Color Memory

TL;DR

This paper introduces a color memory effect in classical Yang-Mills theory, showing how a transient color flux can cause test quarks to acquire net color, analogous to gravitational memory.

Contribution

It derives a nonlinear formula for the color rotation of quarks due to color flux, connecting it to the soft gluon theorem and gravitational memory.

Findings

Test quarks in a color singlet acquire net color after flux

Derived a nonlinear formula for color rotation

Linearized formula relates to soft gluon theorem

Abstract

A transient color flux across null infinity in classical Yang-Mills theory is considered. It is shown that a pair of test `quarks' initially in a color singlet generically acquire net color as a result of the flux. A nonlinear formula is derived for the relative color rotation of the quarks. For weak color flux the formula linearizes to the Fourier transform of the soft gluon theorem. This color memory effect is the Yang-Mills analog of the gravitational memory effect.