On the momentum of gluons in lattice gauge theory (LGT)

Attempts to improve LGT simulation algorithms by Fourier space preconditioning have been handicapped by the gauge dependence of momenta, familiar from perturbation theory. The continuum theory has a gauge invariant energy-momentum density, indicating this to be a fake obstacle. While perturbation-theory momenta are evidently wrong for the task, momentum-transfer carried by gluons is physical. Simulations using these momenta may become practical in the near future thanks to recent progress in generative models, stochastic and/or deterministic.