arXiv subjects

J. Gamboa

Publications and source records attributed to J. Gamboa.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Topological Structure of Infrared QCD

We investigate the infrared structure of QCD within the adiabatic approximation, where soft gluon configurations evolve slowly compared to the fermionic modes. In this formulation, the functional space of gauge connections replaces spacetime as the natural arena for the theory, and the long-distance behavior is encoded in quantized Berry phases associated with the infrared clouds. Our results suggest that the infrared sector of QCD exhibits features reminiscent of a \emph{topological phase}, similar to those encountered in condensed-matter systems, where topological protection replaces dynamical confinement at low energies. In this geometric framework, color-neutral composites such as quark--gluon and gluon--gluon clouds arise as topological bound states described by functional holonomies. Illustrative applications to hadronic excitations are discussed within this approach, including mesonic and baryonic examples. This perspective provides a unified picture of infrared dressing and topological quantization, establishing a natural bridge between non-Abelian gauge theory, adiabatic Berry phases, and the topology of the space of gauge configurations.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2025

Topological Relics of Infrared QED in the Rayleigh-Jeans Regime

We revisit infrared Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) by reformulating the dressing of charged states in terms of a functional Berry connection. In this framework, the electron--photon cloud acquires a topological character, leading to a modification of the Rayleigh-Jeans limit of blackbody radiation. The deviation is controlled by a dimensionless parameter $\epsilon$, estimated as $\epsilon \simeq (1.7$--$2.3)\times 10^{-3}$ in the $80$-$110~\mathrm{GHz}$ range, corresponding to a fractional shift of $\sim 0.2\%$. This effect lies within the sensitivity of current high-precision radiometry and, being system-independent, should be observable both in laboratory blackbody spectra and in the cosmic microwave background.

physics.gen-ph↗

arXiv2025

QED-IR as Topological Quantum Theory of Dressed States

We investigate quantum electrodynamics in the infrared regime (QED-IR) using the adiabatic approximation and the framework of the functional Berry phase. In this approach, the physical state space is exact, nonperturbatively dressed, and endowed with a topological structure. Electrons do not exist as bare particles, but as topologically protected electron--photon clouds, defining a new kind of ``infrared quantum''. These clouds are weakly bound in energy (with a binding scale estimated at $\Lambda_{\mathrm{IR}} \sim 0.5~\mathrm{meV}$) and remain stable provided photon energies stay below this threshold. Crucially, the theory becomes exactly solvable in this regime due to the quantization of the functional Berry flux, which governs the infrared dynamics of the dressed states. When hard (high-energy) processes are involved, the topological protection of the dressed states is lifted, and the theory smoothly recovers conventional perturbative QED. In contrast, in the deep infrared, the electromagnetic interaction never fully vanishes, leading to observable effects. We argue that the energy required to dissolve the infrared electron--photon cloud in QED is of order $\mathrm{meV}$, comparable to the thermal energy of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), $k_B T_{\mathrm{CMB}} \approx 2.3 \times 10^{-4}\,\mathrm{eV}$. However, the observed temperature anisotropies correspond to fluctuations near $10^{-9}\,\mathrm{eV}$, far too small to destroy the cloud, though potentially capable of perturbing its topological phase structure. This suggests that CMB deviations could reflect residual topological imprints of the functional infrared dynamics. Finally, we propose that analogous cloud-like structures may manifest in other quantum systems governed by low-energy photon dynamics, such as atomic and molecular environments.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

The Role of Berry Phases in the QCD Vacuum Structure

We revisit the origin of the vacuum angle $\theta$ in QCD using the adiabatic approximation combined with Fujikawa's method. By implementing a local chiral transformation and selecting a constant parameter $\alpha(x) = \theta$, we show that the QCD $\theta$-term emerges naturally in the effective action. This construction provides a non-perturbative interpretation of the axial anomaly and highlights the role of the adiabatic gauge condition in isolating the topological sector of the theory. As a consequence, the physical states acquire topological information encoded in the functional Berry phase $\Delta \alpha$, which manifests itself as a holonomy over the space of gauge configurations. This result offers a geometric and dynamical perspective on the structure of the QCD vacuum and its relation to anomaly-induced phases.

hep-th↗

arXiv2025

Topology and the Infrared Structure of Quantum Electrodynamics

We study infrared divergences in quantum electrodynamics using geometric phases and the adiabatic approximation in quantum field theory. In this framework, the asymptotic \textit{in} and \textit{out} states are modified by Berry phases, $e^{i \Delta \alpha_{\text{in}}}$ and $e^{i \Delta \alpha_{\text{out}}}$, which encode the infrared structure non-perturbatively and regulate soft-photon divergences. Unlike the Faddeev--Kulish formalism, which employs perturbative dressing with coherent states, our approach reformulates the effective action in terms of Berry connections in field space. This yields finite, gauge-invariant scattering amplitudes without requiring a sum over soft-photon emissions. We show that infrared divergences cancel to all orders in the bremsstrahlung vertex function $\Gamma^\mu(p_1, p_2)$, due to destructive interference among inequivalent Berry phases. As an application, we study the formation of positronium in the infrared regime and argue that the dressed $S$-matrix exhibits a functional singularity at $s = 4 m_e^2$, corresponding to a physical pole generated by topological flux.

