The spatial string tension and dimensional reduction in QCD

TL;DR

This paper measures the spatial string tension in finite-temperature QCD and compares it with predictions from dimensionally reduced theories, providing insights into the dimensional reduction phenomenon.

Contribution

It presents the first lattice measurements of spatial string tension in 3+1D QCD at finite temperature and compares results with effective theory predictions.

Findings

Spatial string tension increases with temperature.

Good agreement with dimensionally reduced effective theories.

Supports dimensional reduction as a valid approach in finite-temperature QCD.

Abstract

The spatial string tension for 3+1 dimensional QCD at finite temperature is measured. The gauge configurations we re generated with two light and one heavier strange quark on lattices of size $16^3 4$ and $24^3 6$. This spatial string tension is compared with the string tension of the 3 dimensional pure gauge theory together with the temperature dependent 2-loop running coupling. Further comparison is made with predictions from dimensionally reduced effective theories.