V.
IX'
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
Physics, Computer Science &
Mathematics Division
VORTEX OPERATORS IN GAUGE FIELD THEORIES
Joseph Polchinski
(Ph.D. thesis) mwmm&iom
MASTER
July 1980
Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract W-7405-ENG-48
VORTEX OPERATORS IS GAUGE FIELD THEORIES
Joseph Polchinski
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
University of California
Berkeley, California 94720
ABSTRACT
Ws study several related aspects of the 't Hooft vortex opera
tor* The first chapter reviews the current picture of the vacuum 01
quantum chromodynamics, the idea of dual field theories, and the idee
of the vortex operator*
The second chapter deals with the Abelian vortex operator v/rit-
ten in terms of elementary fields and with the calculation of its
Green's functions. The Dirac veto problem appears in a new guise*
We present a two dimensional "solvable model" of a Dirac string*
This leads us to a new solution of the veto problem; we discuss its
extension to four dimensions. We then show how the Green's functions
can be expressed rore neatly in terns of Wu and Yang's geometrical
r
idea of "sections". The renorealization of the Green's functions o.
two kinds of Abelian looplike operators, the Wilson loop and the vor
tex operator, is studied* In each case the possible divergences are
easily determined with the aid of the operator product expansion, and
for both operators only an overall multiplicative renormalization is
needed* In the case of the vortex this involves a surprising cancel
lation*
In the third chapter we discuss the dependence of the Green's
functions of the Wilson and 't Hooft operators on the nature of the
vacuum* We emphasize the cluster properties of the Green's functions
rather than the vacuum expectation values* We explain 't Hooft's
Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Fellow
,n,».mrT--.-- " -iTtS'JHUMITBf
iii
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my thesis advisor, Professor Stanley Man-
delstam, for such guidance and instruction- I am grateful to Profes
sor Korkut Bardakci for many helpful and enjoyable conversations, and
to Bob Cahn for advice and encouragement* 1 would like to collec
tively thank everyone in the LBL and U. C. Berkeley theory groups,
especially the members of the 1978-79 and 1979-80 study groups and
softtall teams, for fun times and for helping me to improve my under
standing of physics*
I am grateful to the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation for five
years of generous support, and to ay parents for their continual sup
port and encouragement* Finally, I would like to thank my fiancee
and sweetheart, Dorothy Chun, for love and for sharing with me the
various crises of graduate school*
This work was supported by the U. S. Department of Energy under
Contract No. W-7405-ENG-48.
VORTEX OPERATORS IN GAUGE FIELD THEORIES
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements il
1. Introduction
A. The Vacuum of Quantum Chromodynamlcs 1
B. Vortex Operators 6
2. The Abelian Vortex Operator
A. The Vortex Operator In Terms of Elementary Fields 12
B. Green's Functions of Vortex Operators 18
C. Renormalization of Looplike Operators 31
3. Cluster Properties of Looplike Operators
A- Cluster Properties in a General Gauge Theory 44
B. Vortex Operators in an Abelian Higgs Phase 54
4. Dnquantized Vortex Operators
A- Continuum Theories with Fields
in the Fundamental Representation 65
B. A Lattice Model 87
5. Conclusions 100
References 102
Figure Captions 105
Figures 108
iv
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
A. The Vacuum of Quantum Chromodvnamies
In the years aince the discovery of asymptotic freedom, confi
dence that Quantum Chromodynamics might be the complete theory of the
strong interactions has grown steadily. At high energy, although
quantitative results have been limited by the size of the effective
coupling constant and the need to factor out incalculable long
distance effects, the qualitative features of QCD appear to be
correct • A recent important success was the observation of three
jet events, attributed to gluon bremstrahlung, at PETRA. At low
energy, various theoretical approaches have shed light on the nature
2
of the QCD vacuum , and there is evidence to support Che long
standing hope that quarks are confined in QCD.
There is now a standard picture of the QCD vacuum. It appears
that fluctuations involving the creation of quark-antiquark pairs can
be neglected as a first approximation, so that hadrons can be treated
as first-quantized quarks in interaction with a second quantized
quarkless SU(3) gauge theory. The justification for this is empiri-
3
cal : the success of the OZI rule and the fact, supported by hadron
spectroscopy and by measurement of parton distributions, that baryons
are predominantly qqq (not qqqqq or qqqqqqq) and that pions are
predominantly qq (not qqqq, etc.). The theoretical basis for this is
uncertain. It is a feature of SU(N) QCD in the large N limit, but
the belief that SI)(3) QCD resembles Su(N) QCD is in fact based on
comparison with phenomenology, not on a calculation of the 1/N
corrections.
1
The appearance of the pure SU(3) vacuum depends on the inverse
6 + -
distance scale k at which it is probed • A process such as e e
annihilation to hadrons at c m . energy E probes the vacuum structure
at scale k-E, while measurement of thermodynamic quantities in a
gauge theory at temperature T probes the vacuum at scale k-T. At
short distance, k > s A » (AQPJ, is the srile parameter of QCD, approx
0CD
imately 400 Mev), perturbation theory is accurate and the vacuum is
dominated by configurations near the configuration of least classical
action (A -0 in most gauges). On a somewhat longer scale, other
classical configurations (instantocs) give non-negligible effects ' ,
but the functional integral is still dominated by a small class of
configurations which are near classical solutions. On a still longer
scale, k<V\ , both the perturbative and lnstanton calculations have
0CD
uncontrolled divergences.
A different approach, the lattice approximation, gives a picture
of the gauge theory vacuum at extremely long distance. At this
scale, the vacuum looks like a coherent superposition of every possi-
7
ble configuration. In the Hamiltonian lattice formulation this is
signalled by the fact that the vacuum is an eigenstate of E , the
operator conjugate to the vector potential. In the Euclidean formu-
8 1
lation it is signalled by the fact that — , the coefficient of the
8
action in the functional integral, goes to zero, so that configura
tions contribute purely according to entropy (volume in function
space), without regard to action. In both formulations, the Wilson
loop satisies the area 3 aw, implying a linear potential between
quarks. The important recent advance in this picture has been the
3
g
Improved calculation of the lattice beta function, by both analytic
and Monte Carlo methods, indicating that Che only UV fixed point is
at zero coupling. This Implies that aa the lattice spacing is taken
to zero, the lattice approximation turns smoothly into the continuum
theory studied in perturbation theory. Qualitative features such as
quark confinement uould then persist in the continuum theory, and the
ratio of the scring tension to / W Q has also been calculated and
found to be of the correct order of magnitude.
The infrared divergences of the perturbative and instanton cal
culations can then be understood as a consequence of expanding around
a qualitatively wrong vacuum, analogous to the infrared divergences
which appear when one expands a two dimensional slgma model around
11 12
the asymmetric vacuum , which is known by Coleman's theorem to be
incorrect. It would be desireable to have an approximation which
starts with the correct sort of vacuum, that is, one dominated by
entropy rather than by a few classical configurations in the
infrared. The lattice approximation has this property, and is very
useful, but the information it can give is limited by its crrdenass.
A different approach is suggested by the idea of duality. A wide
cla.>s of lattice theories, naaely Abelian (0(1) or 2 ) gauge and gen
eralized gauge theories, in any number of dimensions, can be rewrit-
13
ten in terms of a dual gauge theory . The coupling constant of the
dual theory is roughly the Inverse of the original coupling constant.
Thus, if one theory is entropy dominated (large coupling) and there
fore difficult to treat, the othar will have a small coupling and can
be expanded around the configurations of least action. This suggests
a search for a dual description of continuum non-Abelian gauge
4
theories.
The idea of duality can also be reached from a different point
14
of view . Magnetic flux cannot penetrate a 11(1) Higgs vacuum (such
as a superconductor), but is squeezed into tubes, within which the
vacuum is normal (unbroken) and flux can exist. If a monopole and
an^loonopole were placed in a superconductor, the flux between them
would form a tube, with an energy proportional to its length, so that
a linear potential would bind the monopole and antimonopole. This is
exactly the behavior expected for the QCD vacuum, except that (color)
electric rather than magnetic sources are to be confined. The QCD
vacuum might then be expected to look like a colored superconductor,
but with electric and magnetic quantities interchanged, so that it
would be a coherent state of color-magnetic monopoles where the
superconductor is a coherent state of electric charges (Cooper
pairs). Duality in a gauge theory involves just this interchange of
electric and magnetic quantities. Further, in non-Abelian gauge
theories, monopoles or mocopole-like configurations occur
automatically; they need not be put in by hand as in the Abellan
Dirac theory .
't Hoofu and Mandelatam have suggested a kind of operator,
the vortex operator, in terms of which this duality might be
described- This thesis is concerned with various properties of these
operators in continuum field theories. In the remainder of this
chapter, we introduce the vortex operator and discuss some of its
general properties. In Chapter 2 the Abelian vortex curator is
written in terms of elementary fields. We emphasize a simple form in
which it is the exponential of a surface integral, and we explore in
detail the requirement that the operator be independent of the par
ticular surface chosen* The Dirac veto problem, known from magnetic
monopole theory, is encountered, and we suggest a new solution to
this problem. Ke then discuss the renormallzation of Green's func
tions of vortex operators, and a nice cancellation of divergences is
found- For comparison, the renormalization of another looplike
operator, the Abelian Wilson loop, is also studied* Chapter 3 deals
with the Green's functions of vortex operators at long distance,
their cluster properties* We describe the various possible phases of
a gauge theory in terms of the cluster properties of vortex and Wil-
son operators, and explain a result of 't Hooft* which restricts the
possible phases. We then show that in any Abelian theory without
magnetic aonopoles and with no physical massless particle, the vortex
operator must have a surface-like cluster property and so satisfy an
area law* Finally, we show how this cluster property emerges from
the graphical expansion in an Abelian Hlggs theory.
For one to be able to define a vortes operator, the fields in
the theory must satisfy a quantization condition GT, for the gauge
group must be non-trivial),' QCD without quarks satisfies this condi
tion but the introduction of quarks violates it. In Chapter 4 we
examine the case where the quantization condition is not satisfied*
We show that any vortex-like operator will so longer have the impor
tant property of being "local looplike"* Nevertheless, in an Abelian
theory we are able t;> find an operator with some reasonable proper
ties: the energy that it creates is infrared finite, and its cluster
property distinguishes a perturbative Hlggs phase from a QED-like
phase* We speculate on the properties of this operator in non-
6
Abelian and confining theories, and on the resolution of an apparent
paradox involving a result of 't Hooft. We then examine a lattice
model where the quantization condition is not satisfied. We find
that our extension of the vortex operator is a good order parameter
and correctly indicates that a Higgs/confining phase transition is
taking place, when the field which violates the quantization condi
tion is weakly coupled. Some preliminary results indicate that our
operator is also a good order parameter when this field is strongly
coupled, in the sense that discontinuous behavior of the operator
implies a discontinuity in the phase diagram; it leads us to find a
phase transition that might not have been expected. Chapter 5 sum
marizes our findings.
In summary, Chapter 2 deals with technical details related to
the Green's functions of vortex operators. Chapter 3 discusses known
relations between the behavior of the vertex operator and the nature
of the vacuum, but with the emphasis on cluster property rather than
vacuum expectation value. Chapter 4 then uses some of these elements
to investigate systems where vortex operators were not known to ba
useful, and some light is shed on the phase structure of these sys
tems.
v
£• ortex Operators
The vortex operator, like the Wilson loop, is associated with a
closed curve in spacetime. Let us consider a general "local loop-
3
like" operator L associated with a closed curve C lying in the R
plane t-t , and let us consider its commutation relations with other
operators at time t . By definition, L commute.} with observable
(that is, gauge invariant) local operators associated with a point x
not on C. This Implies that for a gauge dependent field J(x )
8
LJCx*) - tCx> L (1.1)
where }(x)° Is f after a gauge transformation g(x) and g(x) is a
gauge transformation associated with the operator L. For instance,
in the usual gauges (axial, covariant. Coulomb), the gauge transfor
mation associated with the Wilson loop is simply 1 everywhere.
-* 3
It is important tnat g(x) is not defined in all of spa.-e, R ,
3 3
but only in R - C. R - C is multiply connected: curves are dis
tinguished by their winding number around C. As a result there can
be a non trivial effect, a topology, associated with g ' x ) . As x
describes a path around C, g(x) describes a path through the gauge
group. If the gauge group is simply connected, there is nothing
interesting about this, but if it is multiply connected the path may
20
lie in a non-nrivlal element of 11, (G) • For different paths of the
same winding number, continuity requires that this element be the
same. Since paths of winding number other than one can be generated
as a product of paths of winding number one (traversed backwards for
negative winding number) the homotopy class associated with winding
number one determines that for any other path. The class associated
with L is gauge invariant: since any gauge transformation can be
continuously deformed into one which Is unity in an arbitrarily large
volume (Including the whole of L) so Che gauge transformed g(x) can
be continuously deformed into its original value; homotopic invari
ants are therefore unchanged. Thus, there is a gauge invariant quan
tum number, a homotopy class, associated with any looplike operator.
Operators for which this class is not the trivial ope are called
21
vortex operators. The name comes frcu the Nielsen-Olesen vortex ,a
classical solution in a Higgs theory associated with twisted boundary
conditions for the Higgs field• In a completely broken Higgs theory
the set of classical vacua is identical to 6, so that there will be
20
solitons with quantum number in II, (G) . These are the Nielsen-
Olesen vortices, and when a vortex operator acts on the vacuum of the
Higgs theory it produces a state containing such a soIIton.
In an Abelian gauge theory, a vortex operator creates a loor of
magnetic flux just as the Wilson-operator creates a loop of electric
flux. In the dual (Abelian) gauge theories mentioned earlier, the
Wilson loops of one theory are mapped into vortex operators of the
other. In the long distance, large coupling, limit of non-Abelian
(as well as Abelian) gauge theories, the vacuum approaches an eigen-
state of a simple vortex operator. Thus, they are attractive opera
tors to considei If one tries instead to consider duality in terms
of pointlike, monopole creation, operators, one finds that there is
no associated topological quantum number: n_(G) is trivial for any
Lie gauge group G. In this, there is an interesting analogy between
electric and magnetic quantities: the pointlike operators In non-
Abelian theories (gauge fields or monopoles) have no gauge or topo
logical invariance, while the looplike operators (Wilson loops or
vortices) do.
The quantum number associated with a vortex can be characterized
in a different way. Consider the path described by g(x ) as x winds
once around C. This path in G defines in a natural way
(g og"g~ 5|) a path in the simply connected covering group G. By a
••20 "^
well-known connection between 17, (G) and the center of G , when x
returns to <ts starting position g(x) need not return to its origi
nal value but is multiplied by an element Z of the center of G.
Because g(x ) is single valued, Z. in G is mapped into 1 in G by the
ususl homomorphism. Vortex operators can thus be considered to have
quantum numbers in Z(2)/Z(G), the quotient of the centers of the two
groups, which is isomorphic to 11, (G).
One can show from equation 1.1 that
V(C C }
L(C)W (C) - V (C')UC)(z ) ' '
s s sl (1.2)
where Z in representation s is z , times the identity, w(C,C') is
the winding number of C through C, and W ( C ) is the Wilson loop in
representation s associated with curve C* (assumed here to lie in the
t«t hyperplane):
W ( C ) - Tr P e p{ig^ ,dx A^( )^>
6 X c i x (1.3)
with y the generator a in representation s, Tr representing the
trace, and F representing the usual path ordering. Thus, although
L(C) commutes with every local gauge invariant not on C, if it is a
vortex operator it will not commute with certain Wilson loops linking
C. Equation 1.2 characterizes completely the topological character
of the vortex operator; it is only Z, (or « , for all s ) , not g(x)
that can be defined in a gauge invariant way. Note that equation 1.2
is entirely dual between L(C) and W(C'); one cannot say that one is a
topological operator and the other is not* The asymmetry arises only
when one introduces gauge dependent quantities. The one genuine
asymmetry is that the Hamiltonian is relatively simple in terms of
10
the Wilson loops (or the related vector potentials), but does not
appear to have a simple form in terms of vortex operators; this asym
metry may or may not be permanent•
For a field ^ In representation s., equation 1.1 becomes
L(C)*6f) - g ^ x V o O U C ) (1.4)
where g,(x) is g(x) in representation s.. In order that equation
1.4 be well-defined, it is necessary that z , be 1. This Is Indeed
V-
t'.ie case, as Z in G maps into 1 in G and s, is single valued In G
(by definition, the gauge group G is the smallest group with the Lie
algebra of G such that every field in the theory lies in a single
valued representation). If we add new fields to the theory which are
In representations s' not single valued in G (and thus, by defini
tion, enlarge the gauge group to G') those vortices for which z ,. is
not 1 no longer make sense. In other words, T1AG') is smaller than
II, (G)« z . -1 for all fields •+ is the quantization condition
* S lid
referred to above. Note that It is equivalent to saying that vortex
operators oust commute with W for all fields •+ in the theory.
V
We can illustrate these ideas for the group SU(n)/Z , an SU(n)
gauge theory with all fields in the adjoint representation. IL f°r
this group is Z , so that the vortices carry an n-fold quantum
number, p(L). The representions alco carry an n-fold quantum number
q(s), the "quark number" of the representation: if s lies in the pro
duct of m fundamental representations, m—qfs) .^ . Equation 1.2
becomes
11
L(C)W (C) - W (C')L(C)exp<2irip(I.)q(«)w(C,C*)/n}
g s (1.5)
We see that the SU(n) gauge theory without quarks (whose gauge group
is really SU(n)/Z ) has vortex operators, while if quarks are added
the gauge group becomes SU(n), which is simply connected, and vorttx
operators can no longer be defined. More will be said about this in
Chapters 3 and 4.
The short distance properties of the vortex operator, near C,
are still unspecified; the vortex operators are a class, not a single
operator. Certain results, such as 't Hooft's concerning possible
phases, are independent of the short distance properties. Others, in
particular those related to dynamics and renormalizstion, depend on
the details near C. In this thesis, Chapters 3 and 4 are primarily
concerned with long distance properties, independent of the detailed
form of the vortex operator. Chapter 2 deals with some of each.
SHATTER 2
THE ABELIAN VORTEX OPERATOR
A. The Vortex Operator in Terms of Elementary Fields
We first review the ideas from Chapter 1 for a 0(1) theory. The
covering group of U(l) is R ; a general element of R is a real
number y. In the representation of charge e, y becomes exp(iye). A
general looplike operator L(C) is then associated, through equation
-> 1 -> -> ->
1.1, with a function y ( x ) , the R version of g ( x ) . Like g"(x), y(x )
need not be single-valued, but exp(iy(x )e} must be if fields of
charge e are present. It follows that when x winds once around C,
y(x ) must change by 2irp/e . , where e . is the unit of charge and p
is any integer. Vortex operators are thus characterized by an
integer p. Equation 1.2 is now
L(C)W ( C ) - S (C')L(C)exp{ipqw(C,C')/e } Bin (2.1)
where U is the Wilson loop
q
W ( C ) - exp{iqf ..dx A (x)}
( i i (2.2)
For those fields actually present, q is a multiple of e and the
phase factor in equation 2.1 is 1.
