Phase structure of the Schwinger model on the lattice with Wilson fermions in the Hartree-Fock approximation.

The phase diagram of the Schwinger model on the lattice with one and two degenerate flavours of Wilson fermions is investigated in the Hartree-Fock approximation. In case of a single flavour (not directly amenable to numerical simulation), the calculation indicates the existence of the parity violating phase at both weak and intermediate-to-strong couplings. In the broken phase, the Hartree-Fock vacuum sustains a nonzero electric field. With two flavours, parity is not broken at weak coupling. However, both parity and flavour become spontaneously broken at the Hartree-Fock level as the coupling becomes strong.