Mapping the Conformal Window: SU(2) with 4, 6 and 10 flavors of fermions

TL;DR

This study investigates SU(2) gauge theories with 4, 6, and 10 fermion flavors to understand their behavior near the conformal window, revealing QCD-like dynamics at four flavors and fixed point indications at ten flavors.

Contribution

It provides new lattice simulation data on the running coupling for SU(2) with multiple flavors, exploring the boundary of the conformal window.

Findings

Coupling grows with scale at 4 flavors, indicating QCD-like behavior.

Results at 10 flavors suggest a Banks-Zaks fixed point.

Inconclusive results at 6 flavors due to slow running and limited data.

Abstract

We present studies of the SU(2) gauge theory with 4, 6 and 10 fermion flavors. These models are expected to lie on both sides of the edge of the conformal window, where the theory has an infrared fixed point. We observe that the coupling grows with the length scale at four flavors, implying QCD-like behavior. At ten flavors the results are compatible with a Bank-Zaks type fixed point. The results at six flavors remain inconclusive: the running is slow towards the infrared but the range and accuracy of the study are insufficient for determining the existence of a fixed point.