Thermal precondensation in gauge-fermion theories

TL;DR

This paper investigates the phenomenon of precondensation in gauge-fermion theories near the thermal chiral phase transition, revealing its dependence on fermion flavors and discussing its broader implications across physics.

Contribution

It demonstrates the occurrence of precondensation in gauge-fermion theories and analyzes how it varies with the number of fermion flavors, linking it to broader fermionic systems.

Findings

Precondensation occurs near the thermal chiral phase transition.

The precondensation regime widens with increasing fermion flavors.

The phenomenon is relevant across various fermionic systems, from condensed matter to high-energy physics.

Abstract

Precondensation is a peculiar phenomenon in phase transitions, characterised by the occurrence of a condensate only over a finite range of length scales. It is closely connected to the emergence of domains, pseudo-gapped phases and spatial inhomogeneities in equilibrium. In this work, we show its occurrence in gauge-fermion theories in the chiral limit, close to the thermal chiral phase transition. We further show that the precondensation regime becomes increasingly pronounced and extends over a wider temperature range as the number of fermion flavours is increased. We analyse the underlying dynamics which is shared by a broad class of fermionic systems, ranging from condensed matter to high-energy physics. Specifically, we discuss the potential relevance of this phenomenon for physics beyond the Standard Model.