Nonperturbative QCD, gauge-fixing, Gribov copies, and the lattice

Perturbative QCD uses the Faddeev-Popov gauge-fixing procedure, which leads to ghosts and the local BRST invariance of the gauge-fixed perturbative QCD action. In the asymptotic regime, where perturbative QCD is relevant, Gribov copies can be neglected. In the nonperturbative regime, one must adopt either a nonlocal Gribov-copy free gauge (e.g., Laplacian gauge) or attempt to maintain local BRST invariance at the expense of admitting Gribov copies. These issues are explored. In addition, we discuss the relationship between recent Dyson-Schwinger based model calculations of the infrared behavior of QCD Green's functions and the lattice calculation of these quantities.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Prog. Theor. Phys. Suppl. in the proceedings of the Tokyo-Adelaide Joint Workshop on Quarks, Astrophysics and Space Physic

SOLVING THE BETHE--SALPETER EQUATION IN MINKOWSKI SPACE: SCALAR THEORIES

The Bethe-Salpeter (BS) equation for scalar-scalar bound states in scalar theories without derivative coupling is formulated and solved in Minkowski space. This is achieved using the perturbation theory integral representation (PTIR), which allows these amplitudes to be expressed as integrals over weight functions and known singularity structures and hence allows us to convert the BS equation into an integral equation involving weight functions. We obtain numerical solutions using this formalism for a number of scattering kernels to illustrate the generality of the approach. It applies even when the na\"{\i}ve Wick rotation is invalid. As a check we verify, for example, that this method applied to the special case of the massive ladder exchange kernel reproduces the same results as are obtained by Wick rotation.Comment: 8 pages, regular latex, no figures. Entire manuscript available as a ps file at http://www.physics.adelaide.edu.au/theory/home.html Also available via anonymous ftp at ftp://adelphi.adelaide.edu.au/pub/theory/ADP-95-28.T182.p

Gravitational waves and electroweak baryogenesis in a global study of the extended scalar singlet model

We perform a global fit of the extended scalar singlet model with a fermionic dark matter (DM) candidate. Using the most up-to-date results from the $\mathit{Planck}$ measured DM relic density, direct detection limits from the XENON1T (2018) experiment, electroweak precision observables and Higgs searches at colliders, we constrain the 7-dimensional model parameter space. We also find regions in the model parameter space where a successful electroweak baryogenesis (EWBG) can be viable. This allows us to compute the gravitational wave (GW) signals arising from the phase transition, and discuss the potential discovery prospects of the model at current and future GW experiments. Our global fit places a strong upper $\mathit{and}$ lower limit on the second scalar mass, the fermion DM mass and the scalar-fermion DM coupling. In agreement with previous studies, we find that our model can simultaneously yield a strong first-order phase transition and saturate the observed DM abundance. More importantly, the GW spectra of viable points can often be within reach of future GW experiments such as LISA, DECIGO and BBO.Comment: 42 pages, 10 figures and 2 tables; v2: updated references, submitted to JHEP; v3: corrected typos and updated references, matches version published in JHE

LUX likelihood and limits on spin-independent and spin-dependent WIMP couplings with LUXCalc

We present LUXCalc, a new utility for calculating likelihoods and deriving WIMP-nucleon coupling limits from the recent results of the LUX direct search dark matter experiment. After a brief review of WIMP-nucleon scattering, we derive LUX limits on the spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon couplings over a broad range of WIMP masses, under standard assumptions on the relevant astrophysical parameters. We find that, under these and other common assumptions, LUX excludes the entire spin-dependent parameter space consistent with a dark matter interpretation of DAMA's anomalous signal, the first time a single experiment has been able to do so. We also revisit the case of spin-independent couplings, and demonstrate good agreement between our results and the published LUX results. Finally, we derive constraints on the parameters of an effective dark matter theory in which a spin-1 mediator interacts with a fermionic WIMP and Standard Model fermions via axial-vector couplings. A detailed appendix describes the use of LUXCalc with standard codes to place constraints on generic dark matter theories.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures. Software package included as ancillary files. v2: added references, Baksan limits. v3: clarifications and small corrections, results unchange

The quark propagator in momentum space

The quark propagator is calculated in the Landau gauge at beta=6.0. A method for removing the dominant, tree-level lattice artefacts is presented, enabling a calculation of the momentum-dependent dynamical quark mass.Comment: LATTICE 99(spectrum), 3 pages, 3 figure

Bosonic stringlike behavior and the Ultraviolet filtering of QCD

The gluonic action density is calculated in static mesons at finite temperature just below the deconfinement point. Our focus is to elucidate the role of vacuum ultraviolet fluctuations which are filtered using an improved smearing algorithm. In the intermediate source separation distance, where the free string picture poorly describes the flux tube width profile, we find upon reducing the vacuum action towards the classical instanton vacuum, the characteristics of the flux tube converge and compare favorably with the predictions of the free bosonic string. This result establishes a connection between the free string action and vacuum gauge fields and reveals the important role of ultraviolet physics in understanding the lattice data at this temperature scale. As a by-product of these calculations, we find the broadening of the QCD flux tube to be independent of the ultraviolet filtering at large distances. Our results exhibit a linearly divergent pattern in agreement with the string picture predictions.Comment: 8 pages, 8 Figures, 1 Tabl

Searching for low-lying multi-particle thresholds in lattice spectroscopy

We explore the Euclidean-time tails of odd-parity nucleon correlation functions in a search for the S-wave pion-nucleon scattering-state threshold contribution. The analysis is performed using 2+1 flavor 32^3 x 64 PACS-CS gauge configurations available via the ILDG. Correlation matrices composed with various levels of fermion source/sink smearing are used to project low-lying states. The consideration of 25,600 fermion propagators reveals the presence of more than one state in what would normally be regarded as an eigenstate-projected correlation function. This observation is in accord with the scenario where the eigenstates contain a strong mixing of single and multi-particle states but only the single particle component has a strong coupling to the interpolating field. Employing a two-exponential fit to the eigenvector-projected correlation function, we are able to confirm the presence of two eigenstates. The lower-lying eigenstate is consistent with a N-pi scattering threshold and has a relatively small coupling to the three-quark interpolating field. We discuss the impact of this small scattering-state contamination in the eigenvector projected correlation function on previous results presented in the literature.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures. Manuscript accepted for publicatio