Search

The study of beta decay of the charmed baryon provides unique insights into the fundamental mechanism of the strong and electro-weak interactions. The $\Lambda_c^+$, being the lightest charmed baryon, undergoes disintegration solely through the charm quark weak decay. Its beta decay provides an ideal laboratory for investigating non-perturbative effects in quantum chromodynamics and for constraining the fundamental parameters of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix in weak interaction theory. This article presents the first observation of the Cabibbo-suppressed $\Lambda_c^+$ beta decay into a neutron $\Lambda_c^+ \rightarrow n e^+ \nu_{e}$, based on $4.5~\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ of electron-positron annihilation data collected with the BESIII detector in the energy region above the $\Lambda^+_c\bar{\Lambda}^-_c$ threshold. A novel machine learning technique, leveraging Graph Neural Networks, has been utilized to effectively separate signals from dominant backgrounds, particularly $\Lambda_c^+ \rightarrow \Lambda e^+ \nu_{e}$. This approach has yielded a statistical significance of more than $10\sigma$. The absolute branching fraction of $\Lambda_c^+ \rightarrow n e^+ \nu_{e}$ is measured to be $(3.57\pm0.34_{\mathrm{stat}}\pm0.14_{\mathrm{syst}})\times 10^{-3}$. For the first time, the CKM matrix element $\left|V_{cd}\right|$ is extracted via a charmed baryon decay to be $0.208\pm0.011_{\rm exp.}\pm0.007_{\rm LQCD}\pm0.001_{\tau_{\Lambda_c^+}}$. This study provides a new probe to further understand fundamental interactions in the charmed baryon sector, and demonstrates the power of modern machine learning techniques in enhancing experimental capability in high energy physics research., Comment: 28 pages, 6 figures

Analyzes of astrophysical data provide first hints on the self-interactions of dark matter at low energies. Lattice calculations of dark matter theories can be used to investigate them, especially in the case of strongly-interacting dark matter. We consider Sp(4) gauge theory with two fundamental fermions as a candidate theory. We compute the scattering phase shift for the scattering of two identical dark pions and determine the parameters of the effective range expansion. Our exploratory results in the supposedly most common interaction channel provide a lower limit for the dark matter mass when compared to astrophysical data. We also provide first benchmarks of velocity-weighted cross-sections in the relevant non-relativistic domain., Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures

There is an odd tension in electroweak physics. Perturbation theory is extremely successful. At the same time, fundamental field theory gives manifold reasons why this should not be the case. This tension is resolved by the Fr\"ohlich-Morchio-Strocchi mechanism. However, the legacy of this work goes far beyond the resolution of this tension, and may usher in a fundamentally and ontologically different perspective on elementary particles, and even quantum gravity., Comment: 28 pages, 5 figures. Invited chapter to the memorial volume "Rigorous Trails Across Quantum and Classical Physics: A Volume in Tribute to Giovanni Morchio" v2: Legal notice added

We provide the first determination of the mass of the lightest flavor-singlet pseudoscalar and scalar bound states (mesons), in the $\rm{Sp}(4)$ Yang-Mills theory coupled to two flavors of fundamental fermions, using lattice methods. This theory has applications both to composite Higgs and strongly-interacting dark matter scenarios. We find the singlets to have masses comparable to those of the light flavored states, which might have important implications for phenomenological models. We focus on regions of parameter space corresponding to a moderately heavy mass regime for the fermions. We compare the spectra we computed to existing and new results for $\rm{SU}(2)$ and $\rm{SU}(3)$ theories, uncovering an intriguing degree of commonality. As a by-product, in order to perform the aforementioned measurements, we implemented and tested, in the context of symplectic lattice gauge theories, several strategies for the treatment of disconnected-diagram contributions to two-point correlation functions. These technical advances set the stage for future studies of the singlet sector in broader portions of parameter space of this and other lattice theories with a symplectic gauge group., Comment: 26 pages, 7 figures, 6 tables; v2: added references to data and workflow release, minor changes

Past lattice simulations tentatively suggested that the spectrum of observable particles in BSM theories is qualitatively different than perturbatively expected. The discrepancy can be traced back to nontrivial field-theoretical effects arising from the requirement of gauge invariance. A perturbative but gauge-invariant approach working directly with bound states (as proposed by Fr\"ohlich, Morchio and Strocchi) could provide a solution, by allowing composite-state effects to be treated within a perturbative framework. We consider a toy GUT-like theory -- SU(3) Yang-Mills coupled to a scalar `Higgs' in the fundamental representation -- and expand on previous work by providing the most comprehensive spectroscopy to date, including all channels up to spin 2. Our results strongly support the general conclusion that the elementary spectrum is not an adequate proxy for the low-energy spectrum of a GUT, and also suggest a possible analytical approach to BSM model-building via the Fr\"ohlich-Morchio-Strocchi approach.

