Mass Gap Equation Research Articles

Interpolating ’t Hooft model between instant and front forms

The 't Hooft model, i.e., the two-dimensional quantum chromodynamics in the limit of infinite number of colors, is interpolated by an angle parameter $\ensuremath{\delta}$ between $\ensuremath{\delta}=0$ for the instant form dynamics (IFD) and $\ensuremath{\delta}=\ensuremath{\pi}/4$ for the light-front dynamics (LFD). With this parameter $\ensuremath{\delta}$, we formulate the interpolating mass gap equation which takes into account the nontrivial vacuum effect on the bare fermion mass to find the dressed fermion mass. Our interpolating mass gap solutions not only reproduce the previous IFD result at $\ensuremath{\delta}=0$ as well as the previous LFD result at $\ensuremath{\delta}=\ensuremath{\pi}/4$ but also link them together between the IFD and LFD results with the $\ensuremath{\delta}$ parameter. We find the interpolation angle independent characteristic energy function which satisfies the energy-momentum dispersion relation of the dressed fermion, identifying the renormalized fermion mass function and the wave function renormalization factor. The renormalized fermion condensate is also found independent of $\ensuremath{\delta}$, indicating the persistence of the nontrivial vacuum structure even in the LFD. Using the dressed fermion propagator interpolating between IFD and LFD, we derive the corresponding quark-antiquark bound-state equation in the interpolating formulation verifying its agreement with the previous bound-state equations in the IFD and LFD at $\ensuremath{\delta}=0$ and $\ensuremath{\delta}=\ensuremath{\pi}/4$, respectively. The mass spectra of mesons bearing the feature of the Regge trajectories are found independent of the $\ensuremath{\delta}$-parameter reproducing the previous results in LFD and IFD for the equal mass quark and antiquark bound states. The Gell-Mann-Oakes-Renner relation for the pionic ground-state in the zero fermion mass limit is confirmed indicating that the spontaneous breaking of the chiral symmetry occurs in the 't Hooft model regardless of the quantization for $0\ensuremath{\le}\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\le}\ensuremath{\pi}/4$. We obtain the corresponding bound-state wave functions and discuss their reference frame dependence with respect to the frame independent LFD result. Applying them for the computation of the so-called quasi-parton distribution functions now in the interpolating formulation between IFD and LFD, we note a possibility of utilizing not only the reference frame dependence but also the interpolation angle dependence to get an alternative effective approach to the LFD-like results.

QCD vacuum replicas may be metastable: A model study of the stability of QCD vacuum replicas

A metastable phase has important physical implications, since it may form vacuum bubbles detectable experimentally, whereas an unstable vacuum instantly explodes. It is well known, due to chiral symmetry breaking, there are at least two very different QCD vacua. At T=0, and in the true vacuum, the scalar and pseudo-scalar, or the vector and axial vector are not degenerate, and in the chiral limit, m{q,q¯}=0, the pseudoscalar ground states are Goldstone bosons. At T=0, the chiral invariant vacuum is unstable, decaying through an infinite number of scalar and pseudo-scalar tachyons. Moreover, QCD vacuum replicas, an infinite tower of finite volume, excited vacuum-like solutions, with energy densities lying between the true vacuum and the chiral invariant vacuum energy densities, have been predicted due to the non-linearity of the mass gap equation with a confining interaction. It remained to show whether the QCD replicas are metastable or unstable. In this paper, the spectrum of quark-antiquark systems is studied both in the true vacuum and in the two first excited QCD replicas. The mass gap equation for the vacua and the Salpeter-RPA equation for the mesons are solved for a simple chiral invariant and confining quark model approximating QCD in the Coulomb gauge. We find no tachyons, thus showing the QCD replicas in our approach may be indeed metastable.

Neutral meson properties in hot and magnetized quark matter: A new magnetic field independent regularization scheme applied to an NJL-type model

A magnetic field independent regularization scheme (zMFIR) based on the Hurwitz-Riemann zeta function is introduced. The new technique is applied to the regularization of the mean-field thermodynamic potential and mass gap equation within the SU(2) Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model in a hot and magnetized medium. The equivalence of the new and the standard MFIR scheme is demonstrated. The neutral meson pole mass is calculated in a hot and magnetized medium and the advantages of using the new regularization scheme are shown.

