Analytic, Non-Perturbative, Gauge-invariant QCD: Nucleon Scattering and Binding Potentials

TL;DR

This paper derives a qualitative nucleon scattering and binding potential directly from QCD without the quenched approximation, illustrating how nuclear physics phenomena can emerge from fundamental strong interaction theory.

Contribution

It presents a non-perturbative, gauge-invariant approach to estimate nucleon potentials directly from QCD, removing previous approximations and conjectures.

Findings

Derived a nucleon potential from QCD without quenched approximation

Showed potential strength proportional to squared renormalized coupling

Provided qualitative insights into nuclear physics from fundamental theory

Abstract

Removal of the quenched approximation in the mechanism which produced an analytic estimate of quark-binding potentials, along with a reasonable conjecture of the color structure of the nucleon formed by such a binding potential, is shown to generate an effective, nucleon scattering and binding potential. The mass-scale factor on the order of the pion mass, previously introduced to define transverse imprecision of quark coordinates, is again used, while the strength of the potential is proportional to the square of a renormalized QCD coupling constant. The potential so derived does not include corrections due to spin, angular momentum, nucleon structure, and electroweak interactions; rather, it is qualitative in nature, showing how Nuclear Physics can arise from fundamental QCD.