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The renormalization group plays an essential role in many areas of physics, both conceptually and as a practical tool to determine the long-distance low-energy properties of many systems on the one hand and on the other hand search for viable ultraviolet completions in fundamental physics. It provides us with a natural framework to study theoretical models where degrees of freedom are correlated over long distances and that may exhibit very distinct behavior on different energy scales. The nonperturbative functional renormalization-group (FRG) approach is a modern implementation of Wilson's RG, which allows one to set up nonperturbative approximation schemes that go beyond the standard perturbative RG approaches. The FRG is based on an exact functional flow equation of a coarse-grained effective action (or Gibbs free energy in the language of statistical mechanics). We review the main approximation schemes that are commonly used to solve this flow equation and discuss applications in equilibrium and out-of-equilibrium statistical physics, quantum many-particle systems, high-energy physics and quantum gravity., Comment: v3) Review article, 93 pages + bibliography, 35 figures

This report summarizes the presentations and discussions during the Rapid Reaction Task Force "Dynamics of critical fluctuations: Theory -- phenomenology -- heavy-ion collisions", which was organized by the ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI and held at GSI, Darmstadt, Germany in April 2019. We address the current understanding of the dynamics of critical fluctuations in QCD and their measurement in heavy-ion collision experiments. In addition, we outline what might be learned from studying correlations in other physical systems, such as cold atomic gases., Comment: 89 pages, 11 figures, report on an ExtreMe Matter Institute EMMI Rapid Reaction Task Force

Physics Beyond Colliders is an exploratory study aimed at exploiting the full scientific potential of CERN's accelerator complex and its scientific infrastructure in the next two decades through projects complementary to the LHC, HL-LHC and other possible future colliders. These projects should target fundamental physics questions that are similar in spirit to those addressed by high-energy colliders, but that require different types of beams and experiments. A kick-off workshop held in September 2016 identified a number of areas of interest and working groups have been set-up to study and develop these directions. All projects currently under consideration are presented including physics motivation, a brief outline of the experimental set-up and the status of the corresponding beam and detector technological studies. The proposals are also put in context of the worldwide landscape and their implementation issues are discussed., Comment: This document (66 pages, 19 figures) is the summary document of the Physics Beyond Colliders (PBC) study. It follows the PBC mandate and draws on a whole set of documents produced in the context of PBC (https://pbc.web.cern.ch), in particular the reports of the QCD and BSM working groups also available at arXiv:1901.04482 and arXiv:1901.09966

This report summarises the main findings of the QCD Working Group in the CERN Physics Beyond Colliders Study.

For the understanding of fluctuation measurements in heavy-ion collisions it is crucial to develop quantitatively reliable dynamical descriptions which take the non-perturbative nature of QCD near the phase transition into account. We discuss a novel QCD-assisted transport approach based on non-equilibrium chiral fluid dynamics and the effective action of low energy QCD. In this framework, we study the time-evolution of fluctuation measures of the critical mode, notably the kurtosis, for a non-expanding system. From this, we can estimate the equilibration times of critical mode fluctuations in the QCD phase diagram. These allow us to identify both the phase boundary and the critical region near the QCD critical point., Comment: Quark Matter 2018 Proceedings

Heavy-ion collisions are well described by a dynamical evolution with a long hydrodynamical phase. In this phase the properties of the strongly coupled quark-gluon plasma are reflected in the equation of state (EoS) and the transport coefficients, most prominently by the shear and bulk viscosity over entropy density ratios $\eta$/s(T) and $\zeta$/s(T), respectively. While the EoS is by now known to a high accuracy, the transport coefficients and in particular their temperature and density dependence are not well known from first-principle computations yet, as well as the possible influence they can have once used in hydrodynamical simulations. In this work, the most recent QCD-based parameters are provided as input to the MUSIC framework. A ratio $\eta$/s(T) computed with a QCD based approach is used for the first time \cite{Haas:2013hpa,Christiansen:2014ypa}. The IP-Glasma model is used to describe the initial energy density distribution, and UrQMD for the dilute hadronic phase. Simulations are performed for Pb--Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV, for different centrality intervals. The resulting kinematic distributions of the particles produced in the collisions are compared to data from the LHC, for several experimental observables. The high precision of the experimental results and the broad variety of observables considered allow to critically verify the quality of the description based on first-principle input to the hydrodynamic evolution., Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures

