Holonomy potential and confinement from a simple model of the gauge topology

TL;DR

This paper models the influence of topological solitons, specifically instanton-dyons, on the holonomy potential in SU(2) gauge theory, shedding light on the confinement phase transition and matching lattice data qualitatively.

Contribution

It introduces a simple model incorporating instanton-dyons and lattice data to explain the confinement transition via the holonomy potential in SU(2) gauge theory.

Findings

The model reproduces the deconfinement temperature accurately.

Predicted screening masses align qualitatively with lattice results.

Provides density predictions for various dyons as a function of temperature.

Abstract

We discuss an ensemble of topological solitons -- instanton-dyons and antidyons - in SU(2) pure gauge theory at finite temperatures above and below the deconfinement phase transition temperature. The main focus is on the combined effect of this ensemble on the so called effective holonomy potential, which drives the confinement/deconfinement phase transition. Using a simple model with excluded volume and lattice data on caloron density we find that repulsive part of the potential is robust enough to induce the phase transition at the right temperature. Model's predictions -- the holonomy potential, electric and magnetic screening masses as a function of T -- are in qualitative agreement with the available lattice data. Further predictions are densities of various dyon types as a function of temperature: while some lattice measurements of them had been made, much more accurate data are needed to test these predictions.