Topology across the finite temperature transition studied by overimproved cooling in gluodynamics and QCD

TL;DR

This study investigates the behavior of topological configurations in gluodynamics and QCD at finite temperature using overimproved cooling, revealing how topological susceptibility changes across the thermal transition.

Contribution

It applies overimproved cooling to analyze topological structures at finite temperature, providing new insights into caloron stability and topological susceptibility behavior.

Findings

Topological susceptibility drops sharply at the deconfinement temperature in gluodynamics.

In full QCD, susceptibility decreases smoothly above the pseudocritical temperature.

Results align with other methods, supporting caloron stability interpretations.

Abstract

Gluodynamics and two-flavor QCD at non-zero temperature are studied with the so-called overimproved cooling technique under which caloron solutions may remain stable. We consider topological configurations either at the first occuring stable plateau of topological charge or at the first (anti)selfdual plateau and find the corresponding topological susceptibility at various temperatures on both sides of the thermal transition or crossover. In pure gluodynamics the topological susceptibility drops sharply at the deconfinement temperature while in full QCD it decreases smoothly at temperatures above the pseudocritical one. The results are close to those calculated by other methods. We interpret our findings in terms of the (in)stability of calorons with non-trivial holonomy and their dyon constituents against overimproved cooling.