Deconfinement transition and monopoles in $T\neq0$ $SU(2)$ QCD

TL;DR

This paper investigates the role of monopoles in the deconfinement transition of finite-temperature SU(2) QCD, showing how monopole loop behavior correlates with phase change and critical temperature.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of monopole loops in the maximally abelian gauge and links their behavior to the deconfinement transition in SU(2) QCD.

Findings

Long monopole loops exist near the critical temperature in the confinement phase.

Long monopole loops disappear in the deep deconfinement region.

Energy-entropy balance of monopole loops explains the transition and estimates the critical temperature.

Abstract

The role of monopoles in the deconfinement transition is discussed in the framework of abelian projection in the maximally abelian gauge in $T\neq0$ $SU(2)$ QCD. Only one (or a few near $\beta_c$) long connected monopole loop exists uniformly through the whole lattice in each vacuum configuration in addition to some very short loops in the confinement phase and the long loop disappears in the deep deconfinement region. Energy-entropy balance of the long loops of maximally extended monopoles explains the existence of the deconfinement transition and reproduces roughly the value of the critical temperature.