Two-point functions of quenched lattice QCD in Numerical Stochastic Perturbation Theory. (II) The gluon propagator in Landau gauge

Abstract This is the first of a series of two papers on the perturbative computation of the ghost and gluon propagators in SU ( 3 ) Lattice Gauge Theory. Our final aim is to eventually compare with results from lattice simulations in order to enlight the genuinely non-perturbative content of the latter. By means of Numerical Stochastic Perturbation Theory we compute the ghost propagator in Landau gauge up to three loops. We present results in the infinite volume and a → 0 limits, based on a general strategy that we discuss in detail.