Chiral symmetry restoration and the Z3 sectors of QCD

TL;DR

This paper investigates the relationship between chiral symmetry restoration and Z3 sectors in quenched SU(3) lattice gauge theory, finding that the spectral gap indicating chiral symmetry restoration opens simultaneously across all sectors.

Contribution

It demonstrates that the chiral symmetry restoration occurs at the same temperature in all Z3 sectors, challenging previous claims of sector-dependent transition temperatures.

Findings

Chiral symmetry restoration coincides across Z3 sectors.

Spectral gap opens at the same critical temperature in all sectors.

Contradicts earlier literature suggesting sector-dependent transitions.

Abstract

Quenched SU(3) lattice gauge theory shows three phase transitions, namely the chiral, the deconfinement and the Z3 phase transition. Knowing whether or not the chiral and the deconfinement phase transition occur at the same temperature for all Z3 sectors could be crucial to understand the underlying microscopic dynamics. We use the existence of a gap in the Dirac spectrum as an order parameter for the restoration of chiral symmetry. We find that the spectral gap opens up at the same critical temperature in all Z3 sectors in contrast to earlier claims in the literature.