The radiation gauge static potential for non-abelian gauge fields

The static potential between a fermion and an anti-fermion in a group singlet state is calculated, through two loops, in the radiation gauge first order formalism. The results of this calculation imply that the Coulomb propagator is not sufficient to determine the static potential: a new function of the coupling constant α_s(?t) is also required.     

Manifest gauge and Poincaré covariance

Manifest gauge invariance is known to be incompatible with manifest Poincaré covariance (Strocchi's theorem). By extending the notion of gauge invariance to that of gauge covariance, we circumvent that incompatibility, at least for free electromagnetic potentials. In the new formulation the potentials, A_G, for all permissible gauges G. act on a common Hilbert space. This formulation is shown to be inequivalent to the more conventional ones. (In particular, the Coulomb gauge is now inaccessible.) The abstract gauges G are represented by c-number potentials V_G, which play a central role in the theory. Even without interaction, they obey a field equation with a source, and thus they anticipate the existence of electric charges.     

Quantum electrodynamics in the temporal gauge

We canonically quantize electrodynamics in the temporal gauge A₀ = 0. Realizing commutation relations in a Hilbert space containing unphysical longitudinal photons, we pay special attention to the implementation of Gauss's law and the attendant normalization difficulties for physical states. We then formulate the perturbation series and explicitly exhibit equivalence with the standard textbook treatment of the Coulomb gauge.     

An improved mean field approach to the phase structure in ZN gauge theory in four dimensions

We extend the mean field approximation scheme to include the effect of fluctuation of the gauge field. As a consequence, we successfully obtain for the Z_N theory (N > 5) the phase transition which separates the Coulomb phase from the ordered phase, as well as that separating the Coulomb and disordered phases. The former transition shows characteristics of higher-order phase transitions.     

Coulomb gauge vacua of SU(3) gauge theory

SU(3) gauge field theory is studied in the Coulomb gauge, and the topologically distinct, but gauge equivalent, vacuum configurations are analysed. Considering the gauge transformations of the form U ε U(2) ?SU(3)/U(2), we have obtained a new class of vacuum fields characterized by the topological quantum number η = ±1.     

Quark trapping for lattice U(1) gauge fields

We show for lattice U(1) gauge fields in d = 3 dimensions, that 〈exp(i∮_CAdx)〉 ? exp (? const.T lnL), where C is a rectangle of dimension T × L, T ? L. This indicates quark trapping, by a potential at least as strong as Coulomb.     

The propagator in the A0 = 0 gauge

We compute the Wilson loop in the A₀ = 0 gauge for abelian and non-abelian theories. We find to fourth order that only two choices for the longitudinal propagator are consistent with the results obtained in the Feynman and Coulomb gauges. In particular the principal value presciption does not work.     

Dynamical supersymmetry breaking and gauge anomalies

Some aspects of supersymmetric gauge theories and discussed. It is shown that dynamical supersymmetry breaking does not occur in supersymmetric QED in higher dimensions. The cancellation of both local (perturbative) and global (non-perturbative) gauge anomalies are also discussed in supersymmetric gauge theories. We argue that there is no dynamical supersymmetry breaking in higher dimensions in any supersymmetric gauge theories free of gauge anomalies. It is also shown that for supersymmetric gauge theories in higher dimensions with a compact connected simple gauge group, when the local anomaly-free condition is satisfied, there can be at most a possibleZ ₂ global gauge anomaly in extended supersymmetricSO(10) (or spin (10)) gauge theories inD=10 dimensions containing additional Weyl fermions in a spinor representation ofSO(10) (or spin (10)). In four dimensions with local anomaly-free condition satisfied, the only possible global gauge anomalies in supersymmetric gauge theories areZ ₂ global gauge anomalies for extended supersymmetricSP(2N) (N=rank) gauge theories containing additional Weyl fermions in a representation ofSP(2N) with an odd 2nd-order Dynkin index.     

Chemical potentials in gauge theories

One-loop calculations of the thermodynamic potential Ω are presented for temperature gauge and non-gauge theories. Prototypical formulae are derived which give Ω as a function of both (i) boson and/or fermion chemical potential, and in the case of gauge theories (ii) the thermal vacuum parameter A₀=const (A_μ is the euclidean gauge potential). From these basic abelian gauge theory formulae, the one-loop contribution to Ω can readily be constructed for Yang-Mills theories, and also for non-gauge theories.     

Exact analysis of Coulomb gauge vacuum degeneracies in (2 + 1) dimensions

The solutions of the two-dimensional euclidean σ-model provide an infinite number of pure gauge field configurations satisfying the Coulomb gauge condition, in (2 + 1) dimensions. For vacuum gauge fields associated with finite action instanton solutions of the σ-model, we find that the winding number n configuration leads to n negative eigenvalues for the ghost operator, up to a finite calculable degeneracy.     

Hidden local gauge invariance in integrable magnetic chains

It is shown that local gauge transformations preserve the integrability of one-dimensional quantum Heisenberg chains. Abelian U(1) gauge transformations associated to z-rotations appear in the XXZ model which is worked out in detail. The exact energy spectrum derived by the Bethe ansatz turns out to be gauge-invariant whereas the eigenvectors are explicitly gauge-dependent. Isotropic XXX chains exhibit SU(2) ⊗ Z₂ gauge invariance properties and anisotropic XYZ chains possess discrete Z₂ ⊗ Z₂ gauge invariance.     

