Recent developments in chiral gauge theories: Approach of infinitely many fermi fields

I present the recent developments in a specific sub-field of chiral gauge theories on the lattice. This sub-field pertains to the use of infinitely many fermi fields to describe a single chiral field. In this approach, both anomalous and anomaly free theories can be discussed in equal footing. It produces the correct anomaly in the continuum limit. It has the potential to describe fermion number violating processes in the presence of a gauge field background with non-trivial topological charge on a finite lattice.Comment: 6 TeX pages: 6; Latex file, needs espcrc2.sty which is attache

Overlap formulation of Majorana--Weyl fermions

An overlap method for regularizing Majorana--Weyl fermions interacting with gauge fields is presented. A mod(2) index is introduced in relation to the anomalous violation of a discrete global chiral symmetry. Most of the paper is restricted to 2 dimensions but generalizations to 2+8k dimensions should be straightforward.Comment: 8 pages, Plain Te

Massless Composite Fermions in Two Dimensions and the Overlap

There exist chiral gauge models in two dimensions that have massless composite fermions. Two examples are presented and it is suggested that they be accepted as benchmark test-cases for generic proposals of non-perturbatively regulating chiral gauge theories in any dimension. We apply the overlap to the simpler of the two benchmarks and present the results of a numerical simulation of modest size.Comment: 12 pages, Plain TeX with epsf, 2 PS figure

Gribov Copy and Complex Phase of Chiral Determinant

We calculate the complex phase of chiral determinant by the vacuum overlap formula with configurations of two-dimensional U(1) gauge field fixed in Landau and Laplacian gauge. The complex phase fluctuates over the Gribov copies, which appear in the process of Landau gauge fixing and contain vortex-like singularities. In the Laplacian gauge, the fluctuation can be reduced and the phase can be determined uniquely. If it is used as a preconditioning for Landau gauge fixing, the most smooth configuration is obtained among the copies generated.Comment: Talk presented at LATTICE96(chiral gauge), 3 LaTeX pages with 5 postscript figures, need espcrc2.sty(included

Interacting staggered domain wall fermions

The behavior of staggered domain wall fermions in the presence of gauge fields is presented. In particular, their response to gauge fields with nontrivial topology is discussed.Comment: Lattice2002(Chiral) proceedings, LaTeX, 3 pages 2 eps figure

A numerical test of the continuum index theorem on the lattice

The overlap formalism of chiral fermions provides a tool to measure the index, Q, of the chiral Dirac operator in a fixed gauge field background on the lattice. This enables a numerical measurement of the probability distribution, p(Q), in Yang-Mills theories. We have obtained an estimate for p(Q) in pure SU(2) gauge theory by measuring Q on 140 independent gauge field configurations generated on a 12^4 lattice using the standard single plaquette Wilson action at a coupling of beta=2.4. This distribution is in good agreement with a recent measurement [8] of the distribution of the topological charge on the same lattice using the same coupling and the same lattice gauge action. In particular we find =3.3(4) to be compared with = 3.9(5) found in [8]. The good agreement between the two distributions is an indication that the continuum index theorem can be carried over in a probabilistic sense on to the lattice.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures, plain TeX, uses eps

Large N QCD -- Continuum reduction

Numerical evidence combined with Eguchi-Kawai reduction indicate that there are no finite volumes effects in the large N limit of QCD as long as the linear extent of the four-torus is bigger than a critical size. This is referred to as continuum reduction. Since fermions in the fundamental representation are naturally quenched in the large N limit, as long as we only have a finite number of flavors, continuum reduction provides us with the exciting possibility to numerically solve large N QCD using chiral fermions and present day computers.Comment: 7 pages, 11 figures, uses espcrc2.sty file, contribution to the LHP2003 workshop held in Cairns, Australi

A simulation of the Schwinger model in the overlap formalism

In the continuum, the single flavor massless Schwinger model has an exact global axial $U(1)$ symmetry in the sector of perturbative gauge fields. This symmetry is explicitly broken by gauge fields with nonzero topological charge inducing a nonzero expectation value for the bilinear $\bar\psi\psi$. We show that a lattice formulation of this model, using the overlap formalism to treat the massless fermions, explicitly exhibits this phenomenon. A Monte Carlo simulation of the complete system yields the correct value of the fermion condensate and shows unambiguously that it originates from the sector of topological charge equal to unity.Comment: Plain TeX file, 9 pages

Evidence for fractional topological charge in SU(2) pure Yang-Mills theory

We investigate the spectral flows of the hermitian Wilson-Dirac operator in the fundamental and adjoint representations on two ensembles of pure SU(2) gauge field configurations at the same physical volume. We find several background gauge field configurations where the index of the hermitian Wilson-Dirac operator in the adjoint representation is not four times the index in the fundamental representation. This could imply a topological basis for the gluino condensate in supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories.Comment: 6 pages latex with 1 postscript figure included by eps

Investigation of temperature and concentration oscillations in the directional solidification of Pb-Sn-Te

Directional solidification of the pseudobinary compound semiconductor material Pb sub 1-x Sn sub x Te by the Bridgman crystal growth process will be studied. Natural convection in the molten sample will be visualized with a novel electrochemical cell technique that employs the solid electrolyte material yttria-stabilized zirconia. Mass transfer by both diffusion and convection will be measured by detecting the motion of oxygen tracer in the liquid. Additional applications for electrochemical cells in semiconductor crystal growth are suggested. Unsteady convection in the melt will also be detected by the appearance of temperature oscillations. The purpose of this study is to experimentally characterize the overstable conditions for a Pb sub 1-x Sn sub x Te melt in the vertical Bridgman crystal growth technique and use a linear analysis to predict the onset of convection for this system