Funny business from the large $N_c$ finite temperature crossover

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the deconfinement transition temperature in SU(N_c) gauge theories varies with the number of colors N_c at fixed fermion mass, using lattice simulations to resolve competing theories.

Contribution

The paper provides a lattice-based analysis of the deconfinement transition temperature's dependence on N_c at fixed fermion mass, clarifying which theoretical scenario is supported by simulations.

Findings

Transition temperature behavior depends on N_c at fixed fermion mass.

Lattice simulations favor a specific theoretical scenario.

Results contribute to understanding QCD phase transitions.

Abstract

It is well known that the deconfinement transition temperature for $SU(N_c)$ gauge theory is almost independent of $N_c$, and the transition is first order for $N_c \ge 3$. In the real world ($N_c=3$, light quarks) it is a crossover located far away from the pure gauge value. What happens to the transition temperature at fixed fermion mass if the number of fermion flavors is held constant ($N_f=2$) and $N_c$ is varied? There are multiple plausible stories, only one of which appears to be true when the systems are simulated on the lattice. I describe the physics issues which surround the question and my lattice - based answer to it.