and the xi-dependence of the corresponding gluon masses is derived using as input the results obtained in the previous steps. The result turns out to be logarithmically divergent in the deep infrared; the compatibility of this behavior with the basic assumption of a finite gluon propagator is discussed, and a specific Ansatz is put forth, which readily reconciles both features.
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Aguilar, A. C., Binosi, D., & Papavassiliou, J. (2014). Renormalization group analysis of the gluon mass equation. Phys. Rev. D, 89(8), 085032–19pp.
Abstract: We carry out a systematic study of the renormalization properties of the integral equation that determines the momentum evolution of the effective gluon mass in pure Yang-Mills theory, without quark effects taken into account. A detailed, all-order analysis of the complete kernel appearing in this particular equation, derived in the Landau gauge, reveals that the renormalization procedure may be accomplished through the sole use of ingredients known from the standard perturbative treatment of the theory, with no additional assumptions. However, the subtle interplay of terms operating at the level of the exact equation gets distorted by the approximations usually employed when evaluating the aforementioned kernel. This fact is reflected in the form of the obtained solutions, for which the deviations from the correct behavior are best quantified by resorting to appropriately defined renormalization-group invariant quantities. This analysis, in turn, provides a solid guiding principle for improving the form of the kernel, and furnishes a well-defined criterion for discriminating between various possibilities. Certain renormalization-group inspired Ansatze for the kernel are then proposed, and their numerical implications are explored in detail. One of the solutions obtained fulfills the theoretical expectations to a high degree of accuracy, yielding a gluon mass that is positive definite throughout the entire range of physical momenta, and displays in the ultraviolet the so-called “power-law” running, in agreement with standard arguments based on the operator product expansion. Some of the technical difficulties thwarting a more rigorous determination of the kernel are discussed, and possible future directions are briefly mentioned.
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Aguilar, A. C., Binosi, D., & Papavassiliou, J. (2013). Gluon mass generation in the presence of dynamical quarks. Phys. Rev. D, 88(7), 074010–12pp.
Abstract: We study in detail the impact of dynamical quarks on the gluon mass generation mechanism, in the Landau gauge, for the case of a small number of quark families. As in earlier considerations, we assume that the main bulk of the unquenching corrections to the gluon propagator originates from the fully dressed quark-loop diagram. The nonperturbative evaluation of this diagram provides the key relation that expresses the unquenched gluon propagator as a deviation from its quenched counterpart. This relation is subsequently coupled to the integral equation that controls the momentum evolution of the effective gluon mass, which contains a single adjustable parameter; this constitutes a major improvement compared to the analysis presented in Aguilar et al. [Phys. Rev. D 86, 014032 (2012)], where the behavior of the gluon propagator in the deep infrared was estimated through numerical extrapolation. The resulting nonlinear system is then treated numerically, yielding unique solutions for the modified gluon mass and the quenched gluon propagator, which fully confirms the picture put forth recently in several continuum and lattice studies. In particular, an infrared finite gluon propagator emerges, whose saturation point is considerably suppressed, due to a corresponding increase in the value of the gluon mass. This characteristic feature becomes more pronounced as the number of active quark families increases, and can be deduced from the infrared structure of the kernel entering in the gluon mass equation.
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Aguilar, A. C., Binosi, D., & Papavassiliou, J. (2012). Gluon mass through ghost synergy. J. High Energy Phys., 01(1), 050–32pp.
Abstract: In this work we compute, at the “one-loop-dressed” level, the nonperturbative contribution of the ghost loops to the self-energy of the gluon propagator, in the Landau gauge. This is accomplished within the PT-BFM formalism, where the contribution of the ghost-loops is inherently transverse, by virtue of the QED-like Ward identities satisfied in this framework. At the level of the “one-loop dressed” approximation, the ghost transversality is preserved by employing a suitable gauge-technique Ansatz for the longitudinal part of the full ghost-gluon vertex. Under the key assumption that the undetermined transverse part of this vertex is numerically subleading in the infrared, and using as nonperturbative input the available lattice data for the ghost dressing function, we show that the ghost contributions have a rather sizable effect on the overall shape of the gluon propagator, both for d = 3, 4. Then, by exploiting a recently introduced dynamical equation for the effective gluon mass, whose solutions depend crucially on the characteristics of the gluon propagator at intermediate energies, we show that if the ghost loops are removed from the gluon propagator then the gluon mass vanishes. These findings suggest that, at least at the level of the Schwinger-Dyson equations, the effects of gluons and ghosts are inextricably connected, and must be combined suitably in order to reproduce the results obtained in the recent lattice simulations.
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