Centre vortex evidence for a second finite-temperature QCD transition

TL;DR

This study provides evidence for a second finite-temperature transition in QCD by analyzing centre vortex structures, indicating deconfinement occurs at approximately twice the chiral transition temperature.

Contribution

It presents the first detailed analysis of centre vortex geometry across multiple temperatures, revealing a second transition related to deconfinement in QCD.

Findings

Vortex percolation persists through the chiral transition.

Vortex percolation ceases at about twice the chiral transition temperature.

Deconfinement transition estimated at approximately 321 MeV.

Abstract

Evidence for the existence of a second finite-temperature transition in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) is obtained through the study of centre vortex geometry and its evolution with temperature. The dynamical anisotropic ensembles of the FASTSUM Collaboration are utilised to conduct a comprehensive analysis at eight temperatures beyond the established chiral transition. Visualisations of the centre vortex structure in temporal and spatial slices of the lattice reveal that vortex percolation persists through the chiral transition and ceases at a temperature that is approximately twice the chiral transition temperature $T_c$. This implies that confinement is retained through temperatures up to $T \approx 2\,T_c$, pointing toward a second transition corresponding to deconfinement. The loss of percolation is quantified by the vortex cluster extent, providing a clear signal for the deconfinement transition. Additional vortex statistics, including temporal correlations, vortex and branching point densities, the number of secondary clusters and vortex chain lengths between branching points, are scrutinised as a function of temperature. All ten measures investigated herein show the characteristics of two transitions in QCD, encompassing the chiral transition at $T_c$ and the deconfinement transition at $T \approx 2\,T_c$. Performing an inflection point analysis on the vortex and branching point densities produces an estimate of $T_c$ that agrees with the known FASTSUM value. By the same procedure, a precise estimate of the deconfinement point is extracted as $T_d = 321(6)\,$MeV.