Dyson-Schwinger Equations: An Instrument for Hadron Physics

Dyson-Schwinger equations furnish a Poincare' covariant approach to hadron physics. They reveal that dynamical chiral symmetry breaking is tied to the long-range behaviour of the strong interaction and make predictions corroborated by modern lattice-QCD simulations. A hallmark in the contemporary use of DSEs is the existence of a nonperturbative, symmetry preserving truncation that enables the proof of exact results. The systematic error associated with the truncation's leading term has been quantified and this underpins an efficacious one-parameter model that is being employed to study meson excited states.Comment: 9 pages; LaTeX2e; Contribution to proceedings of "17th International Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics," Duke University/TUNL, 5-10/June/200

Facets of confinement and dynamical chiral symmetry breaking

The gap equation is a cornerstone in understanding dynamical chiral symmetry breaking and may also provide clues to confinement. A symmetry-preserving truncation of its kernel enables proofs of important results and the development of an efficacious phenomenology. We describe a model of the kernel that yields: a momentum-dependent dressed-quark propagator in fair agreement with quenched lattice-QCD results; and chiral limit values: f_pi= 68 MeV and = -(190 MeV)^3. It is compared with models inferred from studies of the gauge sector.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures; contribution to the proceedings of Quark Nuclear Physics (QNP 2002), Juelich, Germany, 9-14 Jun 200

Confinement, DCSB, Bound States, and the Quark-Gluon Vertex

Aspects of the dressed-quark-gluon vertex and their role in the gap and Bethe-Salpeter equations are briefly surveyed using an intuitive model. The model allows one to elucidate why a linear extrapolation to the chiral limit of extant lattice data on the dressed-quark mass-function overestimates this function and hence the value of the vacuum quark condensate. The diagrammatic content of the vertex described is explicitly enumerable. This property is essential to the symmetry preserving study of bound state properties. It facilitates a realistic analysis of vector and pseudoscalar meson masses, and also allows the accuracy of standard truncations to be gauged. The splitting between vector and pseudoscalar meson masses is observed to vanish as the current-quark mass increases. That argues for the mass of the pseudoscalar partner of the Upsilon(1S) to be above 9.4GeV. Moreover, in this limit the rainbow-ladder truncation provides an increasingly accurate estimate of a bound state's mass.Comment: 6 pages, Contribution to the Proceedings of "QCD Down Under", Special Centre for the Subatomic Structure of Matter, University of Adelaide, 10-19/March/200

Theory and Phenomenology of Hadrons

This Dyson-Schwinger equation (DSE) aperc,u highlights recent applications to mesons. It reports features of, and results for, pseudoscalar and scalar bound-state residues in vacuum polarisations, and exhibits how a restoration of chiral symmetry in meson trajectories could be manifest in a relationship between them. It also touches on nucleon studies, emphasising the importance of both scalar and axial-vector diquark correlations, and reporting the calculation of mu_n G_E^n(Q^2)/G_M^n(Q^2). The value of respecting symmetries, including Poincare' covariance, is stressed.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, contribution to proceedings of "18th International IUPAP Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics," Santos, Brazil, August 21-26, 200

Mind the gap

In this summary of the application of Dyson-Schwinger equations to the theory and phenomenology of hadrons, some deductions following from a nonperturbative, symmetry-preserving truncation are highlighted, notable amongst which are results for pseudoscalar mesons. We also describe inferences from the gap equation relating to the radius of convergence of a chiral expansion, applications to heavy-light and heavy-heavy mesons, and quantitative estimates of the contribution of quark orbital angular momentum in pseudoscalar mesons; and recapitulate upon studies of nucleon electromagnetic form factors.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures. Contribution to Proceedings of 4th International Conference on Quarks and Nuclear Physics (QNP06), Madrid, Spain, 5-10 Jun 200

Strong Decays of Light Vector Mesons

The vector meson strong decays rho-->pi pi, phi-->KK, and K^star-->pi K are studied within a covariant approach based on the ladder-rainbow truncation of the QCD Dyson--Schwinger equation for the quark propagator and the Bethe--Salpeter equation for the mesons. The model preserves the one-loop behavior of QCD in the ultraviolet, has two infrared parameters, and implements quark confinement and dynamical chiral symmetry breaking. The 3-point decay amplitudes are described in impulse approximation. The Bethe--Salpeter study motivates a method for estimating the masses for heavier mesons within this model without continuing the propagators into the complex plane. We test the accuracy via the rho, phi and K^{star} masses and then produce estimates of the model results for the a_1 and b_1 masses as well as the mass of the proposed exotic vector pi_1(1400).Comment: Submitted for publication; 10x2-column pages, REVTEX 4, 3 .eps files making 3fig

Analysis of Yield Spreads on Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities

Yield spreads on commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) are defined as the difference between the yield on CMBS and the yield on comparable-maturity Treasuries. CMBS yield spreads declined dramatically from 1992 until 1997, then increased in 1998 and 1999. The relationship between CMBS yield spreads and other variables is estimated in an effort to explain recent trends. Results identify several variables that are related to yield spreads on both fixed-rate and variable-rate CMBS. However, even after controlling for other observable factors, the yield spread on CMBS still declined from 1992 until 1997, then increased each of the next two years. Possible explanations for this phenomenon are explored.

K_{l3} transition form factors

The rainbow truncation of the quark Dyson-Schwinger equation is combined with the ladder Bethe-Salpeter equation for the meson bound state amplitudes and the dressed quark-W vertex in a manifestly covariant calculation of the K_{l3} transition form factors and decay width in impulse approximation. With model gluon parameters previously fixed by the chiral condensate, the pion mass and decay constant, and the kaon mass, our results for the K_{l3} form factors and the kaon semileptonic decay width are in good agreement with the experimental data.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, Revte