A study of the gauge invariant, nonlocal mass operator Tr∫d4xFμν(D2)−1FμνTr \int d^4x F_{\mu\nu}(D^2)^{-1} F_{\mu\nu} in Yang-Mills theories

The nonlocal mass operator $Tr \int d^4x F_{\mu\nu} (D^2)^{-1} F_{\mu\nu}$ is considered in Yang-Mills theories in Euclidean space-time. It is shown that the operator $Tr \int d^4x F_{\mu\nu} (D^2)^{-1} F_{\mu\nu}$ can be cast in local form through the introduction of a set of additional fields. A local and polynomial action is thus identified. Its multiplicative renormalizability is proven by means of the algebraic renormalization in the class of linear covariant gauges. The anomalous dimensions of the fields and of the mass operator are computed at one loop order. A few remarks on the possible role of this operator for the issue of the gauge invariance of the dimension two condensates are outlined.Comment: 34 page

Three loop MSbar renormalization of QED in the 't~Hooft-Veltman gauge

Quantum electrodynamics (QED) fixed in the 't~Hooft-Veltman gauge is renormalized to three loops in the MSbar scheme. The beta-functions and anomalous dimensions are computed as functions of the usual QED coupling and the additional coupling, xi, which is introduced as part of the nonlinear gauge fixing condition. Similar to the maximal abelian gauge of quantum chromodynamics, the renormalization of the gauge parameter is singular.Comment: 8 latex page

Critical behaviour and scaling functions of the three-dimensional O(6) model

We numerically investigate the three-dimensional O(6) model on 12^3 to 120^3 lattices within the critical region at zero magnetic field, as well as at finite magnetic field on the critical isotherm and for several fixed couplings in the broken and the symmetric phase. We obtain from the Binder cumulant at vanishing magnetic field the critical coupling J_c=1.42865(3). The universal value of the Binder cumulant at this point is g_r(J_c)=-1.94456(10). At the critical coupling, the critical exponents \gamma=1.604(6), \beta=0.425(2) and \nu=0.818(5) are determined from a finite-size-scaling analysis. Furthermore, we verify predicted effects induced by massless Goldstone modes in the broken phase. The results are well described by the perturbative form of the model's equation of state. Our O(6)-result is compared to the corresponding Ising, O(2) and O(4) scaling functions. Finally, we study the finite-size-scaling behaviour of the magnetisation on the pseudocritical line.Comment: 13 pages, 20 figures, REVTEX, fixed an error in the determination of R_\chi and changed the corresponding line in figure 13

Quantum properties of a non-Abelian gauge invariant action with a mass parameter

We continue the study of a local, gauge invariant Yang-Mills action containing a mass parameter, which we constructed in a previous paper starting from the nonlocal gauge invariant mass dimension two operator F_{\mu\nu} (D^2)^{-1} F_{\mu\nu}. We return briefly to the renormalizability of the model, which can be proven to all orders of perturbation theory by embedding it in a more general model with a larger symmetry content. We point out the existence of a nilpotent BRST symmetry. Although our action contains extra (anti)commuting tensor fields and coupling constants, we prove that our model in the limit of vanishing mass is equivalent with ordinary massless Yang-Mills theories. The full theory is renormalized explicitly at two loops in the MSbar scheme and all the renormalization group functions are presented. We end with some comments on the potential relevance of this gauge model for the issue of a dynamical gluon mass generation.Comment: 17 pages. v2: version accepted for publication in Phys.Rev.

(Borel) convergence of the variationally improved mass expansion and the O(N) Gross-Neveu model mass gap

We reconsider in some detail a construction allowing (Borel) convergence of an alternative perturbative expansion, for specific physical quantities of asymptotically free models. The usual perturbative expansions (with an explicit mass dependence) are transmuted into expansions in 1/F, where $F \sim 1/g(m)$ for $m \gg \Lambda$ while $F \sim (m/\Lambda)^\alpha$ for m \lsim \Lambda, $\Lambda$ being the basic scale and $\alpha$ given by renormalization group coefficients. (Borel) convergence holds in a range of $F$ which corresponds to reach unambiguously the strong coupling infrared regime near $m\to 0$, which can define certain "non-perturbative" quantities, such as the mass gap, from a resummation of this alternative expansion. Convergence properties can be further improved, when combined with $\delta$ expansion (variationally improved perturbation) methods. We illustrate these results by re-evaluating, from purely perturbative informations, the O(N) Gross-Neveu model mass gap, known for arbitrary $N$ from exact S matrix results. Comparing different levels of approximations that can be defined within our framework, we find reasonable agreement with the exact result.Comment: 33 pp., RevTeX4, 6 eps figures. Minor typos, notation and wording corrections, 2 references added. To appear in Phys. Rev.

