arXiv subjects

M. N. Ferreira

Publications and source records attributed to M. N. Ferreira.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Real poles with opposite-sign residues in the non-perturbative quark propagator

We investigate the analytic structure of the quark propagator in the Landau gauge by dynamically coupling the standard gap equation to the non-perturbative quark-gluon vertex. Employing the full vertex basis, we demonstrate that for sub-GeV time-like momenta, the proper inclusion of the underlying dynamics leads to a pair of real poles with opposite-sign residues. In particular, in stark contradistinction to the results obtained in widely used approximations, we see no sign of complex conjugate poles. This distinctive analytic structure evades conceptual shortcomings frequently associated with complex conjugate poles while remaining fully compatible with the aspects of color confinement related to positivity violation. Crucially, this novel behavior is governed by a dominant triplet of vertex form factors: the tree-level component, the anomalous chromomagnetic moment, and a component we label as "spin-momentum curvature". By gradually tuning the individual strengths of these components, we demonstrate that while they contribute in distinct ways to the quark propagator, their joint action is vital for stabilizing the system. Together, they place the low-lying poles onto the real axis while producing a robust constituent quark mass of $350$ MeV.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2026

Quark-gluon vertex in the complex plane

In the present work we explore for the first time the general structure and properties of the nonperturbative quark-gluon vertex in the complex plane. Specifically, we focus on the transversely-projected quark-gluon vertex that emerges from a recently developed symmetry-preserving approach for the study of meson properties beyond the rainbow-ladder approximation. The analysis focuses on the so-called "soft-gluon" limit, which reduces the momentum-dependence of the corresponding vertex form factors to a single momentum variable. The complexification of this variable inside the defining integrals furnishes unambiguously all eight vertex form factors within a concrete domain of the complex variable, delimited by a characteristic parabola. The extent of this reliable domain is determined by the appearance of the first singularity in the integrands of the vertex integrals, where the standard Wick rotation must be duly supplemented by additional crucial contributions. This primary analytic region may be extended considerably by resorting to standard extrapolation methods, which remain valid up until the appearance of complex structures associated with the onset of physical processes. The generalization of the method to arbitrary gluon momenta, and its relevance for the determination of the quark propagator in the complex plane, are briefly discussed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2026

Light mesons in the symmetric-vertex approximation

We compute the spectrum of light mesons, composed by up, down, and strange quarks, using a symmetry-preserving approximation that permits the inclusion of fully-dressed quark-gluon vertices in the key dynamical equations. This method is characterized by the use of the standard symmetric kinematic configuration as a seed in the corresponding Schwinger-Dyson equation, yielding finally the full kinematic dependence of all eight form factors composing the transversely-projected quark-gluon vertex. The extension of this approach to the case of distinct nonvanishing current quark masses is discussed, and the compatibility with the fundamental Ward-Takahashi identities demonstrated. The corresponding Bethe-Salpeter kernel is composed by three different diagrammatic structures, which may be deduced from the attendant quark gap equation by applying the standard "cutting" rules. The masses of the light mesons are computed by first determining the eigenvalue of the Bethe-Salpeter equation as a function of Euclidean momenta, and then using the Schlessinger extrapolation method to determine the Minkowski momentum for which this eigenvalue becomes unity. The resulting meson masses are in good agreement with experimental values, and substantially improve upon predictions from the rainbow-ladder approximation.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2026

Pions reloaded

We present a novel version of the pion Bethe-Salpeter equation in the chiral limit, solved using as ingredients state-of-the-art QCD correlation functions. The constraints imposed by the axial Ward-Takahashi identities are exactly fulfilled, both formally and numerically.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Gluon mass scale through the Schwinger mechanism

It has long been argued that the action of the Schwinger mechanism in the gauge sector of Quantum Chromodynamics leads to the generation of a gluon mass scale. Within this scenario, the analytic structure of the fundamental vertices is modified by the creation of scalar colored excitations with vanishing mass. In the limit of zero momentum transfer, these terms act as massless poles, providing the required conditions for the infrared stabilization of the gluon propagator, and producing a characteristic displacement to the associated Ward identities. In this article we offer an extensive overview of the salient notions and techniques underlying this dynamical picture. We place particular emphasis on recent developments related to the exact renormalization of the mass, the nonlinear nature of the pole equation, and the key role played by the Fredholm alternative theorem.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2024

