Topological charge density around static colour sources in lattice QCD with dynamical quarks

TL;DR

This study investigates topological structures around static quarks in lattice QCD with dynamical quarks, revealing flux tubes, flux-tube breaking, and correlations in the confinement phase, while topological triviality dominates in the deconfinement phase.

Contribution

First numerical analysis of topological charge density around static sources in lattice QCD including dynamical quarks, extending previous pure gauge studies.

Findings

Evidence of flux tubes between static quark-antiquark pairs in confinement phase.

Observation of flux-tube breaking at large separations.

Most configurations are topologically trivial in the deconfinement phase.

Abstract

We update our numerical investigation of topological structures around static quarks in pure gauge QCD by results of the first runs including dynamical quarks. Simulations were performed on an $8^3\times4$ lattice, with $SU(3)$ Wilson action, with 3 flavours of quarks of equal mass, both in the confinement and deconfinement phase. In the confinement phase we observe indications for the existence of a flux tube between a static quark and antiquark, flux-tube breaking for large separations, and local correlation between the topological charge density and chiral condensate. In the deconfinement phase almost all configurations turn out to be topologically trivial.