The stable hadronic bound states in a hidden new non-Abelian gauge sector provide interesting candidates for strongly-interacting Dark Matter (DM). A particular example are theories in which DM is made up of dark pions which set the DM relic abundance through self-annihilation. One of the simplest realizations is $Sp(4)_c$ gauge theory with two Dirac fermions. We discuss its mesonic multiplets for degenerate and non-degenerate fermions, construct a low-energy effective theory and present lattice results for the pseudoscalar mesons and vector mesons., Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, Contribution to the proceedings of the 15th Quark Confinement and the Hadron Spectrum conference (ConfXV), 1st-6th August 2022, Stavanger, Norway

In many BSM theories, especially GUTs, introducing a Brout-Englert-Higgs effect allows for multiple breaking patterns of the gauge symmetry. The possibility to select a particular pattern is usually decisive for the phenomenological viability of a theory. Beyond perturbation theory it is necessary to replace the Brout-Englert-Higgs effect by a manifestly gauge-invariant description. We study the simplest case with multiple breaking patterns, an $\textrm{SU}(3)$ Yang-Mills theory coupled to a single scalar `Higgs' field in the adjoint representation, on the lattice. We find that only one pattern remains at fixed parameters and gauge-fixing strategy, and that the associated quantum effective potential emerges from a non-trivial interplay of many aspects., Comment: 32 pages, 22 figures (with several subfigures), 1 table

Vector boson scattering (VBS) plays a central role in the search for new physics at collider experiments such as ATLAS and CMS at the LHC. Usually predictions for this kind of process are obtained using mainly perturbative approaches in fixed gauges. Here we present a fully gauge-invariant study of VBS in the scalar-channel involving three different types of Higgs-like particles characterized by their mass; above (heavy), inside (resonance) or below (stable) the elastic region. To this end, we combine results obtained in a reduced SM setup from (augmented) perturbation theory with those from non-perturbative lattice simulations., Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, Proceedings for "39th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (LATTICE2022)" and abridged version for "41st International Conference on High Energy physics - ICHEP2022"

We explore some aspects of $Sp(4)$ gauge theory with two fundamental fermions in the context of composite Goldstone Dark Matter. We present preliminary lattice results for the mass of the pseudoscalar iso-singlet meson $\eta'$ using unimproved Wilson fermions and the standard plaquette action. We find that the $\eta'$ is slightly heavier than the pseudoscalar non-singlets $\pi$ and lighter than the vector mesons $\rho$ for multiple ensembles with $m_\pi/m_\rho \geq 0.77$. This pattern is potentially relevant for Beyond the Standard Model physics model building. Furthermore, we show that for $N_f=1+1$ flavours the disconnected contributions to the unflavoured pseudoscalar $\pi^0$ are small. We supplement this measurement by a calculation of the $\pi\pi$ scattering length $a_0$ which shows that the ensemble studied might be phenomenologically relevant for Dark Matter models such as the Strongly Interacting Massive Particles paradigm., Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, Proceedings of the 39th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (LATTICE2022), 8th-13th August 2022, Bonn, Germany

Based on $e^+e^-$ collision samples corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.4 $\mbox{fb$^{-1}$}$ collected with the BESIII detector at center-of-mass energies between $4.6\,\,\mathrm{GeV}$ and $4.7\,\,\mathrm{GeV}$, a partial wave analysis of the charmed baryon hadronic decay $\Lambda_c^+\to\Lambda\pi^+\pi^0$ is performed, and the decays $\Lambda_c^+\to\Lambda\rho(770)^{+}$ and $\Lambda_c^+\to\Sigma(1385)\pi$ are studied for the first time. Making use of the world-average branching fraction $\mathcal{B}(\Lambda_c^+\to\Lambda\pi^+\pi^0)$, their branching fractions are determined to be \begin{eqnarray*} \begin{aligned} \mathcal{B}(\Lambda_c^+\to\Lambda\rho(770)^+)=&(4.06\pm0.30\pm0.35\pm0.23)\times10^{-2},\\ \mathcal{B}(\Lambda_c^+\to\Sigma(1385)^+\pi^0)=&(5.86\pm0.49\pm0.52\pm0.35)\times10^{-3},\\ \mathcal{B}(\Lambda_c^+\to\Sigma(1385)^0\pi^+)=&(6.47\pm0.59\pm0.66\pm0.38)\times10^{-3},\\ \end{aligned} \end{eqnarray*} where the first uncertainties are statistical, the second are systematic, and the third are from the uncertainties of the branching fractions $\mathcal{B}(\Lambda_c^+\to\Lambda\pi^+\pi^0)$ and $\mathcal{B}(\Sigma(1385)\to\Lambda\pi)$. In addition, %according to amplitudes determined from the partial wave analysis, the decay asymmetry parameters are measured to be $\alpha_{\Lambda\rho(770)^+}=-0.763\pm0.053\pm0.045$, $\alpha_{\Sigma(1385)^{+}\pi^0}=-0.917\pm0.069\pm0.056$, and $\alpha_{\Sigma(1385)^{0}\pi^+}=-0.789\pm0.098\pm0.056$.