I report on the first application of a novel, generalized Bayesian reconstruction (BR) method for spectral functions to the characterization of QCD constituents. These spectral functions find applications in off-shell kinetics of the quark-gluon plasma and in calculations of transport coefficients. The new BR method is applied to Euclidean propagator data, obtained in Landau gauge on lattices with $N_f=2+1+1$ dynamical flavors by the "twisted mass at finite temperature" (tmfT) collaboration. The deployed reconstruction method is designed for spectral functions that can exhibit positivity violation (opposed to that of hadronic bound states). The transversal and longitudinal gluon spectral functions show a robust structure composed of quasiparticle peak and a negative trough. Characteristic differences between the hadronic and the plasma phase and between the two channels become visible. We obtain the temperature dependence of the transversal and longitudinal gluon masses., Comment: talk given by E.-M. Ilgenfritz at the 11th APCTP-BLTP JINR-PNPI-SPbSU Joint Workshop , Peterhof, 24 -- 28 July 2017, appears in the Proceedings (to be published in PEPAN Letters)

We investigate the stability of the Sarma phase in two-component fermion systems in three spatial dimensions. For this purpose we compare strongly-correlated systems with either relativistic or non-relativistic dispersion relation: relativistic quarks and mesons at finite isospin density and spin-imbalanced ultracold Fermi gases. Using a Functional Renormalization Group approach, we resolve fluctuation effects onto the corresponding phase diagrams beyond the mean-field approximation. We find that fluctuations induce a second order phase transition at zero temperature, and thus a Sarma phase, in the relativistic setup for large isospin chemical potential. This motivates the investigation of the cold atoms setup with comparable mean-field phase structure, where the Sarma phase could then be realized in experiment. However, for the non-relativistic system we find the stability region of the Sarma phase to be smaller than the one predicted from mean-field theory. It is limited to the BEC side of the phase diagram, and the unitary Fermi gas does not support a Sarma phase at zero temperature. Finally, we propose an ultracold quantum gas with four fermion species that has a good chance to realize a zero-temperature Sarma phase., Comment: version published in Phys.Lett.B; 10 pages, 5 figures

We investigate the phase structure of spin-imbalanced unitary Fermi gases beyond mean-field theory by means of the Functional Renormalization Group. In this approach, quantum and thermal fluctuations are resolved in a systematic manner. The discretization of the effective potential on a grid allows us to accurately account for both first- and second-order phase transitions that are present on the mean-field level. We compute the full phase diagram in the plane of temperature and spin-imbalance and discuss the existence of other conjectured phases such as the Sarma phase and a precondensation region. In addition, we explain on a qualitative level how we expect that in-situ density images are affected by our findings and which experimental signatures may potentially be used to probe the phase structure., Comment: version published in Phys.Rev.A; 14 pages, 6 figures

We present the current status of ongoing efforts to use functional methods, Dyson-Schwinger equations and functional renormalization group equations, for the description of the infrared regime of nonabelian (pure) gauge theories in the Coulomb gauge. In particular, we present a new determination of the color-Coulomb potential with the help of the functional renormalization group that results in an almost linearly rising potential between static color charges at large spatial distances., Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures. Slightly improved version of J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 287 (2011) 012023

