Instantons and confinement in the SU(2) lattice gauge theory

We study the properties of gauge field configurations obtained by freezing the quantum fluctuations of the gauge fields on the lattice. The freezing process is subdivided into three regions: instanton-anti-instanton vacuum, the annihilation of (anti)instantons, and classical solutions. We obtain the distribution of instanton sizes, ϱ, and the distribution of interinstanton distances, R. The average value of the ratio R/ϱ is 2.3. The contribution of the multi-instanton configurations to the value of the string tension is 5%.     

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.     

Coulomb gauge vacua of (2+1) dimensional Yang-Mills theory

The vacuum structure of the (2+1) dimensional Yang-Mills theory is analysed. The non-trivial spherically symmetric vacuum fields in this theory can be calculated in closed form. It is shown that these non-trivial vacuum fields fall faster than 1/r at large r unlike the (3+1) dimensional case, where the vacuum is uniquely A_i = 0 if one requires lim_r→∞rA_i=0.     

Instantons in SU(4) gauge theories

A complete set of solutions of SU(4) invariant gauge fields with SO(4) spherical symmetry (euclidian metric in space time) is obtained. It is shown that the solutions fall into two non equivalent classes following a spinor or vector decomposition of the four dimensional representation of SU(4) in SO(4). The energy of the first case and hence the topological quantum number are twice those of the second case.     

Universality in SU(2) lattice gauge theory

A method of resumming perturbation theory is used to re-analyze previous Monte Carlo data of Bhanot and Dashen. We find no inconsistency with universality. There appears to be a relatively large region where Monte Carlo studies can reliably be done.     

Phase structure of a U(1) lattice gauge theory with dual gauge fields

We introduce a U(1) lattice gauge theory with dual gauge fields and study its phase structure. This system is partly motivated by unconventional superconductors like extended s-wave and d  -wave superconductors in the strongly-correlated electron systems and also studies of the t–J$t\text{–}J$ model in the slave-particle representation. In this theory, the “Cooper-pair” (or RVB spinon-pair) field is put on links of a cubic lattice due to strong on-site repulsion between original electrons in contrast to the ordinary s  -wave pair field on sites. This pair field behaves as a gauge field dual to the U(1) gauge field coupled with the hopping of electrons or quasi-particles of the t–J$t\text{–}J$ model, holons and spinons. By Monte Carlo simulations we study this lattice gauge model and find a first-order phase transition from the normal state to the Higgs (superconducting) phase. Each gauge field works as a Higgs field for the other gauge field. This mechanism requires no scalar fields in contrast to the ordinary Higgs mechanism. An explicit microscopic model is introduced, the low-energy effective theory of which is viewed as a special case of the present model.     

Order parameters and boundary effects in U(1) lattice gauge theory

We show that, independently of the boundary conditions, the two phases of the 4-dimensional compact U(1) lattice gauge theory can be characterized by the presence or absence of an “infinite” current network, with an appropriate definition of “infinite” network takes values 0 or 1 in the cold and hot phase, respectively. It thus constitutes a very efficient order parameter, which allows one to determine the transition region at low computational cost. In addition, for open and fixed boundary conditions we address the question of the impact of inhomogeneities and give examples of the reappearance of an energy gap already at moderate lattice sizes.     

U(2) four-dimensional simplicial lattice gauge theory

Monte Carlo simulations for pureU (2) gauge theory on a four-dimensional simplicial lattice with six sites in each direction are reported. Wilson loops and the string tensions for squares and triangles are presented. A first-order phase transition, similar to that found for the hypercubical lattice, is observed and found to confineSU (2) colour and deconfineU (1) charge.     

Finite temperature SU(2) lattice gauge theory

We discuss SU(2) lattice gauge theories at non-zero temperature and prove several rigorous results including i) the absence of confinement for sufficiently high temperature in the pure gauge theory, and ii) the absence of spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking for sufficiently high temperature in the theory with massless fundamental representation fermions.     

Thermodynamics of SU(3) lattice gauge theory

The pressure and the energy density of the SU(3) gauge theory are calculated on lattices with temporal extent N_τ = 4, 6 and 8 and spatial extent N_σ = 16 and 32. The results are then extrapolated to the continuum limit. In the investigated temperature range up to five times T_c we observe a 15% deviation from the ideal gas limit. We also present new results for the critical temperature on lattices with temporal extent N_τ = 8 and 12. At the corresponding critical couplings the string tension is calculated on 32⁴ lattices to fix the temperature scale. An extrapolation to the continuum limit yields T_c/√σ = 0.629(3). We furthermore present results on the electric and magnetic condensates as well as the temperature dependence of the spatial string tension. These observables suggest that the temperature dependent running coupling remains large even at T ≅ 5T_c. For the spatial string tension we find √σ_s/T=0.566(13)g²2(T) with g² (5T_c) ≅ 1.5.     

String tension in SU(3) lattice gauge theory

Wilson loop expectation values have been determined in SU(3) lattice gauge theory without fermions using Monte Carlo methods and considering lattices of up to 10⁴ sites. A heat bath technique has been developed in order to enhance the statistical independence of successive lattice configurations.     

Absence of charged states in the U(1) Higgs lattice gauge theory

We show that a sequence of dipole states of finite energy introduced by Fredenhagen and Marcu is chargeless upon removal of one of the charges to spatial infinity in certain subsets of the phase diagram of the U(1)-Higgs lattice gauge theory. It is also explicitly seen how this phenomenon is related to the existence of exponential clustering (i.e., of a mass gap). Related properties of dipole states are briefly discussed.Supported by the Fundacão de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP). Address after September 1985: II. Institut für Theoretische Physik der Universität Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, D-2000 Hamburg 50, Federal Republic of GermanySupported by FAPESP. Permanent address: Instituto de Fisica, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil     

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.     

A microscopic semiclassical confining field equation forU(1) lattice gauge theory in 2+1 dimensions

We present a semiclassical nonlinear field equation for the confining field in 2+1-dimensionalU(1) lattice gauge theory (compact QED). The equation is derived directly from the underlying microscopic quantum Hamiltonian by means of truncation. Its nonlinearities express the dynamic creation of magnetic monopole currents leading to the confinement of the electric field between two static electric charges. We solve the equation numerically and show that it can be interpreted as a London relation in a dual superconductor.     

The string tension of compact U(1) four-dimensional lattice gauge theory

Monte Carlo simulations of the string tension are calculated for four-dimensional U(1) gauge theory on a 6⁴ lattice. The string tension follows the result -1n(β/2) in the high temperature region and is zero for β > β_c, where β_c is the critical inverse temperature.