Exploring confinement in SU(N) gauge theories with double-trace Polyakov loop deformations

TL;DR

This paper investigates how double-trace Polyakov loop deformations influence confinement in SU(N) gauge theories, revealing phase transitions and monopole behavior changes that relate to topological excitations and string tension scaling.

Contribution

It provides a novel analysis of confinement phases using lattice models and resurgence theory, highlighting the role of monopoles and Polyakov loop deformations in SU(N) gauge theories.

Findings

Polyakov loop deformations induce different confined phases.

Monopole constituents of calorons change behavior across phases.

SU(N) gauge theory may be near a symmetric point with Casimir scaling.

Abstract

Recent results applying resurgence theory to finite-temperature field theories yield a detailed analytic structure determined by topological excitations. We examine finite-temperature SU(N) lattice gauge theories in light of these results. Double-trace Polyakov loop deformations move through different regions of the confined phase characterized by continuous change in the adjoint Polyakov loop. Lattice models show how the behavior of monopole constituents of calorons can change in the different confining regions. We conjecture that the pure SU(N) gauge theory is close to a special symmetric point where monopole effects give rise to Casimir string-tension scaling.