Impact of Dynamical Fermions on the Centre Vortex Gluon Propagator

Abstract

The impact of $SU(3)$ centre vortices on the Landau-gauge gluon propagator is calculated in the presence of dynamical fermions and compared to the pure Yang-Mills case. The presence of dynamical fermions is found to alter the behaviour of the centre vortex propagator when compared to the established pure-gauge result. The gluon spectral representation is also explored from the centre vortex perspective, where centre vortices are shown to exhibit clear signs of positivity violation, which is an indicator of confinement. Vortex removal subsequently restores positivity, demonstrating the crucial role centre vortices play in the confinement of gluons.