We study vector-boson scattering of the physical, gauge-invariant states in a reduced standard-model setup on the lattice for various parameter sets. To this end, the phase shift in the scalar channel is determined using a L\"uscher-type analysis. The results can be readily interpreted in terms of the Higgs properties and a reunitarized Fr\"ohlich-Morchio-Strocchi analysis at Born level. The only deviation appears for a Higgs mass below the elastic threshold, where we find a negative scattering length indicative of the bound-state nature of the physical scalar degree of freedom. We assess the possible implications for an experimental detection of the effect., Comment: 21 pages, 8 figures, 9 tables; v2: minor corrections to text, small modification to Figs. 3 - 5, version to appear in PRD

Strongly interacting massive particles are viable dark matter candidates. We consider a dark $Sp(4)$ gauge theory with $N_f=2$ fermions in the pseudo-real fundamental representation and construct the chiral low-energy effective theory. We determine the flavor multiplet structure and the chiral Lagrangian, including the Wess-Zumino-Witten term for mass-degenerate and non-degenerate flavors. We then study the possible charge assignments under a $U(1)'$ gauge symmetry, emphasizing on dark state stability, and provide the full Lagrangian description for Goldstone bosons and vector resonances, including the Wess-Zumino-Witten term. Finally, we use dedicated lattice simulations to determine the chiral low-energy effective theory's validity and low-energy constants. This work represents a self-consistent study of this non-Abelian theory. It thereby provides a framework for future phenomenological exploration in connection to the dark matter problem., Comment: 60 pages, 12 figures; v2: added section 5.4 on eta' meson in the non-degenerate case, minor changes, added references

The requirement of manifest gauge invariance leads to a conflict between perturbative and non-perturbative predictions for the low-energy spectra of grand-unified theories. These conflicts already emerge in simplified prototype models of SU(3) gauge theories with Higgs fields in different representations. We expand earlier lattice investigations on this subject and provide further support for the predicted deviations. These can be understood in terms of the Froehlich-Morchio-Strocchi mechanism., Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, combined Proceedings for "The 38th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, LATTICE2021"

Gauge symmetries play a central role, both in the mathematical foundations as well as the conceptual construction of modern (particle) physics theories. However, it is yet unclear whether they form a necessary component of theories, or whether they can be eliminated. It is also unclear whether they are merely an auxiliary tool to simplify (and possibly localize) calculations or whether they contain independent information. Therefore their status, both in physics and philosophy of physics, remains to be fully clarified. In this overview we review the current state of affairs on both the philosophy and the physics side. In particular, we focus on the circumstances in which the restriction of gauge theories to gauge invariant information on an observable level is warranted, using the Brout-Englert-Higgs theory as an example of particular current importance. Finally, we determine a set of yet to be answered questions to clarify the status of gauge symmetries.

A hidden strongly-interacting sector is a possible candidate for dark matter. One scenario consistent with astrophysical constraints is a QCD-like theory with gauge group Sp(4) and two fundamental non-degenerate fermions. We report exploratory investigations of the light spectrum and decay constants for this theory using lattice calculations., Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Lattice2021 proceedings and abridged version submitted to LHCP2021 proceedings

Based on an $e^{+}e^{-}$ collision data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.93 $\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ collected with the BESIII detector at $\sqrt{s}=3.773 \mathrm{GeV}$, the first amplitude analysis of the singly Cabibbo-suppressed decay $D^{+}\to K^+ K_S^0 \pi^0$ is performed. From the amplitude analysis, the $K^*(892)^+ K_S^0$ component is found to be dominant with a fraction of $(57.1\pm2.6\pm4.2)\%$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. In combination with the absolute branching fraction $\mathcal{B}(D^+\to K^+ K_S^0 \pi^0)$ measured by BESIII, we obtain $\mathcal{B}(D^+\to K^*(892)^+ K_S^0)=(8.69\pm0.40\pm0.64\pm0.51)\times10^{-3}$, where the third uncertainty is due to the branching fraction $\mathcal{B}(D^+\to K^+ K_S^0 \pi^0)$. The precision of this result is significantly improved compared to the previous measurement., Comment: 12 pages, 15 figures

Strict gauge invariance requires that physical left-handed leptons are actually bound states of the elementary left-handed lepton doublet and the Higgs field within the standard model. That they nonetheless behave almost like pure elementary particles is explained by the Fr\"ohlich-Morchio-Strocchi mechanism. Using lattice gauge theory, we test and confirm this mechanism for fermions. Though, due to the current inaccessibility of non-Abelian gauged Weyl fermions on the lattice, a model which contains vectorial leptons but which obeys all other relevant symmetries has been simulated., Comment: 15 Pages, 7 figures, v2:minor changes, submitted to SciPost, v3: Fig 1-2-4-5 updated, minor changes

We investigate the phenomenological consequences of a strict gauge-invariant formulation of the Higgs particle. This requires a description of the observable scalar particle in terms of a bound state structure. Although this seems to be at odds with the common treatment of electroweak particle physics at first glance, the properties of the bound state can be described in a perturbative fashion due to the Fr\"ohlich-Morchio-Strocchi (FMS) framework. In particular a relation between the bound-state Higgs and the elementary Higgs field is obtained within $R_{\xi}$ gauges such that the main quantitative properties of the conventional description reappear in leading order of the FMS expansion. Going beyond leading order, we show that the pole structure of the elementary and the bound-state propagator coincide to all orders in a perturbative expansion. However, slight deviations of scattering amplitudes containing off-shell Higgs contributions can be caused by the internal bound state structure. We perform a consistent perturbative treatment to all orders in the FMS expansion to quantify such deviations and demonstrate how gauge-invariant expressions arrange in a natural way at the one-loop level. This also provides a gauge-invariant Higgs spectral function which is not plagued by positivity violations or unphysical thresholds. Furthermore, the mass extracted from the gauge-invariant bound state is only logarithmically sensitive to the scale of new physics at one-loop order in contrast to its elementary counterpart., Comment: 20 pages, 7 Figures, journal version matched

