Large center vortices and confinement in 3D Z(2) gauge theory

TL;DR

This paper investigates how large center vortex clusters influence confinement in 3D Z(2) gauge theory, demonstrating that removing the largest cluster destroys confinement, while isolating it preserves a reduced string tension and quantum flux tube effects.

Contribution

It introduces a method to analyze the specific role of large vortex clusters in confinement by selectively removing or isolating them in Monte Carlo configurations.

Findings

Removing the largest vortex cluster destroys confinement.

Isolating the largest cluster retains confinement with reduced string tension.

Quantum flux tube fluctuations are preserved despite modifications.

Abstract

We study the role of large clusters of center vortices in producing confinement in 3D Z(2) gauge theory. First, we modify each configuration of a Monte Carlo-generated ensemble in the confined phase by removing the largest cluster of center vortices, and show that the ensemble thus obtained does not confine. Conversely, we show that removing all of the small clusters of center vortices and leaving the largest one only, confinement is preserved, albeit with a string tension significantly smaller than the original one. Remarkably, also the string corrections due to the quantum fluctuations of the confining flux tube are preserved by this transformation.