The Replica Method and Toda Lattice Equations for QCD_3

We consider the epsilon-regime of QCD in 3 dimensions. It is shown that the leading term of the effective partition function satisfies a set of Toda lattice equations, recursive in the number of flavors. Taking the replica limit of these Toda equations allows us to derive the microscopic spectral correlation functions for the QCD Dirac operator in 3 dimensions. For an even number of flavors we reproduce known results derived using other techniques. In the case of an odd number of flavors the theory has a severe sign problem, and we obtain previously unknown microscopic spectral correlation functions.Comment: 18 pages, 2 figure

Topology and the Dirac Operator Spectrum in Finite-Volume Gauge Theories

The interplay between between gauge-field winding numbers, theta-vacua, and the Dirac operator spectrum in finite-volume gauge theories is reconsidered. To assess the weight of each topological sector, we compare the mass-dependent chiral condensate in gauge field sectors of fixed topological index with the answer obtained by summing over the topological charge. Also the microscopic Dirac operator spectrum in the full finite-volume Yang-Mills theory is obtained in this way, by summing over all topological sectors with the appropriate weight.Comment: LaTeX, 21 pages. One reference adde

Meson Correlation Functions in the epsilon-Regime

We present a numerical pilot study of the meson correlation functions in the epsilon-regime of chiral perturbation theory. Based on simulations with overlap fermions we measured the axial and pseudo-scalar correlation functions, and we discuss the implications for the leading low energy constants in the chiral Lagrangian.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, talk presented at Lattice2003(chiral

Simulating chiral quarks in the epsilon-regime of QCD

We present simulation results for lattice QCD with chiral fermions in small volumes, where the epsilon-expansion of chiral perturbation theory applies. Our data for the low lying Dirac eigenvalues, as well as mesonic correlation functions, are in agreement with analytical predictions. This allows us to extract values for the leading Low Energy Constants F_{pi} and Sigma.Comment: 4 pages, talk presented by W.B. at Baryons04 (Paris, October 25 - 29, 2004); one Ref. adde

Chiral symmetry breaking at large N_c

We present numerical evidence for the hypothesis that, in the planar limit, four dimensional Euclidean Yang-Mills theory on a finite symmetrical four-torus breaks chiral symmetry spontaneously when the length of the sides l is larger than a critical value l_c with a bilinear condensate whose value is independent of l. Therefore spontaneous symmetry breaking occurs at finite volume and infinite N_c reduction holds for the chiral condensate.Comment: 43 pages, 16 figures, 1 table, more typos correcte

Random Matrix Theory for the Hermitian Wilson Dirac Operator and the chGUE-GUE Transition

We introduce a random two-matrix model interpolating between a chiral Hermitian (2n+nu)x(2n+nu) matrix and a second Hermitian matrix without symmetries. These are taken from the chiral Gaussian Unitary Ensemble (chGUE) and Gaussian Unitary Ensemble (GUE), respectively. In the microscopic large-n limit in the vicinity of the chGUE (which we denote by weakly non-chiral limit) this theory is in one to one correspondence to the partition function of Wilson chiral perturbation theory in the epsilon regime, such as the related two matrix-model previously introduced in refs. [20,21]. For a generic number of flavours and rectangular block matrices in the chGUE part we derive an eigenvalue representation for the partition function displaying a Pfaffian structure. In the quenched case with nu=0,1 we derive all spectral correlations functions in our model for finite-n, given in terms of skew-orthogonal polynomials. The latter are expressed as Gaussian integrals over standard Laguerre polynomials. In the weakly non-chiral microscopic limit this yields all corresponding quenched eigenvalue correlation functions of the Hermitian Wilson operator.Comment: 27 pages, 4 figures; v2 typos corrected, published versio

Exact Vacuum Energy of Orbifold Lattice Theories

We investigate the orbifold lattice theories constructed from supersymmetric Yang-Mills matrix theories (mother theories) with four and eight supercharges. We show that the vacuum energy of these theories does not receive any quantum correction perturbatively.Comment: 14 pages, no figure, LaTeX2e, typos corrected, errors in references corrected, comments adde

Smallest Dirac Eigenvalue Distribution from Random Matrix Theory

We derive the hole probability and the distribution of the smallest eigenvalue of chiral hermitian random matrices corresponding to Dirac operators coupled to massive quarks in QCD. They are expressed in terms of the QCD partition function in the mesoscopic regime. Their universality is explicitly related to that of the microscopic massive Bessel kernel.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, REVTeX. Minor typos in subscripts corrected. Version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Universal and non-universal behavior in Dirac spectra

We have computed ensembles of complete spectra of the staggered Dirac operator using four-dimensional SU(2) gauge fields, both in the quenched approximation and with dynamical fermions. To identify universal features in the Dirac spectrum, we compare the lattice data with predictions from chiral random matrix theory for the distribution of the low-lying eigenvalues. Good agreement is found up to some limiting energy, the so-called Thouless energy, above which random matrix theory no longer applies. We determine the dependence of the Thouless energy on the simulation parameters using the scalar susceptibility and the number variance.Comment: LATTICE98(confine), 9 pages, 11 figure

Mesoscopic QCD and the Theta Vacua

The partition function of QCD is analyzed for an arbitrary number of flavors, N_f, and arbitrary quark masses including the contributions from all topological sectors in the Leutwyler--Smilga regime. For given N_f and arbitrary vacuum angle, \theta, the partition function can be reduced to N_f-2 angular integrations of single Bessel functions. For two and three flavors, the \theta dependence of the QCD vacuum is studied in detail. For N_f= 2 and 3, the chiral condensate decreases monotonically as \theta increases from zero to \pi and the chiral condensate develops a cusp at \theta=\pi for degenerate quark masses in the macroscopic limit. We find a discontinuity at \theta=\pi in the first derivative of the energy density with respect to \theta for degenerate quark masses. This corresponds to the first--order phase transition in which CP is spontaneously broken, known as Dashen's phenomena.Comment: 31 pages, revtex, 10 figures, final version to appear in Nucl. Phys.