Critical Behaviour in the Single Flavor Thirring Model in 2+1d

TL;DR

This study uses lattice simulations with domain wall fermions to investigate the critical behavior and phase transition in the 2+1 dimensional single-flavor Thirring model, providing estimates of critical parameters and symmetry-breaking phenomena.

Contribution

It introduces a lattice formulation with domain wall fermions for the Thirring model, estimates critical exponents, and explores symmetry restoration and phase transition characteristics.

Findings

Existence of a symmetry-breaking transition confirmed.

Critical number of flavors N_c > 1 established.

Exponential localization of the DOL operator demonstrated.

Abstract

Results of a lattice field theory simulation of the single-flavor Thirring model in 2+1 spacetime dimensions are presented. The lattice model is formulated using domain wall fermions as a means to recover the correct U(2) symmetries of the continuum model in the limit where wall separation $L_s\to\infty$. Simulations on $12^3, 16^3\times L_s$, varying self-interaction strength $g^2$ and bare mass $m$ are performed with $L_s = 8, \ldots 48$, and the results for the bilinear condensate $\langle\bar\psi\psi\rangle$ fitted to a model equation of state assuming a U(2)$\to$U(1)$\otimes$U(1) symmetry-breaking phase transition at a critical $g_c^2$. First estimates for $g^{-2}a$ and critical exponents are presented, showing small but significant departures from mean-field values. The results confirm that a symmetry-breaking transition does exist and therefore the critical number of flavors for the Thirring model $N_c > 1$. Results for both condensate and associated susceptibility are also obtained in the broken phase on $16^3\times48$, suggesting that here the $L_s\to\infty$ extrapolation is not yet under control. We also present results obtained with the associated 2+1$d$ truncated overlap operator DOL demonstrating exponential localisation, a necessary condition for the recovery of U(2) global symmetry, but that recovery of the Ginsparg-Wilson condition as $L_s\to\infty$ is extremely slow in the broken phase.