hep-th↗

arXiv2025

Berry Phase in Non-Perturbative QED

We study QED$_4$ in the adiabatic approximation, incorporating global topological effects associated with the $U(1)$ Berry connection. The Berry phase accumulated by the fermionic vacuum is given by $\Delta \alpha = \oint_{\mathcal{C}} \gamma_5\, \mathcal{A}^{(n)}$, where $\mathcal{A}^{(n)}$ is a closed but non-exact one-form defined over the space of gauge configurations. This chiral holonomy induces an emergent vacuum angle that contributes non-perturbatively to the effective action. The partition function decomposes into topological sectors weighted by this geometric phase, analogous to quantum systems on multiply connected spaces. Our results reveal that even in Abelian gauge theory, the infrared regime can exhibit global effects beyond the reach of local or perturbative descriptions.

hep-th↗

arXiv2024

Modeling Confinement in Analogy with Black Holes

The confinement of quarks is analyzed by establishing a correspondence between the effective actions inside a black hole and the QCD action, formulated as a scalar field theory in the Carrollian regime. We first demonstrate that both QCD (in the instanton-dominance limit) and the interior of a black hole can be described at one-loop as the effective action of a soliton in the Carrollian limit. At one-loop, QCD confinement is shown to be entirely analogous to confinement within a black hole, with the event horizon acting as the hadron radius. Higher-order corrections to the effective action do not destabilize the solitons but may produce subtle observable effects, such as deconfinement or a partial resolution to the information loss problem.

hep-th↗

arXiv2024

Resonance of Gravitational Axions-like Particles

The motion of gravitational axion-like particles (ALP) around a Kerr black hole is analyzed, paying attention to resonance and distribution of spectral radiation. We first discuss the computation of $\sqrt{g}{\tilde R}_{\mu \nu \rho \rho \sigma}R^{\mu \nu \rho \sigma}$ and its implications with Pontryagin's theorem and a detailed analysis of Teukolsky's master equation is done. After carefully analyzing the Teukolsky master equation, we show that this system exhibits resonance when $\omega \gtrsim \mu$ where $\mu$ is the mass of the ALP. A skew-normal distribution can approximate the energy distribution, and we can calculate the mean lifetime of the resonance for black holes with masses between 100 to 1000 $M_{\odot}$. This range corresponds to a duration between $10^{-1}$s and $10^{41}$s, the observation range used in LIGO data.

hep-th↗

arXiv2023

Quintessence and the Higgs Portal in the Carroll limit

A cosmological model based on two scalar fields is proposed. The first of these, $\varphi$, has mass $\mu$, while the second, $\chi$, is massless. The pair are coupled through a ``Higgs portal''. First, we show how the model reproduces the Friedmann equations if the square of the mass of the $\varphi$ field is proportional to the cosmological constant and $\chi$ represents the quintessence field. Quantum corrections break the conformal symmetry, and the $\chi$ field acquires a mass equal to $\sqrt{3g\Lambda}$. The perturbative approach with $g\ll 1$ is consistent with the bounds for $m_\chi$; moreover, by using dimensional analysis, we estimate $m_\chi \ll H_0\approx 10^{-33}$ eV, which is in accordance with what is expected in the quintessence scenario. The acceleration of the universe is proportional to $\chi^2$, we conclude that for very long times, the solution of the equation of motion approaches $\langle \chi\rangle \sim {m_\chi}/{{\sqrt\lambda}}$ and the universe continues to accelerate, with a constant acceleration.

hep-th↗

arXiv2022

Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking and the Cosmological Constant

An approach that allows studying the relationship between the neutralization of the cosmological constant and instantons for cosmology coupled to antisymmetric fields is proposed. Using suitable variables, the Lagrangian leading to the FRW equations can be written analogously to a Ginzburg-Landau theory and we show how spontaneous symmetry breaking appears. The approach leads to three possible solutions, if we denote $\Lambda_1$ and $\Lambda_2$ as the cosmological constants that come from gravity ($\Lambda_1$) and antisymmetric fields ($\Lambda_2$), then the solutions, a) $ |\Lambda_2|>|\Lambda_1|$ is consistent with a very small but non-zero $\Lambda_1$, b) $|\Lambda_2|<|\Lambda_1|$, then $\Lambda_1$ is observationally ruled out and, c) $|\Lambda_2|=|\Lambda_1|$ is a solution with finite action and instantons restoring the symmetry $\varphi \to -\varphi$. The third solution is also consistent with neutralization of the cosmological constant in four dimensions.