Differentiating equation 2.1 with respect to q and setting q-0,
and then using Stokes's theorem to relate the line integral of A to
->
the surface integral of the magnetic field B ,
> > EiE 3 > >
L(C)B (x ) - <B (x ) +| f dx '6' (x -x ')>L(C>
± i c i ( 2 > 3 )
min
Although equation 2.3 refers to a commutator directly on C, it fol-
12
13
lows from equation 2.1 and is therefore true for any vortex operator
independent of its short distance details. This is the source of the
statement that vortex operators create a loop of magnetic flux; the
-» -»
dual equation, replacing L by U , B by E and 2np/e . by e is also
e min
true. There i s no corresponding local version of equation 1.2 for a
non-Abelian theory. Equation 1.2 might then be taken as a definition
16
of non-Abelian magnetic flux .
An operator satisfying equation 2.1 i s
3
V (C) - e x p { ^ - j y x £•£OO-KJj 0 0 ) ( 2 . 4 )
* min r
where 6,p, and z are cylindrical coordinates, 8 i s a unit vector in
the 6 direction, and j n i s the charge density. From the canonical
commutators (we take the A -0 gauge for convenience, but V(C) i s
gauge invariant and so * i l l be i t s commutators with gauge invariants
such as equation 2.1)
> 3
[ E ( x ) . A ( ^ ) ] - 1J
i J i (i^) (2.5a)
[Link])} - -e^it-fwCy) (2.5b)
one finds
_> -ipSe. _>
r
V ( C W x ) - exp[— ]*(x)V(C) (2.6a)
p p
min
V (C)A (x) - ( A ( x ) + i e x p { - i p 8 / e > » e x p { i p e / e
p i i Bln 1 i]iln »V (C)
p (2.6b)
> >
V (C)E (x ) - E (x )V (C)
j) 1 ± p (2.6c)
This i s the Abelian form of equation 1.1. The curve C i s here the
14
z-axis; g(x) Is exp(-ipej. A vortex operator for any C and any g(x)
can be constructed in the same way*
The coordinate 6 must have a discontinuity of 2ir on a semi-
infinite surface S bounded by the z-axis (such as the half-plane
8-0«2n). The exponent in the definition of V (C) is therefore
P
discontinuous but the operator itself has no discontinuity on the
surface, as can be seen from Its commutators. These are completely
independent of where we choose to define the discontinuity of ©.
Using oS-^ + disc(8), V (C) can be rewritten
P »
3
V (C) - exp{^_[JVi x (j (x*)-«» E (x*))« + 2nX dn E s ]} ( 2 . )
7
p
min
-* v -* o
j„(x )-o.E (x ) does not vanish as an operator in the A «0 gauge, but
by Gauss's lac it vanishes in gauge invariant Green's functions* The
gauge invariant Green's functions are therefore the same for V (C) as
for
V '(C) - KpfSfiEj. d n E > { 2 > 8 )
r
min
If one evaluates the commutator of V '(C) with «(x )"^*(x )D.^(x) (D.
is the covariant derivative o -ie/A (x)), it does not appear to van
ish on S; it must, however, because [V (C),e(x)]«0 on S and % is
P
gauge invariant* The problem is that V is too singular for canoni
cal commutators to be correct; if one evaluates the Green's functions
of V '(C)0(x) using the methods of the next section, one finds tbat
P
they have no equal time discontinuity on S. V ' is a more convenient
form of the operator when one is discussing Green's functions*
One might wonder whether the commutators 2.6 are really correct
in field theory, even for V, or whether some anomaly will develop due
15
to the discontinuity of ©• V and V' are poorly defined because the
discontinuity of 6 is sharp; if we define them by amearlng Che
discontinuity and taking the smearing to zero, does the limiting
oerator satisfy 2.6? A simple example shows this to be a valid
worry. Consider a theory with fermions, +, in two spacetime dimen
sions (they may even be free fernions), and consider the operator
a(x) - e x p ^ d x ' j 2rri?(x')y *Cx')>
0 ( 2 # 9 )
where x is the spacetime point (X..X,) and the Integral runs along
the equal time path from (x_,x.) to ( X , C D ) .
Q From the commutator
2
r?(y)y f(y).*(z)jS(x -y ) - -S (y-z),*(y)
o 0 0 (2.10)
we find, by the same canonical manipulations that lead from 2.5b to
2.6a, that LQ(x).i'(z)]-0 at equal times, so that fl(x) would be a c-
22
number. On the other hand, from boson equivalence ,
aW - exp{j"dx' -2\jSic> ?(x'))
Xj
- exp<2\S?l0<x)>
- consfftxXl+yjWx) (2.11)
If the fermions are massive, the leading piece of ^(l+y,)^ is in fact
a c-number, but if they are massless, iKl+y,)^ has no c-number piece
and [a.'fl is not identically zero.
One may also see this in a different way by evaluating
G(x,y,z) - < £(x) 7(y) *(z) > (2.12)
for free fermions. G(x,y,z) is poorly defined because the support in
16
T
the exponent in equation ?..9 is too singular. .f one smears the sup
port (necessarily Into the time direction) over a small distance A
(call the resulting operator fl, and the Green's function G. ) , we can
calculate G. (x,y,z) directly. As A goes to zero, for free messive
fermions G. (x,y,z) approaches < V-(y) V'(z) > times a constant, while
for massless fermions it approaches
<?(x)(l+y )V-(x) *(y) •f(z) >
5
times a constant.
This is not a serious problem. By regulating £ In i slightly
more complicated way, one may obtain the desired limit. Consider the
operator
where
2
H (x) - exp{ifd z f (z)?(x+z),Kx+z)>
A A (2.13)
and f. (z.,z ) is a family of functions with support in |zj < A» If
f. is defined so that as A-»0,
2 2
J*d z f.(z)/|z| -» co (2.14a)
2
J"d z f (z)/|z| -» 0
A (2.14b)
t
then as A-»0, i (l+)' )^H approaches a c-number even for massless
5
fermions. If one then defines a regulated fl(x) as JCL(x)H. (x), its
limit will be a c-number. Equations 2.14 are correct for free fer
mions or with a super-renormalizeable interaction; as one might
expect, with a Thirring interaction there would have to be different
17
powers of r in the integrands-
It is Interesting to repeat some of the above analysis for the
Schuing&r model, without using bosonisation. Using Gauss's law, we
get
fl^(x) - e x p { - - ^ J ^ z S*(z)E(x+z)) (2.15)
where 5\ (z) is the delta function, smeared over a distance A in
spacetime, and E, the electric field, is a (pseudo-)scalar in two
dimensions* The analogy between this and equation 2*6 is clear*
We would like to compare
t < ) >
G(c.y) •T *f
c ff J ,p 5
(x)
V y (2-16)
with the same quantity with 1 in place of tL • H e r e
J 5 is the axial
current -/-Y^y rA and c is a spacetime curve circling the spacetime
point y at some distance large compared to A but small compared to
2
1/e (which has dimensions of length). Because of the latter stipu
lation, we can neglect all but the leading term from perturbation
theory.
Using the anamolous divergence equation,
we can rewrite equation 2*16 as
„2
G(c,y) - ^ X r
d E
* << > « V x y >
* ( 2 , 1 8
>
From <E(x)E(y)>-6 (jc-y)-K)(e ) , it follows that
< *(x) j^(y> > - - iSt fi^( _y) + o(e) x (2.19)
G(c,y) is then simply -2, independent of A, whereas when & is
is
replaced by 1 in the matr.U element, 2.18 is zero: the limit cf
41 as A goes to sero is not a c-number. 0. has much in common with a
Olrac string; equation 2*II shows that there is a lump of fliu: vsiiich
does not gi t'.way when A gees to zero. Our result here i? chat a mas-
nive fermlon does not (eel this flux in the limit, whereas a massless
fermiou does, but that a massiess fermion can be "shielded" from the
flux by the additional regulator 2.9. Massive and massless bosons
appear to behave like massive fermions: The Green's function analo
gous to 2.12 goes to the free propagator in the limit.
Our results for the four dimensional case are not so complete.
We discuss them, and more of the analogy with the Dirac string, in
the next section.
JB. Green's Functions of Vortex Operators
In this section we will discuss the calculation of Green's func
tions of the V'(C) form of the vortex operator in Euclidean space-
time. For simplicity we shall assume only one charged field, scalars
j»(x) with charge e, mass m, and four point interaction A; the gen
eralization to more fields and to fermions is straightforward. We
can now consider a vortex operator associated with a general closed
curve in spacetime. By analogy to equation 2.8 we define
-exp^de^pCy)} (2.20)
where S is any 2-surface whose boundary is C and *...,«1. There is
no factor of 1 in the exponent because F »iE in Euclidean space-
time. To show that 2.20 is correct, we would like to check that it
19
satisfies equation 2.1, and that its gauge invariant Green's func
tions are Independent of the mirfjop S.
Consider now a general Green's function of V :
4
< V '(C.S) exp<rd xJ (x)A (x)+K(x)*(x)+L(x)tf*(x)> >
p p p
where J , K, and L are general external sources. The expansion of V'
involves terns with arbitrarily large powers of 1/e, but owing to the
exponential form of V , these sun up in a convenient way:
< >
V
p' ' ( C S )
3SL ' e X p
t l f kih'TrnhH- (2-22)
r
khran
when* < > indicates the connected Green's function. The connected
c
k+h
Green's function is of order at least e (e being the charge),
except for k+h-2, m-n-0, for which it starts at order e . The sun in
_2
2.22 therefore starts at order e • Further, the graphs contributing
at each order in e are readily classified: a graph with n internal
photon lines (internal means both ends connected to charged lines)
and n external lines (one end attached to a charged line and one
2n-tn e
attached to J ) is of order e , independent of the number of
vortex photon lines (defined as lines which run from S, the vortex
operator, to a charged line). The connected graph with no charged
—2
lines (one photon line with both ends attached to S) is of order e .
For example, the h-m-n-0 tern, which is independent of J , K,
and L, and is the only term which contributes to < V '(C,S) >, is
P
20
2 2
2 ( 2 - 2 5 )
< V '(C,S) > - exp{ ^ H ( 0 ) A ( S )
2
P e-'
2
E d X d y ( x y ) 2 l n d VS ; 2
" " l^C |/c u " ~ " e t { A / > ) + 0(e )>
v S v S v S - 1 v S
vhere A(S) is the area of the surface S, & is < i ) D } , D is
H H H
S -ieA (x) and A ' (X) is given by the graph of figure la. The first
two terms are from the one photon graph. The third is the sum of all
graphs with one charged line connected to S by any number of photon
lines. The first term is S dependent and quadratically divergent.
We shall postpone further discussion of 2.Z3 until the end of this
section. We will consider until then "reduced" Green's functions,
with the h-m-n-0 term divided out.
To investigate the dependence on S of gauge invariant reduced
Green's functions, consider first the order e term of
< F (x) V '<C,S) > / < V '(C,S) >, which is equal to
fp P P
2
Vp><*> - $<*> < -">
vS
(Parentheses on subscripts indicate antisymmetrization). A was
defined above; 2.24 defines F as its curl.
HP
i (X) F S (X) x )
? -P ' P " fJW<p*«py < W S V >o
d o + IS <x y) ( 2 - 2 5 )
- - ^ J W V *«PVJ V F ^ P *^ "
i s
where < > indicates the free propagator and A_ the Euclidean
scalar propagator:
2
& A (x-y)--6*(x-y)
E (2.26)
Using the fact that a completely antisymmetric 5-r. ens or vanishes in
21
four dimensions, Che quantity in square brackets can be rewritten as
After surface integration the last two terns vanifh, because S-S' has
no boundary, while the remaining term gives, using 2.26,
V y )
^>i^>--fJW< ^ P
We see that the Green's function is S-dependent, but only when x lies
directly on S or S'. However, when x lies on S, < F fx) V '(C,S) >
is not well defined due to problems of operator ordering- If we
resolve this ordering problem by taking a limit as x approaches S,
v
F is S independent everywhere. In effect this is taking the T-
product, whereas 2.24 defines the T*-product :
2 28
Tlfy,)] - TNFJJW] ^fjV^SV-y)
+ <' >
is independent of S.
Now let us go one order further, and consider
G(P.C.S) - (2.29)
< d*(x)exp{iej dx' A. (x')}jl(y) V '(C.S) > / < V '(C.S) >
p
r P " P
Q
where P is some path from y to x. To lowest (e > order, this gauge
invariant Green's function is given by all graphs of the form shown
in figure lb. These graphs sum up to give
vS
G(P,C,S) - -A <y,x)expUeXpdx' Ajf(x')> (2-30)
22
v
Using the path integral rep* Mentation for the propagator ^ (y»x),
ve can write
S
G(P,C,S) - -exp<iej' dx* A^ {x')> (2.31)
r r
2
D S
T * *- « P { # t - \ -| y p + ioi Aj; (z)}
p
with Dz indicating the integral over all paths z(t) such that z(0)«x
and z(s)-y, and z is dz /dt. As long as A is smooth (we must tem
porarily smear out the surface S) the path integral can be made
25
mathematically precise ; at this level we simply have an external
field problem and there are no short distance difficulties. The
right hand side of 2.31 depends on A v
only through the phase it ".tors
8 d l n ? > (2 32)
«p{lef ,dx* A]; (,-)> - « P < T W ) » p ' « y
c p a *
where C" is the closed curve formed by joining P with z(c) and R(C')
id any 2-surface whose boundary is C . To obtain equation 2.32 we
had to use equation 2.20, which defines the S-dependent T * [ F 7 ] . We
cannot try to simply define this S-dependence away by replacing
T F a s t h e
T*[F^g] with l ~ l » 8 result would in general depend on the
choice of the arbitrary surface R.
From 2.27 and 2.32, it follows that changing the surface on
which V ' is defined changes the phase associated with the path C by
a factor
ex [Link]* _ .do-^ dfl£ S (x-y) > 4 (2.33)
P s s R p
In four dimensions, a closed curve, C , links a closed 2-surface, S-
S', a definite, integral, number of times, H. (leaving out for now
23
those particle paths which actually intersect S or S'). Any surface
R bounded by C will then intersect S-S' at N points (intersections
are defined In an oriented way, so that it is the net number of
intersections that is counted)- Setting up local coordinate systems
on S-S' and on E near such an intersection, one finds that the double
integral in 2.33 is exactly 2N-* The phase then changes by
exp{2llipN } under the change of surface, which is 1 if p is an
Integer as required by the earlier quantization condition*
The above argument is extremely familiar: it is just the argu
ment that one can have magnetic monopoles in an Abellan gauge theory,
If the monopole charge is quantized so that the charged particles
26
don't "see" the monopole's Dirac string . In fact, just as the Wil
son loop can be regarded as the world-line of a classical charged
particle, the vortex operator can be regarded as the world-line of a
classical monopole, with the surface S as the world-sheet of the
Dirac string* There is one problem with the Dirac string, and that
problem is also present here: what of paths which actually pass
through the surface S? If we smear the integral defining V ' (or
that for V ) and let the smearing vanish as a limit, can we neglect
paths passing through S because they are of "measure zero", or do
they contribute in a sufficiently singular way that their effect does
not go away?
This is exactly the question that was raised from a different
point of view at the end of the last section* In our two dimensional
model it was found, in effect, that when the support of our Dirac
string (there it was a "Dirac lump") goes to zero with the total flux
staying constant, under some conditions (massless fermions) the
24
effect of paths through the lump survives in the limit, while under
others (massive fermions and bosons) the effect vanishes. Even in
the massless fermion case It was possible to obtain the desired limit
by adding additional regulators to the operator, which can be thought
of as correcting the action for paths that pass through the lump.
The four dimensional case is not so easily analyzed* For S an
infinite 2-plane (so that C is infinitely far off In some direction)
the charged field propagator is easily calculated with the flux
smeared, and one finds th.-.t it approaches the free propagator for
massive or massless fermions, or for bosons- In the presence of this
2-plane plus an additional smooth A -field, however, an argument
similar to that for the Schwinger model (based on the anomalous
divergence of the axial current) shows that the effect of the Dirac
string survives in the liait if the fermions are massless. An extra
regulator of the same form as H in 2.15 (essentially giving the fer
mions a mass very near the string) corrects this particular problem.
We have not been able to show, however, that this is the only addi
tional operator needed in general, or that no correction is ever
needed for massive fermions or bosons. It seems quite likely, how
ever, that if we do need to correct the action for paths passing
through the string, this correction will always take the form of
local operators near the string. The whole point Is, perhaps, moot,
as we shall see that the Green's functions are uniquely determined
without knowing the detailed form of the extra regulator (just as in
the two dimensional case, we do not really need to know the form of
Hi once we know that Q. is a c-number, all of its Green's functions
are fixed up to an overall constant!)-
25
Many other solutions for the Dirac veto problem have been given-
26
Brandt, Nerl, and Zvanzlger have rewritten a field theory of
charges and nonopoles as an integral over all numbers and configura
tions of particle paths* They then define the action associated with
configurations having charge paths Intersecting monopole strings as
the limit of that for non-intersecting configurations- In a monopole
field theory, our solution would have the form of a smeared Dirac
string and an additional non-local charge oonopole interaction along
the string.
In the remainder of this thesis we assume that V "(C,S) can be
defined in such a way as to have the desired limit, so that G(P,C,S)
is independent of S- It then follows that there is a gauge transfor
mation g(S,S';x), defined except when x lies on S or S', such that
VS VS
A '(y.x) " g(S,S';y)A g*<S,S';x) (2.34a)
S S
A* '(x) - A^ (x) + |g(S,S';x>& g*(S,S*;x) (2.34b)
Any gauge independent quantity constructed from A and A Is there
fore S-independent as veil*
At least In the present case, where there is only a classical
monopole, we can evaluate quantities such as G(P,C,S) or A (x,y)
without using either an explicit form for V '(C,S) or the path
integral prescription. Equations 2.34 by themselves give sufficient
information to determine the Green's functions we want, using a
geometrical approach (in the sense of differential geometry) due to
27
Wu and Vang . Consider two non-intersecting surfaces, S and S ,
each having C as its boundary. Take spacetime with 2, a thin tube
26
containing C, removed• This space can be covered by two overlapping
open regions, Qj and Q,, such that S, lies entirely in Q,, and S.
vS VS 2
lies entirely in Qj. A (x) is defined for x in Qj, and A (x) is
defined for x in Q„; in the overlap region these functions are
related by 2.34b. They are given, as before, by the simple one pho
ton graph, and g(S,,S.;x) can be determined in terms of this graph.