Infrared properties of the quark-gluon vertex in general kinematics

In the present work we determine the eight form factors of the transversely-projected quark-gluon vertex in general kinematics, in the context of Landau-gauge QCD with two degenerate light dynamical quarks. The study is based on the set of Schwinger-Dyson equations that govern the vertex form factors, derived within the formalism of the three-particle-irreducible (3PI) effective action. The analysis is performed by employing lattice data for the main ingredients, such as gluon and quark propagators, and three-gluon vertex. The numerical treatment is simplified by decoupling the system of integral equations: the classical form factor is determined from a single non-linear equation involving only itself, while the remaining ones are subsequently computed through simple integrations. The form factors are obtained for arbitrary values of space-like momenta, and their angular dependence is examined in detail. A clear hierarchy is established at the level of the corresponding dimensionless effective couplings, in agreement with results of earlier studies. Furthermore, the classical form factor is found to be in excellent agreement with recent unquenched lattice data in the soft-gluon configuration, while the two non-classical dressings depart substantially from the lattice results. Finally, the accurate implementation of multiplicative renormalizability is confirmed, and the transition from Minkoswski to Euclidean space is elucidated.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2024

Nonperturbative four-gluon vertex in soft kinematics

We present a nonperturbative study of the form factor associated with the projection of the full four-gluon vertex on its classical tensor, for a set of kinematics with one vanishing and three arbitrary external momenta. The treatment is based on the Schwinger-Dyson equation governing this vertex, and a large-volume lattice simulation, involving ten thousand gauge field configurations. The key hypothesis employed in both approaches is the ``planar degeneracy'', which classifies diverse configurations by means of a single variable, thus enabling their meaningful ``averaging''. The results of both approaches show notable agreement, revealing a considerable suppression of the averaged form factor in the infrared. The deviations from the exact planar degeneracy are discussed in detail, and a supplementary variable is used to achieve a more accurate description. The effective charge defined through this special form factor is computed within both approaches, and the results obtained are in excellent agreement.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2024

Nonlinear Schwinger mechanism in QCD, and Fredholm alternatives theorem

We present a novel implementation of the Schwinger mechanism in QCD, which fixes uniquely the scale of the effective gluon mass and streamlines considerably the procedure of multiplicative renormalization. The key advantage of this method stems from the nonlinear nature of the dynamical equation that generates massless poles in the longitudinal sector of the three-gluon vertex. An exceptional feature of this approach is an extensive cancellation involving the components of the integral expression that determines the gluon mass; it is triggered once the Schwinger-Dyson equation of the pole-free part of the three-gluon vertex has been appropriately exploited. It turns out that this cancellation is driven by the so-called Fredholm alternatives theorem, which operates among the set of integral equations describing this system. Quite remarkably, in the linearized approximation this theorem enforces the exact masslessness of the gluon. Instead, the nonlinearity induced by the full treatment of the relevant kernel evades this theorem, allowing for the emergence of a nonvanishing mass. The numerical results obtained from the resulting equations are compatible with the lattice findings, and may be further refined through the inclusion of the remaining fundamental vertices of the theory.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2024

Lattice determination of the Batalin-Vilkovisky function and the strong running interaction

The Batalin-Vilkovisky function is a central component in the modern formulation of the background field method and the physical applications derived from it. In the present work we report on novel lattice results for this particular quantity, obtained by capitalizing on its equality with the Kugo-Ojima function in the Landau gauge. The results of the lattice simulation are in very good agreement with the predictions derived from a continuum analysis based on the corresponding Schwinger-Dyson equations. In addition, we show that an important relation connecting this function with the ghost propagator is fulfilled rather accurately. With the aid of these results, we carry out the first completely lattice-based determination of the process-independent strong running interaction, employed in a variety of phenomenological studies.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2024

