arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to B. Lucini.
Recently, a novel algorithm for computing the density of states in statistical systems and quantum field theories has been proposed. The same method can be applied to theories at finite density affected by the notorious sign problem, reducing a high-dimensional oscillating integral to a more tractable one-dimensional one. As an example we applied the method to the relativistic Bose gas.
A detailed investigation of finite size effects is performed for SU(2) gauge theory with two fermions in the adjoint representation, which previous lattice studies have shown to be inside the conformal window. The system is investigated with different spatial and temporal boundary conditions on lattices of various spatial and temporal extensions, for two values of the bare fermion mass representing a {\em heavy} and {\em light} fermion regime. Our study shows that the infinite volume limit of masses and decay constants in the mesonic sector is reached only when the mass of the pseudoscalar particle $M_\mathrm{PS}$ and the spatial lattice size $L$ satisfy the relation $L M_\mathrm{PS} \ge 15$. This bound, which is at least a factor of three higher than what observed in QCD, is a likely consequence of the different spectral signatures of the two theories, with the scalar isosinglet ($0^{++}$ glueball) being the lightest particle in our model. In addition to stressing the importance of simulating large lattice sizes, our analysis emphasises the need to understand quantitatively the {\em full} spectrum of the theory rather than just the spectrum in the mesonic isotriplet sector. While for the lightest fermion measuring masses from gluonic operators proves to be still challenging, reliable results for glueball states are obtained at the largest fermion mass and, in the mesonic sector, for both fermion masses. As a byproduct of our investigation, we perform a finite size scaling of the pseudoscalar mass and decay constant. The data presented in this work support the conformal behaviour of this theory with an anomalous dimension $\gamma_* \simeq 0.37$.
Finite density quantum field theories have evaded first principle Monte-Carlo simulations due to the notorious sign-problem. The partition function of such theories appears as the Fourier transform of the generalised density-of-states, which is the probability distribution of the imaginary part of the action. With the advent of Wang-Landau type simulation techniques and recent advances, the density-of-states can be calculated over many hundreds of orders of magnitude. Current research addresses the question whether the achieved precision is high enough to reliably extract the finite density partition function, which is exponentially suppressed with the volume. In my talk, I review the state-of-play for the high precision calculations of the density-of-states as well as the recent progress for obtaining reliable results from highly oscillating integrals. I will review recent progress for the $Z_3$ quantum field theory for which results can be obtained from the simulation of the dual theory, which appears to free of a sign problem.
We present a novel algorithm to compute the density of states, which is proven to converge to the correct result. The algorithm is very general and can be applied to a wide range of models, in the frameworks of Statistical Mechanics and Lattice Gauge Theory. All the thermal or quantum expectation values can then be obtained by a simple integration of the density of states. As an application, a numerical study of 4d U(1) compact lattice gauge theory is presented.
We use a variational technique to study heavy glueballs on gauge configurations generated with 2+1 flavours of ASQTAD improved staggered fermions. The variational technique includes glueball scattering states. The measurements were made using 2150 configurations at 0.092 fm with a pion mass of 360 MeV. We report masses for 10 glueball states. We discuss the prospects for unquenched lattice QCD calculations of the oddballs.
We propose a general method (based on the Wang-Landau algorithm) to compute numerically free energies that are obtained from the logarithm of the ratio of suitable partition functions. As an application, we determine with high accuracy the order-order interface tension of the four-state Potts model in three dimensions on cubic lattices of linear extension up to L=56. The infinite volume interface tension is then extracted at each beta from a fit of the finite volume interface tension to a known universal behavior. A comparison of the order-order and order-disorder interface tension at the critical value of beta provides a clear numerical evidence of perfect wetting.
We study the interface tension of the 4-state Potts model in three dimensions using the Wang- Landau algorithm. The interface tension is given by the ratio of the partition function with a twisted boundary condition in one direction and periodic boundary conditions in all other directions over the partition function with periodic boundary conditions in all directions. With the Wang-Landau algorithm we can explicitly calculate both partition functions and obtain the result for all temperatures. We find solid numerical evidence for perfect wetting. Our algorithm is tested by calculating thermodynamic quantities at the phase transition point.
We consider whether the 1/N corrections to k-string tensions must begin at order 1/N^2, as in the Sine Law, or whether odd powers of 1/N, as in Casimir Scaling, are also acceptable. The issue is important because different models of confinement differ in their predictions for the representation-dependence of k-string tensions, and corrections involving odd powers of 1/N would seem to be ruled out by the large-N expansion. We show, however, that k-string tensions may, in fact, have leading 1/N corrections, and consistency with the large-N expansion, in the open string sector, is achieved by an exact pairwise cancellation among terms involving odd powers of 1/N in particular combinations of Wilson loops. It is shown how these cancellations come about in a concrete example, namely, strong coupling lattice gauge theory with the heat-kernel action, in which k-string tensions follow the Casimir scaling rule.
