Comparison of filtering methods in SU(3) lattice gauge theory

Understand

We systematically compare filtering methods used to extract topological excitations from lattice gauge configurations.

• We show that there is a strong correlation of the topological charge densities obtained by APE and Stout smearing.
• Furthermore, a first quantitative analysis of quenched and dynamical configurations reveals a crucial difference of their topological structure: the topological charge density is more fragmented, when dynamical quarks are present.
• This fact also implies that smearing has to be handled with great care, not to destroy these characteristic structures.