Symmetry, Confinement, and the Higgs Phase

TL;DR

This paper distinguishes the Higgs and confinement phases in gauge Higgs theories by analyzing the realization of the global center subgroup and the nature of confinement, introducing a new concept called 'separation-of-charge' confinement.

Contribution

It provides a novel characterization of Higgs and confinement phases based on global symmetry realization and confinement types, including the new 'separation-of-charge' confinement concept.

Findings

Higgs phase exhibits broken global center symmetry.

Confinement phase exhibits 'separation-of-charge' confinement.

Different confinement properties characterize the two phases.

Abstract

We show that the Higgs and confinement phases of a gauge Higgs theory, with the Higgs field in the fundamental representation of the gauge group, are distinguished both by a broken or unbroken realization of the global center subgroup of the gauge group, and by the type of confinement in each phase. This is color confinement in the Higgs phase, and a stronger property, which we call "separation-of-charge" confinement, in the confining phase.