# Dynamics of the Polyakov loops in QCD

## TL;DR

This paper uses a non-perturbative method to calculate how the Polyakov loop varies with temperature in 2+1 flavor QCD, linking it to the temperature-dependent string tension and chiral condensate, and finds good agreement with lattice data.

## Contribution

It introduces a non-perturbative approach to relate Polyakov loop behavior to the temperature-dependent string tension and chiral condensate in QCD.

## Key findings

- Polyakov loop decreases with temperature as predicted.
- Results agree with recent lattice QCD data.
- Heavy-light meson mass decreases with temperature.

## Abstract

A non-perturbative method of Field Correlators is applied to calculate the Polyakov loop dependence on temperature, $L(T)$, in the 2+1 flavor QCD with small quark masses, so the only relevant scale is the color-electric string tension $\sigma(T)$. Polyakov loop in the temperature range 100 MeV $\lesssim T\lesssim$ 400 MeV is expressed via the heavy-light meson mass that decreases with $T$ as $\sqrt{\sigma (T)}$. The latter is deduced from a gradually vanishing chiral condensate. The resulting $L(T)$ is in good agreement with recent lattice data.