An approach to QCD perturbative and non-perturbative beta functions

Abstract

Using the global properties of the QCD partition function we determine an all order perturbative beta function in the background gauge field method to find out that it has a simple expressions whose properties and consequences align with other recent results in the QCD literature. We further compute the non-perturbative beta functions for the coupling constant and the theta angle in the background of an instanton field with winding number $n$. We solve for the theta angle in the non-perturbative region to determine that it is approximately zero. By extrapolating to the full QCD beta functions our result may constitute a solution to the strong CP problem.

Comments: 14 pages, major revision to include fermions