Cooling, Monopoles, and Vortices in SU(2) Lattice Gauge Theory

TL;DR

This paper investigates monopoles and vortices in SU(2) lattice gauge theory, analyzing their contributions to string tension and the effects of cooling and blocking procedures on these topological objects.

Contribution

It provides new insights into how monopoles and P-vortices relate to the string tension in SU(2) gauge theory, especially under cooling and blocking.

Findings

Monopoles in the maximum Abelian gauge yield a string tension consistent with full SU(2).

P-vortices produce larger-than-expected string tensions, which decrease after cooling.

Cooling reduces monopole and vortex string tensions by about 30%, but the U(1) string tension remains consistent.

Abstract

We study monopoles and vortices in SU(2) lattice gauge theory on a 24**4 lattice at beta=2.50. We find a value of fundamental string tension from monopoles in the maximum Abelian gauge consistent with the full SU(2) value. Using direct and indirect center gauges, we find fundamental string tension values from P-vortices which are larger than the full SU(2) result. After a single cooling sweep, the string tensions from monopoles and P-vortices are all 30% lower than the full SU(2) value, while the U(1) string tension in the maximum Abelian gauge remains consistent with the full SU(2) result. Blocking the lattice after cooling does not restore the low values of string tension found with monopoles and vortices.