Q-ball formation at the deconfinement temperature in large-$N_c$ QCD

TL;DR

This paper investigates the formation of Q-balls, non-topological solitons, at the deconfinement temperature in large-$N_c$ QCD using an effective Polyakov-loop model, revealing their properties and potential physical interpretations.

Contribution

It introduces the existence and numerical construction of Q-balls in the deconfinement transition of large-$N_c$ QCD, highlighting their physical characteristics and significance.

Findings

Q-balls exist at the deconfinement temperature.

Numerical solutions for spherical and axial Q-balls are obtained.

Q-balls can be interpreted as spinning bubbles of deconfined matter.

Abstract

The deconfinement phase transition in large-$N_c$ QCD is studied within the framework of an effective Polyakov-loop model, where the potential has a U(1) symmetry originating in the large-$N_c$ limit of a Z$_{N_c}$-symmetric model. At the critical temperature, the shape of the effective potential allows the existence of Q-balls as position-dependent fluctuations of the Polyakov loop. Q-balls with spherical or axial symmetry are numerically obtained from the equations of motion of the effective model under consideration. The physical properties of these non-topological solitons (mass, charge and size) are discussed, as well as their interpretation in terms of spinning "bubbles", with various shapes, of deconfined matter surrounded by a confined environment.