Any other gauge and S-dependent quantity can similarly be represented
in as a pair of functions (or, for A, as four functions, since it has
two arguments), each defined only in a certain region but related in
the overlap region by the gauge transformation g(S,,S ;x). Gauge
dependent quantities are thus "sections": sets of functions each
defined only in an open region, but such that the regions cover all
of spacetime (minus C in this case) and such that the functions are
related in the overlap of two or more regions.
Integrals of gauge (and therefore S-) independent products of
4
sections over R - C can then be defined: in each region the
integrand is defined in terms of the function which exists in that
region; in overlap regions this is unambiguous because the integrand
V V
is S-independent. Wit.l an inner product based on this integral, D D
acting on sections can be made self-adjoint* It follows that A. as a
section exists and is unique. A. can be obtained from it as a func
tion defined everywhere except on x. Power counting arguments, as
developed in Che next section, indicate that the limit as the cutoff
C is removed exists, at least order by order in p.
We may now consider higher order corrections to Green's func
tions. All graphs with a given configuration of charged lines and
27
internal and external photon lines are of the same order in e; sum
ming over all numbers of vortex photon lines gives one graph of the
same configuration with no vortex photon lines but with "effective"
A
propagators and vertices. The pboton propagator and j*V vertex are
unchanged, and the charged propagator becomes - ^ (x,y). The f*<fk
* 2
vertex picks up an extra term from graphs where a j* j»A vertex is
connected to one vortex photon line and one other photon line; it
becomes -i (x). Equation 2.22 then becomes
>
<V ' ( C S ) V
"JKL ' < p ' ' (C S)
• " > ' hSLr
2
(2-35)
r r
hmn
< [jA J A ^ t j ^ x K*]»IjA I**)* > cvS
where the prime on the sum excludes the term h-k-1-0 and the sub
script cvS indicates all connected graphs constructed out of the
effective vertices and propagators. Examples of higher order correc
tions to < A (x) V '(C,S) > / < V '(C,S> > are shown in figure 2.
f P P
It is then evident that higher order corrections to gauge
invariant reduced Green's functions are S-independent: Under a change
of S, the phase factors from two propagators meeting at a ^*j*A ver
tex or an external source cancel; the total change in the propagators
and vertex at a f*#A vertex vanishes. Actually, this is not
strictly true if we have defined the vortex operator by smearing S
and adding additional operators. The Feynman integrals in coordinate
space include points lying in S, for which 2.34 do not hold. As in
the case of the propagator, we would expect to be able to "repair"
the Feynman integrals with additional corrections to the definition
of V_'(C,S). Again, we need never know the form of these
28
corrections: regarding the propagators and vertex functions as sec
tions, the Feynman integral for each graph can be written as the
invariant integral discussed above, and the result is unique.
We can now demonstrate equation 2.3:
i T< F (X) V '(C,S) > - d
p (T-T*)< f (x) V '(C,S) >
p
- & (T-T*)< f (x) V '(C,S) >
U Up p O
-2&f dx'
c
4
S (x-x')< V '(C,S) > p (2.36)
The first equation follows because T*(F ) is defined as
fipotp„b orT*(A,)
<•
p and so its divergence vanishes identically. The
second equality (the subscript indicates the lowest order graph, fig
ure la) follows because any higher order graphs for the T* Green's
function, such those of figure 2, are S-independent and therefore
continuous when x is at S: they do not contribute to (T-T*). The
final equality follows from equation 2,28, Since & F (x)-0 is true
P PP
as an operator equation, 2,36 represents a commutator and is in fact
the covariant version of 2.3. Equation 2.3 is an operator equation
and we have only considered one matrix element of it. The same argu
ment can be readily applied to any gauge invariant matrix element.
Equation 2.1 is also true. If we consider < W ( C ) V '(C,S) >,
only the graph of figure 3a has a discontinuity whenever C crosses
P < 1
S: the Green's function jumps by a factor exp[ 1 . This is the
covariant form of 2.1. Figures 3b, 3c, etc. are S-independent and
therefore continuous. Equation 2.3 thus exponentiates to give 2.1.
Ordinarily this would not be true, because in general the commutators
29
of B do not determine those of the Wilson loop (although they do in
naive canonical manipulations) because graphs such as 3c which depend
on the composite nature of W ( C ) have discontinuities; this 1 B not a
problem here. The location of the discontinuity of
< U ( C ) V '(C,S) > does depend on S, unlike the Green's functions of
1 P
local gauge invariants! It seems, however, that the phase of this
Green's function is not observable, but only the net change when C'
is moved and then returned to its original position- The surface
swept out by C is then closed, so that it links C and intersects S a
definite number of times. Tnis fact will be used in the next
chapter.
For later use ve would like to examine the S-dependence of
gauge-dependent quantities. From 2.34 and the effective Feynman
rules, it follows that
< A (x)...*(y)...d*(z)...V '(C,S') > / < V '(C,S') >
p p (2.37)
- < A (x)+-ig(S,S';x)a g*(S,S';x)...g(S,S'jy)d(y)...
r r
g*(S,S';z)(l*(z)...v '(C,S) > / < V '(C,S) >
p p
We shall also be interested in the singularities of gauge dependent
v
quantities near S. The singular behavior of A (x) is:
vS 2 2
A (x) r * n, n r / r
a o n (2.38a)
p e arfSpp lor 2 ^ p
where n, and n, are orthogonal unit vectors lying in S and r is the
vector from x to the nearest point on S. From 2.31b and 2.38a we
derive
30
g(S,S';x) C exprip8(x)l (2.38b)
where S' Is any surface distant from S and x. 0(x) is defined by
taking a 2-plane normal to S and containing x: S will intersect this
plane in one point and 0(x) is defined as the angle around this
point, from x to an arbitrary fixed direction in the plane. It fol
lows from 2.34a that for x near S, A (x,y) is exp[-ip0(x)] times a
g
non-singular function, and for y near S it is exp[ip6(y)J times a
non-singular function.
We have found that reduced gauge invariant Green's functions are
S independent; we return now to the factor that we divided out, equa
tion 2.23. < V '(C,S) > is given by the graph with one photon start
ing and ending on S, plus the sum of all vacuum bubbles constructed
out of the effective propagators and vertices. For example, the
determinant term in 2.23 is from the graph which is just one closed
loop of the effective propagator A • As discussed earlier, graphs
constructed from the effective propagators and vertices are all S
independent. The only S dependence is that which we have found
explicitly, the 6 (0) term. We can take this term to be an artifact
of the way we have defined V ' when two of the fields in the expan
sion of the exponential are at the same point, and divide it out of
the definition: all Green's functions are then S-independent. It is
good that this term can be identified so unambiguously, so that
srtificial S dependence can be distinguished from a real, physical
dependence of the vacuum expectation value of the vortex operator on
the area of the minimal surface spanning C. Of the surviving terms
in 2.23, the first is exactly the same as the leading term in the
31
expectation value of the Wilson loop, with the replacement of — for
e. The next Is of a form familiar from functional integrals. In
fact, < V '(C,S) > can be Interpreted either in the normal way as a
functional integral over continuous A and j* fields with V '(C,S)
P
inserted into the integrand, or as a functional integral with no
Insertion in the integrand but with the A and f fields fixed to have
the discontinuities 2.37 on S. Since we want to be careful about
divergence problems, we will stay with the first interpretation.
£ . Renormalization of Looplike liberators
In the preceding section, we neglected renormalization. We did
not specify whether quantities were bare or renormalized, we did not
include graphs with counterterms, and we did not consider the conver
gence of the various graphs. These points are the subject of the
present section. We include first, as an illustration of some of the
ideas, a short section on the renormalization of the Wilson loop
operator.
1. Renormalization of Green's Functions of the Wilson Loop
The Wilson loop Is a composite operator involving products of
arbitrarily many elementary fields. The associated divergences, how
ever, turn out to be easily analyzed, at least in the Abelian case:
all matrix elements can be made finite by one overall multiplication
28 29 30
of the operator . Gervais and heveu and Polyakov have shown by
the use of elegant methods that the aame is true of the non-Abelian
Wilson loop.
A general Green's function of the Wilson operator, < W (C) > T ,
defined by analogy to equation 2.21, is given by
32
C 2 39
< «e< > >JKL " « P . S vThibu < ' >
khmn
The quantity eA (y) is invariant under renormalization, due to the
Ward identity: e A « e A , where subscripts r and o represent renor-
malized and bare quantities, respectively* When it is necessary to
take a particular renormallzation scheme, we will use BPHZ at zero
momentum (this is acceptable when the charged fields are all massive,
which, for simplicity, we assume)* If we then take the fields cou
pled to J, K, and L to be the renormaiized ones, the connected
Green's functions in equation 2*39 are all renorraalized: they are
finite when not evaluated at the same spacecime point, and they are
integrable over spacetime regions that include coincident points* If
we take J (x), K(x), and L(x) to be smooth, the associated x
integrals all exist*
The only possible divergence comes when k is greater than 1, so
that there Is a multiple integral over C. This may diverge when two
or more integrands approach each other along the loop. To emphasize
the region in the multiple loop integral where j of the arguments
approach each other along the loop, we represent 2*39 as
(ie)^dxX dy c X o f <. y 2 r *dy j y
i
6( 5 ly^yjl - x) < A (y )...A (y ) ••• >
flf 1 y j
3 2 ( 2 4 0 >
u^fL** x " Xc^te^B-
c 'i« 2j» • •*'i
jyy
w
-
33
J
S( S |w l - l)< A^CyjU.(y +itw )...A (y -htw.)
1 1 2 y 1 •••>,,
where the final ellipsis in the Green's functions indicates the
remaining operators, coupled to external sources or to distant points
on C To get the leading x-*0 behavior of the Green's function we
31
use the operator product expansion to write the product of j A's in
the Green's function as
8 <xw 1
o«--.y 2 ''V*
xv
+ S lo( ... y( '
fl 2 '" "• J c w )
j * u l A < y )+ h i
8 h e r
operators
This form places all of the x dependence In the coefficient functions
g.. We implicitly use a covarlant gauge so as to avoid direction
dependendent singularities, as found, for instance, in the axial
gauge•
At fixed x, the j points cannot be coincident' We cannot
assume, however, that the w-integrations converge, as there will be
regions in integration space where some subset of the points come
together. We will assume a coordinate-space version of Weinberg's
32
theorem , which we have not proved but which seems quite plausible:
that it suffices to consider just the x-integrations for each subset
of points, and if naive power counting indicates that every one of
these is convergent then the whole integral will be. In fact this is
not necessary: at least when C is an infinite straight line the
Green's functions can be written In momentum space. Weinberg's
theorem and BPHZ subtraction may then be applied rigorously to verify
the conclusions reached below. It Is then very plausible that for a
34
smooth curve C the leading divergences are the same as for the
straight line. The coordinate-space argument is shorter and perhaps
more interesting'
Because A Is of dimension 1, at each order in perturbation
theory (we are renormalizing order by order) g n _ _ _ y(xw) is of order
x times logarithms and g _ (xw) is of order x J
times loga
rithms; the higher coefficient functions are all smaller as x-*0.
The x-integration associated with the operator 1 is thee linearly
divergent. Performing the x integration with a distance cutoff A "
and the w integration leaving out those subregions where subsets of
points become coincident, the c-number piece of 2.40 becomes
, dy n <y ) + f i n l t e t e r m s - 2 4 1
{ *C/V>J c lc* « l >* "* * c < ' )
where R is 0(A), n (y ) is a unit vector tangent to C at y , and the
ellipsis in the matrix element is the same as in 2.40. If C were
straight, it would be clear why n must appear: there is no other
available vector. For C a smooth curve, the leading divergence is
the same as for a straight line, since points close together don't
see the curvature; therefore n (y ) appears. To (lit that another
way, curvature, the lowest dimensional measure of the actual shape of
C, is of dimension two; its coefficient must be two powers less
divergent than linear (that is, convergent). This argument fails if
C has a kink, as the curvature there is infinite. In general there
will be a composite divergence associated with a kink that is one
power weaker than the leading divergence, from endpoint effects in
the integration. There would therefore be an additional logarithmic
divergence for each kink. This was also found by Gervais and
35
29
Neveu . The Integral In 2.41 Is simply the perimeter P(C), and so
the divergence corresponding to the c-number in the operator product
expansion (which arises from graphs with no external lines} can be
removed by multiplication of the Wilson loop by an overall factor
expI-R(A)P(C)].
The only other divergence is in the coefficient of A (x). This
is logarithmic and is given by graphs which have external lines but
are such that cutting a single photon line separates all of the
external lines from the Wilson loop. As one might expect, this
divergence is actually absent due to the Ward identity* In fact, in
31
our particular scheme (zero momentum BPHZ) ,
g (xw G C x , x 0 ) ( 2 - 4 2 )
ioc-..yu 2 "V " ...y « V' V o t /
where G is the j-photon Green's function with one leg (the one with
index u) truncated and set to zero momentum. G satisfies a Ward
identity
k G ( x w , x w ! k ) 0 ( 2 , 4 3 )
u *...y f J 2"" j "
From 2.43 and the fact that G is continuous at k "0 (for massive
charged particles) it follows that G vanishes at zero momentum and so
g. is identically zero and that there is no divergence coming from
connected graphs with external lines* In fact, g. can be shown to
vanish by gauge invariance in any renormalization scheme.
We find, then, that all matrix elements of the Abelian Wilson
loop can be made finite by one overall multiplication*
2. Renormalization of Green's Functions of the Vortex Operator
36
The analysis of the vortex operator proceeds much like the
analysis of the Wilson loop, and the result is the same: an overall
multiplication makes all matrix elements finite. There is a poten
tial logarithmic operator divergence, as for the Wilson loop, but its
coefficient again turns out to vanish. The vanishing is here more
intricate, involving cancellation of field renormalization diver
gences against composite operator divergences. Our nicest result,
that T[F^_] is finite for an infinite straight vortex, can be
obtained in a few lines (equations 2.48-2.50). The rest of this sec
tion is simply power counting to establish that this implies the
cutoff independence of all matrix elements of vortex operators for
any curve*
F j
We first must ask whether the combinations and -£• appearing
in 2.4 and 2.20 refer to the bare or the renormalized fields and
charges, since these combinations are not invariant under renormali
zation. A canonical argument indicates that they must be bare-
Equations 2.5 hold only for the bare quantities; if the renormalized
quantities were to appear on tfca left hand side of 2*5, an extra fac
tor of z~ would be needed on the right hand side. In order to have
a finite commutator with the Wilson loop, as in 2.1, or with charged
F i
0 t
fields, as in 2.6, it is then clear that we must have °'PP and P.
e e
o o
We can also reach this same conclusion from the Green's func
tions. The discussion of the last section did not include graphs
with countercerms. This is correct if all fields and couplings,
including those in the definition of V ', are the bare ones (we must
have a cutoff at this point). Otherwise, graphs with counterterms
37
enter and spoil the quantization condition* The exponent in the
definition of V ' must therefore be cutoff dependent* If we had
started by defining V ' with F and e , we would have found that
p/Z,. [Link] p, was an integer, so that the cutoff dependence would
merely be shifted into p* Either way, writing V ' in terms of cutoff
independent p, e, and F gives
rr
d f ( y ) } ( 2 4 4
V(C,S) - ~ P < ^ S < j . r o ; j i ' >
with an explicitly cutoff dependent exponent. Note also that this
implies that the total coefficient (all counterterms summed) of the
one photon graph for < e F
r
V '(C,S) > or for < e F V '(C,S) >
° o opp p r rpp p
is np, with no factors of Z_. This in turn implies that equation
2*36, which comes entirely from the one photon graph, is correct with
F and e either both bare or both renormalized; explicitly,
f ( x ) V ( C S ) > E d 5 t 5 A ( x _ x ) < V C S
V * rpp p' ' -T ?C y ' p'< ' > >(2.36')
We now investigate the cutoff dependence of the Green's func
tions of the vortex operator. Starting with the expression 2*22, we
can analyze the divergences of the Green's functions very much as we
did for the Wilson loop* There are two differences* One is that V,
unlike W, contains a manifest cutoff dependence from field renormali-
zation, as discussed above* The second difference is in the analysis
of the composite divergences, where the vortex involves an integral
over a two- rather than one-dimensional surface, and the field being
integrated is of dimension two rather than one* This second differ
ence is small: because the exponent is dimensionless for both opera-
38
tors, in each case there is only a small nuober of divergences. The
analog of (2.40) when j points cone together is
fC S (2 45>
< V ' > >JKL " <?>'£,* ^ " V i V ' 2 - * ^ -
6(J 2 |w | -1)< ^a(y,)F (y -hw >...F (y -h» ) • • • >
x y8 1 2 ff 1 ;J c
The small x expansion for the operator product is now
h 1
n ~ a VS ..„(*"»»'•••""J' (2.46)
Oorp,/o, . . . ,up 2 J
+ h y }
i«p.» ff ;«ri/»V—"V-V i
+ b ( x w , ( , c , )
2«p,y6,... ,pp z w,) '* i* i + •• •
The expansion includes only gauge invariant operators, because the
-21 J
operator product is gauge invariant, h. is of order x and h, and
h_ are of order x ^ , so that the x-integration for the coefficient
of 1 is quadratically divergent, and those for the coefficients of
F and <t*f are logarithmically divergent.
We have neglected the extra operators in V (C,S) that we con-
P
eluded were needed to insure S-independeoce* In the two dimensional
case, equations 2.14 indicate that the effective dimension of
2
d z f. <z) in units of mass is greater than '2 but less than -1. The
total dimension of the exponent of H is then negative; it is a "soft"
operator. We expect that this property will hold in general. The
inclusion of these additional operators, then, will give additional
contributions to the coefficient functions in 2*41, but will not lead
to any stronger singularities.
39
The divergence proportional to 1 implies a common infinite fac
tor of the form exp[R'(A)A(S>) In every matrix element of V ', with
P
2
A(S) the area of the surface S, and with R' 0(A )• Just such a
divergence was found from the one photon graph in the last section,
where it was also shown that such a term, being explicitly S depen
dent, could not arise from any higher order graph. It can therefore
be unambiguously divided out. The operator 1 in the expansion also
gives rise to a- linearly divergent term proportional to the perimeter
FCC), from edge effects in the surface integrals. This was also
found from the one photon graph; for this divergence we would expect
that higher order graphs will also contribute. At any rate, It can
be divided out by a factor of the form exp[-R"(A)P(C>], with R "
0(A).
