Instanton Content of the SU(3) Vacuum

Abstract

We study the topological content of the SU(3) vacuum using a method based on RG mapping developed for SU(2) gauge theory earlier. RG mapping, in which a series of APE-smearing steps is done while tracking the observables, reduces the short range fluctuations in the gauge fields while preserving the long structure. This allows us to study the instanton size distribution and topological susceptibility for SU(3) gauge theory. We arrive at a value for the topological susceptibility $χ^{1/4}$, of 203(5) MeV. The size distribution peaks at $ρ= 0.3fm$, and is in good agreement with the prediction of the instanton liquid models.