I briefly review results obtained within the variational Hamiltonian approach to Yang-Mills theory in Coulomb gauge and confront them with recent lattice data. The variational approach is extended to non-Gaussian wave functionals including three- and four-gluon kernels in the exponential of the vacuum wave functional and used to calculate the three-gluon vertex. A new functional renormalization group flow equation for Hamiltonian Yang--Mills theory in Coulomb gauge is solved for the gluon and ghost propagator under the assumption of ghost dominance. The results are compared to those obtained in the variational approach., Comment: 6 pages, 9 figures. Invited talk given by H. Reinhardt at "T(r)opical QCD 2010", September 26--October 1, 2010, Cairns, Australia

I review results recently obtained within the Hamiltonian approach to Yang-Mills theory in Coulomb gauge. In particular, I will present results for the ghost and gluon propagators and compare these with recent lattice data. Furthermore, I will give an interpretation of the inverse of the ghost form factor as the dielectric function of the Yang-Mills vacuum. Our ansatz for the vacuum wave functional will be checked by means of functional renormalization group flow equations, which are solved for the gluon energy and the ghost form factor. Finally, we calculate the Wilson loop for the vacuum wave functional obtained from the variational approach, using a Dyson equation., Comment: 12 pages, 20 figures. Invited talk given by H. Reinhardt at the Workshop on QCD Green's Functions, Confinement and Phenomenology, September 2009, Trento

The phase transition to superfluidity and the BCS-BEC crossover for an ultracold gas of fermionic atoms is discussed within a functional renormalization group approach. Non-perturbative flow equations, based on an exact renormalization group equation, describe the scale dependence of the flowing or average action. They interpolate continuously from the microphysics at atomic or molecular distance scales to the macroscopic physics at much larger length scales, as given by the interparticle distance, the correlation length, or the size of the experimental probe. We discuss the phase diagram as a function of the scattering length and the temperature and compute the gap, the correlation length and the scattering length for molecules. Close to the critical temperature, we find the expected universal behavior. Our approach allows for a description of the few-body physics (scattering and molecular binding) and the many-body physics within the same formalism., Comment: 30 pages, 13 figures

A functional renormalisation group study for the BEC-BCS crossover for ultracold gases of fermionic atoms is presented. We discuss the fixed point which is at the origin of universality for broad Feshbach resonances. All macroscopic quantities depend only on one relevant parameter, the concentration a k_F, besides their dependence on the temperature in units of the Fermi energy. In particular, we compute the universal ratio between molecular and atomic scattering length in vacuum. We also present an estimate to which level of accuracy universality holds for gases of Li and K atoms., Comment: 19 pages, 3 figures, to be published in PRA

The functional renormalisation group is used for the BCS-BEC crossover in gases of ultracold fermionic atoms. In a simple truncation, we see how universality and an effective theory with composite bosonic di-atom states emerge. We obtain a unified picture of the whole phase diagram. The flow reflects different effective physics at different scales. In the BEC limit as well as near the critical temperature, it describes an interacting bosonic theory., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

We summarise an analysis of the infrared regime of Landau gauge QCD by means of a flow equation approach. The infrared behaviour of gluon and ghost propagators is evaluated. The results provide further evidence for the Kugo-Ojima confinement scenario. We also discuss their relation to results obtained with other functional methods as well as the lattice., Comment: 3 pages, talk given by JMP at 6th Conference on Quark Confinement and the Hadron Spectrum, Villasimius, Sardinia, Italy, 21-25 Sep 2004

In this talk the gauge symmetry for Wilsonian flows in pure Yang-Mills theories is discussed. The background field formalism is used for the construction of a gauge invariant effective action. The symmetries of the effective action under gauge transformations for both the gauge field and the auxiliary background field are separately evaluated. Modified Ward-Takahashi and background field identities are used in my study. Finally it is shown how the symmetry properties of the full theory are restored in the limit where the cut-off is removed., Comment: 6 pages, to appear in the Proceedings of the 2nd Conference on the Exact Renormalization Group, Rome 2000

