New Approach to Continuum Path Integrals for Particles and Fields

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel method for approximating continuum Feynman path integrals using smooth Gaussian paths, enabling qualitative insights into quantum fluctuations and gauge field behaviors in quantum field theories.

Contribution

The paper develops a new Gaussian-based approach to evaluate continuum path integrals, improving accuracy for ground state properties and applying it to gauge theories to study confinement and Coulomb forces.

Findings

Reproduces ground state properties of harmonic oscillator with over 90% accuracy.

Qualitatively captures Coulomb and linear confinement potentials in gauge theories.

Shows exponential suppression of large gauge field fluctuations.

Abstract

An approach to approximate evaluation of the continuum Feynman path integrals is developed for the study of quantum fluctuations of particles and fields in Euclidean time-space. The paths are described by sum of Gauss functions and are weighted with exp(-S) by the Metropolis method. The weighted smooth paths reproduce properties of the ground state of the harmonic oscillator in one dimension with more than about 90 % accuracy, and the accuracy gets higher by using smaller width of the Gauss functions. Our approach is applied to quantum field theories and quantum fluctuations of U(1) and SU(2) gauge fields in four dimensions respectively provide the Coulomb force and confining linear potential at qualitative levels via the Wilson loops. Distributions of large values of gauge fields are found to be suppressed at least exponentially.