The masses of the lowest-lying states in the meson and in the gluonic sector of an SU(2) gauge theory with two Dirac flavors in the adjoint representation are measured on the lattice at a fixed value of the lattice coupling $β= 4/g_0^2 = 2.25$ for values of the bare fermion mass $m_0$ that span a range between the quenched regime and the massless limit, and for various lattice volumes. Even for light constituent fermions the lightest glueballs are found to be lighter than the lightest mesons. Moreover, the string tension between two static fundamental sources strongly depends on the mass of the dynamical fermions and becomes of the order of the inverse squared lattice linear size before the chiral limit is reached. The implications of these findings for the phase of the theory in the massless limit are discussed and a strategy for discriminating between the (near--)conformal and the confining scenario is outlined.
Technicolor theories provide an elegant mechanism for dynamical electroweak symmetry breaking. We will discuss the use of lattice simulations to study the strongly-interacting dynamics of some of the candidate theories, with matter fields in representations other than the fundamental. To be viable candidates for phenomenology, such theories need to be different from a scaled-up version of QCD, which were ruled out by LEP precision measurements, and represent a challenge for modern lattice computations.
We study whether broken dual gauge symmetry, as detected by a monopole order parameter introduced by the Pisa group, is necessarily associated with the confinement phase of a lattice gauge theory. We find a number of examples, including SU(2) gauge-Higgs theory, mixed fundamental-adjoint SU(2) gauge theory, and pure SU(5) gauge theory, which appear to indicate a dual gauge symmetry transition in the absence of a transition to or from a confined phase. While these results are not necessarily fatal to the dual superconductor hypothesis, they may pose some problems of interpretation for the present formulation of the Pisa monopole criterion.
Diquarks may play an important role in hadron spectroscopy, baryon decays and color superconductivity. We investigate the existence of diquark correlations in lattice QCD by considering systematically all the lowest energy diquark channels in a color gauge-invariant setup. We measure mass differences between the various channels and show that the positive parity scalar diquark is the lightest. Quark-quark correlations inside the diquark are clearly seen in this channel, and yield a diquark size of order 1 fm.
We investigate the dual superconductivity mechanism in the exceptional group $G_2$. This is a centerless group (no 't Hooft flux vortices are allowed) and we check for the presence of a magnetic monopole condensate in the confined phase by measuring on the lattice a disorder parameter related to the vacuum expectation value of an operator carrying magnetic charge. The behaviour of the disorder parameter is consistent with the dual superconductor picture. A first step of an analysis on the thermodynamical properties of the theory is conducted by mean of this operator.
Since the early days of QCD, it has been argued that inside hadrons quarks organise into substructures. Among those, popular pictures of various phenomena (including exotica and colour superconductivity) give a prominent role to diquarks, i.e. to colour antitriplet combinations of two quarks. Using a gauge-invariant setup, which combines the diquark with a static quark, we study spatial correlations of the two light quarks inside the diquark. After illustrating the setup, we discuss our first results for both the scalar (``good'') and the spin one (``bad'') diquark channels. In a regime in which $m_{\pi} \simeq 830$ MeV, our data show unambiguously that a scalar diquark forms with a size of $\simeq$ 0.9 fm. For the vector diquark we are able to put a lower bound of 4.1(7) fm on its size. We also investigate the mass splitting between the good and the bad diquark; our findings are compatible with phenomenologically inspired predictions for this quantity.
A scaling analysis is made of the order parameter describing monopole condensation at the deconfining transition of N_f=2 QCD around the chiral point. In accordance with scaling properties of the specific heat, studied in a previous paper, scaling is consistent with a first order transition. The status of dual superconductivity of the vacuum as a mechanism of color confinement is reviewed.
We extend our earlier investigation of the finite temperature deconfinement transition in SU(N) gauge theories, with the emphasis on what happens as N->oo. We calculate the latent heat in the continuum limit, and find the expected quadratic in N behaviour at large N. We confirm that the phase transition, which is second order for SU(2) and weakly first order for SU(3), becomes robustly first order for N>3 and strengthens as N increases. As an aside, we explain why the SU(2) specific heat shows no sign of any peak as T is varied across what is supposedly a second order phase transition. We calculate the effective string tension and electric gluon masses at T=Tc confirming the discontinuous nature of the transition for N>2. We explicitly show that the large-N `spatial' string tension does not vary with T for T Tc it increases as T-squared to a good approximation, and the k-string tension ratios closely satisfy Casimir Scaling. Within very small errors, we find a single Tc at which all the k-strings deconfine, i.e. a step-by-step breaking of the relevant centre symmetry does not occur. We calculate the interface tension but are unable to distinguish between linear or quadratic in N variations, each of which can lead to a striking but different N=oo deconfinement scenario. We remark on the location of the bulk phase transition, which bounds the range of our large-N calculations on the strong coupling side, and within whose hysteresis some of our larger-N calculations are performed.
A new algorithm for simulating compact U(1) lattice gauge theory in three dimensions is presented which is based on global changes in the configuration space. We show that this algorithm provides an effective way to extract partition functions at given external flux. As an application, we study numerically the finite temperature deconfinement phase transition.
We study the SU(2) gauge theory with scalar matter in the adjoint representation in 3D at finite temperature. We find evidence for a finite temperature phase transition both in the symmetric and in the broken phase; such transitions are consistent with the universality class of Ising 2D, in agreement with recent analytical arguments.