Chiral symmetry breaking, color superconductivity, and equation of state for magnetized strange quark matter

We investigate the vacuum structure of dense quark matter in strong magnetic fields at finite temperature and densities in a 3 flavor Nambu Jona Lasinio (NJL) model including the Kobayashi-Maskawa-t'Hooft (KMT) determinant term using a variational method. The method uses an explicit structure for the `ground' state in terms of quark-antiquark condensates as well as diquark condensates. The mass gap equations and the superconducting gap equations are solved self consistently and are used to compute the thermodynamic potential along with the charge neutrality conditions. We also derive the equation of state for the charge neutral strange quark matter in the presence of strong magnetic fields which could be relevant for neutron stars.

Quark mass function from a one-gluon-exchange-type interaction in Minkowski space

We present first results for the quark mass function in Minkowski space in both the spacelike and timelike regions calculated from the same quark-antiquark interaction kernel used in the latest meson calculations using the Gross equation. This kernel consists of a Lorentz vector effective one-gluon-exchange-type interaction, a vector constant, and a mixed scalar-pseudoscalar covariant linear confining interaction that does not contribute to the mass function. We analyze the gauge dependence of our results, prove the gauge independence of the constituent quark mass and mass gap equation, and identify the Yennie gauge as the appropriate gauge to be used in CST calculations. We compare our results in the spacelike region to lattice QCD data and find good agreement.

Excitonic mass gap in uniaxially strained graphene

We study the conditions for spontaneously generating an excitonic mass gap due to Coulomb interactions between anisotropic Dirac fermions in uniaxially strained graphene. The mass gap equation is realized as a self-consistent solution for the self-energy within the Hartree-Fock mean-field and static random phase approximations. It depends not only on momentum, due to the long-range nature of the interaction, but also on the velocity anisotropy caused by the presence of uniaxial strain. We solve the nonlinear integral equation self-consistently by performing large scale numerical calculations on variable grid sizes. We evaluate the mass gap at the charge neutrality (Dirac) point as a function of the dimensionless coupling constant and anisotropy parameter. We also obtain the phase diagram of the critical coupling, at which the gap becomes finite, against velocity anisotropy. Our numerical study indicates that with an increase in uniaxial strain in graphene the strength of critical coupling decreases, which suggests anisotropy supports formation of excitonic mass gap in graphene.

Nonperturbative analysis of the spectrum of meson resonances in an ultraviolet-complete composite-Higgs model

We consider a vector-like gauge theory of fermions that confines at the multi-TeV scale, and that realizes the Higgs particle as a composite Goldstone boson. The weak interactions are embedded in the unbroken subgroup $Sp(4)$ of a spontaneously broken $SU(4)$ flavour group. The meson resonances appear as poles in the two-point correlators of fermion bilinears, and include the Goldstone bosons plus a massive pseudoscalar $\eta'$, as well as scalars, vectors and axial vectors. We compute the mass spectrum of these mesons, as well as their decay constants, in the chiral limit, in the approximation where the hypercolour $Sp(2N)$ dynamics is described by four-fermion operators, \`a la Nambu-Jona Lasinio. By resumming the leading diagrams in the $1/N$ expansion, we find that the spin-one states lie beyond the LHC reach, while spin-zero electroweak-singlet states may be as light as the Goldstone-boson decay constant, $f\sim 1$ TeV. We also confront our results with a set of available spectral sum rules. In order to supply composite top-quark partners, the theory contains additional fermions carrying both hypercolour and ordinary colour, with an associated flavour symmetry-breaking pattern $SU(6)/SO(6)$. We identify and analyse several non-trivial features of the complete two-sector gauge theory: the 't~Hooft anomaly matching conditions; the higher-dimension operator which incorporates the effects of the hypercolour axial-singlet anomaly; the coupled mass-gap equations; the mixing between the singlet mesons of the two sectors, resulting in an extra Goldstone boson $\eta_0$, and novel spectral sum rules. Assuming that the strength of the four-fermion interaction is the same in the two sectors, we find that the coloured vector and scalar mesons have masses $\gtrsim 4 f$, while the masses of coloured pseudo-Goldstone bosons, induced by gluon loops, are $\gtrsim 1.5f$.