The three-gluon vertex has been found to be a vital ingredient in non-perturbative functional approaches. We present an updated lattice calculation of it in various kinematical configurations for all tensor structures and multiple lattice parameters in three dimensions, and in a subset of those in four dimensions, for SU(2) Yang-Mills theory in minimal Landau gauge. In three dimensions an unambiguous zero crossing for the tree-level form-factor is established, and consistency for all investigated form factors with a power-like divergence towards the infrared is observed. Using very coarse lattices this is even seen towards momenta as low as about 15 MeV. The results in four dimensions are consistent with such a behavior, but do not yet reach deep enough into the infrared to establish it., Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures, 1 table; v2: References added and typos fixed; v3: Substantially extended data basis in 3d, almost the same conclusions, additional fit type

In a non-perturbative gauge-invariant formulation of grand-unified theories all low energy vector states need to be composite with respect to the high-scale gauge group, including the photon. We investigate this by using lattice methods to spectroscopically analyze the vector channel in a toy grand-unified theory, an SU(2) adjoint Higgs model. Our results support indeed the existence of a massless composite vector particle., Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures, v2: minor modifications, one figure added in the appendix

Reliably computing the free energy in a gauge theory like QCD is a challenging and resource-demanding endeavor. As an alternative, we explore here the possibility to obtain the associated thermodynamic anomaly by exploiting its relation to the Tan contact. Optimally, this would reduce the determination of the free energy to a high-precision calculation of two-point correlators. We study this possibility using the lattice and functional methods and compare them to the expected behavior for the SU(2) Yang-Mills case., Comment: 6 pages, 3, figures

A continuum formulation of gauge-fixing resolving the Gribov-Singer ambiguity remains a challenge. Finding a Lagrangian formulation of operational resolutions in numerical lattice calculations, like minimal Landau gauge, would be one possibility. Such a formulation will here be constrained by reconstructing the Dyson-Schwinger equation for which the lattice minimal-Landau-gauge ghost propagator is a solution. It is found that this requires an additional term. As a by-product new, high precision lattice results for the ghost-gluon vertex in three and four dimensions are obtained., Comment: 25 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables; v2: Added and expanded appendices with more details of the input data, revised and extended discussion, added references

Scalar particles in the adjoint representation of a non-Abelian gauge theory play an important role in many scenarios beyond the standard model, especially of GUT type. For such theories manifestly gauge-invariant, massless, composite vector particles have been predicted, even at weak coupling, using the Fr\"ohlich-Morchio-Strocchi mechanism. We use lattice gauge theory to investigate the simplest such theories, a single adjoint scalar coupled to an SU(2) Yang-Mills theory. The results support the existence of such a particle, in accordance with the prediction., Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure; proceedings to conference ALPS2019

The question of whether confining effects are visible in correlation functions is a long-standing one. Complementing investigations on the propagators of fundamental and adjoint scalar matter particles here the quenched scalar-gluon vertex is investigated. For this purpose a multitude of lattice setups in two, three, and four dimensions is analyzed in quenched SU(2) lattice gauge theory. Though both cases are quantitatively different, neither a qualitative difference nor any singularities are observed., Comment: 26 pages, 12 figures, 1 table; v2: Some technical details and comments added

2-color QCD is the simplest QCD-like theory which is accessible to lattice simulations at finite density. It therefore plays an important role to test qualitative features and to provide benchmarks to other methods and models, which do not suffer from a sign problem. To this end, we determine the minimal-Landau-gauge propagators and 3-point vertices in this theory over a wide range of densities, the vacuum, and at both finite temperature and density. The results show that there is essentially no modification of the gauge sector in the low-temperature, low-density phase. Even outside this phase only mild modifications appear, mostly in the chromoelectric sector., Comment: 45 pages, 23 figures, 1 table; v2: Some technical details added, minor modifications

Gauge invariance requires even in the weak interactions that physical, observable particles are described by gauge-invariant composite operators. Such operators have the same structure as those describing bound states, and consequently the physical versions of the $W^\pm$, the $Z$, and the Higgs should have some kind of substructure. To test this consequence, we use lattice gauge theory to study the physical weak vector bosons off-shell, especially their form-factor and weak radius, and compare the results to the ones for the elementary particles. We find that the physical particles show substantial deviations from the structure of a point-like particle. At the same time the gauge-dependent elementary particles exhibit unphysical behavior., Comment: 29 pages, 12 figures, 3 tables; v2: Substantially improved fit form, changes in presentation

It is a long-standing question whether the confinement of matter fields in QCD has an imprint in the (gauge-dependent) correlation functions, especially the propagators. In particular in the quenched case a fundamental difference could be expected between adjoint and fundamental matter. In a preceding investigation the propagator of a fundamental scalar has been studied, showing no obvious sign of confinement. Here, complementary, the adjoint scalar propagator is investigated over a wide range of parameters in the minimal Landau gauge using lattice gauge theory. This study is performed in two, three, and four dimensions in quenched SU(2) Yang-Mills theory, both in momentum space and position space. No conclusive difference between both cases is found., Comment: 41 pages, 26 figures, 3 tables. v2: Minor additions. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1603.07525

Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.93~fb$^{-1}$ recorded by the BESIII detector at a center-of-mass energy of $3.773$ GeV, we present an analysis of the decays $\bar{D}^0\to\pi^+\pi^0 e^-\bar{\nu}_e$ and $D^+\to\pi^-\pi^+ e^+\nu_e$. By performing a partial wave analysis, the $\pi^+\pi^-$ $S$-wave contribution to $D^+\to\pi^-\pi^+ e^+\nu_e$ is observed to be $(25.7\pm1.6\pm1.1)$% with a statistical significance greater than 10$\sigma$, besides the dominant $P$-wave contribution. This is the first observation of the $S$-wave contribution. We measure the branching fractions $\mathcal{B}(D^{0} \to \rho^- e^+ \nu_e) = (1.445\pm 0.058 \pm 0.039) \times10^{-3}$, $\mathcal{B}(D^{+} \to \rho^0 e^+ \nu_e) = (1.860\pm 0.070 \pm 0.061) \times10^{-3}$, and $\mathcal{B}(D^{+} \to f_0(500) e^+ \nu_e, f_0(500)\to\pi^+\pi^-) = (6.30\pm 0.43 \pm 0.32) \times10^{-4}$. An upper limit of $\mathcal{B}(D^{+} \to f_0(980) e^+ \nu_e, f_0(980)\to\pi^+\pi^-) < 2.8 \times10^{-5}$ is set at the 90% confidence level. We also obtain the hadronic form factor ratios of $D\to \rho e^+\nu_e$ at $q^{2}=0$ assuming the single-pole dominance parameterization: $r_{V}=\frac{V(0)}{A_{1}(0)}=1.695\pm0.083\pm0.051$, $r_{2}=\frac{A_{2}(0)}{A_{1}(0)}=0.845\pm0.056\pm0.039$.

Even at weak coupling the physical, observable spectrum of gauge theories with a Brout-Englert-Higgs effect can deviate from the elementary one of perturbation theory. This can be analytically described and treated using the Fr\"ohlich-Morchio-Strocchi mechanism. We confirm this by lattice simulation for an SU(3) gauge theory with a fundamental scalar, a toy model for grand unification. We also show that this has experimentally observable consequence, e.g., in scattering cross-sections of lepton collisions in this toy model., Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure; proceedings to conference ALPS2018

In gauge theories, the physical, experimentally observable spectrum consists only of gauge-invariant states. This spectrum can be different from the elementary spectrum even at weak coupling and in the presence of the Brout-Englert-Higgs effect. We demonstrate this for an SU(3) gauge theory with a single fundamental Higgs, a toy theory for grand-unified theories. The manifestly gauge-invariant approach of lattice gauge theory is used to determine the spectrum in four different channels. It is found to be qualitatively different from the elementary one, and especially from the one predicted by standard perturbation theory. The result can be understood in terms of the Froehlich-Morchio-Strocchi mechanism. In fact, we find that analytic methods based on this mechanism, a gauge-invariant extension of perturbation theory, correctly determines the spectrum, and gives already at leading order a reasonably good quantitative description. Together with previous results this supports that this approach is the analytic method of choice for theories with a Brout-Englert-Higgs effect., Comment: 24 pages, 14 figures, 8 tables, font errors fixed

The aim of this review is to describe the field-theoretical foundations of Brout-Englert-Higgs (BEH) physics, and to show how the usual phenomenology arises from it. This requires to give a precise and gauge-invariant meaning to the underlying physics. This is complicated by the fact that concepts like the Higgs vacuum expectation value or the separation between confinement and the BEH effect loose their meaning beyond perturbation theory. This is addressed by carefully constructing the corresponding theory space and the quantum phase diagram. The physical spectrum needs then to be also given in terms of gauge-invariant, i. e. composite, states. Using gauge-invariant perturbation theory, as developed by Froehlich, Morchio, and Strocchi, it is possible to rederive conventional perturbation theory. This derivation explicitly shows why the description of the standard model in terms of the unphysical, gauge-dependent, elementary states of the Higgs and W-bosons and Z-boson, but also of the elementary fermions, is adequate and successful. These are unavoidable consequences of the field theory underlying the standard model, from which the usual picture emerges. The validity of this emergence can only be tested non-perturbatively. Such tests, in particular using lattice gauge theory, will be reviewed as well. They fully confirm the underlying mechanisms. It will be seen that the structure of the standard model is very special, and qualitative changes occur beyond it. The extension beyond the standard model will therefore also be reviewed. Particular attention will be given to structural differences arising for phenomenology. Again, non-perturbative tests of these results will be reviewed. Finally, to make this review self-contained a brief discussion of issues like the triviality and hierarchy problem, and how they fit into a fundamental field-theoretical formulation, is included., Comment: 116 pages, 19 figures, 1 table, v4: change of layout, added fully worked examples of gauge-invariant perturbation theory, other minor changes, version to appear in Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys. v3: added section on LSZ and asymptotic states, several minor changes, addition of references and further FAQs; v2: some added material and references, extended introduction, FAQ added, otherwise minor changes