Four-gluon vertex in collinear kinematics

To date, the four-gluon vertex is the least explored component of the QCD Lagrangian, mainly due to the vast proliferation of Lorentz and color structures required for its description. In this work we present a nonperturbative study of this vertex, based on the one-loop dressed Schwinger-Dyson equation obtained from the 4PI effective action. A vast simplification is brought about by resorting to ``collinear'' kinematics, where all momenta are parallel to each other, and by appealing to the charge conjugation symmetry in order to eliminate certain color structures. Out of the fifteen form factors that comprise the transversely-projected version of this vertex, two are singled out and studied in detail; the one associated with the classical tensorial structure is moderately suppressed in the infrared regime, while the other diverges logarithmically at the origin. Quite interestingly, both form factors display the property known as ``planar degeneracy'' at a rather high level of accuracy. With these results we construct an effective charge that quantifies the strength of the four-gluon interaction, and compare it with other vertex-derived charges from the gauge sector of QCD.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Schwinger poles of the three-gluon vertex: symmetry and dynamics

The implementation of the Schwinger mechanism endows gluons with a nonperturbative mass through the formation of special massless poles in the fundamental QCD vertices; due to their longitudinal character, these poles do not cause divergences in on-shell amplitudes, but induce detectable effects in the Green's functions of the theory. Particularly important in this theoretical setup is the three-gluon vertex, whose pole content extends beyond the minimal structure required for the generation of a gluon mass. In the present work we analyze these additional pole patterns by means of two distinct, but ultimately equivalent, methods: the Slavnov-Taylor identity satisfied by the three-gluon vertex, and the nonlinear Schwinger-Dyson equation that governs the dynamical evolution of this vertex. Our analysis reveals that the Slavnov-Taylor identity imposes strict model-independent constraints on the associated residues, preventing them from vanishing. Approximate versions of these constraints are subsequently recovered from the Schwinger-Dyson equation, once the elements responsible for the activation of the Schwinger mechanism have been duly incorporated. The excellent coincidence between the two approaches exposes a profound connection between symmetry and dynamics, and serves as a nontrivial self-consistency test of this particular mass generating scenario.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Planar degeneracy of the three-gluon vertex

We present a detailed exploration of certain outstanding features of the transversely-projected three-gluon vertex, using the corresponding Schwinger-Dyson equation in conjunction with key results obtained from quenched lattice simulations. The main goal of this study is the scrutiny of the approximate property denominated ``planar degeneracy'', unveiled when the Bose symmetry of the vertex is properly exploited. The planar degeneracy leads to a particularly simple parametrization of the vertex, reducing its kinematic dependence to essentially a single variable. Our analysis, carried out in the absence of dynamical quarks, reveals that the planar degeneracy is particularly accurate for the description of the form factor associated with the classical tensor, for a wide array of arbitrary kinematic configurations. Instead, the remaining three form factors display considerable violations of this property. In addition, and in close connection with the previous point, we demonstrate the numerical dominance of the classical form factor over all others, except in the vicinity of the soft-gluon kinematics. The final upshot of these considerations is the emergence of a very compact description for the three-gluon vertex in general kinematics, which may simplify significantly nonperturbative applications involving this vertex.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Assessing the ultracentral flow puzzle in hydrodynamic modeling of heavy-ion collisions

An outstanding problem in heavy-ion collisions is the inability for models to accurately describe ultra-central experimental flow data, despite that being precisely the regime where a hydrodynamic description should be most applicable. We reassess the status of this puzzle by computing the flow in ultra-central collisions obtained from multiple recent Bayesian models that were tuned to various observables in different collision systems at typical centralities. While central data can now be described with better accuracy than in previous calculations, tension with experimental observation remains and worsens as one goes to ultra-central collisions. Tuning the model parameters cannot remove this tension without destroying the fit at other centralities. As such, new elements are likely needed in the standard modeling of heavy-ion collisions.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2023

Gauge Sector Dynamics in QCD

The dynamics of the gauge sector of QCD give rise to nonperturbative phenomena that are crucial for the internal consistency of the theory; most notably, they account for the generation of a gluon mass through the action of the Schwinger mechanism, the taming of the Landau pole and the ensuing stabilization of the gauge coupling, and the infrared suppression of the three-gluon vertex. In the present work, we review some key advances in the ongoing investigation of this sector within the framework of the continuum Schwinger function methods, supplemented by results obtained from lattice simulations.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Patterns of gauge symmetry in the background field method