Two-Loop Neutrino Masses and the Solar Neutrino Problem

The addition of $m$ singlet right-handed neutrinos to the Standard Model leads to radiatively generated mass corrections for the $SU(2)_L$ doublet neutrinos. For those neutrinos which are massless at the tree level after this addition, this implies a small mass generated at the two-loop level via $W^{\pm}$ exchange. We calculate these mass corrections exactly by obtaining an analytic form for the general case of $n$ doublets and $m$ singlets. As a phenomenological application, we consider the $m=1$ case and examine the masses and mixings of the doublet neutrinos which arise as a result of the two-loop correction in the light of experimental data from two sources which may shed light on the question of neutrino masses. These are(a) the neutrino detectors reporting a solar neutrino deficit (and its resolution via Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein matter oscillations), and (b) the COBE satellite data on the non-zero angular variations of the cosmic microwave background temperature (and its possible implications for hot dark matter). Within the framework of the extension considered here, which leaves the gauge group structure of the Standard Model intact, we show that it is possible for neutrinos to acquire small masses naturally, with values which are compatible with current theoretical bias and experimental data.Comment: 24 pages, Two figures, attached as postscript files at the end, Latex, CTP-TAMU-76/93, MRI-PHY-12/93, LTH-32

Non-Equilibrium Quantum Fields in the Large N Expansion

An effective action technique for the time evolution of a closed system consisting of one or more mean fields interacting with their quantum fluctuations is presented. By marrying large $N$ expansion methods to the Schwinger-Keldysh closed time path (CTP) formulation of the quantum effective action, causality of the resulting equations of motion is ensured and a systematic, energy conserving and gauge invariant expansion about the quasi-classical mean field(s) in powers of $1/N$ developed. The general method is exposed in two specific examples, $O(N)$ symmetric scalar \l\F^4 theory and Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) with $N$ fermion fields. The \l\F^4 case is well suited to the numerical study of the real time dynamics of phase transitions characterized by a scalar order parameter. In QED the technique may be used to study the quantum non-equilibrium effects of pair creation in strong electric fields and the scattering and transport processes in a relativistic $e^+e^-$ plasma. A simple renormalization scheme that makes practical the numerical solution of the equations of motion of these and other field theories is described.Comment: 43 pages, LA-UR-94-783 (PRD, in press), uuencoded PostScrip

On the infrared behaviour of Gluons and Ghosts in Ghost-Antighost symmetric gauges

To investigate the possibility of a ghost-antighost condensate the coupled Dyson--Schwinger equations for the gluon and ghost propagators in Yang--Mills theories are derived in general covariant gauges, including ghost-antighost symmetric gauges. The infrared behaviour of these two-point functions is studied in a bare-vertex truncation scheme which has proven to be successful in Landau gauge. In all linear covariant gauges the same infrared behaviour as in Landau gauge is found: The gluon propagator is infrared suppressed whereas the ghost propagator is infrared enhanced. This infrared singular behaviour provides indication against a ghost-antighost condensate. In the ghost-antighost symmetric gauges we find that the infrared behaviour of the gluon and ghost propagators cannot be determined when replacing all dressed vertices by bare ones. The question of a BRST invariant dimension two condensate remains to be further studied.Comment: 34 pages, 6 figures, Version to be published in Phys. Rev.

Critical exponents of the Gross-Neveu model from the effective average action

The phase transition of the Gross-Neveu model with N fermions is investigated by means of a non-perturbative evolution equation for the scale dependence of the effective average action. The critical exponents and scaling amplitudes are calculated for various values of N in d=3. It is also explicitely verified that the Neveu-Yukawa model belongs to the same universality class as the Gross-Neveu model.Comment: RevTeX, 4 pages, 2 figures, 1 table. Typos corrected in equation

Polarized Parton Distribution Functions in the Nucleon

Polarized parton distribution functions are determined by using world data from the longitudinally polarized deep inelastic scattering experiments. A new parametrization of the parton distribution functions is adopted by taking into account the positivity and the counting rule. From the fit to the asymmetry data A_1, the polarized distribution functions of u and d valence quarks, sea quarks, and gluon are obtained. The results indicate that the quark spin content is \Delta\Sigma=0.20 and 0.05 in the leading order (LO) and the next-to-leading-order (NLO) MS-bar scheme, respectively. However, if x dependence of the sea-quark distribution is fixed at small x by "perturbative QCD" and Regge theory, it becomes \Delta \Sigma=0.24 ~ 0.28 in the NLO. The small-x behavior cannot be uniquely determined by the existing data, which indicates the importance of future experiments. From our analysis, we propose one set of LO distributions and two sets of NLO ones as the longitudinally-polarized parton distribution functions.Comment: 51 pages, REVTeX, aps.sty, aps12.sty, epsfig.sty, prabib.sty, revtex.sty, revtex.cls, 17 eps figures. Submitted for publication. Email: [email protected]