The renormalization of general gauge theories on flat and curved space-time backgrounds is considered within the Sp(2)-covariant quantization method. We assume the existence of a gauge-invariant and diffeomorphism invariant regularization. Using the Sp(2)-covariant formalism one can show that the theory possesses gauge invariant and diffeomorphism invariant renormalizability to all orders in the loop expansion and the extended BRST symmetry after renormalization is preserved. The advantage of the Sp(2)-method compared to the standard Batalin-Vilkovisky approach is that, in reducible theories, the structure of ghosts and ghosts for ghosts and auxiliary fields is described in terms of irreducible representations of the Sp(2) group. This makes the presentation of solutions to the master equations in more simple and systematic way because they are Sp(2)- scalars.
Unimodular gravity (UG) is an interesting theory that may explain why the cosmological constant is extremely small, in contrast to general relativity (GR). The theory has only the transverse diffeomorphism invariance and this causes lots of debate as to the equivalence of UG to GR in the covariant quantization. We study the covariant BRST quantization of UG by gauge fixing only the transverse diffeomorphism and show that the remaining physical degrees of freedom are two, the same number as GR. This is achieved by using antisymmetric tensor ghost fields which automatically satisfy the transvers…
For the general renormalizable ${\cal N}=1$ supersymmetric gauge theory we investigate renormalization of the Faddeev--Popov ghosts using the higher covariant derivative regularization. First, we find the two-loop anomalous dimension defined in terms of the bare coupling constant in the general $ξ$-gauge. It is demonstrated that for doing this calculation one should take into account that the quantum gauge superfield is renormalized in a nonlinear way. Next, we obtain the two-loop anomalous dimension of the Faddeev--Popov ghosts defined in terms of the renormalized coupling constant and examin…
We construct a manifestly diffeomorphism invariant Wilsonian (Exact) Renormalization Group for classical gravity, and begin the construction for quantum gravity. We demonstrate that the effective action can be computed without gauge fixing the diffeomorphism invariance, and also without introducing a background space-time. We compute classical contributions both within a background-independent framework and by perturbing around a fixed background, and verify that the results are equivalent. We derive the exact Ward identities for actions and kernels and verify consistency. We formulate two for…
Using the Slavnov--Taylor identities we prove that the three-point ghost vertices with a single line of the quantum gauge superfield are not renormalized in all loops in ${\cal N}=1$ supersymmetric gauge theories. This statement is verified by the explicit one-loop calculation made by the help of the BRST invariant version of the higher covariant derivative regularization. Using the restrictions to the renormalization constants which are imposed by the non-renormalization of the considered vertices we express the exact NSVZ $β$-function in terms of the anomalous dimensions of the Faddeev--Popo…
In order to discuss the occurrence of a periodic condensate in the Euclidean 3-dimensional ghost $O(1)$ model, a modified version of the effective average action (EAA) renormalization group (RG) method is developed, called by us Fourier-Wetterich RG approach. It is proposed to start with an ansatz for the EAA, that contains terms, in addition to the usual ones, induced by the various Fourier-modes of the periodic condensate and to expand the EAA in functional Taylor-series around the periodic background. The RG flow equations are derived in the next-to-next-to-leading order of the gradient exp…
If the kinetic interactions of a Lorentz-invariant massive graviton are Einstein-Hilbert, then the only possible potential terms free from the Boulware-Deser ghost are those of de Rham, Gabadadze and Tolley (dRGT). We point out there are other possibilities if the kinetic terms are not required to be Einstein-Hilbert. We construct pseudo-linear ghost-free potentials, terms that derive in a natural way from the linear theory. The simplicity of this approach allows us to construct diffeomorphism non-invariant higher-derivative interaction terms that do not introduce ghosts. We conjecture that th…
Within the refined Gribov-Zwanziger scenario for four-dimensional Yang-Mills theory in the Landau gauge, a gluon mass term is generated from the restriction of the gauge field configurations to the first Gribov region. Tissier and Wschebor have pointed out that simply adding a gluon mass term to the usual Faddeev-Popov action yields one-loop renormalization group improved gluon and ghost propagators which are in good agreement with the lattice data even in the infrared regime. In this work, we extend their analysis to several alternative renormalization schemes and show how the renormalization…
