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.

Abstract: We present a nonperturbative study of the form factor associated with the projection of the full four-gluon vertex on its classical tensor, for a set of kinematics with one vanishing and three arbitrary external momenta. The treatment is based on the Schwinger-Dyson equation governing this vertex, and a large-volume lattice simulation, involving ten thousand gauge field configurations. The key hypothesis employed in both approaches is the “planar degeneracy”, which classifies diverse configurations by means of a single variable, thus enabling their meaningful “averaging”. The results of both approaches show notable agreement, revealing a considerable suppression of the averaged form factor in the infrared. The deviations from the exact planar degeneracy are discussed in detail, and a supplementary variable is used to achieve a more accurate description. The effective charge defined through this special form factor is computed within both approaches, and the results obtained are in excellent agreement.

Abstract: We report on new results on the infrared behavior of the three-gluon vertex in quenched Quantum Chromodynamics, obtained from large-volume lattice simulations. The main focus of our study is the appearance of the characteristic infrared feature known as 'zero crossing', the origin of which is intimately connected with the nonperturbative masslessness of the Faddeev-Popov ghost. The appearance of this effect is clearly visible in one of the two kinematic configurations analyzed, and its theoretical origin is discussed in the framework of Schwinger-Dyson equations. The effective coupling in the momentum subtraction scheme that corresponds to the three-gluon vertex is constructed, revealing the vanishing of the effective interaction at the exact location of the zero crossing.

Abstract: Using lattice configurations for quantum chromodynamics (QCD) generated with three domain-wall fermions at a physical pion mass, we obtain a parameter-free prediction of QCD 's renormalisation-group-invariant process-independent effective charge, (alpha) over cap (k(2)). Owing to the dynamical breaking of scale invariance, evident in the emergence of a gluon mass-scale, m(0) = 0.43(1) GeV, this coupling saturates at infrared momenta: (alpha) over cap/pi = 0.97(4). Amongst other things: (alpha) over cap (k(2)) is almost identical to the process-dependent (PD) effective charge defined via the Bjorken sum rule; and also that PD charge which, employed in the one-loop evolution equations, delivers agreement between pion parton distribution functions computed at the hadronic scale and experiment. The diversity of unifying roles played by (alpha) over cap (k(2)) suggests that it is a strong candidate for that object which represents the interaction strength in QCD at any given momentum scale; and its properties support a conclusion that QCD is a mathematically well-defined quantum field theory in four dimensions.

Abstract: Accurate characterization of the electric response of segmented high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors as a function of the interaction position is one of the current goals of the Nuclear Physics community seeking to perform gamma-ray tracking or even imaging with these detectors. For this purpose, scanning devices must be developed to achieve the signal-position association with the highest precision. With a view to studying the accuracy achieved with SALSA, the SAlamanca Lyso-based Scanning Array, here we report a detailed study on the uncertainty sources and their effect in the position determination inside the HPGe detector to be scanned. The optimization performed on the design of SALSA, aimed at minimizing the effect of the uncertainty sources, afforded an intrinsic uncertainty of 2 mm for large coaxial detectors and 1 mm for planar ones.