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We analyze the vacuum structure of a generalized lattice Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model with two flavors of Wilson fermions, such that its continuum action is the most general four-fermion action with 'trivial' color interactions, and having a $SU(2)_V x SU(2)_A$ symmetry in the chiral limit. The phase structure of this model in the space of the two four-fermion couplings shows, in addition to the standard Aoki phases, new phases with $ != 0$, in close analogy to similar results recently suggested by some of us for lattice QCD with two degenerate Wilson fermions. This result shows how the phase structure of an effective model for low energy QCD cannot be entirely understood from Wilson Chiral Perturbation Theory, based on the standard QCD chiral effective Lagrangian approach., Comment: 24 pages, 3 figures, sent to Nuclear Physics B

We investigate numerically the spectral flow introduced by Adams for the staggered Dirac operator on realistic (quenched) gauge configurations. We obtain clear numerical evidence that the definition works as expected: there is a clear separation between crossings near and far away from the origin, and the topological charge defined through the crossings near the origin agrees, for most configurations, with the one defined through the near-zero modes of large taste-singlet chirality of the staggered Dirac operator. The crossings are much closer to the origin if we improve the Dirac operator used in the definition, and they move towards the origin as we decrease the lattice spacing., References added. Slight changes to the text

We consider diquark condensation in finite density lattice SU(2). We first present an extension of Vafa-Witten result, on spontaneous breaking of vector-like global symmetries, that allows us to formulate a no-go theorem for diquark condensation in a region of the chemical potential-mass parameter space. We then describe a new technique to calculate diquark condensation at any number of flavours directly at zero external source without using any potentially dangerous extrapolation procedure. We apply it to the strong coupling limit and find compelling evidences for a second order phase transition, where a diquark condensate appears, as well as quantitative agreement between lattice results and low-energy effective Lagrangian calculations., 21 pages, 7 figures

We introduce a lattice model with local U(1) gauge symmetry which incorporates explicit frustration in d >2. The form of the action is inspired from the loop expansion of the fermionic determinant in standard lattice QED. We study through numerical simulations the phase diagram of the model, revealing the existence of a frustrated (antiferromagnetic) phase for d=3 and d=4, once an appropriate order parameter is identified., 7 pages, 7 figures

The Grand Canonical formalism is generally used in numerical simulations of finite density QCD since it allows free mobility in the chemical potential $\mu$. We show that special care has to be used in extracting numerical results to avoid dramatic rounding effects and spurious transition signals. If we analyze data correctly, with reasonable statistics, no signal of first order phase transition is present and results using the Glasgow prescription are practically coincident with the ones obtained using the modulus of the fermionic determinant., Comment: 6 pages, 5 ps figs. To appear in Proceedings of "QCD at Finite Baryon Density" workshop, Bielefeld, 27-30 April 1998

We present a detailed analysis, in the framework of the MFA approach, of the critical behaviour of the lattice Schwinger model with Wilson fermions on lattices up to $24^2$, through the study of the Lee-Yang zeros and the specific heat. We find compelling evidence for a critical line ending at $\kappa = 0.25$ at large $\beta$. Finite size scaling analysis on lattices $8^2,12^2,16^2, 20^2$ and $24^2$ indicates a continuous transition. The hyperscaling relation is verified in the explored $\beta$ region., Comment: 12 pages LaTeX file, 10 figures in one uuencoded compressed postscript file. Report LNF-95/049(P)

We proposed two different methods for simulating theta-vacuum systems. Both can be affected by systematic effects but these errors can be controlled by comparing the results of the two unrelated methods. This has been done for some analytically soluble models and here the same procedure is successfully applied to the interesting case of CP^9 in the scaling region., Lattice2003(topology); 3 pages, 3 figures

The Vafa-Witten arguments on the realization of parity and flavour symmetries in the QCD vacuum do not apply to two lattice regularizations of QCD which are able to reproduce the chiral anomaly: Wilson fermions and Ginsparg-Wilson fermions. We show here how using the last regularization one can get, from first principles, that the more standard order parameters for these symmetries take a vanishing vacuum expectation value for any number of flavours, if quarks have a non-vanishing mass., Comment: 14 pages. References added