We find the three-loop contribution to the $β$-function of ${\cal N}=1$ supersymmetric gauge theories regularized by higher covariant derivatives produced by the supergraphs containing loops of the Faddeev--Popov ghosts. This is done using a recently proposed algorithm, which essentially simplifies such multiloop calculations. The result is presented in the form of an integral of double total derivatives in the momentum space. The considered contribution to the $β$-function is compared with the two-loop anomalous dimension of the Faddeev--Popov ghosts. This allows verifying the validity of the…
The renormalization of $\mathcal{N}=1$ Super Yang-Mills theory with the presence of the local composite operators $AA$, $A_μγ_μλ$ and $\barλλ$ is analyzed in the Wess-Zumino gauge, employing the Landau condition. An all-orders proof of the renormalizability of the theory is given by means of the Algebraic Renormalization procedure. Only three renormalization constants are needed, which can be identified with the coupling constant, gauge field, and gluino renormalization. The non-renormalization theorem of the gluon--ghost--anti-ghost vertex in the Landau gauge is shown to remain valid in $\mat…
We discuss how the incorporation of a cosmological constant affects the perturbative quantization of (effective) Quantum General Relativity. To this end, we derive the gravitational Slavnov--Taylor identities and appropriate renormalization conditions for the cosmological constant. Additionally, we calculate the corresponding Feynman rules for any vertex valence and with general gauge parameter. Furthermore, we provide the BRST setup and generate the Faddeev--Popov ghost and the symmetric ghost via a gauge fixing fermion and a gauge fixing boson, respectively. Finally, we study the transversal…
We study the Landau gauge correlators of Yang-Mills fields for infrared Euclidean momenta in the context of a massive extension of the Faddeev-Popov Lagrangian which, we argue, underlies a variety of continuum approaches. Standard (perturbative) renormalization group techniques with a specific, infrared-safe renormalization scheme produce so-called decoupling and scaling solutions for the ghost and gluon propagators, which correspond to nontrivial infrared fixed points. The decoupling fixed point is infrared stable and weakly coupled, while the scaling fixed point is unstable and generically s…
We present new analytical five-loop Feynman-gauge results for the anomalous dimensions of ghost field and -vertex, generalizing the known values for SU(3) to a general gauge group. Together with previously published results on the quark mass and -field anomalous dimensions and the Beta function, this completes the 5-loop renormalization program of gauge theories in that gauge.
Within the framework of Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) formalism, we discuss the full set of proper BRST and anti-BRST transformations for a 2D diffeomorphism invariant theory which is described by the Lagrangian density of a standard bosonic string. The above (anti-)BRST transformations are off-shell nilpotent and absolutely anticommuting. The latter property is valid on a submanifold of the space of the quantum fields where the 2D version of the universal (anti-)BRST invariant Curci-Ferrari (CF) type of restrictions are satisfied. We derive the precise forms of the BRST and anti-BRST invar…
The contributions of the matter superfields and of the Faddeev--Popov ghosts to the $β$-function of ${\cal N}=1$ supersymmetric gauge theories defined in terms of the bare couplings are calculated in all orders in the case of using the higher covariant derivative regularization. For this purpose we use the recently proved statement that the $β$-function in these theories is given by integrals of double total derivatives with respect to the loop momenta. These integrals do not vanish due to singularities of the integrands. This implies that the $β$-function beyond the one-loop approximation is …
We provide the all-loop structure of gauge-variant operators required for the renormalisation of Green's functions with insertions of twist-two operators in Yang-Mills theory. Using this structure we work out an explicit basis valid up to 4-loop order for an arbitrary compact simple gauge group. To achieve this we employ a generalised gauge symmetry, originally proposed by Dixon and Taylor, which arises after adding to the Yang-Mills Lagrangian also operators proportional to its equation of motion. Promoting this symmetry to a generalised BRST symmetry allows to generate the ghost operator fro…
