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Quark confinement and the evasion of Goldstone's theorem in 1 + 1 dimensions

Journal Article · · Phys. Rev., D, v. 12, no. 6, pp. 1742-1753

Gauge theories of quarks which possess approximate chiral SU(3) x SU(3) symmetry also have approximate U(3) x U(3) symmetry. If the axial symmetries are realized in the Goldstone mode, then one would naively expect a fourth SU(3) singlet pseudoscalar meson with mass comparable to that of the pion. This is contrary to experiment. It has been argued, however, that quark confinement can remove the unwanted Goldstone boson from the physical spectrum of the theory. It is the purpose of this article to shed light on this phenomenon by studying it in a simple setting. We consider the sigma model with minimal electrodynamic coupling in 1+1 dimensions. We confirm that the singlet Goldstone boson is indeed absent although the axial symmetry is spontaneously broken. The would-be massless meson gains a mass from the long-range interactions responsible for confinement. If the Abelian gauge coupling is set to zero, the axial symmetry is no longer spontaneously broken. Using equivalent-boson methods a simple proof of the equivalence of the nonlinear sigma model and the Thirring model (with an additional decoupled massless field) is presented. (AIP)

Research Organization:
Laboratory of Nuclear Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
NSA Number:
NSA-33-015873
OSTI ID:
4112800
Journal Information:
Phys. Rev., D, v. 12, no. 6, pp. 1742-1753, Journal Name: Phys. Rev., D, v. 12, no. 6, pp. 1742-1753; ISSN PRVDA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English