Landau-Khalatnikov-Fradkin Transformations Research Articles

Landau-Khalatnikov-Fradkin transformations for the two loop massless quark propagator

Landau-Khalatnikov-Fradkin transformations (LKFTs) yield the gauge dependence of correlation functions within the class of linear covariant gauges. We derive the LKFT for the quark propagator and explicitly evaluate it up to the two loop level in the chiral limit. Although the number of diagrams to be evaluated is significantly larger than with the conventional computational scheme, the diagrams are simpler in nature, thereby leading to a considerably faster evaluation of the gauge dependent part than naively expected. Finally, we also resum the LKFT generated terms and compare our results with earlier work in the literature.

Landau-Khalatnikov-Fradkin transformations, Nielsen identities, their equivalence, and implications for QCD

The Landau-Khalatnikov-Fradkin transformations (LKFTs) represent an important tool for probing the gauge dependence of the correlation functions within the class of linear covariant gauges. Recently these transformations have been derived from first principles in the context of non-Abelian gauge theory (QCD) introducing a gauge invariant transverse gauge field expressible as an infinite power series in a Stueckelberg field. In this work we explicitly calculate the transformation for the gluon propagator, reproducing its dependence on the gauge parameter at the one loop level and elucidating the role of the extra fields involved in this theoretical framework. Later on, employing a unifying scheme based upon the BRST symmetry and a resulting generalized Slavnov-Taylor identity, we establish the equivalence between the LKFTs and the Nielsen identities which are also known to connect results in different gauges.

Fresh look at the Abelian and non-Abelian Landau-Khalatnikov-Fradkin transformations

The Landau-Khalatnikov-Fradkin transformations (LKFTs) allow to interpolate $n$-point functions between different gauges. We first offer an alternative derivation of these LKFTs for the gauge and fermions field in the Abelian (QED) case when working in the class of linear covariant gauges. Our derivation is based on the introduction of a gauge invariant transversal gauge field, which allows a natural generalization to the non-Abelian (QCD) case of the LKFTs. To our knowledge, within this rigorous formalism, this is the first construction of the LKFTs beyond QED. The renormalizability of our setup is guaranteed to all orders. We also offer a direct path integral derivation in the non-Abelian case, finding full consistency.

Gauge covariance of the fermion Schwinger–Dyson equation in QED

Any practical application of the Schwinger–Dyson equations to the study of n-point Green's functions in a strong coupling field theory requires truncations. In the case of QED, the gauge covariance, governed by the Landau–Khalatnikov–Fradkin transformations (LKFT), provides a unique constraint on such truncation. By using a spectral representation for the massive fermion propagator in QED, we are able to show that the constraints imposed by the LKFT are linear operations on the spectral densities. We formally define these group operations and show with a couple of examples how in practice they provide a straightforward way to test the gauge covariance of any viable truncation of the Schwinger–Dyson equation for the fermion 2-point function.

Constructing scalar-photon three point vertex in massless quenched scalar QED

Non perturbative studies of Schwinger-Dyson equations (SDEs) require their infnite, coupled tower to be truncated in order to reduce them to a practically solvable set. In this connection, a physically acceptable ansatz for the three point vertex is the most favorite choice. Scalar quantum electrodynamics (sQED) provides a simple and neat platform to address this problem. The most general form of the three point scalar-photon vertex can be expressed in terms of only two independent form factors, a longitudinal and a transverse one. Ball and Chiu have demonstrated that the longitudinal vertex is fixed by requiring the Ward-Fradkin-Green-Takahashi identity (WFGTI), while the transverse vertex remains undetermined. In massless quenched sQED, we construct the transverse part of the non perturbative scalar-photon vertex. This construction (i) ensures multiplicative renormalizability (MR) of the scalar propagator in keeping with the Landau-Khalatnikov-Fradkin transformations (LKFTs), (ii) has the same transformation properties as the bare vertex under charge conjugation, parity and time reversal, (iii) has no kinematic singularities and (iv) reproduces one loop asymptotic result in the weak coupling regime of the theory.

Truncated Schwinger-Dyson equations and gauge covariance in QED3

We study the Landau-Khalatnikov-Fradkin transformations (LKFT) in momentum space for the dynamically generated mass function in QED3. Starting from the Landau gauge results in the rainbow approximation, we construct solutions in other covariant gauges. We confirm that the chiral condensate is gauge invariant as the structure of the LKFT predicts. We also check that the gauge dependence of the constituent fermion mass is considerably reduced as compared to the one obtained directly by solving SDE.

Dynamical fermion masses and constraints of gauge invariance in quenched QED3

Numerical study of the Schwinger–Dyson equation (SDE) for the fermion propagator (FP) to obtain dynamically generated chirally asymmetric solution in an arbitrary covariant gauge ξ is a complicated exercise specially if one employs a sophisticated form of the fermion–boson interaction complying with the key features of a gauge field theory. However, constraints of gauge invariance can help construct such a solution without having the need to solve the Schwinger–Dyson equation for every value of ξ. In this article, we propose and implement a method to carry out this task in quenched quantum electrodynamics in a plane (QED3). We start from an approximate analytical form of the solution of the SDE for the FP in the Landau gauge. We consider the cases in which the interaction vertex (i) is bare and (ii) is full. We then apply the Landau–Khalatnikov–Fradkin transformations (LKFT) on the dynamically generated solution and find analytical results for arbitrary value of ξ. We also compare our results with exact numerical solutions available for a small number of values of ξ obtained through a direct analysis of the corresponding SDE.

Non-perturbative fermion propagator for the massless quenched QED3

For massless quenched QED in three dimensions, we evaluate a non-perturbative expression for the fermion propagator which agrees with its two loop perturbative expansion in the weak coupling regime. This calculation is carried out by making use of the Landau–Khalatnikov–Fradkin transformations. Any improved construction of the fermion–boson vertex must make sure that the solution of the Schwinger–Dyson equation for the fermion propagator reproduces this result. For two different gauges, we plot the fermion propagator against momentum. We then make a comparison with a similar plot, using the earlier expression for the fermion propagator, which takes into account only the one loop result.