It is shown how both the qualitative and the quantitative features of the asymptotic freedom of quantum chromodynamics can be understood in a rather intuitive way. The starting point is the spin of the gluon, which because of the gluon self-coupling makes the vacuum behave like a paramagnetic substance. Combining this result with Lorentz invariance, we conclude that the vacuum exhibits dielectric antiscreening and hence asymptotic freedom. The calculational techniques are with some minor modifications those of the Landau theory on the diamagnetic properties of a free-electron gas.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.