The QCD string tension curve, the ferromagnetic magnetization, and the quark-antiquark confining potential at finite Temperature

TL;DR

This paper investigates the temperature dependence of the QCD string tension using lattice QCD data, comparing it with ferromagnetic magnetization and other models to understand confinement and phase transitions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel comparison between QCD string tension and ferromagnetic magnetization curves, integrating finite temperature effects into confining quark models.

Findings

The string tension decreases with temperature, following a curve similar to ferromagnetic magnetization.

The best fit to lattice data is achieved with the spontaneous magnetization curve.

Finite temperature effects can be incorporated into confining quark models using this analogy.

Abstract

We study the string tension as a function of temperature, fitting the SU(3) lattice QCD finite temperature free energy potentials computed by the Bielefeld group. We compare the string tension points with order parameter curves of ferromagnets, superconductors or string models, all related to confinement. We also compare the SU(3) string tension with the one of SU(2) Lattice QCD. With the curve providing the best fit to the finite temperature string tensions, the spontaneous magnetization curve, we then show how to include finite temperature, in the state of the art confining and chiral invariant quark models.