Anyonic glueballs from an effective-string model

TL;DR

This paper proposes an effective-string model for glueballs in 2+1 dimensional Yang-Mills theory, suggesting the possible existence of anyonic glueballs with arbitrary spin, and shows good agreement with lattice data for scalar states.

Contribution

It introduces a novel effective-string approach that predicts the existence of anyonic glueballs and matches lattice data for scalar glueball masses.

Findings

Mass spectrum agrees with lattice data for scalar glueballs

Predicts masses and spins of anyonic glueball states

Supports the existence of anyonic glueballs in 2+1D Yang-Mills

Abstract

Relying on an effective-string approach in which glueballs --- bound states of pure Yang-Mills theory --- are modelled by closed strings, we give arguments suggesting that anyonic glueballs, \textit{i.e.} glueballs with arbitrary spin, may exist in $(2+1)$-$\,$dimensional Yang-Mills theory. We then focus on the large$\,$-$N_c$ limit of $SU$($N_c$) Yang-Mills theory and show that our model leads to a mass spectrum in good agreement with lattice data in the scalar sector, while it predicts the masses and spins of anyonic glueball states.