TOP logarithmic divergence from the h and h_ can be removed by
the addition of three counterterms to the exponent of V *(C,S) (as in
P
the case of the Wilson loop, this conclusion can be verified
rigorously by use of Weinberg's theorem and BPHZ subtraction when C
is a straight line):
c 2 47a)
i -JV^p^y) <-
c 3 - J^-ldo^ |«-*<y)*(y) (2.47c)
I do- | appears in c. for the same reason that dy, n (y,) (which is
orp J lor cr l
just |dy,|) appears in 2.41: there is no other Euclidean invariant
form for the leading divergence*
40
The counterterm c, is forbidden by by CF invariance. do- „F _
2 ' oc[J orp
is CP even; as a result, so is any logarithmic composite divergence
(because a smooth surface is CP invariant to the extent that its cur
vature can be neglected), while c, is CF odd. c, is forbidden by the
S-independence of gauge invariant Green's functions. The easiest way
to see this is to consider a surface S which doubles back on itself.
It is important that because of S-lndependence, there is no new com
posite divergence associated with this doubling back. The doubled
surface cancels out in the definition of V '(C,S), because do- 0 is
oriented; it must therefore cancel out in any divergences. It does
cancel in c, and c„, but not in c,, as |d<r ,1 is not oriented. We
1 2 3 orj5
conclude that all of the composite divergence can be removed by a
term of the form t(A)'C,'
There is still the second source of cutoff dependence in the
Green's functions of V '(C,S), the factor of Z- in 2.44. J
We see that
P
this is of exactly the same form as the counterterm 2.47a; an
appropriate choice of f(A) can remove this divergence as well, leav
ing every Green's function of the vortex operator finite.
Since there is only one unknown function of the cutoff, we can
determine it by calculating one single Green's function of one par
ticular vortex operator. A convenient choice is
T< F (x) V '(Z.Y) > / < V '(Z.Y) > (2.48)
rpp P P
a n d Y i B t n e 0 .
where Z i s the l i n e y "yi"y2"°
Q half-plane y "y."°t y , *
0
By Euclidean invariance, this must be given by
2 2 2
a ( x>c )) * „,x
, x , _ ++ b(x?)
b ( x )x x . , 6u ,. ,, (2.49)
z' upor3 ZQC z' z(ji p)3
41
where x Is the vector from Z to x which Is perpendicular to Z.
ZfJ
Under parity, V '(Z,Y) goes into V '(Z,Y'), where Y' h half-
i B t e
P P
< 0
plane y "yj"0> y ,
o (note carefully that p doesn't change sign). The
gauge invariant Green's functions of these two operators axe equal-
Under x--»x , x.-*-x , the Green's function 2.48 then has natural
0
parity: space-space components are invariant and space-time com
ponents change sign. Only the first term is 2.49 has natural parity;
2
it must be that b(x )«0. Equation 2.36' then requires that
/ 2.
a (
p , 2,-3/2
V * " IT'V (2.50)
r
Remarkably, the Green's function 2.48 is completely determined, and
it is cutoff independent without counterterms: f(A) " 0. The factor
of Z, in 2.44 provides just the cutoff dependence to cancel that in
33
the composite divergence
In terms of graphs, the cancellation we have found is this: The
order e contribution to 2.48 is figure 2a. Expanding the effective
vertex and propagator in terms of the usual ones gives all graphs
with one charged loop and no internal photons, such as those of fig
ure 4. The graphs of figure 4a have the usual divergence; ordinarily
this would be cancelled by a counterterm from the order e~ graph,
figure la. Here, this counterterm is absent owing to the factor of
Z, in 2.44* However, the graphs of figure 4b are also divergent when
the integration over the momenta of the photons attached to V ' is
included. What we have found above is that the divergences of 4b
exactly cancel those of 4a. This cancellation has an interesting
feature: the different graphs are proportional to different powers of
p, depending on how many photon lines attach to V '. When we let p
42
vary, the full cancellation occurs only for i n r — a l p, as only then
can we say that the Green's function is independent of S and that
2.49 is the only allowed form.
The fact that the matrix elements of the vortex operator turn
out to be automatically finite is rather important- If ve had had to
add a counterterm 2.47a to the exponent of V ', its commutation rela
tions 2.1 and 2.3 would then have become cutoff dependent* We hope
to find that there are relations between the commutation relations of
V ' (that is, the fact that it is a vortex operator) and its Green's
functions; this would seem unlikely if cutoff independent commutators
had been incompatible with cutoff independent Green's functions.
This is remeniscent of the situation with Noether currents, genera
tors of exact symmetries: there also ve wish to ascribe physical sig
nificance to commutators, and there also the commutators and the
Green's functions are simultaneously finite.
There Is one weakness in the above analysis. What we have
really shown with the operator product analysis is that the counter-
term c. suffices to remove all divergences from Green's functions of
V when they are expanded order by order in p (thus, in 2.44 we have
isolated all graphs of order p ) . It would be preferable if we could
first sum to all orders of p, getting effective propagators and ver
tices as before, and then analyze the divergences directly from the
short distance properties of these effective propagators and ver
tices. We do not expect that our conclusions would change; however,
we shall see in the next chapter that «n expansion of the Green's
functions in powers of p can sometimes lead to erroneous conclusions,
so it would be good to have an analysis of the divergences which did
*3
not rely on such an expansion* Note that the flniteness of 2.48 was
independent of the expansion in p. It would also be interesting to
see what effect hard P- or CP- violating interactions would have on
the analysis*
CHAPTER 3
CLUSTER PROPERTIES OF LOOPLIKE OPERATORS
A. Cluster Properties in a. General Gauge Theory
In this chapter we discuss some of the long distance features of
the Green's functions of operators associated with closed curves-
The present section is quite general, and applies to an Abelian or
non-Abelian theory, though we shall be particularly concerned with
the non-Abelian case. In the next seccion we return to an Abelian
theory and extend the results of the previous chapter to the case
where the symmetry is spontaneously broken.
The spectrum of a given gauge field theory might have one of
many different forms. It might be "QED-like", where the physical
particles resemble closely those in the Lagrangian: nassless vector
particles and unconfirmed charged (that is, non-singlet) particles.
It might be confining, with all physical particles gauge singlets.
It might be Higgs-like, with the gauge particle massive and the gauge
symmetry broken either by a fundamental or a dynamical Higgs field.
It might be intermediate between these possibilities, or it may have
some other form altogether. Which form, or phase, is realized will
depend on the details of the dynamics.
It is desireable to have some order parameter, some precise dis
tinction between the phases. For Instance, the QED-like phase is
distinguished by the presence of a massless vector particle. The
confining phase of a non-Abelian theory Is not so readily defined.
14
As pointed out by Handelstam , there is no global non-Abelian
charge: the current is gauge covarlant, so its integral over space
44
45
has little meaning• It is therefore imprecise to say that a physical
particle is a gauge singlet. Nor is the identification of the non-
Abelian Biggs phase obvious. The expectation value of the Hlggs
field is not gauge invariant, and there is no satisfactory gauge to
use. The Coulomb and covarlant gauges do not exist in a non-Abelian
34 14
theory , and the axial gauge is too singular • The confining and
Hlggs phases can be defined precisely by the Wilson and 't Hooft
criteria, relating to the vacuum expectation values of large Wilson
and vortex loops. We shall return to these after we show how the
phases can be characterized by the cluster properties of the Wilson
and vortex operators.
Consider the Euclidean Green's function
G(x,C) - < «(x) W (C) >
g c
- < e(x) w (c) > - < e(x) > < w ( o > s (3-D
8
with 8)(x) some local gauge invariant operator such as F flFye. In
the phases we have mentioned above, this function will behave In one
of three ways when C is very large:
Short distance clustering: G(x,C) falls off exponentially with
d(x,C), the distance between x and C.
Surface clustering: G(x,C) is nonvanishing near the minimal sur
face, S spanning C, and falls off exponentially away from that sur
face.
Long distance clustering: G(x,C) falls off as a power of d(x,C).
These alternatives may be better understood by considering a
typical state of the system in a 3-surface cutting perpendicularly
through C. In this 3-surface, one sees a source/antisource pair, s
and s, where C intersects the surface. If the clustering is short
range, there are only short range, Yukawa, fields around the sources,
and vacuum elsewhere* If the clustering is surface-like, there is a
tube of non-vacuum joining s and s, whose energy per unit length
gives rise to a linear potential between the external sources. If
the clustering is long range, s and ~B have Coulomb-like fields with a
power law fall-off. Long range clustering is only possible if there
are massless particles. The other two types of clustering each have
a characteristic scale (the range of the Yukawa field or the thick
ness of the tube) which are determined by the mass m, of the lightest
particle; for quarkless QCD this is presumably of the general order
of A Q C D . AS U L P ( C ) is taken to zero, either by shrinking C or by
letting m. go to zero, the first two cluster properties turn continu
ously into the third.
Short distance clustering is analogous to that for pointlike
fields in a massive theory, where the general connected two-point
Green's function falls off exponentially with distance. Long dis
tance clustering is analogous to that for pointlike fields in a mass-
less theory. Surface clustering is a new feature; it seems to arise
when there is a flux which can neither spread nor be shielded. One
might also image more general cluster properties, of course- These
three, however, seem to cover all those which have arisen in various
gauge theories and models.
We can also consider the cluster properties of Green's functions
of the vortex operator V (C) (p designating the homotopy class); the
47
same three possibilities seem to arise. The cluster property appears
to be largely independent of the operator • ( * ) • For instance, if a
tube of non-vacuum runs between s and s, we would expect most local
operators to have within the tube an expectation value different from
that which they have in vacuum. It may, however, depend on the
representation s of the Wilson loop, or the homotopy class p of the
vortex operator.
A general phase, then, may be characterized by which of the
three cluster properties is realized for each representation and for
each homotopy class. A confining theory is one in which the Wilson
loop, at least in some'representations, has surface clustering, as
this implies linear confinement of external charges in those
representations; this is the Wilson criterion . The 't Hooft cri
terion defines a (completely broken) Higgs theory as one in which
some of the vortex operators have surface clustering, as this implies
that magnetic flux is forming into tubes.
This classification is closely related to the usual classifica
tion of phases in terms of the vacuum expectation values of the Wil
son and vortex operators. For a very large curve C, the vacuum
expectation value of a general looplike operator X(C) will be dom
inated by expf-S ,J» where
4
S c l - J*d x < L(x) X(C) > c / < X(C) > (3.2)
and L(x) is the Lagrangian density. The connected Green's function
in 3.2 is a special case of 3.1. For short distance clustering the
integrand will be nonzero only for x near C, so that the whole
integral is proportional to P(C): < X(C) > follows a perimeter law.
48
For surface clustering, the integrand vlll be nonzero only for x near
the minimal surface, so that the whole integral is proportional to
A(S„). In phases without massless particles, there is a one-to-one
correspondence between an area law and surface clustering, and
between a perimeter law and short range clustering*
For long range clustering, the integrand is proportional to
d(x,C) ; the behavior of the integral depends on the particular value
of k. In QED k is -It; the integral therefore is dominated by small
values of d(x,C) ard is proportional to P. If k were -3, the
integral over d(x,C) would diverge logarithmically until it was cut
off at roughly the linear scale R of the curve C; it is proportional
to R-ln(R). We use R rather than P because P implies a certain shape
dependence, which aeed not hold here. If k were -2, the integral
2
would be proportional to R , as it is for surface clustering. In
this case there also be a linear potential between external sources,
but without the formation of a flux tube. There would be, however, a
strongly interacting massless particle, which is not observed.
Furthermore, it is not clear that it is possible to find a consistent
physical picture in which k is -2.
Restricting attention for now to phases without massless parti
cles, the Uilson loop operator for each representation and the vortex
operator for each homotopy class will have either short range or sur
face clustering. The cluster properties for the Wilson loop in dif
ferent representa:ions are related. If there are fields of represen
tation s in the theory, it will always be energetically favorable for
s and s external sources, when they are far apart, to pull an ss pair
out of the vacuum and shield themselves rather than form a flux tube.
49
W will then always have short range clustering. Similarly, one can
see that If for any representation r, W has short range clustering,
this will also be true of any other representation r' which is con
tained in the direct product of one r and any number of s representa
tions. The cluster property is therefore a function only on the quo
tient, {r>/{s}, where {r> is the set of all representations of the
gauge group, and <s} is the set of those representations carried by
fields or products of fields. Incidentally, for any compact gauge
group, the above quotient is isomorphic to II, (G), so the set of dis
tinct types of Wilson loops is isomorphic to the set of distinct vor
tex operators (though there is no unique natural mapping between the
two sets). One further restriction on the clustering is that it must
be the same for a representation and its conjugate (or for a homotopy
element and its inverse), as the looplike opcvators for these differ
only in the direction of their "flux", so that they can be turned
into one another by a spacetime rotation.
't Hooft has shown that relations can be obtained between the
cluster properties of Wilson loops and vortex operators In phases
18
without massless particles. One result is that ii: a Wilson loop
and vortex operator do not commute, they cannot both have short range
clustering. To Bee this, let C and C be large loops, C lying in the
3-plane t»0 and C* lying in the 3-plane t«-R (we single out one
Euclidean direction and call it t ) , where R>>mT . Let them have the
spatial orientation of figure 5a, linked but separated by the large
distance R. Consider < V (C) W ( C ) >, where p and s are such that
P s
the operators do not commute, when C is translated as follows:
first, forward in time to t-Rj then, in a spacelike direction to the
50
spatial configuration of figure 5b (unlinked, and separated by R ) ;
then, back to t—R; finally, back to the position of figure 5a. The
Green's function must now have returned to its original value. C and
C are always separated by at least R. If both operators have short.
range clustering, there can be no correlation between them. In other
words, C is essentially being moved through vacuum, so that
< V (C) W (C') > is constant by translational invariance. This is
p s
true except when C crosses S; :he Green's function then jumps by a
phase. C sweeps out a closed surface, which links C a definite
number of times. It therefore crosses S this same number of times,
independent of the choice of S. Taking the special case where S is
the minimal surface spanning C, we see that C crosses this only
once, on its first leg to t-R.
The only change in the Green's function during this round trip
is one change of phase, when C crosses S, corresponding to the non-
commutation of the two operators. This is inconsistent with the
Green's function being single-valued. It is therefore impossible for
both operators to have short range clustering. If either one has
surface clustering, the Green's function changes not only when C
crosses S, but also when one loop moves through the flux tube of the
other. If there are massless particles and one or both loops have
long range clustering, the Green's function can change even when the
two loops are well separated. In either of the latter two cases,
there is no contradiction with the single-valuedness of the Green's
function. We have tried, above, to emphasize the distinction between
the arbitrariness of phase of the Green's function associated with a
change of S, and the fact that it is well defined, and single valued.
51
once S is fixed•
35
More recently, using a more powerful framework , 't Hooft has
been able to place even stronger restrictions on the cluster proper
ties in phases without massless particles. We shall refer to some of
his results later.
We now illustrate the above ideas. In a free Abelian theory,
one readily finds that all Wilson and vortex operators satisfy a per'
imeter law. For the vortex operator only the second term of 2.23
survives; an almost identical expression holds for the Wilson loop.
External charges and monopoles have Coulombic fields, and connected
Green's functions all satisfy long range clustering, with various
powers of d(x,C). For the special case of •(x)-L(x), It—4, as men
tioned above. For QED with massive charged fields, the infrared pro
perties are essentially those of the free theory, and the above con
clusions still hold.
In a pure SU(3) gauge theory (QCO with quark loops suppressed),
there are three different kinds of representations, distinguished by
"triality", the SU(3) version of the quark number discussed before
equation 1.5. The representations of zero triality can all be formed
as a product of adjoint representations; since there are always
adjoint fields present (gluons) these can never have surface cluster
ing. Assuming on phenomenological grounds the absence of massless
glueballs, the Wilson loops for the representations of zero triality
will always have short range clustering. The representations of tri-
alitles one and two will always have the same clustering, as they are
conjugate to each other. The Wilson criterion, defining a confining
theory, is chat this should be surface-like for quarkless QCD, so
that quarks are bound by a linear potential until the flux tube
breaks by creation of quark pairs. In this, the standard, picture, a
linear potential can never form between gluons. Physical gluons must
be assumed to be absent because they are shielded in some way: a high
energy gluon resulting from an interaction would pull more gluons out
of the vacuum and form a singlet glueball. As for the vortex opera
tors, there are two homotopy classes, other than the trivial one,
corresponding to the elements exp[+2ni/3] of the center of SU(3). 't
35
Hooft has shown that these will have short distance clustering , if
the triality one and two Wilson loops have surface clustering.
When the contribution of quark loops is added, it becomes possi
ble to shield any Wilson loop, so that all Wilson loops will satisfy
a perimeter law. At the sane time, the effective gauge group becomes
SU(3) rather than SU(3)/Z . This is simply connected and does not
permit vortex operators to be defined in a simple way. Thus, insofar
as the Wilson and 't Hoofc criteria are the only distinctions between
phases, it appears that an SU(3) (or SU(n)) gauge theory wich fields
in the fundamental representation can exist only in a single phase,
regardless of the dynamics. This phase may resemble a confining or a
Higgs theory extremely closely, but it would be possible to change
the theory in a continuous way from one into the other. This possi
bility has been much ciscussed, e.g. in references 36, 37 and 38. We
shall have more to say about it in the next chapter.
Lastly, we consider a perturbative Eiggs theory, one in which
the coupling is quite small so that we may use a covariant gauge
34
without worrying about the Gribov ambiguity • This enables us to
53
discuss gauge dependent quantities such at the vacuum expectation
value of the Higgs field. Ve shall take the gauge group G to be com
pletely broken. M, the set of classical vacua (ainina of the Higgs
potential), is then identical to G and there are no massless parti
cles. Let us consider
# ( x ) - < fix)
vS
V_'(C,S) > / < V '(C,S) >
p (3.3)
where j»(x) is the Higgs field, C is a large curve and S is taken, for
convenience, to lie far away from the minimal surface of C. In a
three surface which is perpendicular to C and cuts it at two points
we have figure 6. Near the small loop 1, which is far from C and
from Its minimal surface, gauge invariant connected Green's functions
will vanish and f (x) will be position dependent but its values will
lie in the set H.