The correlation functions of Yang-Mills theories formulated in the background field method satisfy linear Slavnov-Taylor identities, which are naive generalizations of simple tree level relations, with no deformations originating from the ghost sector of the theory. In recent years, a stronger version of these identities has been found to hold at the level of the background gluon self-energy, whose transversality is enforced separately for each special block of diagrams contributing to the gluon Schwinger-Dyson equation. In the present work we demonstrate by means of explicit calculations that the same distinct realization of the Slavnov-Taylor identity persists in the case of the background three-gluon vertex. The analysis is carried out at the level of the exact Schwinger-Dyson equation for this vertex, with no truncations or simplifying assumptions. The demonstration entails the contraction of individual vertex diagrams by the relevant momentum, which activates Slavnov-Taylor identities of vertices and multi-particle kernels nested inside these graphs; the final result emerges by virtue of a multitude of extensive cancellations, without the need of performing explicit integrations. In addition, we point out that background Ward identities amount to replacing derivatives of propagators by zero-momentum background-gluon insertions, in exact analogy to standard properties of Abelian gauge theories. Finally, certain potential applications of these results are briefly discussed.

hep-th↗

arXiv2022

Schwinger mechanism for gluons from lattice QCD

Continuum and lattice analyses have revealed the existence of a mass-scale in the gluon two-point Schwinger function. It has long been conjectured that this expresses the action of a Schwinger mechanism for gauge boson mass generation in quantum chromodynamics (QCD). For such to be true, it is necessary and sufficient that a dynamically-generated, massless, colour-carrying, scalar gluon+gluon correlation emerge as a feature of the dressed three-gluon vertex. Working with results on elementary Schwinger functions obtained via the numerical simulation of lattice-regularised QCD, we establish with an extremely high level of confidence that just such a feature appears; hence, confirm the conjectured origin of the gluon mass scale.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Schwinger-Dyson truncations in the all-soft limit: a case study

We study a special Schwinger-Dyson equation in the context of a pure SU(3) Yang-Mills theory, formulated in the background field method. Specifically, we consider the corresponding equation for the vertex that governs the interaction of two background gluons with a ghost-antighost pair. By virtue of the background gauge invariance, this vertex satisfies a naive Slavnov-Taylor identity, which is not deformed by the ghost sector of the theory. In the all-soft limit, where all momenta vanish, the form of this vertex may be obtained exactly from the corresponding Ward identity. This special result is subsequently reproduced at the level of the Schwinger-Dyson equation, by making extensive use of Taylor's theorem and exploiting a plethora of key relations, particular to the background field method. This information permits the determination of the error associated with two distinct truncation schemes, where the potential advantage from employing lattice data for the ghost dressing function is quantitatively assessed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2022

Lattice three-gluon vertex in extended kinematics: planar degeneracy

We present novel results for the three-gluon vertex, obtained from an extensive quenched lattice simulation in the Landau gauge. The simulation evaluates the transversely projected vertex, spanned on a special tensorial basis, whose form factors are naturally parametrized in terms of individually Bose-symmetric variables. Quite interestingly, when evaluated in these kinematics, the corresponding form factors depend almost exclusively on a single kinematic variable, formed by the sum of the squares of the three incoming four-momenta, $q$, $r$, and $p$. Thus, all configurations lying on a given plane in the coordinate system $(q^2, r^2, p^2)$ share, to a high degree of accuracy, the same form factors, a property that we denominate \emph{planar degeneracy}. We have confirmed the validity of this property through an exhaustive study of the set of configurations satisfying the condition $q^2 = r^2$, within the range $[0, 5\, \rm GeV]$. Moreover, a preliminary exploration reveals that the planar degeneracy persist in the case of more arbitrary configurations. This drastic simplification allows for a remarkably compact description of the main bulk of the data, which is particularly suitable for future numerical applications. A semi-perturbative analysis reproduces the lattice findings rather accurately, once the inclusion of a gluon mass has cured all spurious divergences.

hep-ph↗