We discuss the vacuum structure of QCD with two flavors of Wilson fermions. We derive two possible scenarios: (i) If the spectral density $\rho_U(\lambda,\kappa)$ of the overlap hamiltonian in a fixed background gauge field is not symmetric in $\lambda$, Hermiticity is violated and Hermiticity violation effects could influence numerical determinations of the $\eta$ meson mass if we are not near enough to the continuum limit, where Hermiticity should be recovered; (ii) otherwise we argue that, under certain assumptions, new phases appear beside the Aoki phase, which can be characterized by a nonvanishing vacuum expectation value of $i\bar\psi_u\gamma_5\psi_u+i\bar\psi_d\gamma_5\psi_d$, and with vacuum states that cannot be connected with the Aoki vacua by parity-flavor symmetry transformations. Quenched numerical simulations suggest that the second scenario is more likely realized., Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, to be published in Physical Review D1

We reconsider in this paper the old aim of trying to understand if the observed realization of discrete symmetries as Parity or CP in the QCD vacuum can be satisfied from first principles. We show how under the appropriate assumptions implicitely done by Vafa and Witten in their old paper on parity realization in vector-like theories, all parity and CP odd operators constructed from fermion bilinears of the form $\bar\psi\tilde O\psi$ should take a vanishing vacuum expectation value in a vector-like theory with N degenerate flavours (N>1). In our analysis the Vafa-Witten theorem on the impossibility to break spontaneously the flavour symmetry in a vector-like theory plays a fundamental role., Comment: 12 pages, no figures To be published in JHEP

A new approach for non zero chemical potential simulations is tested in the Gross-Neveu model for infinite flavor number, where the critical line is reconstructed in a large $\mu/T$ interval. A comparison with results from standard imaginary chemical potential approach as well as first results for $N_f=4$ QCD are presented., Comment: Talk presented at Lattice2004(non-zero), Fermilab, June 21-26, 2004, 3 pages, 4 figures

The phenomenon of diquark condensation at non-zero baryon density and zero temperature is analyzed in the strong coupling limit of lattice QCD. The results indicate that there is attraction in the quark-quark channel also at strong coupling, and that the attraction is more effective at high baryon density, but for infinite coupling it is not enough to produce diquark condensation. It is argued that the absence of diquark condensation is not a peculiarity of the strong coupling limit, but persists at sufficiently large finite couplings., Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures, Lattice2004(non-zero)

Inspired by the results of the Ising model within an imaginary external magnetic field, we introduce a transformation in quantum systems with a theta-vacuum term that amounts to a rescaling of z=cos(theta/2). Making use of this transformation we are able to determine the order parameter as a function of theta. The approach is successfully tested in models with both broken and unbroken CP symmetry at theta=pi., 14 pages, 6 figures; To appear in Phys. Lett. B

We propose a new approach to perform numerical simulations of theta-vacuum like systems, test it in two analytically solvable models, and apply it to CP^3. The main new ingredient in our approach is the method used to compute the probability distribution function of the topological charge at theta=0. We do not get unphysical phase transitions (flattening behavior of the free energy density) and reproduce the exact analytical results for the order parameter in the whole theta-range within a few percent., 4 pages, RevTex4, minor changes and some references added

Unquenched lattice SU(2) is studied at nonzero chemical potential in the strong coupling limit. The topic of diquark condensation is addressed analyzing the probability distribution function of the diquark condensate. We present results at zero external source without using any potentially dangerous extrapolation procedure. We find strong evidences for a (high density) second order phase transition where a diquark condensate appears, and show quantitative agreement of lattice calculations with low-energy effective Lagrangian calculations., Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, to be published in the proceedings of the ``International Workshop on Non-Perturbative Methods and Lattice QCD'', Guangzhou, China, 15-21 May 2000

We study unquenched lattice SU(2) at nonzero chemical potential at strong coupling and with eight flavours of Kogut-Susskind fermions. Introducing a diquark source term we analyze the behaviour of different types of fermion condensates. Using a non standard approach we can obtain results at zero external source without extrapolations. We find strong evidences for a (high density) second order phase transition where a diquark condensate appears. The corresponding critical chemical potential is in good agreement with half the pion mass., Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures, to appear on Phys. Lett. B