Exponentially spread dynamical Yukawa couplings from nonperturbative chiral symmetry breaking in the dark sector

We propose a new paradigm for generating exponentially spread standard model Yukawa couplings from a new $U(1{)}_{F}$ gauge symmetry in the dark sector. Chiral symmetry is spontaneously broken among dark fermions that obtain nonvanishing masses from a nonperturbative solution to the mass gap equation. The necessary ingredient for this mechanism to work is the existence of higher-derivative terms in the dark $U(1{)}_{F}$ theory, or equivalently the existence of Lee--Wick ghosts, that (i) allow for a nonperturbative solution to the mass gap equation in the weak coupling regime of the Abelian theory and (ii) induce exponential dependence of the generated masses on dark fermion $U(1{)}_{F}$ quantum numbers. The generated flavor and chiral symmetry breaking in the dark sector is transferred to the standard model Yukawa couplings at the one-loop level via Higgs portal-type scalar messenger fields. The latter carry quantum numbers of squarks and sleptons. A new intriguing phenomenology is predicted that could be potentially tested at the LHC, provided the characteristic mass scale of the messenger sector is accessible at the LHC as is suggested by naturalness arguments.

Vacuum structure and chiral symmetry breaking in strong magnetic fields for hot and dense quark matter

We investigate chiral symmetry breaking in strong magnetic fields at finite temperature and densities in a 3 flavor Nambu Jona Lasinio (NJL) model including the Kobayashi Maskawa t-Hooft (KMT) determinant term, using an explicit structure for the ground state in terms of quark antiquark condensates. The mass gap equations are solved self consistently and are used to compute the thermodynamic potential. We also derive the equation of state for strange quark matter in the presence of strong magnetic fields which could be relevant for proto-neutron stars. ~

Two-loop Gribov mass gap equation with massive quarks

We compute the two-loop correction to the Gribov mass gap equation in the Landau gauge using the Gribov–Zwanziger Lagrangian with massive quarks included. The computation involves dilogarithms of complex arguments and reproduces the known gap equation when the quark mass tends to zero.

Chiral symmetry breaking in the truncated Coulomb gauge: Nonconfining power law potentials

In this paper we study the breaking of chiral symmetry with nonconfining powerlike potentials. The region of allowed exponents is identified and, after the previous study of confining (positive exponent) potentials, we now specialize in shorter range nonconfining potentials, with a negative exponent. These nonconfining potentials are close to the Coulomb potential, and they are also relevant as corrections to the linear confinement, and as models for the quark potential at the deconfinement transition. The mass-gap equation is constructed and solved, and the quark mass, the chiral angle, and the quark energy are calculated analytically with an exponent expansion in the neighborhood of the Coulomb potential. It is demonstrated that chiral symmetry breaking occurs, but only the chiral invariant false vacuum and a second nontrivial vacuum exist. Moreover chiral symmetry breaking is led by the ultraviolet part of the potential, with no infrared enhancement of the quark mass. Thus the breaking of chiral symmetry driven by nonconfining potentials differs from the one lead by confining potentials.

Color superconductivity with determinant interaction in strange quark matter

We investigate the effect of six fermion determinant interaction on color superconductivity as well as on chiral symmetry breaking. Coupled mass gap equations and the superconducting gap equation are derived through the minimisation of the thermodynamic potential. The effect of nonzero quark -- antiquark condensates on the superconducting gap is derived. This becomes particularly relevant for the case of 2-flavor superconducting matter with unpaired strange quarks in the diquark channel. While the effect of six fermion interaction leads to an enhancement of u-d superconductivity, due to nonvanishing strange quark--antiquark condensates, such an enhancement will be absent at higher densities for u-s or d-s superconductivity due to early (almost) vanishing of light quark-- antiquark condensates.

Mesons and tachyons with confinement and chiral restoration

In this paper the spectrum of quark-antiquark systems, including light mesons and tachyons, is studied in the true vacuum and in the chiral invariant vacuum. The mass gap equation for the vacua and the Salpeter-RPA equation for the mesons are solved for a simple chiral invariant and confining quark model. At $T=0$ and in the true vacuum, the scalar and pseudoscalar, or the vector and axial vector are not degenerate, and in the chiral limit, the pseudoscalar groundstates are Goldstone bosons. At $T=0$ the chiral invariant vacuum is an unstable vacuum, decaying through an infinite number of scalar and pseudoscalar tachyons. Nevertheless the axialvector and vector remain mesons, with real masses. To illustrate the chiral restoration, an arbitrary path between the two vacua is also studied. Different families of light-light and heavy-light mesons, sensitive to chiral restoration, are also studied. At higher temperatures the potential must be suppressed, and the chiral symmetry can be restored without tachyons, but then all mesons have small real masses. Implications for heavy-ion collisions, in particular, for the recent vector meson spectra measured by the NA60 collaboration, are discussed.

