1/Nc Expansion in QCD: Double-Line Counting Rules and the Undeservingly Discarded U(1) Ghost

TL;DR

This paper improves the 1/Nc expansion method in QCD by including the U(1) ghost field, addressing limitations in the traditional double-line notation for non-planar diagrams.

Contribution

It derives a complete set of Feynman rules that incorporate the U(1) ghost, enhancing the accuracy of diagram calculations in the 1/Nc expansion.

Findings

Identifies the insufficiency of ignoring the U(1) ghost in non-planar diagrams

Develops new Feynman rules including the U(1) ghost field

Provides a more accurate method for calculating color factors and 1/Nc orders

Abstract

The 1/Nc expansion is one of the very few methods we have for generating a systematic expansion of QCD at the energy scale relevant to hadron structure. The present formulation of this theory relies on the double-line notation for calculating the leading order of a diagram in the 1/Nc expansion, where the local SU(Nc) gauge symmetry is substituted by a U(Nc) symmetry and the associated U(1) ghost field is ignored. In the current work we demonstrate the insufficiency of this formulation for describing certain non-planar diagrams. We derive a more complete set of Feynman rules that include the U(1) ghost field and provide a useful tool for calculating both color factors and 1/Nc orders of all color-singlet diagrams.