Comparing Pure Yang-Mills SU(2) and SU(3) Propagators

TL;DR

This study compares the infrared behavior of gluon and ghost propagators in SU(2) and SU(3) Yang-Mills theories using lattice simulations, aiming to clarify differences or similarities relevant to confinement.

Contribution

It provides a direct lattice comparison of SU(2) and SU(3) propagators with equivalent parameters, addressing assumptions about their infrared similarities.

Findings

Infrared exponents are consistent between SU(2) and SU(3).

Qualitative infrared features appear similar for both gauge groups.

Lattice data supports the hypothesis of comparable infrared behavior.

Abstract

The infrared behavior of gluon and ghost propagators in Yang-Mills gauge theories is of central importance for the understanding of confinement in QCD. While analytic studies using Schwinger-Dyson equations predict the same infrared exponents for the SU(2) and SU(3) gauge groups, lattice simulations usually assume that the two cases are different, although their qualitative infrared features may be the same. We carry out a comparative study of lattice (Landau) propagators for both gauge groups. Our data were especially produced with equivalent lattice parameters to allow a careful comparison of the two cases.