2-color QCD, i. e. QCD with the gauge group SU(2), is the simplest non-Abelian gauge theory without sign problem at finite quark density. Therefore its study on the lattice is a benchmark for other non-perturbative approaches at finite density. To provide such benchmarks we determine the minimal-Landau-gauge 2-point and 3-gluon correlation functions of the gauge sector and the running gauge coupling at finite density. We observe no significant effects, except for some low-momentum screening of the gluons at and above the supposed high-density phase transition., Comment: 7 pages, 10 figures, talk presented at the 35th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, 18-24 June 2017, Granada, Spain

In gauge theories, the physical, experimentally observable spectrum consists only of gauge-invariant states. In the standard model the Fr\"ohlich-Morchio-Strocchi mechanism shows that these states can be adequately mapped to the gauge-dependent elementary W, Z, Higgs, and fermions. In theories with a more general gauge group and Higgs sector, appearing in various extensions of the standard model, this has not to be the case. In this work we determine analytically the physical spectrum of $\mathrm{SU}(N>2)$ gauge theories with a Higgs field in the fundamental representation. We show that discrepancies between the spectrum predicted by perturbation theory and the observable physical spectrum arise. We confirm these analytic findings with lattice simulations for $N=3$., Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, talk presented at the 35th International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, 18-24 June 2017, Granada, Spain

The physical, observable spectrum in gauge theories is made up from gauge-invariant states. The Fr\"ohlich-Morchio-Strocchi mechanism allows in the standard model to map these states to the gauge-dependent elementary $W$, $Z$ and Higgs states. This is no longer necessarily the case in theories with a more general gauge group and Higgs sector. We classify and predict the physical spectrum for a wide range of such theories, with special emphasis on GUT-like cases, and show that discrepancies between the spectrum of elementary fields and physical particles frequently arise., Comment: 20 pages, 9 tables v3: Minor modification, version equivalent to published one v2: Intro extended, presentation reworked, 20 pages, 9 Tables

Beyond perturbation theory the number of gauge copies drastically increases due to the Gribov-Singer ambiguity. Any way of treating them defines, in principle, a new, non-perturbative gauge, and the gauge-dependent correlation functions can vary between them. Herein various such gauges will be constructed as completions of the Landau gauge inside the first Gribov region. The dependence of the propagators and the running coupling on these gauges will be studied for SU(2) Yang-Mills theory in two, three, and four dimensions using lattice gauge theory, and for a wide range of lattice parameters. While the gluon propagator is rather insensitive to the choice, the ghost propagator and the running coupling show a stronger dependence. It is also found that the influence of lattice artifacts is larger than in minimal Landau gauge., Comment: 44 pages, 21 figures, 1 table, minor changes, version to appear in Annals of Physics

The inner structure of neutron stars is still an open question. To make progress and understand the qualitative impact of gauge interactions on the neutron star structure we study neutron stars in a modified version of QCD. In this modification the gauge group of QCD is replaced by the exceptional Lie group G$_2$, which has neutrons and is accessible at finite density in lattice calculations. Using an equation of state constructed from lattice calculations we determine the mass-radius-relation for a neutron star in this theory using the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equation. The results exhibit an influence of the non-trivial interactions on the mass-radius relation. However, the masses of the quarks are found to have little influence. We also give density profiles and the phase structure inside the neutron star. If the results carry over to full QCD, much of the internal structure of neutron stars could already be inferred from a precise measurement of the mass-radius relation., Comment: (23 pages, 32 figures), Improved presentation, version to appear in European Physical Journal A

Beyond perturbation theory gauge-fixing becomes more involved due to the Gribov-Singer ambiguity: The appearance of additional gauge copies requires to define a procedure how to handle them. For the case of Landau gauge the structure and properties of these additional gauge copies will be investigated. Based on these properties gauge conditions are constructed to account for these gauge copies. The dependence of the propagators on the choice of these complete gauge-fixings will then be investigated using lattice gauge theory for Yang-Mills theory. It is found that the implications for the infrared, and to some extent mid-momentum behavior, can be substantial. In going beyond the Yang-Mills case it turns out that the influence of matter can generally not be neglected. This will be briefly discussed for various types of matter., Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, Conference: XIIth Quark Confinement and the Hadron Spectrum, August 28-September 04, 2016, Thessaloniki, Greece, submitted to the proceedings

Gauge-invariant perturbation theory for theories with a Brout-Englert-Higgs effect, as developed by Fr\"ohlich, Morchio and Strocchi, starts out from physical, exactly gauge-invariant quantities as initial and final states. These are composite operators, and can thus be considered as bound states. In case of the standard model, this reduces almost entirely to conventional perturbation theory. This explains the success of conventional perturbation theory for the standard model. However, this is due to the special structure of the standard model, and it is not guaranteed to be the case for other theories. Here, we review gauge-invariant perturbation theory. Especially, we show how it can be applied and that it is little more complicated than conventional perturbation theory, and that it is often possible to utilize existing results of conventional perturbation theory. Finally, we present tests of the predictions of gauge-invariant perturbation theory, using lattice gauge theory, in three different settings. In one case, the results coincide with conventional perturbation theory and with the lattice results. In a second case, it appears that the results of gauge-invariant perturbation theory agree with the lattice, but differ from conventional perturbation theory. In the third case both approaches fail due to quantum fluctuations., Comment: PoS (LATTICE 2016), Combined proceedings of the talks of both authors