If we have an Abelian theory, we know from 2.37 that f (x) will
be a-expIipO] as we traverse the infinitesimal loop 1 and ft goes from
0 to 2ft. Here a is the magnitude of the vacuum expectation value of
?. M is the set of complex numbers of modulus a. On the loop 1,
v
j» (x) is seen to describe an element of the homotopy group II, (M)
identical to the element of II. (G) associated with the vortex opera
tor. This idea generalizes to a non-Abelian theory: there too there
will be a £auge transformation g(S,S';x) governing the S-dependence
of gauge dependent quantities, which will give rise to a nontrivial
element of the honotopy group when x circles S or S*; this causes
j* (x) trace out the corresponding element of II, W
V
when x travels on
loop 1.
We may now imagine enlarging the loop, sliding it off S, taking
it to the position of loop 2 and shrinking it to a point, without
ever getting close to c or c. Because the fields are singular only
at S, ft (x) must be essentially constant on loop 2: it maps out an
element of the trivial homotopy class* By definition there is no way
to continuously deform an element of one homotopy class into an ele
ment of another while staying within M. It follows that, somewhere
between 1 and 2, <f (x) took values outside of H; this must be the
case at least within a tube between c and c This is precisely the
argument by which one shows that when the Higgs field at spatial
infinity in two space dimensions maps out a non-trivial element of
the homotopy group, there must be a "lump", a Nielsen-Olesen vor-
20 21 —
tex ' , somewhere in space. The tube between c and c 1 B a
vS
Nielsen-Olesen vortex. Where f (x) does not lie in M, gauge invari
ant connected Green's functions such as that for the Higgs potential
will be non-vanishing. It follows that the vortex operator in a com
pletely broken small coupling Higgs phase has surface clustering.
This is the source of the 't Hooft criterion. One may also check,
order by order, that the Green's functions of the Wilson loop are
short range, because all fields are massive.
J). Vortex Operators in an Abelian Higgs Phase
In the last section we saw that the vortex operator in a pertur-
bative Higgs phase has a surface-like cluster property. For an
Abelian theory we can obtain a stronger result: the vortex operator
can never have short range clustering, so that in any Abelian theory
without massless particles it will have a surface clustering and obey
an area law. From 2.36' and Gauss's law.
55
T< f V {C S) V (C S) (3 4
JV'Jp pp<*> p ' » * - " 7 ^ ' ' * P '>
where C Is a large curve and B Is a 2-sphere linking C (we might Ima
gine figure 5a as showing the 3-surface containing C, with C as the
equator of B; the rest of B extends Into the t-direction). All
fields and charges in this section are taken to be renormalized• The
integral over B is independent of the radius of B. On the other
hand, since the Green's function in 3.4 is gauge invariant, short
range clustering would require it to fall exponentially when the
radius of B is greater than SL ; this is Inconsistent with equation
3.4.
What we have shown is really quite simple: magnetic flux can
never be shielded. If the absence of massless fields then makes it
impossible to have a Coulomb field, magnetic flux can only form into
tubes. One could see this directly from the operator equation
5'B(x)»P (x), where p (x) is a purely external magnetic charge
density; this equation is one component of 2.36'. Given that mag
netic flux is confined, one can extend 't Hooft's more recent
35
results to the Abelian case to show that all Wilson loops must obey
a perimeter law. It follows that an Abelian theory (without magnetic
monopole fields) never confines. This result was anticipated by Man-
14
delstam on the basis of the existence of the Abelian Coulomb gauge.
One might try to argue in a different way that the Green's func
tions of the vortex operator had to be short ranged in a phase
without massless particles. Take a large curve C, with the surface S
far away from the minimal surface, as it was In figure 6. Consider
56
< «(x) V '(C.S) > / < V *(C,S) >
P c p
< l y)li (3 5)
- J u •<*> ffsK W
1 ? *» -
where again 0(x) is any gauge invariant operator and where x is a
point near the minimal surface of C but far from C itself. Because
theie are no oassless particles, every Green'a function in 3.5 falls
exponentially for x distant from S. In particular they are vanish-
ingly small when x is on the minimal surface, so that surface clus
tering is Impossible. Further, since < 9(x) V '(C,S) > Is exponen-
tialy small for x far from S, and also independent of S, it is
exponentially small except for x near C. This is in direct disagree
ment with what was shown above. The problem must lie in the expan
sion 3.5: while this expansion is formally correct, the long distance
behavior of the sum is not the saue as that of the individual terms.
This is the source of our statement, at the end of the section on
renormalization, that the expansion in powers of p is not to be
trusted.
In the remainder of this section, we shall extend to the case of
a spontaneously broken Abelian theory the rules for calculating
Green's functions Involving V '(C,S) in terms of effective propaga
tors and vertices. We shall be particularly interested in seeing the
surface-like cluster property emerge. We shall also be interested in
the following question: In the presence of a vortex operator we
expect the Hlggs field to have a certain "twist", or singularity; yet
we generally, in a Higgs theory, expand around a constant, non-
singular Higgs field. How are these compatible? Ue shall see that
57
the twisted Uiggs field arises in a natural way.
First, we will sketch the derivation of the Feynman rules in a
Higgs phase. Consider the functional integral
Z(J) - JDf exp{ - " j M i j ^ - P W + J ^ > (3.6)
Here, for convenience, we have Joined all the fields into a single
field ifr. > where the index i includes quantum numbers, spacetime
indices, and spacetime position. M,, is the quadratic part of the
4
action, P(f) is the interaction Lagrangian, polynomial in I ., and J,
is an external source, whose functional derivatives are the Green's
functions of •+. Writing +-p.+a , where a. is the value of +. about
which we wish to expand the functional integral, we may write 3.6 as
ZCJ) - Pp e* < - ^P i j P i P j - l l y . ^ - ^ y - t - j " ?(p)
a p ( a a J J a 3 7 )
" i »i P> " T i /'ij<P> " ' • ' " i P i " i i> < -
- ex < P V l - M a £- - P(£) -
lj i V i l (^) - • • • }
1 } ( 3 - 8 )
exp< • f ( M " > V J ij ;
Here, we have Taylor expanded the interaction F, with the subscripts
indicating derivatives with respect to p . The ellipses indicate the
rest of the Taylor expansion, which, of course, has a finite number
of terms. Overall constants in Z(J) are thrown out because we are
always Interested in Green's functions with the vacuum-to-vacuum
amplitude divided out.
From 3.8 we may read off the Feynman rules, and compare them
with the usual rules (obtained by taking 3.8 with a - 0 ) . The
58
propagator is the 6ame, (M~ ) . There are new vertices, from the
Taylor expansion of the interaction, which in graphs can be
represented as interaction vertices with some number of external
lines replaced with a "tadpoles" representing multiplication by a..
Some of these new vertices are quadratic, and could also be summed
into the propagator, rather than being treated as interactions.
There is also a new one-point interaction M , . a , .
ij i
To illustrate these rules ve consider
K Z{3)
u
i " *i * "
Z ( J )
~ 1
Jj ( 3 , 9 )
This equation is represented in figure 7. The first term is from the
action of the functional derivative on the term J.a.. In all other
i i
terms the derivative acts on the quadratic in the last line of 3.8,
giving rise to a propagator and a connected graph. The second term
of 3.9 is from the graph where this propagator ends on a one-point
vertex M a . . In all other graphs this propagator ends on a vertex
v from P (which may have one or more tadpoles attached). Ve iden
v
tify the one particle irreducible (1P1) part containing v, as v,
plus all vertices which cannot be separated from v. by cutting a sin
gle line (v way be the only vertex in V), plus all lines connecting
two vertices of /"• Note that all vertices of / are from P; none are
of the form H.,a, as these can be separated from the rest of the
graph by cutting a single line. Y Is then independent of a.,, since
by definition no tadpoles are included in it. F*" is defined as
the sum of all such Y with n external lines besides the one which is
59
connected to the original propagator. Consider now the external
lines of P"s these may be a tadpole or a propagator, and the propaga
tor may end on a M. .a vertex or a vertex from P (which then defines
a new 1PI part). These are the same three choices we originally had,
and sum up to give u again; summing over all numbers of external
lines, and checking on the combinatorics, we get the last term of
3.9.
The first two terms of 3.9 sum to zero; only the last term,
vhich is independent of a , contributes. Iterating figure 7 graphi-
39
cally, we see that u. is given by the sum of all "tadpole trees"
Throughout this section, "tree" refers to a term In the iteration of
an equation such as figure 7, not to a graph without loops. Equation
3.9 can be rewritten
, - 0 (3.10)
i^™ ' -u v k-o k ! , i
V •J "3
k 1
2
k
i i 1
where
r +K (3.11a)
^i" h n
n n
r - r . n+2 (3.11b)
are the 1PI Green's functions as usually defined (by the Legendre
40
transformation) and
0 0
l„ k
rev) - - i i n - r v . . . , v ---v
J J J
0.12)
k-0 ' l k l -"k
Is the quantum effective potential. Equation 3.10 indicates that u
is an extremum of the effective potential; in fact it must be an
absolute minimum or one will eventually run into pathologies in the
60
Green's functions indicative of an unstable vacuum
It is not surprising that u is formally independent of a ; for
mally, the expansion represents the whole integral, regardless of
what value of the field we expand around. The sum of tadpole trees
is, however, ambiguous when there is more than one minimum, as in the
case of broken symmetry. If we try to sum the trees iteratively by
gathering the last two terms of 3.9 into one term, which we treat as
being small, and taking the first term, a , as a first appoximation
to u , the result now depends on the value of a. chosen. The value
of a. determines which extremum of the effective potential the sum
converges to; for some values of a. it diverges. The most efficient
way to sum the trees is to calculate the effective potential and
39
locate its absolute minima. Taylor has emphasized the role of the
effective potential in summing the tadpole trees. This is a rather
trivial example of the Idea that the convergence of a perturbation
series depends on having the right sort of vacuum as a first approxi
mation; one might hope, however that Che effective potential would
also be a powerful tool in the less trivial case where a composite
42
operator is acquiring a vacuum expectation value •
We can now write down a general form for a connected k-point
Green's function (k>l) In a Uiggs phase:
< y, . . .^ > . ?S - 1
i -- G i ... u ---u (3.13)
*1 *k c
n-0 n!
V--Vl" n h ,J j
n
where G is given by the sum of all connected Feynman graphs such that
there is no way to cut a single line and be left with two pieces, one
of which is connected to none of the external points i ,...,i, . G is
61
1FI in the indices j, but not in the indices i. To see 3.13, note
that G is essentially the general Feymnan graph with all tadpoles and
trees amputated, and the u. in 3.13 then represent the sum of all
possible attachments of tadpoles and trees.
In the case at hand, an Abelian Higgs theory, ^ stands for the
fields A (x) and ?(x). u is expected to be zero for A and some
nonzero value u (which can be chosen real) for (< and f . That is, we
draw graphs where either end of a charged line may end on a tadpole,
whose value is u. The presence of G would complicate the graphical
analysis for the vortex operator, so instead of 3.13 we use the
equivalent
< 1* • • •V' > - i (all connected graphs, with trees) (3.14)
1
1 \ c
The meaning of 3.14 is made clearer by comparing it with 3.13. The
tadpoles u. have each been replaced by the tree sum to which they are
equivalent; there is therefore no longer a 1FI requirement on the
graphs. We may see that 3.14 is correct at k«l, as it is there sim
ply the sum of trees, which is u .
Equation 3-14 holds in a symmetric as well as in a Higgs phase;
the only difference is that in a symmetric phase the fields as nor
mally defined have vanishing expectation value, so the trees sum to
zero and we can neglect them. To evaluate <V '(C,S)>, equation 2.22,
P
in a Higgs phase, fix the configuration of charged lines, and inter
nal and external photon lines, summing over all numbers of vortex
photons. As before, fc3 get a graph of the same configuration, but
with no vortex photons and with all propagators and vertices replaced
by the effective ones. Summing over all configurations, we simply
62
recover equation 2.35 (which includes graphs with trees).
The Higgs phase is distinguished, not by the formal expression
for the Green's functions, but by the nature of the tree sum. We
emphasize this by rewriting the Green's function in 2-35 in a form
analogous to 3.13, that is, with the trees summed. We find, again in
shorthand notation,
< 1 > c v s C3,15)
V"\ "
1? 1 -rvS vS vS
5 TT G. - V. .J. l - V, Ju.l • • • u.
J
r
where G is partially 1PI as before, but is now constructed from the
effective vertices and propagators, and u. is the sum of trees with
vS
effective propagators and vertices, u satisfies the iterative
equation shown in figure 8. It therefore is the extremum of the
"effective potential in the presence of the vortex"
i 2 ij i j k m l k! i!--.^ i x i k
s
Here v represents A , 0, and j!*, I" *- the sum of IPI graphs with
1 is
the effective propagators and vertices, and the first term is expli
citly
One may verify that under a change of surface
vS VS
r '(A„,?,?*) - T ( A ,g(S,S')*?,g(S,S')i>*) (3.18)
r r
From 3.18, it follows that
63
S
A* '(x) - A " ( X ) (3.19a)
tS tS
* ' ( y ) - g(S,S';y)d (y) (3.19b)
where the superscript tS indicates the extremum of the effective
potential, that is, the sum of tree graphs constructed with the
effective propagators and vertices for the operator V '(C,S). The
tS
expectation value of <f is just f • For the expectation value of A ,
there are the graphs where the external photon ends on a vertex—
tS
these sum up to A — and there is the graph where it ends on S—this
is simply A • It follows from 2.34b and 3.19a that the expectation
value of A , which is A +A , satisfies 2.37, as does the expecta-
F P P
tion value of (••
The Green's functions are then given by graphs constructed from
the effective propagators and vertices, with tadpoles corresponding
to the tree sums for A and <f in the presence of the vortex, rather
than their free values. The tree sum for $ has the expected singu
larity on S, as we can see from 3.19b. Th-'.s is equally true in Che
Higgs and symmetric phase; the difference, again, is in the nature of
the extremum of the effective potential. If we take a vortex opera
tor with C and S bounded, distant from C and S the propagators and
vertices are essentially the sane as in vacuum, and so will be the
vS
effective potential. The tadpole u will therefore have its free
value. For the symmetric theory this is 0 for all fields; in the
iof
Hlggs theory it is a constant ue for ^ and zero for A . Arguing
as in the last section, in the Biggs phas- there must be at least a
surface (of some thickness) spanning C on which the modulus of the
expectation value of the Higgs field is not u (it must in fact go
64
through zero). In the symmetric phase, however, f (x) may have its
vacuum value of zero everywhere (except very close to C ) , as 3.19 is
linear in jt and so is trivially satisfied by zero. The surface clus
ter property is seen to emerge from the sum of all trees, even though
each term in the sum can be shown as before to have short range clus
tering.
I
CHAPTER 4
UNQUANTIZED VORTEX OPERATORS
A. Continuum Theories with Fields in the Fundamental Representation
In the foregoing chapters, a certain quantization condition has
played a central role, this is, that if there are fields present in
a representation s, the vortex operator oust commute with the Wilson
loop for the representation s. We consider here the case of a system
which does not have vortex operators, but which closely resembles a
different system which does.
At least two such systems are of interest- The first is an
ordinary superconductor. The Cooper pairs, which form the Biggs
field, have charge 2e. This field will support flux tubes quantized
in units of •s—, and tubes with a single unit of flux are in fact
A3
observed experimentally • We would expect to be able to define an
operator which creates such a flux tube, and whose surface-like clus
ter property would be a signature of the stability of the tube and
the existence of the Higgs phase. On the other hand, electrons and
holes, with charge +e, are also present, and as a result we seem to
be able to define the vortex operator only for even numbers of flux
units. Since these "sea" electrons and holes do not appear to radi
cally alter the properties of the single-unit flux tubes, the quanti
zation condition does not seem to reflect the physics of the system'
The second system is QCD, where, as discussed in section 3A, it
appears that the introduction of quarks has removed all distinction
between phases. In an SU(3J gauge theory without fields in the fun
damental representation, we would expect to be able to distinguish a
65
66
confining from a Higgs phase by the stability of electric or magnetic
flux tubes. It is clear that the introduction of quarks makes it
impossible to observe an electric flux tube, since they can shield an
electric source. It is not at all clear, though, why they should
make it Impossible to observe a magnetic flux tube, and we might
still expect to be able to define an operator whose cluster property
would enable us to say definitely that QCD is or is not In a Higgs
phase.
In this chapter, we first show that without the quantization
condition, a vortex operator cannot be "local looplike", in the sense
of commuting with every gauge invariant operator at a spacelike
separation from the given closed curve. By analogy with QCD, we call
representations which violate the quantization condition fundamental,
and those which respect it adjoint. (This designation depends on
which vortex we are considering, of course: electrons are fundamental
with respect to odd-unit Abrikosov vortices but adjoint with respect
to even-unit vortices.) We show that we can define a vortex-like
operator which has a surface-like cluster property in a phase with
adjoint Higgs field and fundamental non-Higgs field. We argue that
in a confining phase with uhe particles in the fundamental represen
tation weakly coupled the operator would not have surface-like clus
tering, so it does serve to characterize the Higgs phase. This
implies that there can be a Higgs-confining phase transition when
particles in the fundamental representation are present, provided the
Higgs field is in the adjoint representation. We point out a possi
ble paradox involving 't Hooft's restriction on the possible cluster
properties, and suggest its resolution. We then discuss the
67
extension of these ideas to a non-Abelian theory* In a second sec
tion we give a short discussion of a lattice gauge theory with two
matter fields, one fundamental and one adjoint, which provides an
excellent model for our problem. We show that when the fundamental
field is weakly coupled, there are the expected phase transitions,
and that our modified vortex operator is a good order parameter.
When the fundamental field is strongly coupled, it is not clear
whether our operator should still be a good order parameter, as it is
quite nonlocal. We investigate this question and find some indica
tion that it is a good order parameter; we then discuss why this
might be so, and -Uscuss areas for future investigation.
