CHIRAL-SYMMETRY BREAKING IN ABELIAN-PROJECTED SU(2) LATTICE GAUGE-THEORY

Chiral-symmetry-breaking parameters are calculated in quenched SU(2) lattice gauge theory and with Abelian gauge fields projected in the maximal Abelian gauge and in the field-strength gauge. Maximal Abelian gauge-projected fields lead to chiral condensate values which are quite similar to those of the full non-Abelian theory. Pseudoscalar and vector meson correlators are calculated and found to be reproduced by the use of maximal Abelian gauge fields for small quark masses. In the field-strength gauge, Abelian-projected fields give a chiral condensate which closely resembles the results of strongly coupled (<1) gauge theory: the chiral condensate is insensitive to and the quark mass and hence violates scaling badly. © 1995 The American Physical Society.