Lorentz gauge and Gribov ambiguity in the compact lattice U(1) theory

The Gribov ambiguity problem is studied for compact U(1) lattice theory within the Lorentz gauge. In the Coulomb phase, it is shown that apart from double Dirac sheets Gribov copies originate mainly from zero-momentum modes of the gauge fields. The removal of the zero-momentum modes is necessary for reaching the absolute maximum of the Lorentz gauge functional.     

Asymptotic constraint for chiral condensation of Coulomb gauge QCD

We study the³ P ₀ quark-antiquark pair condensation in QCD, representing the gluon-interaction approximately by instantaneous Coulomb plus Breit potential. Particular attention is paid to non-uniqueness of the solution of the gap equation. The genuine dynamical solution can be characterized by a rapidly convergent behavior at large momentum, as was recognized in covariant formulations of Landau gauge. We impose the required behavior and make a numerical study of the chiral condensation.     

A minimal gauge inflation model

In this paper, we present a gauge inflation model based on the orbifold M_4×S~1/Z_2 with non-Abelian SU(2) gauge symmetry, which is probably the simplest model in this category. As the inflaton potential is fully radiatively generated exclusively by gauge self-interactions, the model is predictive; thus, it is protected by gauge symmetry itself, without the introduction of any additional matter fields or arbitrary interactions. We show that the model fully agrees with the recent cosmological observations within the controlled perturbative regime of gauge interactions, g4≤1/(2πRMP), with the compactification radius(10 ≤ RMP ≤ 100): the expected magnitude of the curvature perturbation power spectrum and the value of the corresponding spectral index are in perfect agreement with the recent observations. The model also predicts a large fraction of the gravitational waves, negligible nonGaussianity, and a sufficiently high reheating temperature.     

A quasi-temporal gauge

We prove that a complete fixing of the temporal gauge,A _o =0, in which one imposesa subsidiary gauge condition, such as, for instance ?_i A _i (x,t ₀) = 0 leads to consistent formulation of the theory with simple Feynman rulesand a well defined gluon propagator. The correct exponentiation of the time dependence of the Wilson loop has been checked to occur up to order g⁴.     

Gauge transformations and quantum mechanics II. Physical interpretation of classical gauge transformations

New gauges are introduced. The potentials, vector and scalar, in these gauges are obtained in closed forms by the Green's function method. These closed form solutions are explicity expressed only in terms of the charge and current densities. The physical interpretation is on how potentials propagate from the charge and current densities. The Coulomb gauge and the Lorentz gauge are special cases of a new gauge defined in this paper. It is called the complete α-Lorentz gauge. The scalar potential propagates at speed αc from the charge density for any positive α. When α is one, the usual solutions for the Lorentz gauge are recovered. When α is not one, our results show that, in order to satisfy the requirement that electromagnetic fields be gauge invariant and in order to conform to Maxwell's interpretation that electromagnetic fields propagate at speed c from the charge and current densities (we only consider the vacuum), the vector potential must contain two mathematically and physically independent gradient components. Furthermore, one such component must propagate at speed αc while the other must at speed c from charge and current densities. Our discussions on the Coulomb gauge are based on the results obtained by letting α go to (positive) infinity. Guided by Maxwell's interpretation, we introduce a new decomposition of the vector potential in the Lorentz gauge into a longitudinal and a transverse component. For an arbitrary charge and current distribution, it is shown that the transverse component will generate all the fields only in the radiation zone. However, for a point charged particle, the transverse component only generates the “free fields”everywhere in the instantaneous rest frame of the charged particle.     

Direct evidence for a Coulombic phase in monopole-suppressed SU(2) lattice gauge theory

Further evidence is presented for the existence of a non-confining phase at weak coupling in SU(2) lattice gauge theory. Using Monte Carlo simulations with the standard Wilson action, gauge-invariant SO(3)–Z2 monopoles, which are strong-coupling lattice artifacts, have been seen to undergo a percolation transition exactly at the phase transition previously seen using Coulomb gauge methods, with an infinite lattice critical point near β=3.2$\beta =3.2$. The theory with both Z2 vortices and monopoles and SO(3)–Z2 monopoles eliminated is simulated in the strong-coupling (β=0$\beta =0$) limit on lattices up to 60⁴. Here, as in the high-β phase of the Wilson-action theory, finite size scaling shows it spontaneously breaks the remnant symmetry left over after Coulomb gauge fixing. Such a symmetry breaking precludes the potential from having a linear term. The monopole restriction appears to prevent the transition to a confining phase at any β  . Direct measurement of the instantaneous Coulomb potential shows a Coulombic form with moderately running coupling possibly approaching an infrared fixed point of α∼1.4$\alpha \sim 1.4$. The Coulomb potential is measured to 50 lattice spacings and 2 fm. A short-distance fit to the 2-loop perturbative potential is used to set the scale. High precision at such long distances is made possible through the use of open boundary conditions, which was previously found to cut random and systematic errors of the Coulomb gauge fixing procedure dramatically. The Coulomb potential agrees with the gauge-invariant interquark potential measured with smeared Wilson loops on periodic lattices as far as the latter can be practically measured with similar statistics data.