On the spontaneous breaking of chiral symmetry in QCD

We calculate the vacuum polarization functions of the vector and axial current for massless quarks in second-order perturbation theory. We find that, contrary to previous speculations, there is no indication, at this level, of spontaneous breaking of chiral symmetry in QCD.     

Topological fluctuations and breaking of chiral symmetry in gauge theories involving massless fermions

Using the method of Euclidean functional integrals, we show the occurrence of a certain types of chiral symmetry breaking as a result of local fluctuations in the winding number. We mainly restrict our discussion to QED₂ in order to have an independent check of our methods from the known solution of this model. We do not use instantons (pseudo-particles), and we also avoid functional integration over fields with global winding (Pontryagin) number different from zero.     

Criteria for the absence of quantum fluctuations after spontaneous symmetry breaking

The lowest-energy state of a macroscopic system in which symmetry is spontaneously broken, is a very stable wavepacket centered around a spontaneously chosen, classical direction in symmetry space. However, for a Heisenberg ferromagnet the quantum groundstate is exactly the classical groundstate, there are no quantum fluctuations. This coincides with seven exceptional properties of the ferromagnet, including spontaneous time-reversal symmetry breaking, a reduced number of Nambu–Goldstone modes and the absence of a thin spectrum (Anderson tower of states). Recent discoveries of other non-relativistic systems with fewer Nambu–Goldstone modes suggest these specialties apply there as well. I establish precise criteria for the absence of quantum fluctuations and all the other features. In particular, it is not sufficient that the order parameter operator commutes with the Hamiltonian. It leads to a measurably larger coherence time of superpositions in small but macroscopic systems.     

Cancellation of the chiral anomaly in a model with spontaneous symmetry breaking

A perturbatively renormalized Abelian Higgs-Kibble model with a chirally coupled fermion is considered. The Slavnov identity is fulfilled to all orders of perturbation theory, which is crucial for renormalizability in models with vector bosons. BRS invariance, i.e. the validity of the identity, forces the chiral anomaly to be cancelled by Wess-Zumino counterterms. This procedure preserves the renormalizability in the one-loop approximation but it violates the Froissart bounds for partial wave amplitudes above some energy and destroys renormalizability from the second order in? onwards due to the counterterms.     

Chiral symmetry on the lattice with Wilson fermions

The chiral properties of the continuum limit of lattice QCD with Wilson fermions are studied. We show that a partially conserved axial current can be defined, satisfying the usual current algebra requirements.A proper definition of the chiral symmetry order parameter, $\text{〈0|}\text{ψ}\text{ψ|0〉}$, is given, and the chiral properties of composite operators are investigated. The implications of our analysis to the lattice determination of non-leptonic weak amplitudes are also discussed.     

On the absence of spontaneous symmetry breaking and of crystalline ordering in two-dimensional systems

We develop a unified approach, based on Araki's relative entropy concept, to proving absence of spontaneous breaking of continuous, internal symmetries and translation invariance in two-dimensional statistical-mechanical systems. More precisely, we show that, under rather general assumptions on the interactions, all equilibrium states of a two-dimensional system have all the symmetries, compact internal and spatial, of the dynamics, except possibly rotation invariance. (Rotation invariance remains unbroken if connected correlations decay more rapidly than the inverse square distance.) We also prove that two-dimensional systems with a non-compact internal symmetry group, like anharmonic crystals, typically do not have Gibbs states.     

Inhomogeneous chiral symmetry breaking phases

We investigate inhomogeneous chiral symmetry breaking phases in the phase diagram of the two-flavor Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model, concentrating on phases with one-dimensional modulations. It is found that the first-order transition line in the phase diagram of homogeneous phases gets completely covered by an inhomogeneous phase which is bordered by second-order transition lines. The inhomogeneous phase turns out to be remarkably stable when vector interactions are included.     

