String effects in Polyakov loop correlators

TL;DR

This paper compares effective string theory predictions with Monte Carlo data for the 3D Z(2) gauge theory, showing that string interactions become more significant near deconfinement and are well described by a Nambu-Goto string model.

Contribution

It demonstrates the relevance of string interaction effects at finite temperature and validates the Nambu-Goto string action as an effective description.

Findings

String interactions grow stronger near deconfinement.

Nambu-Goto string model accurately describes the data.

Effective string theory matches high-precision Monte Carlo results.

Abstract

We compare the predictions of the effective string description of confinement in finite temperature gauge theories to high precision Monte Carlo data for the three-dimensional Z(2) gauge theory. We show that string interaction effects become more relevant as the temperature is increased towards the deconfinement one, and are well modeled by a Nambu-Goto string action.