The determination of the properties of neutron stars from the underlying theory, QCD, is still an unsolved problem. This is mainly due to the difficulty to obtain reliable results for the equation of state for cold, dense QCD. As an alternative route to obtain qualitative insights, we determine the structure of a neutron star for a modified version of QCD: By replacing the gauge group SU(3) with the exceptional Lie group G2, it is possible to perform lattice simulations at finite density, while still retaining neutrons. Here, results of these lattice simulations are used to determine the mass-radius relation of a neutron star for this theory. The results show that phase changes express themselves in this relation. Also, the radius of the most massive neutron stars is found to vary very little, which would make radius determinations much simpler if this would also be true in QCD., Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures. poster presented at the "XXXIV International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory", July 2016, Southampton, UK

We study a toy version of a grand-unified theory on the lattice: An $SU(3)$ gauge theory, which experiences a Brout-Englert-Higgs effect due to a single Higgs field in the fundamental representation. This yields a perturbative breaking pattern $SU(3) \rightarrow SU(2)$. We investigate the singlet vector channel, finding an apparently non-degenerate and massive ground state. This is in contradistinction to the perturbative prediction of three massless and five massive vector states, even though the correlation functions of the gauge bosons exhibit a weak-coupling behavior, being almost tree-level-like. However, a combination of perturbation theory with the Fr\"ohlich-Morchio-Strocchi mechanism allows to predict the physical spectrum in this channel., Comment: minor modification, one figure added, version to appear in PRD

It is a long-standing question whether the confinement of matter fields in QCD has an imprint in the (gauge-dependent) correlation functions, especially the propagators. As the analytic structure plays an important role in this question, high-precision data is necessary for lattice investigations. Also, it is interesting how this depends on the dimensionality of the theory. To make a study over a wide range of parameters possible this suggests to use scalar particles. This is done here: The propagator of a fundamental scalar is studied in two, three, and four dimensions in quenched SU(2) Yang-Mills theory in minimal Landau gauge, both in momentum space and position space. Particular emphasis is put on the effects of renormalization. The results suggest a quite intricate volume dependence and the presence of an intrinsic mass scale, but no obvious connection to confinement., Comment: 42 pages, 33 figures, 3 tables v2: Minor corrections and additions, 1 figure added, version to appear in EPJC

Complete gauge-fixing beyond perturbation theory in non-Abelian gauge theories is a non-trivial problem. This is particularly evident in covariant gauges, where the Gribov-Singer ambiguity gives an explicit formulation of the problem. In practice, this is a problem if gauge-dependent quantities between different methods, especially lattice and continuum methods, should be compared: Only when treating the Gribov-Singer ambiguity in the same way is the comparison meaningful. To provide a better basis for such a comparison the structure of the first Gribov region in Landau gauge, a subset of all possible gauge copies satisfying the perturbative Landau gauge condition, will be investigated. To this end, lattice gauge theory will be used to investigate a two-dimensional projection of the region for SU(2) Yang-Mills theory in two, three, and four dimensions for a wide range of volumes and discretizations., Comment: 42 pages, 23 figures, 1 table

The description of electroweak physics using perturbation theory is highly successful. Though not obvious, this is due to a subtle field-theoretical effect, the Fr\"ohlich-Morchio-Strocchi mechanism, which links the physical spectrum to that of the elementary particles. This works because of the special structure of the standard model, and it is not a priori clear whether it works for structurally different theories. Candidates for conflicts are, e.g., grand unified theories. We study this situation in a toy model, a $SU(3)$ gauge theory with two Higgs fields and a breaking pattern $SU(3) \rightarrow SU(2) \rightarrow 1$. This mimics the weak-Higgs sector of the standard model. We determine the leading order predictions for the gauge invariant spectrum in this theory, and discuss a setup to test them using lattice gauge theory., Comment: Poster presented at the "27th International Symposium on Lepton Photon Interactions at High Energies", Ljubljana, August 2015. Final version with minor changes, PoS(LeptonPhoton2015)073

Yang-Mills-Higgs theory, being the standard-model Higgs sector for a suitable choice of gauge and custodial group, offers a rich set of physics. In particular, in some region of its parameter space it has QCD-like behavior, while in some other region it is Higgs-like. Therefore, it is possible to study a plethora of phenomena within a single theory. Here, the physics of the standard-model version is studied using lattice gauge theory. To this end, the low-lying spectrum in several different channels is obtained for more than 140 different sets of bare parameters throughout the phase diagram. The theory shows quite different behaviors in the different regions, from almost Yang-Mills-like to the one of an essentially free gas of massive photons. Especially, not always is the behavior as naively expected., Comment: 66 pages, 39 figures, 7 tables. In v2: One quantum number channel removed due to an error. Remainder essentially unchanged and all major results and conclusions remain valid - essentially removal of bonus information. In v3: Added appendix on systematic errors added, some minor improvements and a little bit larger data set, version to appear in PRD

