A Slavnov-Taylor identity and equality of damping rates for static transverse and longitudinal gluons in hot QCD

Abstract

A Slavnov-Taylor identity is derived for the gluon polarization tensor in hot QCD. We evaluate its implications for damping of gluonic modes in the plasma. Applying the identity to next to the leading order in hard-thermal-loop resummed perturbation theory, we derive the expected equality of damping rates for static transverse and longitudinal (soft) gluons. This is of interest also in view of deviating recent reports of $\gamma_t(p=0)\neq\gamma_l(p=0)$ based on a direct calculation of $\gamma_l(p=0)$.