Lattice formulation of Finite Baryon Density QCD is problematic from computer simulation point of view; it is well known that for light quark masses the reconstructed partition function fails to be positive in a wide region of parameter space. For large bare quark masses, instead, it is possible to obtain more sensible results; problems are still present but restricted to a small region. We present evidence for a saturation transition independent from the gauge coupling $\beta$ and for a transition line that, starting from the temperature critical point at $\mu=0$, moves towards smaller $\beta$ with increasing $\mu$ as expected from simplified phenomenological arguments., Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures

In the large fermion mass limit of QCD at finite density the structure of the partition function greatly simplifies and can be studied analytically. We show that, contrary to general wisdom, the phase of the Dirac determinant is relevant only at finite temperature and can be neglected for zero temperature fields., LATTICE98(hightemp), 3 pages, 3 figures

We report results of simulations of strong coupling, finite density QCD obtained within a MFA inspired approach where the fermion determinant in the integration measure is replaced by its absolute value. Contrary to the standard wisdom, we show that within this approach a clear signal of a phase transition appears with a critical chemical potential in extremely good agreement with the results obtained with the Glasgow algorithm. The modulus of the fermion determinant seems therefore to preserve some of the relevant physical properties of the system. We also analyze the dependence of our results on the quark mass, including both the chiral and large mass limit, and the theory in the quenched approximation., Comment: 7 pages and 6 figures

We present the first results of an exact simulation of full QCD at finite density in the chiral limit. We have used a MFA (Microcanonical Fermionic Average) inspired approach for the reconstruction of the Grand Canonical Partition Function of the theory; using the fugacity expansion of the fermionic determinant we are able to move continuously in the ($\beta -\mu$) plane with $m=0$., Comment: 3 pages, LaTeX, 3 figures, uses espcrc2.sty, psfig. Talk presented by A. Galante at Lattice 97. Correction of some references

We analyse the phase diagram of the lattice gauged Nambu-Jona Lasinio model with the help of a mean field approximation plus numerical simulations. We find a phase transition line in the coupling parameters space separating the chirally broken phase from the symmetric phase, which is in good qualitative agreement with results obtained in the quenched-ladder approximation. The mean field approximation relates the critical exponents along the continuous phase transition line with the mass dependence of the chiral condensate in the Coulomb phase of standard noncompact $QED$. Our numerical results for noncompact $QED$ strongly suggest non mean field exponents along the critical line., 11 pages, figures on request

Since four-fermion operators in strongly coupled $QED$ are nonperturbatively renormalizable, we analyze here the phase diagram and critical behaviour of the Gauged Nambu-Jona Lasinio model. Our mean field approximation relates the critical exponents along the continuous phase transition line with the mass dependence of the chiral condensate in the Coulomb phase of standard noncompact $QED$. The numerical results for noncompact $QED$ strongly suggest non mean field exponents along the critical line., Presented at Lattice '95. Figures on request

Using very precise measurements of the critical couplings for the chiral transition of non compact $QED_4$ with up to 8 flavours, we analyse the behaviour of the order parameter at the critical point using the equation of state of a logarithmically improved scalar mean field theory, that of the Nambu-Jona Lasinio theory and a pure power law. The first case is definitively excluded by the numerical data. The stability of the fits for the last two cases, as well as the behaviour with the number of flavours of the exponent of the logarithmic violations to the scaling favour clearly a pure power law scaling with non mean field exponents., 6 pages, 3 postscript figures, 2 postscript tables (tar-ed, zip-ed, uu-encoded)

We measure chiral susceptibilities in the Coulomb phase of noncompact QED$_4$ in $8^4, 10^4$ and $12^4$ lattices. The MFA approach allows simulations in the chiral limit which are therefore free from arbitrary mass extrapolations. Using the critical couplings extracted from these calculations, we study the critical behaviour of the chiral condensate, which we find in disagreement with the predictions of logarithmically improved scalar Mean Field theory., 7 pages, 4 figures, LaTeX file and postscript figures appended, talk presented at Lattice '95

