Wilsonian flows and background fields

We study exact renormalisation group flows for background field dependent regularisations. It is shown that proper-time flows are approximations to exact background field flows for a specific class of regulators. We clarify the role of the implicit scale dependence introduced by the background field. Its impact on the flow is evaluated numerically for scalar theories at criticality for different approximations and regularisations. Implications for gauge theories are discussed.Comment: 12 pages, v2: references added. to appear in PL

Fixed points of quantum gravity in extra dimensions

We study quantum gravity in more than four dimensions with renormalisation group methods. We find a non-trivial ultraviolet fixed point in the Einstein-Hilbert action. The fixed point connects with the perturbative infrared domain through finite renormalisation group trajectories. We show that our results for fixed points and related scaling exponents are stable. If this picture persists at higher order, quantum gravity in the metric field is asymptotically safe. We discuss signatures of the gravitational fixed point in models with low-scale gravity and compact extra dimensions.Comment: Wording sharpened, refs added, to appear in PL

Critical exponents from optimised renormalisation group flows

Within the exact renormalisation group, the scaling solutions for O(N) symmetric scalar field theories are studied to leading order in the derivative expansion. The Gaussian fixed point is examined for d>2 dimensions and arbitrary infrared regularisation. The Wilson-Fisher fixed point in d=3 is studied using an optimised flow. We compute critical exponents and subleading corrections-to-scaling to high accuracy from the eigenvalues of the stability matrix at criticality for all N. We establish that the optimisation is responsible for the rapid convergence of the flow and polynomial truncations thereof. The scheme dependence of the leading critical exponent is analysed. For all N > 0, it is found that the leading exponent is bounded. The upper boundary is achieved for a Callan-Symanzik flow and corresponds, for all N, to the large-N limit. The lower boundary is achieved by the optimised flow and is closest to the physical value. We show the reliability of polynomial approximations, even to low orders, if they are accompanied by an appropriate choice for the regulator. Possible applications to other theories are outlined.Comment: 34 pages, 15 figures, revtex, to appear in NP

Gauge invariance and background field formalism in the exact renormalisation group

We discuss gauge symmetry and Ward-Takahashi identities for Wilsonian flows in pure Yang-Mills theories. The background field formalism is used for the construction of a gauge invariant effective action. The symmetries of the effective action under gauge transformations for both the gauge field and the auxiliary background field are separately evaluated. We examine how the symmetry properties of the full theory are restored in the limit where the cut-off is removed.Comment: version to be published in PL

Convergence and stability of the renormalisation group

Within the exact renormalisation group approach, it is shown that stability properties of the flow are controlled by the choice for the regulator. Equally, the convergence of the flow is enhanced for specific optimised choices for the regularisation. As an illustration, we exemplify our reasoning for 3d scalar theories at criticality. Implications for other theories are discussed.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, uses ActaStyle.cls, invited talk given at RG2002, March 10-16, 2002, Strba, Slowaki

Derivative expansion and renormalisation group flows

We study the convergence of the derivative expansion for flow equations. The convergence strongly depends on the choice for the infrared regularisation. Based on the structure of the flow, we explain why optimised regulators lead to better physical predictions. This is applied to O(N)-symmetric real scalar field theories in 3d, where critical exponents are computed for all N. In comparison to the sharp cut-off regulator, an optimised flow improves the leading order result up to 10%. An analogous reasoning is employed for a proper time renormalisation group. We compare our results with those obtained by other methods.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure

Transport theory and low energy properties of colour superconductors

The one-loop polarisation tensor and the propagation of ``in-medium'' photons of colour superconductors in the 2SC and CFL phase is discussed. For a study of thermal corrections to the low energy effective theory in the 2SC phase, a classical transport theory for fermionic quasiparticles is invoked.Comment: 5 pages, talk given at the International Conference on "Statistical QCD", Bielefeld, August 26-30, 200

Renormalization-Group flow for the field strength in scalar self-interacting theories

We consider the Renormalization-Group coupled equations for the effective potential V(\phi) and the field strength Z(\phi) in the spontaneously broken phase as a function of the infrared cutoff momentum k. In the k \to 0 limit, the numerical solution of the coupled equations, while consistent with the expected convexity property of V(\phi), indicates a sharp peaking of Z(\phi) close to the end points of the flatness region that define the physical realization of the broken phase. This might represent further evidence in favor of the non-trivial vacuum field renormalization effect already discovered with variational methods.Comment: 10 pages, 3 Figures, version accepted for publication in Phys. Lett.

On Gauge Invariance and Ward Identities for the Wilsonian Renormalisation Group

We investigate non-Abelian gauge theories within a Wilsonian Renormalisation Group approach. The cut-off term inherent in this approach leads to a modified Ward identity (mWI). It is shown that this mWI is compatible with the flow and that the full effective action satisfies the usual Ward identity (WI). The universal 1-loop beta-function is derived within this approach and the extension to the 2-loop level is briefly outlined.Comment: 4 pages, latex, talk presented by J. M. Pawlowski at QCD 98, Montpellier, July 2-8, 1998; to be published in Nucl. Phys. B (Proc. Suppl.), reference update

Photon Self-Energy in a Color Superconductor

In a color superconductor the diquark condensates break spontaneously both the color and ordinary electromagnetism, leaving a remanining rotated U(1) symmetry unbroken. The gauge interactions associated to this rotated symmetry may be considered as the in-medium electromagnetism. We compute the in-medium photon self-energy in the presence of diquark condensates at high baryonic density and weak coupling. This is done to one-loop order for the cases of two and three quark flavors. For vanishing temperature, a detailed discussion is given of the low momentum behavior of the photon polarization tensor. A simple physical picture for the propagation of light in color superconducting media is obtained. The main new effect is due to the diquark condensates, which lead to a strong dielectric constant of the medium. The magnetic permeability remains unchanged, because the primary condensates have vanishing spin and angular momentum. In the two flavor case, an additional contribution arises due to gapless quarks and electrons, which is responsible for Debye screening effects. We also discuss the low energy effective theory for the three flavor case in the presence of electromagnetic interactions.Comment: 26 pages, 4 postscript figures, appendix added, to appear in PR