We apply the ADHM instanton construction to SU(2) gauge theory on T^n x R^(4-n)for n=1,2,3,4. To do this we regard instantons on T^n x R^(4-n) as periodic (modulo gauge transformations) instantons on R^4. Since the R^4 topological charge of such instantons is infinite the ADHM algebra takes place on an infinite dimensional linear space. The ADHM matrix M is related to a Weyl operator (with a self-dual background) on the dual torus tilde T^n. We construct the Weyl operator corresponding to the one-instantons on T^n x R^(4-n). In order to derive the self-dual potential on T^n x R^(4-n) it is necessary to solve a specific Weyl equation. This is a variant of the Nahm transformation. In the case n=2 (i.e. T^2 x R^2) we essentially have an Aharonov Bohm problem on tilde T^2. In the one-instanton sector we find that the scale parameter, lambda, is bounded above, (lambda)^2 tv<4 pi, tv being the volume of the dual torus tilde T^2., Comment: 35 pages, LATeX. New section on Nahm transform included, presentation improved, reference added, to appear in Nuclear Physics B

It is shown that in the two-exponential version of Liouville theory the coefficients of the three-point functions of vertex operators can be determined uniquely using the translational invariance of the path integral measure and the self-consistency of the two-point functions. The result agrees with that obtained using conformal bootstrap methods. Reflection symmetry and a previously conjectured relationship between the dimensional parameters of the theory and the overall scale are derived., Comment: Plain TeX File; 15 Pages

The quantisation of the two-dimensional Liouville field theory is investigated using the path integral, on the sphere, in the large radius limit. The general form of the $N$-point functions of vertex operators is found and the three-point function is derived explicitly. In previous work it was inferred that the three-point function should possess a two-dimensional lattice of poles in the parameter space (as opposed to a one-dimensional lattice one would expect from the standard Liouville potential). Here we argue that the two-dimensionality of the lattice has its origin in the duality of the quantum mechanical Liouville states and we incorporate this duality into the path integral by using a two-exponential potential. Contrary to what one might expect, this does not violate conformal invariance; and has the great advantage of producing the two-dimensional lattice in a natural way., Comment: Plain TeX File; 36 pages

We calculate within an algebraic Bjorken-Johnson-Low (BJL) method anomalous Schwinger terms of fermionic currents and the Gauss law operator in chiral gauge theories. The current algebra is known to violate the Jacobi identity in an iterative computation. Our method takes the subtleties of the equal-time limit into account and leads to an algebra that fulfills the Jacobi identity. The non-iterative terms appearing in the double commutators can be traced back directly to the projective representation of the gauge group., Comment: 17 pages, latex, no figure

A simple derivation of the free energy and expectation values of Polyakov-loops in $QCD_2$ via path integral methods is given. In the chosen gauge (which can be generalized to 4 dimensions) without Gribov-copies the Fadeev-Popov determinant and the integration over the space component of the gauge field cancel exactly and we are left only with an integration over the zero components of the gauge field in the Cartan sub-algebra. This way the Polyakov-loop operators become Vertex-operators in a simple quantum mechanical model. The number of fermionic zero modes is related to the winding-numbers of $A_0$ in this gauge., Comment: some comments added and some typos corrected, 17 pages, Latex, 2 figures

Within the framework of generalized functions a general consistent definition of double commutators is given. This definition respects the Jacobi identity even if the regularization is removed. The double commutator of fermionic currents is calculated in this limit. We show that BJL--type prescriptions and point--splitting prescriptions for calculating double commutators fail to give correct results in free field theory., Comment: 10 pages,latex, no figure, report-no corrected

The effective action of a SU(N)-gauge theory coupled to fermions is evaluated at a large infrared cut-off scale k within the path integral approach. The gauge field measure includes topologically non-trivial configurations (instantons). Due to the explicit infrared regularisation there are no gauge field zero modes. The Dirac operator of instanton configurations shows a zero mode even after the infrared regularisation, which leads to U_A(1)-violating terms in the effective action. These terms are calculated in the limit of large scales k., Comment: 22 pages, latex, no figures, with stylistic changes and some arguments streamlined, typos corrected, References added, to appear in Phys. Rev. D