Once more on $\theta$-vacua in $2+1$ dimensional QED and 3+1 dimensional gluodynamics

Abstract

Two different but tightly connected problems, $U(1)$ and strong CP violation problems, are discussed in two different models which exhibit both asymptotic freedom and confinement. One of them is the 3d Polyakov's model of compact QED and the other is 4d gluodynamics. It is shown that although both these models possess the long range interactions of the topological charges, only in the former case physics does not depend on $\theta$; while the latter exhibits an explicit $\theta$- dependence. The crucial difference is due to the observation, that the pseudoparticles of 4d gluodynamics possess an aditional quantum number, apart of the topological charge $Q$ .