Exploring arbitrarily high orders of optimized perturbation theory in QCD with nf -> 16.5

Perturbative QCD with nf flavours of massless quarks becomes simple in the hypothetical limit nf -> 16.5, where the leading beta-function coefficient vanishes. The Banks-Zaks (BZ) expansion in a0=(8/321)(16.5-nf) is straightforward to obtain from perturbative results in MSbar or any renormalization scheme (RS) whose nf dependence is `regular.' However, `irregular' RS's are perfectly permissible and should ultimately lead to the same BZ results. We show here that the `optimal' RS determined by the Principle of Minimal Sensitivity does yield the same BZ-expansion results when all orders of perturbation theory are taken into account. The BZ limit provides an arena for exploring optimized perturbation theory at arbitrarily high orders. These explorations are facilitated by a `master equation' expressing the optimization conditions in the fixed-point limit. We find an intriguing strong/weak coupling duality a -> a*^2/a about the fixed point a*.Comment: 32 pages, 4 figure

The lambda Phi^4 Miracle: lattice data and the zero-point potential

Recent lattice data for the effective potential of lambda Phi^4 theory fits the massless one-loop formula with amazing precision. Any corrections are at least 100 times smaller than is reasonable, perturbatively. This is strong evidence for the "exactness conjecture" of Consoli and Stevenson.Comment: 6 pages, LaTe

Low-Energy Heavy-Ion Reactions and the Skyrme Effective Interaction

The Skyrme effective interaction, with its multitude of parameterisations, along with its implemen- tation using the static and time-dependent density functional (TDHF) formalism have allowed for a range of microscopic calculations of low-energy heavy-ion collisions. These calculations allow variation of the effective interaction along with an interpretation of the results of this variation informed by a comparison to experimental data. Initial progress in implementing TDHF for heavy-ion collisions necessarily used many approximations in the geometry or the interaction. Over the last decade or so, the implementations have overcome all restrictions, and studies have begun to be made where details of the effective interaction are being probed. This review surveys these studies in low energy heavy-ion reactions, finding significant effects on observables from the form of the spin-orbit interaction, the use of the tensor force, and the inclusion of time-odd terms in the density functional.Comment: submitted to Prog. Part. Nucl. Phy