Viscosities in chiral symmetry breaking phase

In the chiral symmetry breaking phase described by the NJL model at quark level,along with the chiral symmetry restoration the ratio of shear viscosity to entropy density η/s drops down monotonously and reaches the minimum at the critical point,while the ratio of bulk viscosity to entropy density ζ/s behaves oppositely.     

Viscosities in chiral symmetry breaking phase

In the chiral symmetry breaking phase described by the NJL model at quark level,along with the chiral symmetry restoration the ratio of shear viscosity to entropy density η/s drops down monotonously and reaches the minimum at the critical point,while the ratio of bulk viscosity to entropy density ζ/s behaves oppositely.     

Gravitation and spontaneous symmetry breaking

It is pointed out that the Higgs field may be supplanted by an ordinary Klein-Gordon field conformally coupled to the space-time curvature, and with very small, real, rest mass. Provided there is a bare cosmological constant of order of its square mass, this field can induce spontaneous symmetry breaking with a mass scale that can be as large as the Planck-Wheeler mass, but may be smaller. It can thus play a natural role in grand unified theories. In the theory presented here the physical cosmological constant is small, being of order of the squared mass, and can meet observational constraints without having to be cancelled accurately. The physical gravitational constant differs somewhat from the coupling constant in Einstein's equation, and is temperature dependent in the broken symmetry regime. Symmetry restoration occurs at high temperature.Research supported by the Arnow Chair in Astrophysics.     

Decoherence induced spontaneous symmetry breaking

We study time dependence of exchange symmetry properties of Bell states when two-qubits interact with local baths having identical parameters. In case of classical noise, we consider a decoherence Hamiltonian which is invariant under swapping the first and second qubits. We find that as the system evolves in time, two of the three symmetric Bell states preserve their qubit exchange symmetry with unit probability, whereas the symmetry of the remaining state survives with a maximum probability of 0.5 at the asymptotic limit. Next, we examine the exchange symmetry properties of the same states under local, quantum mechanical noise which is modeled by two identical spin baths. Results turn out to be very similar to the classical case. We identify decoherence as the main mechanism leading to breaking of qubit exchange symmetry.     

Spontaneous breaking of chiral symmetry in QCD

The consistency of iso-spin (SU(3)) symmetry of the vacuum with the spontaneous breakdown of chiral symmetry without the appearance of a U(1) Goldstone boson, is investigated.     

On chiral symmetry breaking. II

We study the restrictions imposed on chiral symmetry breaking terms by a set of postulates, whose main content is furnished by certain ideas of Michel and Radicati. We then test certain particular cases by utilizing an effective Lagrangian and calculating meson-meson scattering lengths. A convenient technique for calculating traces of matrices which appear in our model is presented in an appendix.     

Magnetic rotation and chiral symmetry breaking

The deformed mean field of nuclei exhibits various geometrical and dynamical symmetries which manifest themselves as various types of rotational and decay patterns. Most of the symmetry operations considered so far have been defined for a situation wherein the angular momentum coincides with one of the principal axes and the principal axis cranking may be invoked. New possibilities arise with the observation of rotational features in weakly deformed nuclei and now interpreted as magnetic rotational bands. More than 120 MR bands have now been identified by filtering the existing data. We present a brief overview of these bands. The total angular momentum vector in such bands is tilted away from the principal axes. Such a situation gives rise to several new possibilities including breaking of chiral symmetry as discussed recently by Frauendorf. We present the outcome of such symmetries and their possible experimental verification. Some possible examples of chiral bands are presented.     

Massless QCD and chiral symmetry breaking

It is well known that chiral symmetry is spontaneously broken in QCD. To relate this fact to non-perturbative features of the theory, like instantons, we start with a massless lagrangian and perform a non-linear chiral colored singlet transformation on the quark fields which yields (by means of Fujikawa's method) essentially two terms in the lagrangian. First a quark mass term induced by instantons and secondly a coupling between pseudoscalar mesons and the axial anomaly. Ward-Takahashi identities can be derived. To clarify the presence of this induced mass term we calculate its first perturbative part up to the two-loop level.