1,082 research outputs found
The Zero Temperature Chiral Phase Transition in SU(N) Gauge Theories
We investigate the zero temperature chiral phase transition in an SU(N) gauge
theory as the number of fermions is varied. We argue that there exists a
critical number of fermions , above which there is no chiral symmetry
breaking or confinement, and below which both chiral symmetry breaking and
confinement set in. We estimate and discuss the nature of the phase
transition.Comment: 13 pages, LaTeX, version published in PR
Phase Structure of Non-Compact QED3 and the Abelian Higgs Model
We review the phase structure of a three-dimensional, non-compact Abelian
gauge theory (QED3) as a function of the number of 4-component massless
fermions. There is a critical up to which there is dynamical fermion
mass generation and an associated global symmetry breaking. We discuss various
approaches to the determination of , which lead to estimates ranging from
to . This theory with N=2 has been employed as an effective
continuum theory for the 2D quantum antiferromagnet where the observed Neel
ordering corresponds to dynamical fermion mass generation. Thus the value of
is of some physical interest. We also consider the phase structure of the
model with a finite gauge boson mass (the Abelian Higgs model).Comment: 14 pages, corrected the normalization of the fermion condensate in
section V, corrected a typo in the reference
2+1 Dimensional QED and a Novel Phase Transition
We investigate the chiral phase transition in 2+1 dimensional QED. Previous
gap equation and lattice Monte-Carlo studies of symmetry breaking have found
that symmetry breaking ceases to occur when the number of fermion flavors
exceeds a critical value. Here we focus on the order of the transition. We find
that there are no light scalar degrees of freedom present as the critical
number of flavors is approached from above (in the symmetric phase). Thus the
phase transition is not second order, rendering irrelevant the renormalization
group arguments for a fluctuation induced transition. However, the order
parameter vanishes continuously in the broken phase, so this transition is also
unlike a conventional first order phase transition.Comment: 11 pages, Late
Postmodern Technicolor
Using new insights into strongly coupled gauge theories arising from analytic
calculations and lattice simulations, we explore a framework for technicolor
model building that relies on a non-trivial infrared fixed point, and an
essential role for QCD. Interestingly, the models lead to a simple relation
between the electroweak scale and the QCD confinement scale, and to the
possible existence of exotic leptoquarks with masses of several hundred GeV.Comment: LaTeX, 13 pages, version published in PR
The Phase Structure of an SU(N) Gauge Theory with N_f Flavors
We investigate the chiral phase transition in SU(N) gauge theories as the
number of quark flavors, , is varied. We argue that the transition takes
place at a large enough value of so that it is governed by the infrared
fixed point of the function. We study the nature of the phase
transition analytically and numerically, and discuss the spectrum of the theory
as the critical value of is approached in both the symmetric and broken
phases. Since the transition is governed by a conformal fixed point, there are
no light excitations on the symmetric side. We extend previous work to include
higher order effects by developing a renormalization group estimate of the
critical coupling.Comment: 34 pages, 1 figure. More references adde
A Comment on the Zero Temperature Chiral Phase Transition in Gauge Theories
Recently Appelquist, Terning, and Wijewardhana investigated the zero
temperature chiral phase transition in SU(N) gauge theory as the number of
fermions N_f is varied. They argued that there is a critical number of fermions
N^c_f, above which there is no chiral symmetry breaking and below which chiral
symmetry breaking and confinement set in. They further argued that that the
transition is not second order even though the order parameter for chiral
symmetry breaking vanishes continuously as N_f approaches N^c_f on the broken
side. In this note I propose a simple physical picture for the spectrum of
states as N_f approaches N^c_f from below (i.e. on the broken side) and argue
that this picture predicts very different and non-universal behavior than is
the case in an ordinary second order phase transition. In this way the
transition can be continuous without behaving conventionally. I further argue
that this feature results from the (presumed) existence of an infrared
Banks-Zaks fixed point of the gauge coupling in the neighborhood of the chiral
transition and therefore depends on the long-distance nature of the non-abelian
gauge force.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure
Zero Temperature Chiral Phase Transition in (2+1)-Dimensional QED with a Chern-Simons Term
We investigate the zero temperature chiral phase transition in
(2+1)-dimensional QED in the presence of a Chern-Simons term, changing the
number of fermion flavors. In the symmetric phase, there are no light degrees
of freedom even at the critical point. Unlike the case without a Chern-Simons
term, the phase transition is first-order.Comment: 7 pages, RevTeX, no figure
Fermion Masses and Mixing in Extended Technicolor Models
We study fermion masses and mixing angles, including the generation of a
seesaw mechanism for the neutrinos, in extended technicolor (ETC) theories. We
formulate an approach to these problems that relies on assigning right-handed
quarks and charged leptons to ETC representations that are conjugates
of those of the corresponding left-handed fermions. This leads to a natural
suppression of these masses relative to the quarks, as well as the
generation of quark mixing angles, both long-standing challenges for ETC
theories. Standard-model-singlet neutrinos are assigned to ETC representations
that provide a similar suppression of neutrino Dirac masses, as well as the
possibility of a realistic seesaw mechanism with no mass scale above the
highest ETC scale of roughly TeV. A simple model based on the ETC group
SU(5) is constructed and analyzed. This model leads to non-trivial, but not
realistic mixing angles in the quark and lepton sectors. It can also produce
sufficiently light neutrinos, although not simultaneously with a realistic
quark spectrum. We discuss several aspects of the phenomenology of this class
of models.Comment: 74 pages, revtex with embedded figure
Phases of Chiral Gauge Theories
We discuss the behavior of two non-supersymmetric chiral SU(N) gauge
theories, involving fermions in the symmetric and antisymmetric two-index
tensor representations respectively. In addition to global anomaly matching, we
employ a recently proposed inequality constraint on the number of effective low
energy (massless) degrees of freedom of a theory, based on the thermodynamic
free energy. Several possible zero temperature phases are consistent with the
constraints. A simple picture for the phase structure emerges if these theories
choose the phase, consistent with global anomaly matching, that minimizes the
massless degree of freedom count defined through the free energy. This idea
suggests that confinement with the preservation of the global symmetries
through the formation of massless composite fermions is in general not
preferred. While our discussion is restricted mainly to bilinear condensate
formation, higher dimensional condensates are considered for one case. We
conclude by commenting briefly on two related supersymmetric chiral theories.Comment: 23 pages, 2 figures, ReVTeX, improved forma
Trouble for MAC
We show that the next-to-leading corrections to the kernel of the gap
equation can be large and of opposite sign to the lowest order kernel, in the
presence of a gauge boson mass. This calls into question the reliability of the
Most Attractive Channel hypothesis.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, LaTe
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