Spectral functions and critical dynamics of the $O(4)$ model from classical-statistical lattice simulations

Abstract

We calculate spectral functions of the relativistic $O(4)$ model from real-time lattice simulations in classical-statistical field theory. While in the low and high temperature phase of the model, the spectral functions of longitudinal $(\sigma)$ and transverse $(\pi)$ modes are well described by relativistic quasi-particle peaks, we find a highly non-trivial behavior of the spectral functions in the cross over region, where additional structures appear. Similarly, we observe a significant broadening of the quasi-particle peaks, when the amount explicit $O(4)$ symmetry breaking is reduced. We further demonstrate that in the vicinity of the $O(4)$ critical point, the spectral functions develop an infrared power law associated with the critical dynamics, and comment on the extraction of the dynamical critical exponent $z$ from our simulations.