Two popular perspectives on the non-perturbative domain of Yang-Mills theories are either in terms of the gluons themselves or in terms of collective gluonic excitations, i.e. topological excitations. If both views are correct, then they are only two different representations of the same underlying physics. One possibility to investigate this connection is by the determination of gluon correlation functions in topological background fields, as created by the smearing of lattice configurations. This is performed here for the minimal Landau gauge gluon propagator, ghost propagator, and running coupling, both in momentum and position space for SU(2) Yang-Mills theory. The results show that the salient low-momentum features of the propagators are qualitatively retained under smearing at sufficiently small momenta, in agreement with an equivalence of both perspectives. However, the mid-momentum behavior is significantly affected. These results are also relevant for the construction of truncations in functional methods, as they provide hints on necessary properties to be retained in truncations., Comment: 37 pages, 22 figures, 1 table; v2: Modified presentation; data, results and conclusions unchanged, version to appear in EPJC

Yang-Mills-Higgs theory is quite a remarkable theory in that it shows very different behaviors without phase transitions. It is dominated by the Brout-Englert-Higgs mechanism in some domain of the phase diagram, while it is essentially QCD-like in another. It is expected that albeit there is no qualitative difference, there are substantially quantitative differences throughout the spectrum. This is investigated using lattice theory for the case of the scalar singlet channel for more than a hundred different points in the phase diagram. It is found that the results deviate partly substantially from the expectations in some cases, but in others justify the picture of a weakly interacting theory - even in cases of rather strong interactions at the ultraviolet cutoff., Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, talk given at the "XXXII International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory", New York, June 2014. Submitted to the proceedings

In gauge theories, observable quantities have to be gauge-invariant. In general, this requires composite operators, which usually have substantially different properties, e.g. masses, than the elementary particles. Theories with a Higgs field, in which the Brout-Englert-Higgs effect is active, provide an interesting exception to this rule. Due to an intricate mechanism, the Fr\"ohlich-Morchio-Strocchi mechanism, the masses of the composite operators with the same $J^P$ quantum numbers, but modified internal quantum numbers, have the same masses. This mechanism is supported using lattice gauge theory for the standard-model Higgs sector, i.e. Yang-Mills-Higgs theory with gauge group SU(2) and custodial symmetry group SU(2). Furthermore, the extension to the 2-Higgs-doublet-model is briefly discussed, and some preliminary results are presented., Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, talk given at the "37th International Conference on High-Energy Physics", Valencia, Spain, July 2014. Submitted to the proceedings

Vertices describe the interactions between the fundamental degrees of freedom, and are therefore of vital importance in many ab-initio descriptions of field theory, especially using functional methods. To this end, we present the first lattice study of the thermal behavior of (minimal) Landau-gauge SU(2) Yang--Mills three-point functions, i.e. three-gluon and ghost-gluon vertices. Focusing on the chromomagnetic sector, we find that the phase transition mainly affects the three-gluon vertex, while the ghost-gluon vertex is relatively inert., Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures. v2: better statistics, 2 additional figures, version accepted by PRD

The propagators of the elementary degrees of freedom of (minimal-)Landau-gauge Yang-Mills theory have been a useful tool in various investigations. However, in lattice calculations they show severe dependencies on lattice artifacts. This problem has been addressed for various subsets of lattice artifacts and various subsets of propagators over the time. Here, an extended study of all propagators in momentum space, and for the gluon also in position space, as well as derived quantities like the running coupling, is provided simultaneously for two, three, and four dimensions over one or more orders of magnitude in both physical volume and lattice spacing, in lower dimensions also over more than two orders of magnitude for the gauge group SU(2). Most of the known qualitative results are confirmed, but two quantities also indicate a slight, but possibly interesting deviation., Comment: v2: 43 pages, 25 figures - layout improved with bigger figures and panels divided into figures, hence the increase in length. Otherwise only minor changes, and an extended discussion of lattice artifacts. Version to appear in PRD. v1: 28 pages, 14 figures

The QCD phase diagram at densities relevant to neutron stars remains elusive, mainly due to the fermion-sign problem. At the same time, a plethora of possible phases has been predicted in models. Meanwhile $G_2$-QCD, for which the $SU(3)$ gauge group of QCD is replaced by the exceptional Lie group $G_2$, does not have a sign problem and can be simulated at such densities using standard lattice techniques. It thus provides benchmarks to models and functional continuum methods, and it serves to unravel the nature of possible phases of strongly interacting matter at high densities. Instrumental in understanding these phases is that $G_2$-QCD has fermionic baryons, and that it can therefore sustain a baryonic Fermi surface. Because the baryon spectrum of $G_2$-QCD also contains bosonic diquark and probably other more exotic states, it is important to understand this spectrum before one can disentangle the corresponding contributions to the baryon density. Here we present the first systematic study of this spectrum from lattice simulations at different quark masses. This allows us to relate the mass hierarchy, ranging from scalar would-be-Goldstone bosons and intermediate vector bosons to the $G_2$-nucleons and deltas, to individual structures observed in the total baryon density at finite chemical potential., Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures