The role of a form of vector potential - normalization of the antisymmetric gauge

Results obtained for the antisymmetric gauge A=[Hy,-Hx]/2 by Brown and Zak are compared with those based on pure group-theoretical considerations and corresponding to the Landau gauge A=[0,Hx]. Imposing the periodic boundary conditions one has to be very careful since the first gauge leads to a factor system which is not normalized. A period N introduced in Brown's and Zak's papers should be considered as a magnetic one, whereas the crystal period is in fact 2N. The `normalization' procedure proposed here shows the equivalence of Brown's, Zak's, and other approaches. It also indicates the importance of the concept of magnetic cells. Moreover, it is shown that factor systems (of projective representations and central extensions) are gauge-dependent, whereas a commutator of two magnetic translations is gauge-independent. This result indicates that a form of the vector potential (a gauge) is also important in physical investigations.Comment: RevTEX, 9 pages, to be published in J. Math. Phy

Background field method in the gradient flow

In perturbative consideration of the Yang--Mills gradient flow, it is useful to introduce a gauge non-covariant term ("gauge-fixing term") to the flow equation that gives rise to a Gaussian damping factor also for gauge degrees of freedom. In the present paper, we consider a modified form of the gauge-fixing term that manifestly preserves covariance under the background gauge transformation. It is shown that our gauge-fixing term does not affect gauge-invariant quantities as the conventional gauge-fixing term. The formulation thus allows a background gauge covariant perturbative expansion of the flow equation that provides, in particular, a very efficient computational method of expansion coefficients in the small flow time expansion. The formulation can be generalized to systems containing fermions.Comment: 19 pages, the final version to appear in PTE

Meta-Stable Brane Configuration and Gauged Flavor Symmetry

Starting from an N=1 supersymmetric electric gauge theory with the gauge group Sp(N_c) x SO(2N_c') with fundamentals for the first gauge group factor and a bifundamental, we apply Seiberg dual to the symplectic gauge group only and arrive at the N=1 supersymmetric dual magnetic gauge theory with dual matters including the gauge singlets and superpotential. By analyzing the F-term equations of the dual magnetic superpotential, we describe the intersecting brane configuration of type IIA string theory corresponding to the meta-stable nonsupersymmetric vacua of this gauge theory.Comment: 16 pp, 3 figures; stability analysis in page 7 and 8 added and the presentation improved; reduced bytes of figures and to appear in MPL

Symmetry breaking, conformal geometry and gauge invariance

When the electroweak action is rewritten in terms of SU(2) gauge invariant variables, the Higgs can be interpreted as a conformal metric factor. We show that asymptotic flatness of the metric is required to avoid a Gribov problem: without it, the new variables fail to be nonperturbatively gauge invariant. We also clarify the relations between this approach and unitary gauge fixing, and the existence of similar transformations in other gauge theories.Comment: 11 pages. Version 2: typos corrected, discussion of Elitzur's theorem added. Version to appear in J.Phys.

Electroweak Sudakov at two loop level

We investigate the Sudakov double logarithmic corrections to the form factor of fermion in the SU(2)XU(1) electroweak theory. We adopt the familiar Feynman gauge and present explicit calculations at the two loop level. We show that the leading logarithmic corrections coming from the infrared singularities are consistent with the "postulated" exponentiated electroweak Sudakov form factor. The similarities and differences in the "soft" physics between the electroweak theory and the unbroken non-abelian gauge theory (QCD) will be clarified.Comment: 8 pages, 14 figure

Hidden symmetries in the two-dimensional isotropic antiferromagnet

We discuss the two-dimensional isotropic antiferromagnet in the framework of gauge invariance. Gauge invariance is one of the most subtle useful concepts in theoretical physics, since it allows one to describe the time evolution of complex physical systesm in arbitrary sequences of reference frames. All theories of the fundamental interactions rely on gauge invariance. In Dirac's approach, the two-dimensional isotropic antiferromagnet is subject to second class constraints, which are independent of the Hamiltonian symmetries and can be used to eliminate certain canonical variables from the theory. We have used the symplectic embedding formalism developed by a few of us to make the system under study gauge-invariant. After carrying out the embedding and Dirac analysis, we systematically show how second class constraints can generate hidden symmetries. We obtain the invariant second-order Lagrangian and the gauge-invariant model Hamiltonian. Finally, for a particular choice of factor ordering, we derive the functional Schr\"odinger equations for the original Hamiltonian and for the first class Hamiltonian and show them to be identical, which justifies our choice of factor ordering.Comment: To appear in Volume 43 of the Brazilian Journal of Physic

Renormalization of the Abelian-Higgs Model in the R-xi and Unitary gauges and the physicality of its scalar potential

We perform an old school, one-loop renormalization of the Abelian-Higgs model in the Unitary and $R_\xi$ gauges, focused on the scalar potential and the gauge boson mass. Our goal is to demonstrate in this simple context the validity of the Unitary gauge at the quantum level, which could open the way for an until now (mostly) avoided framework for loop computations. We indeed find that the Unitary gauge is consistent and equivalent to the $R_\xi$ gauge at the level of $\beta$-functions. Then we compare the renormalized, finite, one-loop Higgs potential in the two gauges and we again find equivalence. This equivalence needs not only a complete cancellation of the gauge fixing parameter $\xi$ from the $R_\xi$ gauge potential but also requires its $\xi$-independent part to be equal to the Unitary gauge result. We follow the quantum behaviour of the system by plotting Renormalization Group trajectories and Lines of Constant Physics, with the former the well known curves and with the latter, determined by the finite parts of the counter-terms, particularly well suited for a comparison with non-perturbative studies.Comment: 111 pages, 16 figures. In the previous version a factor of 2, regarding the irreducible triangle diagram with only Higgs fields inside the loop, was missed. In this version the missing factor is corrected and due to that, some of the plots have been updated. Minor typos correcte