We study the SU(3) gluon propagator in renormalizable $R_xi$ gauges implemented on a symmetric lattice with a total volume of (3.25 fm)$^4$ for values of the guage fixing parameter up to $xi=0.5$. As expected, the longitudinal gluon dressing function
stays constant at its tree-level value $xi$. Similar to the Landau gauge, the transverse $R_xi$ gauge gluon propagator saturates at a non-vanishing value in the deep infrared for all values of $xi$ studied. We compare with very recent continuum studies and perform a simple analysis of the found saturation with a dynamically generated effective gluon mass.
We address the interpretation of the Landau gauge gluon propagator at finite temperature as a massive type bosonic propagator. Using pure gauge SU(3) lattice simulations at a fixed lattice volume $sim(6.5fm)^3$, we compute the electric and magnetic f
orm factors, extract a gluon mass from Yukawa-like fits, and study its temperature dependence. This is relevant both for the Debye screening at high temperature $T$ and for confinement at low $T$.