Consider first the operator given by 2.4 or 2.8 when p is not an
integer. The commutation relation 2.6a is then discontinuous on the
surface S where the angle 8 is discontinuous. It then follows that
the gauge invariant operator
> > >
• U . ^ l P ) - **(x )expUeJ- dx' A <x '))*('y )
p 1 i (4-D
will not commute with V (C,S) or V '(C.S) if P crosses S. This is
P P
-> ->
true even if x and y are very close together but on opposite sides
-> -*
of S, so that #(x ,y ;P) is essentially local. The local operator
* -* -* ->
f (K)D(»(X) can be obtained from B(x,y;P) as a limit when y -*x ; it
fails to commute with V or V ' when x is on S. We also note that a
P P
meson-like bound state of f and 0* at position z is created by a
superposition of operators 4.1 with x and y near z. For z near S,
the V and V ' will commute with some of these operators (those which
P P
do not cross S) but not with others, so that it multiplies only cer
tain components of the meson wavefunction by a phase, leaving
68
something which no longer looks like the same kind of meson- He con
clude that when the quantization condition is satisfied, the opera
tors 2.4 or 2.8 are surface-like rather than looplike; their Green's
functions would be expected to cluster near the surface S, and they
would obey an area law, regardless of the nature of the vacuum-
He might wonder whether by being cleverer we could find a local
looplike operator which still satisfied equation 2.1, or, if not,
just how nonlocal the operator must be. We can make a general argu
ment that if there are fields present in som2 representation s, and
if an operator L multiplies the Wilson loop for this representation
by a nontrivial phase z (the essential feature of a vortex opera
tor), then the commutators of L with certain gauge invariants can
fall off no faster than 1/p, where p is the distance from the vortex:
Note first that
( )W ( t!P ) , f>1
' V i ^ V i l ^ - ^ s . j ^ • "..k » .,ia "' ' « .. < l
- iir At)V„ ,.(t,?;t+t')4 ,(t) S^it-f) (4.2)
S»X o 1 J.
4 S pi
Here <f is a field of representation s and it is its canonical momen
tum; the operators in 4.2 are then a canonical momentum at one point
joined by parallel transport along a path to a field at another
point. Equation 4.2 says that the commutator Joins two such opera
tors into one whose path Is the sum of the first two. From this it
follows that a large Wilson loop of radius p can be written as the
multiple commutator of 2np/d short segments of length d (to join the
69
last two endpoints we actually need to take the difference of this
multiple commutator with the same multiple commutator with all the
orders of n and f reversed). We can use the Jacobi identity to
write the commutator of our vortex-like operator L with this large
Wilson loop as the sum of 2irp/d terms each of which involves the com
mutator of L with a single short segment* Since the total commutator
is of order 1 (that is, a phase, independent of p) the commutator of
L with the short segment can be no smaller than 0(d/p) as d becomes
small or p becomes large- The local operator IT .D <p . with D the
covariant derivative can be obtained from the segment operators as a
limit; its commutator can fall off no faster than 1/p.
The above argument relies heavily on canonical commutators,
which are always suspect, but we believe that the principle is
correct. Certainly it is correct for the lattice gauge theories we
will consider later, in the language of the lattice, when the quant
ization condition is not satisfied the operators 2.4 and 2.8 intro
duce a "frustration" on the surface S; uhis frustration can only be
44
spread out, never eliminated . The resulting operator is then asso
ciated with a 3-surface, not a curve or 2-surface (it is not possible
to spread it out still further, into the fourth direction). Here we
will generally take this surface to be a fixed time-plane, but when
we discuss Green's functions we may take any closed 3-surface con
taining C.
We now consider an Abelian theory again, with a single charged
scalar field <f of charge e and mass m, and with the gauge symmetry
unbroken. We look for an operator V (C) satisfying 2.1 (with e . «e)
p min
but with p non-integral. The spin of the charged field makes no
70
difference—a fermion works out the sane way. Me remain, for a
while, in a single tine slice. For convenience, we will now take C
to be the t-axis, though everything we will do generalizes to any
curve« We would like to construct an operator which has its frustra
tion spread out, and see if it is useful as an order parameter- He
will look for an operator which creates a minimum amount of energy;
that is, we will choose V to minimize
P
+
E » <v| H |v> - <0|V H V |0> (4.3)
v p p
where H is the Hamiltonian, |0> is the vacuum, and |v>«V |0>. This
energy will be of interest both as a guide in constructing V and in
its own right. If the 1/p falloff in the commutators implies a 1/p
2 ->
or 1/p falloff in the energy density <v|H(x)|v>. the total energy
per unit length will be infrared divergent. This would imply infin
ite energy for an isolated Abrikosov vortex, and a long range
interaction between pairs of vortices.
The minimum of £ can be determined without actually construct
ing V . We first smear out 2.1 near the z-axis, to remove the infin
ite energy associated with an infinitely thin flux tube. The condi
tion on V will be
P
w c v ex i a dx x f( 2)) (4 A)
v « ( 0 - < ') q p P<- ^ fc' i i P *
where p is again a cylindrical coordinate and
*<p > - ~ J
2
p>» (4.5a)
P
2) 1
f (
P ' ~Z P < a
(4.5b)
71
The integral in 4.4 gives the winding number of C around the z-axis
when C" does not pass within distance a of that axis; this reproduces
2.1. Taking derivatives of 4-4 with respect to e, we find the commu
tators of V with products of magnetic field operators:
P
VBp (^•••J _(x„> i ( 4 . 6 )
[B (t.)-m. (X\)J...IB (t )-m (£))v
1 1 m m
with
Note that M i s nonzero only for p<a. 4.6 and 4.7 a r e correct with B
and e e i t h e r both bare or both renormalized; we s h a l l take a l l quan
t i t i e s to be renormalized u n t i l further n o t i c e . Equation 4.6 i s
equivalent to 4 . 4 ; i t implies the following c o n s t r a i n t on the s t a t e
|v>-.
<v| B o f j J . - . B . it )
1 a |v> ( 4 % 8 )
1 ID
- <0\ IB. (x.)-Hi, (£ V - • • [B 6? )4M, 6? ) |0>
1 , 1 1 . 1 2. m 1 m
1 1 m m
For m«l and 2 r e s p e c t i v e l y .
>
<v| B (x ) |v> - K (t)
1 ± (4.9a)
<v| B (x* )B (x* ) |v> - H^ZjM
1 1 2 (? )
2 <4.9b)
>
+ <0| B (x )B (x* ) |0>
i 1 j 2
72
If 4.9a were the only constraint on the state |v> (together with
<v|^(x)|v>-0, which follows becauae the symmetry is unbroken), the
minimum energy would be given immediately by the effective poten-
,*0,41
tial
E v - U(? )M (4.10)
d i ( , , )
S.^rJ*
n»l V *n H.i 1 I l —Vl n ^
r
i , . . . i <« !• — •»,!>
1 n
where A M i s any vector potential such that 5»A ( x ) « M (x ) and
f*° , (x, x ) (4.11)
l n
a
- J*Ldt,...dt r , , ( x . , 0 ; x , , t _ ; . . . ; x ,t )
*-^D 2 n 1....1 1 2 2 n n
l n
In 4.11 the P are the 1PI Green's functions of the vector poten
tial, and we have written out the time coordinate explicitly.
Satisfying 4.8 for all m requires a generalization of the effec-
42
tive potential . Equation 4.10, however, Is correct to the first
-2 0
two orders in e, e and e . To see this, consider adding a term
3 >
J*d x J (?)A (x ) i i
to the Hamiltonlan, with J. an external source chosen so that
<B(x)> .H(x) J (4.12)
where the subscript J Indicates an expectation value In the ground
state of the new Hamilconian. This ground state Is the state of
73
minimum energy subject to the constraint 4*12 (or 4-9a) and its
41
energy is given by 4.10 • Such expectation values can be evaluated
in terms of Feynman graphs; the graphs for the matrix element 4.12
are shown in figure 9- The graphs for the matrix element
-> -> -> ->
<B(x)B(y)> are shown in figure 10. We see that 4.9b is satisfied
to order e
-2 and to e0, but fails at order e2 (note that ->
A „ and J.
M 1
are of order e~ >. To produce a state satisfying 4.9b, we would have
to add to the Uamiltonian a term of the form
3 3 >
Jd x d y K (?,'y*)A (x )A (^)
ij i j
2
with the bilinear source K, of order e ; this would only affect the
2
energy at order e . The same is true for the higher constraints.
Since the charged field contributes first at order e , we will
only study the energy to this order, and 4.10 is satisfactory.
Z
3 3 ->2 -> *? 1 - 4 4
E --jV*M (x) - * £j*\
v
2
— *\
6 ( oop(x x + e2
< W i <*i>-Vi " n":!.i n i'-- n> °( >
1 n I n
The order e term is from graphs with one charged loop propagating in
the external field A „ . The cutoff dependence from the Z, in the
zero loop term cancels the divergence from the 1 loop [Link] with n«2;
the effective potential is well known to be ultraviolet finite. The
four-dimensional Integrals in 4.13 can be taken either in Minkowski
or Euclidean space; this is just a contour rotation. It is con
venient to take them in Euclidean space; the 1P1 Green's function
then falls off at least as exp(-m|x.-x | ) • We can write
74
1 n X n
fr-'fn o^ PPl'F '--Fn
2
where
and x is the mean of x,,...,x . Because 8>1, the arguments of P on
the right-hand side are no closer than those of P on the left; P then
also falls at least as fast as exp(-m|x -x.I )• Inserting 4.14 in
r
i j max
4.13 and integrating by parts gives
\ - $&** H (x ) - 1 J±r J*\...d*
2
Vhjk
4
<' > 16
11*2
6 ( t ? ( ? ( + ( e 2 )
l > V l > V i , ^ 2 > — - V l D * n > ^ ; i ,^. . . i n< V " V °
(There is no surface problem with tne integration by parts, as can be
seen by considering the limit of a large but finite curve C ) .
M,(x ,) is nonzero only for x , within a distance a of the curve C,
and r falls off rapidly at large distance. Therefore, the integrand
is small when any of zne x. is far from the origin: there is no
infrared divergence in 4-16. In fact, the energy density in the
state can be shown to fall off exponentially. Similarly it may be
checked that the interaction between distant vortices due to the
electron sea is exponentially small (to this order in e ) .
Equation 4.13 is a perturbation series in p, which we have
learned to distrust. This particular series, however, can be shown
to converge for any p. The reason is essentially dimensional: each
75
extra power of p in 4.13 comes with a;i extra propagator, 0(m ) , and
an extra power of A , which turns out to be 0(a ) , a being the
N
smearing radius. As long as we take a > -J~, the series converges;
since we are only interested in the infrared divergence of the
energy, we may take a to be as large as we like.
We now try to find a simple operator which satisfies 4.4 and
which creates the minimum energy state. Our first try is
3
V - exp{iJYl x ^ O O - t o ? ) } (4.17)
This is also the form of the vortex operator when there are i.o
charged fields at all. If we need to consider a specific fcrm for
A , we expect the rotationally symmetric form p8pf(p )/e tn have the
-»
lowest energy. With this choice of A„, the commutators of V, have
n l,p
the minimal 1/p falloff discussed earlier; with other c' ->ices they
fall off more slowly, at least in some directions. To calculate the
energy 4.3, we use
3
Vt B v. ^ •= K - i [ ; d x A ( ? ) - f ( ? ) , H J
v (4.\8)
l,p l,p * M
1 3 _ > - > - * -> 3 - » - » - » .>
-•jljd x A ( x ) - E ( x ) , tjd y A ( y ) - E ( y ) , H ]]+•••
M M
We will evaluate 4.18 using canonical commutators, so we must take
all quantities to be bare. The second term on the right-hand side of
4.18 can be obtained directly from the equations of motion; it is
_ 3 - » - » - » -» -»-»-*-»
J*dx B (x ) -M (x ) - j (x ) -A (x ) M (4.19)
with j the current. The third term of 4.18, with the double commu
tator, can now be evaluated; it is
76
3 2
Jd x -| if U) + e ^ O O ^ O O ^ U ) (A.20)
It is important that because of gauge invariance, the Hamiltonian is
not fully normal ordered (though it is permitted to add a constant to
H so that the energy of the vacuum vanishes), and so the product f*p
in 4.20 is not normal ordered* The triple and higher commutators
vanish, so the energy E of the state V. |0> is the vacuum expecta
tion value of H (zero by definition) plus the vacuum expectation
value of 4.19 (zero by rotational invariance) plus the vacuum expec
tation value of 4-20, which is
2
Ej - Jd x \ K lt)
3
+t*(t)<0\?*(x)t(t)\0> (4.21)
The vacuum expectation value of (»*(* is quadratically divergent,
so V, appears to be a poor guess (with charged fermions, the same
quadrati- divergence arises from a Schwinger term). The problem is
that it creates a coherent state; coherent states in interacting
20
theories generally have divergent energies . In particular, V.
l»P
creates a photon field, but the vacuum fluctuations of the charged
field are not correlated with the photons. To correct this we try
3 3
V, - V, exp{ijd x d y F U , ^ ) * * U )0(y) (4.22)
+ G(x ,y )j>(x )tt(y ) + G*(x ,y )?*(x )n*(y ) + H(x ,y )n*(x )ir(y )>
1»P
where n(x ) is again the canonical momentum and F, G, and H are unk
nown functions. The energy of the state V, |0> is found to be
*,p
77
3 2 2
E - J*d x <j£ <£)
2 + «AIH (l?)+H of)|A>> + 0 ( e )
0 1 (4.23)
0 > a n d
where |A> * A I
H (l?) - :it*6Orr0O +tt*(x)>tf(2)i
0 (4.24a)
K^t) - ieA^t/oo'oV?) - nt)tt*($-i] (4.24b)
2->2 -> * -> -»
H- and H are quadratic in the fields and are both of order e .
2
Interaction terms contribute at order e and have been dropped. U
is normal ordered, essentially because the energy of the vacuum is
defined to be zero, but H is not normal ordered.
The functions F, G, and H can always be chosen so that IA> is
1 a
the ground state of H + ' • we require a' A " A j» where the a
Q
annihilate eigenstates of H (plane wave states) and the a', annihi
late eigenstates of H +H . The particular form of A depends on how
we pair the eigenstates of the two Hamiltonians (perturbation theory
in H gives a natural pairing). We will not determine an explicit
form forA> but will simply work out the ground state energy. We do
this using stationary state perturbation theory in H,; the complete
J.
expression for the energy i s 45
E _ < 0 1 H ( 1 + - 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 5 1 | 0 > 4 2 5
A l F^H " ** ! " ( - >
A o
wherp |0> is the free field vacuum. Equation 4.25 can be expanded
perturbatively in Hj. The first term is Just the vacuum expectation
value of Hj, which Is the quadratic divergence found earlier. There
is a second quadratic divergence from second order perturbation
78
theory in the first tern of H.. These two quadratic divergences can
cel exactly (we use Pauli-Villars regulators to tell us how to add
divergent terms) leaving a logarithmic divergence. This logarithmic
->2
divergence cancels against the divergence from the M term, which is
present because the e which appears in the denominator of M Is bare
in this calculation.
These cancellations may be verified by direct calculation. A
simpler way to see them, however, is to note that the first order
term is exactly the contribution of the graph 11a for the effective
potential, while the divergent second order term can be cast in the
form
- Jd x d y <0| A (y)-j (y) ^ - A ( x ) - j (x ) |0>
M M ( 4 . 6)
2
- - J"dx d y J^dy <0| A ^ ) - ? (t)
3 3
0 exp(-H y ) t^t)-t(t)
() 0 |0>
- -|Td x d y 6(x ) T<0| t^(t)-fiy)
4 4
0 t (Z)'t(x)
H \0>z
where rne subscript 1 indicates the interaction representation and j
is the free field current. Equation 4.26 is just the contribution of
the graph of figure lib to the effective potential* The cancellation
of the quadratic divergences of graphs 11a and lib is well known;
further, the M term in 4.21 is exactly the zero loot term of 4.13,
so the logarithmic divergences cancel as well. In fact, the whole
expansion of 4.25 can be cast in the form of the one loop effective
potential: V. creates the state of minimum energy, to this order.
The idea of V, can be extended to higher orders in e, but the form
of the operator becomes more complicated in each order.
79
With additional charged fields present, the one loop contribu
tion to the effective potential is just a sum of contributions from
each charged field* In particular, when there is a Higgs field (of
charge ne/p, n an integer, so that it respects the quantization) the
energy of a flux tube is just the energy of a flux tube without the
field of charge e, plus the one loop term found above. The operator
which creates the minimum energy state, to this order, is simply a
product of terms: the term V , times a term of the form of A for
l,p "
each field not respecting the quantization, times a term of the form
exp{—^-Jti x Sj (x)} for each field respecting the quantization.
Q As
before there is a surface S from the discontinuity of 9. (Does ^ go
over to this latter form as we vary the charge of a field from
unquantized to quantized? It depends on how we choose to pair the
states when we define A., but they can be so chosen) We should note
that when one of the fields which does not respect the quantization
acquires an expectation value, the minimum energy becomes infrared
divergent (the energy density goes as 1/p) and V no longer has any
1 z,p
nice properties. This is in accord with expectations: we would not
expect to have flux tubes then, even classically.
The commutator of V. with the Hamiltonian density can be
checked to fall off as 1/p, whereas the energy density falls off much
faster:
<0|V H ( ) V |0> ( A 2 7 )
2,p ^ 2,p - "P^T) '
The point is that the operator V, has been carefully tailored (by
the minimum energy construction) so that the state V |0> very
*tP
closely resembles the v( -uum state when we move away from the curve
80
C. We might then expect that when we go to four dimensions and look
at the connected Green'B functions of V. , there would be no anamo-
2»P
lous clustering near the 3-plane t-0 (on which V. is defined) but
*»P
far from the curve C. This is in fact the case. For instance, we
have checked that in a QED-like phase, the connected Green's function
2
< 8(x,y;P) V, (C) > (see 4.1) falls off as [|P|/d(x,C)] in all
directions when the length of P, |P|, is snail compared to d(x,C).
This is the same behavior as when the quantization condition is
satisfied, and holds even though the commutator of 8 with V„ falls
2,p
off only as |P|/d(x,C). Similarly, in a Higgs phase, the same
Green's function falls exponentially when x is not near the minimal
surface. It can also bs seen that when there is a Higgs field which
respects the quantization and another field which does not, the vor
tex operator still has a surface-like cluster property: The Higgs
field still has the singularity 2.37, so the uiscussion following
equation 3.3 still holds, and there must be a surface spanning C on
which the expectation value of the Uiggs field is zero and the expec
tation value of the Higgs potential is greater than its vacuum expec
tation value. Cluster properties and vacuum expectation values of
V in perturbative phases are then the same as for the vortex
*iP
operator in theories with only adjoint fields.
In order to have the correct commutation relation, we must have
3
V. - exp{iZ r d x X (^)."E (x*)} (4.28)
i,p J * r»n r
where A „ is cutoff independent: its curl is 4.7 with the denomina-
r,n
tor containing e • The Green's functions of V are then ultra-
r i ,p
violet divergent; to renormalize them requires adding counterterms to
81
the exponent in all of space, not Just on the curve C. The operator
A provides just these counterterms: improving the ultraviolet
behavior of tt.3 energy has also improved the ultraviolet behavior of
the Green's functions. To show this, ve note that V„ can be writ-
2»P
V„ •= exp{ij"d x A ( x ) . E ( x ) + 0(p )} (4.29)
2,p » r,M r M
phys p h y s
where
* p h y g <?) -Z £ <?) + ? w )
3 r (4-30)
~f(t) » iej^du exp(iH .u)^*(lf)^(i )-^(lf)^*(^ )]exp(-iH u)
£
> ,
0 (4.31)
Performing the u integration, one sees the connection between equa
tion 4.31 and the wavefunction correction in stationary state pertur
bation theory . The higher order corrections in the exponent of
4.29 can be neglected because they are less singular (A„ has dimen-
->
sions of mass). T is bilinear in the charged field (the u integral
smears out the two charged fields) and so has the correct form 4.22.
