Instanton dominance over α_s at low momenta from lattice QCD simulations at N_f=0, N_f=2+1 and N_f=2+1+1

We report on an instanton-based analysis of the gluon Green functions in the Landau gauge for low momenta; in particular we use lattice results for $\alpha_s$ in the symmetric momentum subtraction scheme (${\rm MOM}$) for large-volume lattice simulations. We have exploited quenched gauge field configurations, $N_f=0$, with both Wilson and tree-level Symanzik improved actions, and unquenched ones with $N_f=2+1$ and $N_f=2+1+1$ dynamical flavors (domain wall and twisted-mass fermions, respectively). We show that the dominance of instanton correlations on the low-momenta gluon Green functions can be applied to the determination of phenomenological parameters of the instanton liquid and, eventually, to a determination of the lattice spacing. We furthermore apply the Gradient Flow to remove short-distance fluctuations. The Gradient Flow gets rid of the QCD scale, $\Lambda_{\rm QCD}$, and reveals that the instanton prediction extents to large momenta. For those gauge field configurations free of quantum fluctuations, the direct study of topological charge density shows the appearance of large-scale lumps that can be identified as instantons, giving access to a direct study of the instanton density and size distribution that is compatible with those extracted from the analysis of the Green functions.