hep-th↗

arXiv2021

Relativistic Topological Insulator Model

A relativistic topological insulator model in three spatial dimensions which is a non trivial extension of the non-abelian Landau problem is proposed. The model is exactly soluble and energy levels have both a discrete and a continuous degeneracy. The chromomagnetic field is strong and the fermions are confined in a plane and the physical effects that appear reflects the ${\bm Z}_2$ symmetry.

hep-th↗

arXiv2021

The Laplace Transform of Quantum Gravity

Following analogies with relativistic point particles, and Schild strings, we show that the Einstein gravity and its strong coupling regime (or the Planck mass going to 0) are related to each other through a Laplace transform. The Feynman propagator of gravity in the strong coupling regime satisfies a functional diffusion equation in the three-metric space with the evolution parameter being the volume of spacetime. We conjecture that the relationship between both regimes is consistent with the existence of an evolution operator in which time is replaced by the volume of spacetime

hep-th↗

arXiv2021

Quantum gravity phenomenology at the dawn of the multi-messenger era -- A review

The exploration of the universe has recently entered a new era thanks to the multi-messenger paradigm, characterized by a continuous increase in the quantity and quality of experimental data that is obtained by the detection of the various cosmic messengers (photons, neutrinos, cosmic rays and gravitational waves) from numerous origins. They give us information about their sources in the universe and the properties of the intergalactic medium. Moreover, multi-messenger astronomy opens up the possibility to search for phenomenological signatures of quantum gravity. On the one hand, the most energetic events allow us to test our physical theories at energy regimes which are not directly accessible in accelerators; on the other hand, tiny effects in the propagation of very high energy particles could be amplified by cosmological distances. After decades of merely theoretical investigations, the possibility of obtaining phenomenological indications of Planck-scale effects is a revolutionary step in the quest for a quantum theory of gravity, but it requires cooperation between different communities of physicists (both theoretical and experimental). This review is aimed at promoting this cooperation by giving a state-of-the art account of the interdisciplinary expertise that is needed in the effective search of quantum gravity footprints in the production, propagation and detection of cosmic messengers.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Topological Insulators Quantum Mechanics

Topological insulators in three dimensions are studied as a problem of supersymmetric quantum mechanics. The spin-orbit coupling is induced as a consequence of the supersymmetrization procedure and we show that it is equivalent to the appearance of a $SU(2)$ connection. The procedure presented in this letter is general and valid for any three-dimensional quantum system. The approach allows -- in principle -- to study a wide range of topological insulators as standard quantum mechanical problems. As an illustration the three-dimensional harmonic oscillator and the Aharonov-Bohm effect are studied in detail.

hep-th↗

arXiv2021

Kinetic and Magnetic Mixing with Antisymmetric Gauge Fields

A general procedure to describe the coupling $U_A (1) \times U_B (1)$ between antisymmetric gauge fields is proposed. For vector gauge theories the inclusion of magnetic mixing in the hidden sector induces millicharges -- in principle -- observable. We extend the analysis to antisymmetric fields and the extension to higher order monopoles is discussed. A modification of the model discussed in \cite{Ibarra} with massless antisymmetric fields as dark matter is also considered and the total cross section ratio are found and discussed.

hep-th↗

arXiv2020

Deformed Quantum Mechanics and the Landau Problem

A deformation of the Landau problem based on a modification of Fock algebra is considered. Systems with Hamiltonians f(H) where H is the Landau Hamiltonian in the lowest level are discussed. The case $f(H) = {\alpha} H + b H^2$ is studied and it is shown that in this particular example, parameters of the problem can be fixed by using the quadratic Zeeman effect data and the Breit- Rabi formula. The proposed approach allows to solve exactly Landau-like families of problems not previously discussed in the literature.

hep-th↗

arXiv2020

Deformed classical-quantum mechanics transition

An approach to study a generalization of the classical-quantum transition for general systems is proposed. In order to develop the idea, a deformation of the ladder operators algebra is proposed that contains a realization of the quantum group $SU(2)_q$ as a particular case. In this deformation Planck's constant becomes an operator whose eigenvalues approach $\hbar $ for small values of $n$ (the eigenvalue of the number operator), and zero for large values of $n$ (the system is classicalized).

hep-th↗

arXiv2019

Anapole Dark Matter Quantum Mechanics

The dynamics of an anapole seen as dark matter at low energies is studied by solving the Schrödinger-Pauli equation in a potential involving Dirac-delta and its derivatives in three-dimensions. This is an interesting mathematical problem that, as far as we know, has not been previously discussed. We show how bound states emerge in this approach and the scattering problem is formulated (and solved) directly. The total cross section is in full agreement with independent calculations in the standard model.

hep-th↗