We report the results of a measurement of susceptibilities in noncompact $QED_4$ in $8^4, 10^4$ and $12^4$ lattices. Due to the potentialities of the $MFA$ approach, we have done simulations in the chiral limit which are therefore free from arbitrary mass extrapolations. Our results in the Coulomb phase show unambiguously that the susceptibility critical exponent $\gamma=1$ independently of the flavour symmetry group. The critical couplings extracted from these calculations are in perfect agreement with previous determinations based on the fermion effective action and plaquette energy, and outside the predictions of a logarithmically improved scalar mean field theory by eight standard deviations., Comment: 11 pages, figures on request

We study the phase diagram of non compact $QED_3$ using the $MFA$ method and present evidence for a continuous phase transition line at small $N_f$. We also analyze the chiral structure of the vacuum by means of the computation of the probability distribution function of the order parameter in the exact chiral limit., 3 pages of PostScript, talk at Lattice 93, DFTUZ 93.15

The reasons for the feasibility of the Microcanonical Fermionic Average ($MFA$) approach to lattice gauge theory with dynamical fermions are discussed. We then present a new exact algorithm, which is free from systematic errors and convergent even in the chiral limit., 3 pages, DFTUZ 93/20, to appear in the Proceedings of Lattice 93, Dallas

We discuss detailed simulations of the non compact abelian model coupled to light fermions, using a method previously developed that includes the effects of the fermionic interactions in an effective action. The approximations involved are related to an expansion in the flavour number. We address the problem of the (non) triviality of the theory through a study of the analytical properties of the effective action as a function of the pure gauge energy. New numerical results for the plaquette energy, chiral condensate and a qualitative analysis of the phase diagram are also presented., 20 pages

In the framework of noncompact lattice QED with light fermions, we derive the functional dependence of the average energy per plaquette on the bare parameters using block-spin Renormalization Group arguments and assuming that the renormalized coupling vanishes. Our numerical results for this quantity in $8^4$ and $10^4$ lattices show evidence for triviality in the weak coupling phase and point to a non vanishing value for the renormalized coupling constant in the strong coupling phase., 9 pages

We study the $\beta, N$ critical behaviour of non compact QED with $N$ species of light fermions, using a method we have proposed for unquenched simulations. We find that there exist two phase transition lines: one, second order, and the other, first order, that approaches asymptotically the $\beta=0$ axis. These two lines have different physical origin, the second one being entirely due to fermions effects. We discuss the effect of the approximation used, in terms of an expansion of the effective action in powers of $N$, and conclude that the general features should not be affected by this approximation., Comment: 9 pages. LNF 92/110 P

The possibility of diquark condensation at sufficiently large baryon chemical potential and zero temperature is analyzed in QCD at strong coupling. In agreement with other strong coupling analysis, it is found that a first order phase transition separates a low density phase with chiral symmetry spontaneously broken from a high density phase where chiral symmetry is restored. In none of the phases diquark condensation takes place as an equilibrium state, but, for any value of the chemical potential, there is a metastable state characterized by a non-vanishing diquark condensate. The energy difference between this metastable state and the equilibrium state decreases with the chemical potential and is minimum in the high density phase. The results indicate that there is attraction in the quark-quark sector also at strong coupling, and that the attraction is more effective at high baryon density, but for infinite coupling it is not enough to produce diquark condensation. It is argued that the absence of diquark condensation is not a peculiarity of the strong coupling limit, but persists at sufficiently large finite couplings., 10 pages, 2 figures. An important discussion concerning the extension of the results to finite couplings added

We present a detailed analysis of the QCD partition function in the Grand Canonical formalism. Using the fugacity expansion we find evidence for numerical instabilities in the standard evaluation of its coefficients. We discuss the origin of this problem and propose an issue to it. The correct analysis shows no evidence for a discontinuity in the baryonic density in the strong coupling limit. The moderate optimism that was inspired by the Grand Canonical Partition Function calculations in the last years has to be considered ill-founded., Comment: 9 pages, 6 Postscript figures; some comments added