Two loop correction to the Gribov mass gap equation in Landau gauge QCD

We determine the two loop correction to Gribov's mass gap equation for quantum chromodynamics in the Landau gauge in the MS¯ scheme by computing the two loop correction to the horizon condition derived from Zwanziger's local renormalizable Lagrangian which incorporates the Gribov parameter. We verify that with the explicit result, the two loop ghost propagator is enhanced in the infrared.

Mesonic states and vacuum replicas in potential quark models for QCD

In this paper, we study generic non-local NJL models for four-dimensional QCD in the limit of a large number of colours. We diagonalise, through a Bogoliubov-type transformation, the Hamiltonian of the model completely in terms of the compound operators creating/annihilating mesons - bound states of dressed quarks and antiquarks - and demonstrate a one-to-one correspondence between the Bogoliubov diagonalisation condition and the Bethe-Salpeter equation for bound states. We conclude that, in the leading order in N_C, the nontrivial contents of the theory is entirely encoded in the chiral angle - the solution to the mass-gap equation for dressed quarks. As a consequence, we extend the statement of existence of excited solutions to the mass-gap equation, called vacuum replicas, beyond the BCS level and prescribe a new index to the mesonic operators - the label of the vacuum state in which the corresponding meson is created.

Analytical approach to chiral symmetry breaking in Minkowski space

The mass gap equation for spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking is studied directly in Minkowski space. In hadronic physics, spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking is crucial to generate a constituent mass for the quarks, and to produce the partially conserved axial vector current theorems, including a small mass for the pion. Here a class of finite kernels is used, expanded in Yukawa interactions. The Schwinger-Dyson equation is solved with an analytical approach. This improves the state of the art of solving the mass gap equation, which is usually solved with the equal-time approximation or with the Euclidean approximation. The mapping from Euclidean space to Minkowski space is also illustrated.

Chiral symmetry breaking solutions for QCD in the truncated Coulomb gauge

In this paper we study the power-like confining potentials r^alpha. The region of allowed alphas is identified, the mass-gap equation is constructed for an arbitrary alpha and solved for several values of the latter, and the vacuum energy and the chiral condensate are calculated. The question of replica solutions to the mass-gap equation for such potentials is addressed and it is demonstrated that the number of replicas is infinite for any alpha, as a consequence of the peculiar behaviour of the quark self-energy in the infrared domain.

Vacuum replicas in two-dimensional QCD

Two-dimensional QCD is studied from the point of view of existence of multiple chirally noninvariant solutions to the mass-gap equation. The ground-state solution is reproduced and an infinite set of replica solutions is discovered for this equation using the WKB quantisation procedure.

Vacuum replicas in QCD

The properties of the vacuum are addressed in two- and four-dimensional quark models for QCD. It is demonstrated that two-dimensional QCD (the 't Hooft model) possesses only one possible vacuum state---the solution to the mass-gap equation, which provides spontaneous breaking of chiral symmetry (SBCS). On the contrary, the four-dimensional theory with confinement modeled by the linear potential with a Coulomb OGE interaction not only has a chirally noninvariant ground vacuum state, but possesses an excited vacuum replica, which also exhibits SBCS and can be realized as a metastable intermediate state of hadronic systems. We discuss the influence of this vacuum replica on physical observables as well as on the possibility of probing the vacuum background fields in QCD.

Duality and enhanced gauge symmetry in 2 + 1 dimensions

We investigate the enlarged CP(N) model in 2 + 1 dimensions. This is a hybrid of two CP(N) models coupled with each other in a dual symmetric fashion, and it exhibits the gauge symmetry enhancement and radiative induction of the finite off-diagonal gauge boson mass as in the 1 + 1-dimensional case. We solve the mass gap equations and study the fixed point structure in the large-N limit. We find an interacting ultraviolet fixed point which is in contrast with the (1 + 1)-dimensional case. We also compute the large-N effective gauge action explicitly.