Abstract
A simple mechanical model involving a pendulum and a spring is shown to give the same phase-transition behavior as that of either the effective chiral Lagrangian for one-flavor QCD or the massive Schwinger model. This model, which also has been studied in catastrophe theory, permits us to get a nice understanding of what at first appears to be a complicated system. We also construct and analyze a mechanical analog model for the two-flavor case. The latter has a similar behavior, in general, but does present some interesting new features. With this experience under our belts we are able to straightforwardly analyze the situation with an arbitrary number of flavors. We also discuss what the zero-flavor (i.e., pure QCD) limit of the effective Lagrangian should look like and give a formula for the ground-state energy as a function of the instanton angle $\ensuremath{\theta}$. A number of other questions related to the QCD effective Lagrangian are investigated.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
