Ceci n'est pas un gluon

TL;DR

This paper examines the conceptual tension between traditional gauge boson treatments and the geometric 'Wu-Yang dictionary', revealing interpretative dilemmas in Yang-Mills theory and the 'particle-first' approach.

Contribution

It clarifies a conceptual tension in gauge theory interpretations and discusses implications for the geometric and particle-based approaches to Yang-Mills theory.

Findings

Identifies a tension between gauge boson treatment and geometric interpretation

Shows the tension leads to interpretative choices in physics

Highlights a dilemma for the 'particle-first' approach to Yang-Mills

Abstract

We discuss and then resolve a tension between how physicists treat gauge bosons and the celebrated "Wu-Yang dictionary", which identifies particle physics terminology with that of principal bundles and principal connections. We show how this tension leads to an interpretative choice that is not widely discussed in the physics literature. We then show how the same considerations present a dilemma for a recent "particle-first" approach to Yang-Mills theory due to Henrique Gomes. Either the particle-first approach has surplus structure as compared to principal-bundle-based approaches, or gauge bosons are not sections of vector bundles.