The matrix elements of A will have a composite divergence from the
graph of figure 12a if F(x,y), G(x,y), or H(x ,y ) is too singular
-> ->
as y-»x ; this divergence has the form of figure 12b, which is the
->
same as the cutoff dependence in the first term 'if E , . We have
phys
calculated the ultraviolet behavior of the graph of figure 12a, and
find that its cutoff dependence exactly cancels that from the Z,.
->
E therefore has finite Green's functions as well as the finite
phys
commutator
82
fE B ( )J 63( > <4 32)
phys,i<*>' r,j * "^ 4 *"^ '
x
The "physical field" £ , thus has certain desireable characteris-
phys
tics of the bare field (finite commutators), and certain desireable
characteristics of the renormalized field (finite Green's functions),
at the cost of being nonlocal- The Green's functions of our particu-
->
lar E . are divergent in the next order in e; it seems likely,
though, that a suitable operator can be constructed order by order in
e.
Equation 4.27, the exponential falloff of the energy density, is
not so much a property of the operator V. as it is a combined pro
perty of this operator and the state |0>; as we have noted, V. has
*»P
been tailored to leave the vacuum almost invariant at large distance-
As we change parameters in the theory (such as charged field masses),
tne necessary V, will change. As an "order parameter" it might be
more appropriate to have one operator which we can apply to any
vacuum. This also is possible: we can simply take
V 3 ( ? - expdj^x t ( x ) . E
M p h y s O?)} (4.33)
where E . is chosen to have finite Green's functions and the right
_> ->
commutator, and to be of finite range. T (x ) as given by 4.31 does
not have finite range, but if we simply cut it off beyond some dis
tance, it will be of finite range and still have finite commutators
and Green's functions. In a QED-like phase, the connected Green's
2
function < 8(x,y;P) V, (C) > falls off as [|P|/d(x,C)] , except
J
»P
within 0(m ) of the 3-plane t-0, where it only falls off as
|P|/d(x,C). Its Green's functions differ from those of V, , and
*»P
i
83
from those of the quantized vortex operator, by an additional piece
which is large only near the 3-plane on which the operator Is defined
and which falls off only as fast as the commutator. This Is what we
might expect for an operator not chosen to "fit onto" the vacuum
state just right. The same thing happens to V, in a Higgs phase:
->»P
the connected Green's function is still exponentially small away from
the 3-surface of the operator and away from the minimal 2-surface of
C (which need not lie in the 3-surface) but it now has a piece
0(|P|/d(x,C)) near the 3-surface. TK arguments requiring the Higgs
field to have a surface of zeroes and a large energy density on the
surface still hold. The connected Green's function of the Lagrangiar.
or Hamiltonian density with V is the same as In the case of the
quantized vortex operator, plus an additional piece near the 3-
surface which is of order d(x,C) ; the extra pitce is not of order
-1 -»
d(x,C) because <E . (x)L(y)> vanishes by C-invariance. The
pnys
integral of this over d(x,C) diverges logarithmically and is cut off
at the size of C, roughly P; the integral around the perimeter then
gives a total of 0([Link](P)), and the expectation value is the
exponential of this.
Sincu we do net have a perturbative model of confinement we must
be more heuristic vhen discussing a confining phase. Imagine a con
fining theory, such as an Abelian theory with a magnetic monopole
Higgs field, to which we add a charged field which violates the
quantization for some of the vortex operators. Suppose that the
additional field affects the c/namics only weakly, as quarks are
believed to in QCD, so that we may expand in the number of loops of
the new field. Assume also that there is no absolutely massless
84
plon, so that we nay talcs the loops to be localized In spacerime.
The new vortex operator, V, , is the old one times
exp{ij*d x A (x)'T(x))>
M Consider the vacuum expectation expectation
value of V, . Loops near C can only contribute 0(F)• Loops far
3,P
from the 3-surface (and therefore far from C) are unaffected by the
presence of the vortex operator (since the operator about which we
are expanding has short range clustering) and do not contribute to
the expectation value. Loops near the three surface but far from C
give contributions of the form
> (4 34)
^ V - A . V i A ' - ' V i <»„>< v^i>—*t ^ c -
1 n 1 n
This vanishes by C-invariance when n-1. When n-2 it is logarithmi
cally divergent at large p, as A „ is 0(l/p), and for larger n there
i> no divergence. This is exactly as in the other phases, and leads
co the same P-ln(P) in the exponent. In the QED and confining phases
this piece dominates the usual perimeter term, but in a Higgs phase
the area term still dominates. In the same way, one may see that the
cluster property is [Link] short range plus a new piece near the t-0
plane, falling off slowly with p.
We appear to have a general rule for the cluster property when
fields in the fundamental representation are added: to the original
cluster property is added a piece which is non-zero only near the 3-
plane of the operator and which falls off rather slowly, like the
commutators. The cluster properties for the three kinds of phase are
still distinct. Note again that we may choose, for ease in identify
ing the cluster property, to spread out the "frustration" on a 3-
surface other than t-0, so that we may take one which does not
1
i
85
contain the minimal surface. We are led to conjecture that in sys
tems such as a superconductor or QCD, with the particles in the fun
damental representation having only a small effect on the dynamics,
we can distinguish a Higgs phase from a confining phase based on the
expectation value or cluster property of our modified vortex opera
tor.
There is a possible paradox here. As usually stated, the result
of 't Hooft is that either the vortex operator or the Wilson loop
must satisfy an area law. We have conjectured that in a QCD-like
theory, our modified vortex operator follows a P-ln(P) law, while the
Wilson loop in a confining theory with particles in the fundamental
representation satisfies a perimeter law because of screening.
Expresspj in terms of cluster properties, there is no paradox, 't
Hooft's result was that both loops could not have short range clus
tering. The vortex operator here does not have short range cluster
ing; spacetime near the t-0 surface does not look like vacuum. When
the Wilson loop in 't Hcoft's argument moves through this region, it
can give back the phase th3t it gets from the canonical commutator.
However, in QED-like and i-'iggs phases we were able to find an
operator which did not have this extra clustering. If this were als>
possible in a confining phase, there might then be a confict with 't
Hooft's result; the proof is too heuristic for us to be sure whether
there is. It may be that the vortex operators considered in this
chapter evade the proof automatically because of their nonlocal com
mutators. We are inclined to believe that this is not the case, how
ever. The proof considered only the Green's function <W(C')V(C)>,
with C lying entirely before or entirely after C. This Green's
86
function depends only on the states <0|V(C) and V(C)|0>, not on any
other properties of V(C). Short range clustering for V(C) then
implies that these states are locally vacuum away from C; this should
be enough for the proof to go through.
We cannot be sure, then, whether short range clustering is in
fact excluded for any vortex operator when there are fields in the
fundamental representation, but we conjecture that it is* (In our
earlier construction of a vortex operator with short range clustering
(V ) , we had to treat the dynamics perturbatively; it is not at all
clear Lnat we could define such an operator for a confining vacuum.)
This leads to the related conjecture that it is not possible to
satisfy equation 4.8 (or its non-Abelian analogue) with a state of
finite energy in a confining theory. This would provide an addi
tional means of distinguishing a confining theory.
Ws should mention that all of this chapter can be extended to a
non-Abelian theory. In that case, there are special problems with
defining a gauge invariant operator. In a weak coupling phase,
though, we can simply take all fields to be in the Coulomb gauge. We
can then define the vortex operator exactly as in the Abelian case,
except that we must add the "gluon color density" to the charge den
sity in the exponent of V, and we must consider all of the fields and
currents in the exponent to lie in some arbitrary U(l) subgroup of
the gauge group. The perturbative analysis in this chapter then
changes only by the addition of a few color matrices, and the physi
cal arguments and conclusions are all the same.
87
Ji. A Lattice Model
We have recently begun to consider an Abelian lattice model in
which the above ideas apply and in which they can be tested in a more
precise way. Although our study of this model is far from complete,
we present some of the results. They support many of the conclusions
reached above, while opening up Interesting new questions about the
46
nature of order parameters and phase transitions .
The model contains an Abelian gauge field U defined on links,
a singly charged matter field f defined on sites, and a doubly
charged matter field $. defined on sites. The subscripts a, b, ...
refer to sites, so a link is labelled by two sites, its endpoints (in
a directed way), and a plaquette is labelled by its four corners.
The action is
S
" J P I 1.L 2,L>
S + (S + S
(4-35)
where the sums run over all plaquettes and all links respectively.
The gauge field action is
S p - -KRe(U ) p (4.36a)
U p is the product of link variables around the plaquette,
U .0. U ,11, for the plaquette abed. The matter field actions are
ab be cd da
S Re( U , )
. 1,L " -Pl
k 4 abS lb (*-36b)
ab
S R e ( U
2,L „ " - P 2 4 aW (*-36c)
ab
The variables U . , f , and p are complex numbers of modulus 1.
* *
U, , j», , and j>, , respectively, are their complex conjugates, not
88
independent fields- The action is gauge invariant; the gauge
transformation is
U U ( 4 3 7 a )
ab - *a ab*b "
S'l.a'* V l . , <*-37b)
H,&-* «a*2,a (/
'- 37c)
where g is an arbitrary field of modulus 1.
With no matter fields (B -8,-0) this is a pure Abelian gauge
theory. On the lattice, however, this theory is not free and in fact
it is known to have two phases ' • When K is small (corresponding
to large coupling in a continuum theory) it is confining; when K
increases beyond a certain critical value K it changes to a Coulom-
bic theory, with a massless photon.
A vortex operator for a curve C can be defined as follows:
choose a surface S whose boundary is C, and identify all plaquettes
intersecting S but orthogonal to it. For instance, consider C to be
an infinite line in the 3-directioi. plus another infinite line run
ning in the (-3)-dircetion and displaced in the 2-direction from the
first; S can be taken to be the flat surface (in the 2,3 direction)
lying between the two lines. Fart of this is drawn in figure 13a; we
have suppressed the 3-direction entirely, so that all the links and
plaquettes shown are perpendicular io the 3-direction, and the full
spacetime is obtained by stacking the figure on top of itself (in the
3-direction) an infinite number of times. The plaquettes we have
identified above are the 0,1 plaquettes drawn. The vortex operator
89
is defined by replacing the action S with
iot
S - -KRe(e D )
p (4.38)
49
on the indicated plaquettes • It appears that this is a surface
like operator, but by changing variables
iCf
U -» U e " (4.39)
on certain links, we can change the apparent surface S (see figure
L3b). Only the curve C is invariant. The expectation vaLue of the
vortex operator satisfies a perimeter law for both phases of this
49
pure gauge theory, for all or • Note that because there are no
charges as yet, there is a continuum of voitex operators 0<at<2ir.
The Abelian theory with either Bj or fi, non-zero, out not both,
36 37 38
was studied by Fradkin and Shenker and others ' . Even though
the matter fields are constrained to have unit magnitude, when 3 is
small they act like linear fields, of zero vacuum expectation value.
When S becomes large, though, the matter action is more and more
strongly constrained to stay near its minimum, and the fields become
Higgs-like. When there is a doubly charged matter field, the vortex
operator is only useful for or-n. It Is only for this value that
4-39 leaves the matter action invariant; for other values the vortex
operator is surface-like rather than looplike, and always has a
surface-like cluster property. When the matter field is singly
charged, there is no nontrivial value of or for which 4.39 leaves the
matter action invariant, and we can define no vortex operator. He
might then expect that in the doubly charged case we can make an
absolute distinction between Higgs and non-Uiggs phases on the basis
90
of the cluster property of the or-n vortex operator, while in the
singly charged case this distinction nay be purely quantitative,
unless we find another order parameter. In fact, Fradkin and Shenker
showed that the doubly charged system has three phases, separated by
phase transitions, while the singly charged case has only two, with
the vacuum energy proven to be analytic between the regimes that
resemble Higgs and confining phases• The phase diagrams for the dou
bly and singly charged systems are shown in figure 14.
The above work, relating to theories with only a single matter
field does not bear directly on what we have done* Restricting
attention to the ot-n vortex^ the doubly charged field is what we
have identified as sdjoint, and the singly charged field is what we
have called fundamental. Our analysis of the previous section only
applies to theories where the fundamental field is weakly coupled, so
that 3. must be small. When B, is small, we do not expect to see a
Higgs phase if there are no other matter fields. When p. is large,
we do not expect to see vortices even at the classical level, and the
analysis of the previous section does not apply. To test our ideas,
we must consider the gauge theory with both matter fields, with B
small.
The phase diagram for this theory is a cube, the three direc
tions representing the couplings K, B , and B_. The face of the
cube on which £."0 is the doubly ciiarged theory (see figure 14
again); this face has a confining, a Coulombic, and a Higgs phase.
The arguments of the last section suggest chat if we consider a slice
of the cube at finite but small 3., we should still have three
phases: the transitions on the p -0 face shown in figure 14 should
91
be walls that extend into the cube, not lines etched on the surface.
The small B region can be analyzed easily with the ideas of Fradkin
and Shenker, based on ideas of Hegner • If we expand the part of
the functional integral involving the singly charged field, we get a
sum over products of S for various sets of links. Each product
1,L
*
will involve various powers of 9. and 0. at each site- If the
powers of j>* and j» are not equal at each site, the functional
integral over $. gives zero. If they are equal on each site, the
integral gives 1, leaving Just the link variables from S, . The
condition from the (*, integration forces the remainii ^ link variables
4
to be formed into closed curves. The lowest term is of order 3.,
coming from the product S.l,ab. S, . S.
l,bc i,da, • The integral over -0,I
l,cd ,S,
leaves lust link product U . U. U U. : this term just changes the
J r J
ab be ca da
1 4
effective coefficient of the plaquette action from K to K+-gS .
Higher orders in 3. give traces of link variables around longer
curves. Very long curves are suppressed by large powers of 3 .
Fradkin and Shenker argue that these interactions cannot destabilizo
the phase transitions whet: B, is small. These arguments are based
more on lore fhan on rigor, but phase diagrams derived from them have
been verified nicely by numerical work • The [Link] is that for
small 8, the effect is just a shift in the effective coupling; as we
take our slices in the cube (at small fixed 3.) we see the same
structure as on the face, shifted to the left by the change in the
coupling. The small 3, expansion on the lattice closely resembles
our continuum arguments about the expansion in number of loops of the
fundamental field, though on the lattice there is at le<?st the hope
of more rigor.
92
What is our modified vortex operator on the lattice? The defin
ition 4.38 will no longer do. 4.38 replaces K with -K on the links
orthogonal to S (for or"n); we can change S by changing variables of
1 4
integration. The integration over the singly charged field adds -gji.
to the coefficient on every plaquette (the matter action doesn't know
14 14
about S ) . The coefficient is then K+-gB? on most links but -K+-gpT
on S. These differ in magnitude and not just sign, so no change of
integration variables can now shift S. The vortex operator is sur-
facelike (as we also argued earlier). Nor can we remedy this simply
by changing the sign of the matter action on certain links: that just
moves the problem elsewhere.
We can only spread the problem out: pick out some 3-surface X of
links, in which S lies. Such a surface is illustrated in figure 15.
On these links, change the charge 1 action to
S 5
'l,L K " - ^ ' " ^ t a V l b <4.40)
ab
where 9 is illustrated in figure 15, and the discontinuity of the
exponential is defined to lie on the surface S. When we now change
variables on some set of links, changing the apparent surface S in
the gauge field action, the apparent discontinuity in the matter
action moves as well. X may be any 3-surface containing C; S may be
any 2-aurface bounded by C and lying in X. No change of variables
will change the surface X (it is distinguished by the fact that the
product of the arguments of the "Re" in the matter actions on the
four links of a plaquette does not equal the argument of the "Re" for
the gauge field action on the plaquette); the operator depends on X
but not on S.
93
When we integrate over the charge 1 field, the effective gauge
action that we obtain is unchanged on plaquettes not lying in X' On
plaquettes such as A, shown in the figure, the effective action
becomes, to leading order in p.,
2
- ReKK4~^exp{i y->)U ] p '4.41)
+ ) t e ( I1 C0 :i ( + J s i n § l l B (
- « iPi V - aPi - ^f "" V 8i ? f V
On plaquettes such as B which lie in S, the effective action is
exactly the negative of this: the K term has the opposite sign by
definition, while the induced terms have the opposite sign because o
16/ 2
the discontinuity of e .
The expectation value of our modified vortex operator in the
full theory is then equal to the expectation value of the operator
exp< I e > p
P*X
times the usual vortex operator, in the effective gauge theory after
Integration of the charge 1 field. •„ stands for the second and
third terns on the right hand side of 4.41. At small 6., the expec
tation value of the exponential is the exponential of the expectation
value. The expectation value of In(U ) is zero by C imparlance (com
p
plex conjugation here); the expectation value of Ke(U ) is some con
stant. G-e' is of order a/p, so the integration over p is logarithm
ically divergent as in the continuum case. The expectation value of
the modified vortex operator is then cxp(-[Link](F)) times the expecta
tion value of the normal vortex operator for the effective gauge
theory. The total expectation value therefore changes from
94
exp(-F-ln(F)) behavior to ezp(-A) behavior on just those curves where
the effective gauge theory (and the full theory as well) change from
confining to Higgs-like. The cluster properties are also the same as
expected from the continuum case. It appears that we have found a
good order parameter for the small B. region. We have not yet stu
died the conjecture about finite energy states which arose from the
paradox with *t Hooft's result. This is probably studied most
readily in a Hamiltonian lattice theory.
As we travel into the cube which represents theory space, do the
phase walls we have found ever just end, so that the different phases
can be connected by a continuous path through the middle of the cube,
or are some of the phase regions completely walled off? Our modified
vortex operator has different behavicr in the Higgs and confining
regions; on any path connecting them its behavior must change discon-
tinuously. If we have a "good" order parameter, this will also imply
a nonanalyticlty in the vacuum energy and Green's functions. What
makes a good order parmeter is not well understood; one can find many
examples of an operator whose behavior is discontinuous even though
the physics Is not: the phase transition is "in the operator", not in
the vacuum. As a simple example, consider a scalar theory whose
2 2
Lagrangian density is L,(x)+m 0 and which has a phase transition at
2 2
• -E . As an "order parameter" take
2
exp{kfd*x * (x)>
The expectation value of this operator will not be discontinuous at
2 2 2 2
m -m , where the vacuum is discontinuous, but at m -m +k. This is a
c c
rather trivial example, but there are much more subtle ones; these
95
"bad" order parameters disturb the vacuum rather than diagnosing it.
