Gauge parameter dependence in the background field gauge and the construction of an invariant charge Original Research Article

By using the enlarged BRS transformations we control the gauge parameter dependence of Green functions in the background field gauge. We show that it is unavoidable — also if we consider the local Ward identity — to introduce the normalization value ξ0 of the gauge parameter ξ. The dependence of Green functions on ξ0 is governed by a partial differential equation in a similar manner as the dependence on the normalization point κ is governed by the RG equation. By modifying the Ward identity we are able to construct in 1-loop order a gauge parameter independent combination of 2-point vector and background vector functions. By explicit construction of the next orders we show that this combination can be used to construct a gauge parameter independent RG-invariant charge. However, it is seen that this RG-invariant charge does not satisfy the differential equation of the normalization value ξ0 of the gauge parameter, and, hence, is not ξ0-independent as required.