Properties of near-zero modes and chiral symmetry breaking

We study localization and chirality properties of eigenvectors of the latti ce Dirac operator. In particular, we focus on the dependence of our observa bles on the size of the corresponding eigenvalue, which allows us to study the transition of a near-zero mode into a bulk mode. We analyze ensembles o f quenched SU(3) configurations using a Dirac operator which is a systemati c expansion in path length of a solution of the Ginsparg-Wilson equation. O ur results support the interpretation of the excitations relevant for chira l symmetry breaking as interacting instantons and anti-instantons. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.