Center Dominance in SU(2) Gauge-Higgs Theory

TL;DR

This paper investigates the role of center vortices in SU(2) gauge-Higgs theory, demonstrating their percolation properties and the existence of a Kertesz-line that separates different phases without affecting free energy analyticity.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the vortex content and phase structure of SU(2) gauge-Higgs systems, including the identification of a Kertesz-line related to vortex percolation.

Findings

Center projected Polyakov lines are finite at low temperature, indicating color screening.

A Kertesz-line separates confinement-like and Higgs regions in the phase diagram.

The free energy remains analytic across the Kertesz-line.

Abstract

We study the SU(2) gauge-Higgs system in D=4 dimensions, and analyze the influence of the fundamental-representation Higgs field on the vortex content of the gauge field. It is shown that center projected Polyakov lines, at low temperature, are finite in the infinite volume limit, which means that the center vortex distribution is consistent with color screening. In addition we confirm and further investigate the presence of a "Kertesz-line" in the strong-coupling region of the phase diagram, which we relate to the percolation properties of center vortices. It is shown that this Kertesz-line separates the gauge-Higgs phase diagram into two regions: a confinement-like region, in which center vortices percolate, and a Higgs region, in which they do not. The free energy of the gauge-Higgs system, however, is analytic across the Kertesz line.