Magnetic charge superselection in the deconfined phase of Yang-Mills theory

TL;DR

This study numerically investigates magnetic charge in SU(2) and SU(3) gauge theories above the deconfinement temperature, demonstrating that magnetic charge remains superselected in the high-temperature phase.

Contribution

It provides the first numerical evidence that magnetic charge is superselected in the deconfined phase of quenched QCD, clarifying its role in the phase structure.

Findings

Magnetic charge expectation value is zero for T > T_c in the thermodynamic limit.

Magnetic charge is superselected in the deconfined phase.

Results are consistent across SU(2) and SU(3) gauge theories.

Abstract

The vacuum expectation value of an operator carrying magnetic charge is studied numerically for temperatures above the deconfinement temperature in SU(2) and SU(3) gauge theory. By analyzing its finite size behaviour, this is found to be exactly zero in the thermodynamical limit for any T > T_c whenever the magnetic charge of the operator is different from zero. These results show that magnetic charge is superselected in the hot phase of quenched QCD.