Bad order parameters tend to be very ncnlocal, as was our simple
example. Since our modified vortex operator is more nonlocal than
the usual vortex operator, we must be suspicious of it.
We have started to look at the behavior of our operator at large
p . On the (} »0 face, shown in figure 14, the behavior of the
theory is well known; there is a region of analyticlty connecting
p.-0 with B •co. When B, becomes very large, the functional integral
for the expectation value of the vortex operator is dominated by the
configurations which minimize the charge 1 action, 4.40. One such
configuration is given by j» «1 everywhere, V "1 for links not on X,
-18/2
and U -e for links on X (^ is decoupled). This gives 4*40 its
minimum value, -2, everywhere. The gauge field action, 4.38 on S and
2
4.36a elsewhere, falls off as 1/p on X for this configuration. The
action of this configuration is not large on any plaquette; the total
action is again 0(P>ln(P)). Our modified vortex operator docs not
have surface-like behavior anywhere near 8 ^ o , p,"0; its behavior
appears to be continuous In the region in which analytlcity has be^n
proven.
The acid test for our operator comes on the &*<x> face.
2 This
face is best understood in the f »1 gauge, where the charge 2 action,
4.36c, constrains U to be 1 or -1 on every link. We then have a Z,
gauge theory coupled to a D(l) matter field (the charge 1 field),
which Is still a fundamental representation in our terminology.
Because the matter field is fundamental, we might expect thia face to
have a phase diagram like the 3 -0 face, with a phase In the small
B,, large K corner having free 2 . excitations (this would still be a
96
Biggs phase from the point of view of U(l)) and one continuous phase
elsewhere. This is shown in figure 16. Near the left side of the
lower edge of the diagram, we can integrate out the charge 1 field
and we have simply a Z_ gauge theory at small K. This is a confining
49
theory ; the vortex operator satisfies a P-ln(P) law. Near the
j3,^o face, where we must minimize the charge 1 action, we can no
longer find a configuration which makes the matter action small
everywhere; our earlier configuration required U to take values other
than -1 and 1. Any configuration will have at least a surface of
plaquettes (bounded by C) on which the action is large. Our operator
must therefore make a discontinuous change to surface-like clustering
somewhere between edge 1 and edge Z.
This leads us to a closer examination of the 3-"oo face. When
the gauge field and the matter field are the "same size", U(l) and
U(l) or Z. and Z., the phase diagram of figure 16 is known to be
correct, but here the matter field has more structure than the gauge
field. Me therefore look at the K«0 edge, where only the action S
1,1.
survives (the whole effect of the charge 2 field is the constraint
U«+l). Summing over U on each link, we find that the functional
integrand (leaving out the vortex operator now) is a product of a
factor of
exp{-I > - exp<-p Re(?* ^ )> + e x p ^ R e ^ * ^ ) )
ab 1 a lb (4.42)
for each link. This factor is invariant under a, -»-a, : there is a
r r
la la*
surviving Z. gauge invariance. The action is therefore a function on
U(l)/Z , which is just a different U(l); we write it in terms of a
new field 0 defined by
97
exp{ifl > - ^
a (4.43)
The action is now a sum of terms for each link
© ••©
a
I a b - - ln{2co»h(p cos- ^))
l (4.44a)
We shall see that this is a close approximation to the action of the
xy-model 52,
J 4 4Ab)
ab " " P V ^ W <'
AC small p.,
2
I a b - const - | p j C o s ( - ^ ) + 0(p*)
- const' - | ^ c o s ( » - e ) + 0(8*)
a b (4.45)
1 2
This is an xy model at j3 "Tpi-
At large j3 , the action grows quickly away from its minimum,
2 —1
and (8 - e ) is constrained to be 0(8, ) . The argument of the
hyperbolic cosine is then very large, so it is essentially an
exponential. He then get
2 + 0 ( < e 4 ) ( 4 4 6 )
- const + I p ^ V V Pl a"V '
Performing the same expansion for the xy model at large 8 , we find
that J is the same as 4.46 when 6 "B,/4.
At small 8,, the K-0, 8_"OD edge is an xy model at small B ,
which is known to be in a disordered phase; at large ft., it is an xy
S2
model at large 3 , which is known to be in an ordered phase . We
98
conclude that there is a phase transition on this edge. We have not
yet studied the stability of this transition at finite K; we have no
reason to believe, however, that is does not join with the other
phase boundary, giving the phase diagraa of figure 17. We note that
the phase we have labelled "total Higgs" is walled off on the K*co
face (seen in figure 17) and or the p,-ro face (shown in figure 16).
The K-0 face is still terra incognita to us. There are known to be
phase transtions on exactly two of its edges, but we have not yet
analyzed the stability of these transitions away from the edge.
Our operator seems to be a good vortex operator for the whole
cube, or at least as much of it as we have been able to study. Is
there a physical basis for this? He believe that strong evidence for
it is provided by the nature of the discontinuity of the operator.
If the phase transition were "in the operator" we might the action
density to change discontiuuously within the support of the operator.
In our case, if we choose X to lie away from the minimal surface, we
see a discontinuous change from clustering (action density) near the
3-surface X to clustering near the minimal 2-surface* This seems as
if it should reflect a true change in the nature of the vacuum.
What we have found indicates that the "free" and "confining"
phases, with P-ln(P) behavior for our operator, should be totally
walled off from the "Higgs" (also known as "free Z " ) and "total
Higgs" phases, with area law behavior. It aay be difficult to show
this analytically, as the center of the cube is amenable to few
approximations; numerical studies should provide the answer. What we
can do, at the least, is to examine the stability of our new transi
tion against small nonzero K and large non-infinite B,.
99
Everything we have done has been directed at four dimensions,
but it can all be extended to three or to more than four; it vould be
interesting to study the phase structures of these theories as well.
Ve note that our result iapliea that the corresponding operator in
QCD should also be able to diagnose phase changes; it should enable
us to say that QCD is not in a Hlggs phase, and that any pith through
parameter space which bring it to a Higgs phase oust pass through a
phase transition. A careful study of this problem might reveal some
thing of the nature of phase transitions and the meaning of order
parameters.
CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSIONS
In this thesis, we dealt first with some technical aspects of
the vortex operator. Our resolution of the Dirac string problem, and
our two dimensional "Dirac lump", nay be more novel than they are
useful, at least for the present problem where the methods of Wu and
Yang can be used. For a field theory of electrons and aonopoles, It
may be helpful to use ideas akin to ours, as the monopole is no
longer classical and the method of writing a monopole field theory as
a sum over monopole paths is rather formal* He have also shown that
the divergence? of looplike operators can be analyzed in a straight
forward way by the use of the operator product expansion* We believe
that any attempt tc treat QCD as a theory of looplike operators (Wil
son loops or vortex operators) must include a careful treatment of
short-distance questions, along these lines*
In the next chapter we discussed the relation between the
Green's functions oi the vortex operator and the structure of the
vacuum. We have placed emphasis on the cluster properties of these
Green's functions as providing more detailed information than the
vacuum expectation value. We then showed two correct ways (diver
gence equation and tree sum) to find the cluster property in an
Abelian Higgs phase, and one wrong way (expansion in p ) . Our discus
sion of the graphical expansion in a Higgs phase emphasized the fact
that the Higgs phase differs not in the form of the expansion but in
the nature of the tree sum; the extension of this should be borne in
mind when dealing with spontaneous breakdown through a composite
100
101
operator.
In the fourth chapter we showed that the idea of the vortex
operator can sometimes be extended to gauge groups with fields in the
fundamental representation, groups which are slaply connected. Con
tinuum arguments indicated that this is true vhe.i the field In the
fundamental representation enters weakly into the dynamics. Study of
a lsttice model confirmed this, and also suggested that our operator
is a good order parameter at all values of the couplings. More study
of the physics here is required, but it aetjuB possible that the
analogous operator would distinguish the QCD vacuus from a Biggs
phase with quarks in a qualitative rather than merely quantitative
way.
102
REFERENCES
1) One of nany recent reviews is T. F. Walsh, DESY preprint 80/48
(1980)
2) S. Mandelstam, lecture at "Common Trends in Particle and Con
densed Matter Physics" Les Houches, 1980; ENS preprint LPTEK3
80/5
3) A recent review of the phenonenology is in E. Witten, Nucl.
Phys. B160 (1979) 57
4) 1 would like to thank Stuart Raby for a helpful discussion.
5) T. Applequist and R. Shankar, Phys. Rev. Sid (1978) 2952. 1
would like to thank Curt Flory for helpful discussions.
6) I. Affleck, Phys. Lett. 92B (1980) 149
7) J. Kogut and L. Susskind, Phys. Rev. Dll (1975) 395
8) K. Wilson, Phys. Rev. D10 (1974) 2445
9) J. Kogut, R. Pearson, and J. Shigemitsu, Fhys. Rev. Lett. 43
(1979) 484
10) M. Creutz, Phys. Rev. Lett. 43 (1979) 553
11) S. Elitzur, I.A.S. preprint (1979)
12) S. Coleman, Comm. Math. Phys. 31 (1973) 259
13) R. Savit, Rev. Mod. Phys. 52 (1980) 453
14) S. Mandelstam, Phys. Rev. D19 (1979) 2391
15) G. 't Hooft, Nucl. Phys. B79 (1974) 276
A. M. Polyakov, JETP Lett. 20 (1974) 194
16) T. T. Wu and C. N. Yang, in Properties of Matter under Unusual
Conditions, ed. H. Mark and S. Fernbach (Intersciece, New York,
1969) p. 349
17) A good review is P. Goddard and D. I. Olive, Rep. Prog. Phys. 41
(1978) 1357
18) G. 't Hooft, Nucl. Phys. B138 (1978) 1
103
19) There is no reference 19.
20) For a discussion of homotopy groups (TL) and their relation to
monopolss and vortices, see S. Colemau, in New Phenomena in Sub-
nuclear Physics, ed- A. Zichichi (Plenum, New York, 1977), p.
297, or reference 17.
21) H. B. Nielsen and P. Olesen, Nucl. Phys. B61 (1973) 45
22) S. Coleman, Phys. Rev. Oil (1975) 2088
23) For a discussion of T and T* products, see K. Nishijima, Fields
and Particles (Benjamin, New York, 1969) section 5-5.
24) R. Feynman and A. Hibbs, Quantum Mechanics and Path Integrals
(McGraw-Hill, New York, 1965)
25) See, for instance, the review article by I. Gelfand and A.
Yaglom, J. Math. Fhys. 1 (1960) 48
26) R. Brandt, F. Neri, and D. Zwanisiger, Phys. Rev. D19 (1979) 1153
27) T. T. Wu and C. N. Yang, Fhys. Rev. D12 (1975) 3845
28) I would like to thank Professor K. Bardacki for helpful discus
sions. The work of this section was done befcre the appearance
of references 29 and 30.
29) J. Gervais and A. Neveu, Nucl. Phys. B163 (1980) 189
30) A. M. Polyakov, Nucl. Phys. B164 (1980) 171
31) R. Zimmerman, in Lectures on Elementary Particles and Quantum
Field Theory, e<J. S. Deser, M. Grisaru, and B. Pendleton
(M.I.T., Cambridge 1970), vol. 1
32) S. Weinberg, Phys. Rev. 118 (1960) 838
33) Equation 2.50 was found independently by S. Coleman (U. C.
Berkeley seminar) in the context of the non-renormalization of
the product e g where g is the charge of an external magnetic
monopole. In this context the operator product arguments are a
demonstration that one can in fact aake all Green's functions
evaluated in the prescence of an external monopole finite by
renormalization of the monopole's charge.
104
34) V. N. Grlbov, Leningrad preprint and SLAC-Trana 176 (1977)
35) G. 't Hooft, Nucl. Phys. B153 (1979) 141
36) E. Fradkin and S. Shenker, Phys. Rev. D19 (1979) 3682
37) T. Banks and E. Rabinovici, Nucl. Phys. B160 (1979) 349
38) L. Sussklnd, Phys. Rev. D20 (1979) 2610
39) J. C Taylor Gauge Theories of Weak Interactions (Cambridge,
Cambridge, 1976)
40) E. S. Abers and B. W. Lee, Phys. Rep. 9C (1973) 1
41) S. Coleman, in Properties of the Fundamental Interactions, ed. A.
Zichichi (Editrice Composltori, Bologna, 1973) p. 605
42) J. M. Cornwall, R. Jackiw, and E. Tomboulis, Phys. Rev. D10
(1974; 2428
43) D. Saint-James, G. Sarma, and E. J. Thomas, Type II Superconduc
tivity (Pergamon Press, 1969)
44) I would like to thank Marvin Weinstein and Helen Quinn for a
helpful discussion.
45) G. Baym, Lectures on Quantum Mechanics (Benjamin, New York,
1969)
46) I would like to thank Steve Shenker for very helpful discus
sions.
47) K. Osterwalder and E. Seller, Ann. Phys. (H. Y.) 110 (1978) 440
4S) A. Guth, Phys. Rev. D21 (1980) 2291
49) A. Ukawa, P. Windey, and A. Guth, Phys. Rev. D21 (1980) 1013
50) F. Wegner, J. Math. Phys. 12 (1971) 2259
51) M. Creutz, Phyr Rev. D21 (1980) 1006
52) R. Griffiths, in Phase Transitions and Critical Phenemena, ed.
C. Domb and M. Green (Academic, New York, 1972), vol. 1
53) In fact, the exact expression for V, is 4.29 with only the
*iP
first term in the exponent, but with the whole exponential u-
ordered. I would like to thank Professor S. Mandelstam for
pointing this out.
105
FIGURE CAPTIONS
a. The graph for A (x). The double line represents the
surface S.
b. A typical graph for G(P,C,S). The curved line is the path F
of the line integral; the straight segments are scalar propaga
tors •
a. The order e graph for < A (x) V *(C,S) > / < V '(C,S) >.
The heavily circled v's arc effective vertices, the lightly cir
cled v's indicate effective propagators*
3
b. An order e graph for the same matrix element*
a. The discontinuous graph for < V '(C,S) W ( C ) >. The single
heavy line represents C*.
b. Another graph for the same Green's function*
c. Another graph, connected to C by three photons.
Graphs in the expansion of figure 2a.
a. The two graphs with field renormalization divergences*
b* Two of the graphs which have composite divergences*
a. The curves C and C , linked and separated by a large
distance E.
b* C and C* unlinkad and separated by K*
The Green's function 3*3, considered in a 3-surface. C and TJ
are the intersections of C with the 3-surface; S is the inter
section of S with the 3-surface. The function 3*3 maps loop 1
into a nontrivial path in H; it maps loop 2 into a trivial path.
The graphical equation for u., represented by the u-tadpole; a
is the a-tadpole* The first two terms cancel*
vS
The graphical expansion for u. , represented by the v-tadpole*
->
Graphs for <B (x)>.
a* The order e~ graph.
106
b. The order e series.
10. Graphs for <B(x,)B(x-)>
-2
a. The order e graph.
b. The order e series.
c An order e graph not satisfying A.9b.
2 ->
11. Order p graphs for the effective potential V(A >. H
12. a. A graph for a matrix element of A. with a potential composite
divergence.
b. The form of the divergence of figure 12a. The X represents
a cutoff dependent function.
13. a. The lattice vortex operator: the plaquette product Is multi
plied by a phase on the indicated plaquettes. The whole picture
lies in a 3-plane perpendicular to the 3-direction. C is an
infinite line in the 3-direction plus an infinite line in the
(-3)-directlon; these lines intersect the pictured 3-plane only
at the points C and Z- The surface S intersects the 3-plane in
a line, shown running through the middle of the plaquettes. The
pictured plaquettes lie in the 0,1-direction; C and V are
separated in the 2-direction.
b. Changing variables on the nine heavily drawn links, we
change the apparent surface S.
14. The phase cube for our lattice theory; the little dreibein shows
the directions in which the various couplings increase. The
upper face, with 3,"0, is the doubly charged theory; B_
increases as we go upward on this face. The lower face, B?™"*
is the singly charged theory; p, increases as we go downward.
The phase diagr&as for these two theories are found in reference
36 or 51; the shaded region is where analyticity has been pro
ven. The face itao is seen obliquely.
15. Part of the place of links X on which we spread out the frustra
tion in the singly charged matter field. The plaquettes of S
are drawn in. The arcs indicate the angles C and 6'; their
difference is 0(l/p). The angles are defined to be
107
discontinuous on S; the action induced on B i* therefore the
negative of that induced on A.
f a c e
16. The cube of figure 14, tilted forward to ahow the p,"oo -
with one possible phase diagram. Our operator has P-ln(P)
behavior near the left aide of the lower edge, 1, and area law
behavior near the upper edge, 2.
17. The X indicates the phase transition we have found on the
K-0, p -a>
2 edge; the daahed line is its expected continuation.
18. The cube tilted forward again, showing the f>,*D face. The K-0
face, not yet fully analyzed, la also exposed; a plausible phase
transition is shown.
108
°)
b)
Figure 1
109
b)
Figure 2
110
a)
b)
c)
Figure 5
Ill
Figure ft
112
Figure 5
113
2
O
Figure 6
Ill*
M
«? <? +
oo
+ I*
n=o
Figure 7
115
CO
* -I*
n=o
Figure 8
116
a)
b)
Figure 9
117
•J
J
a)
T J
+
X2 J
J
b)
j*s~ J
X
C) 2
Figure 10
118
a)
V
^M M
b)
Figure 11
119
a)
b)
Figure 12
120
a)
b)
Figure 13
a
«*A*<
122
--»
Figure 15
123
/?,= fi = «>
2
/ / V /
n\ %
A=A=o
Figure 16
121*
£,=A>=»
TOTAL X %
e
it HIGGS N
«? k X
- ^ . 7s
i
o II
o O \ FREE 8
IJ
^ ° 1
1
zz 2
fsj
^ 1 •
111
UJ o
ii
c\ ^ \HIGGS \
/ / V
<%\ . ^ \ F R E E '^
fir^°
Figure 17
125
A
7U
K
A*
A=» jQtrO
*t CONFINING
8
II
o
(I II
TOTAL HIGGS
ii
y ^ T O T A L HIGGS /&
foNRNTNG J F f t E E Z , ^
s 0 =£
A A> ° ^
Figure 18