Thermal Phase Transition in Mixed Action SU(3) Lattice Gauge Theory and Wilson Fermion Thermodynamics

TL;DR

This paper investigates the phase transitions in SU(3) lattice gauge theory with mixed fundamental and adjoint couplings, providing refined transition line estimates and exploring effects of dynamical Wilson fermions.

Contribution

It offers improved estimates of the bulk transition endpoint and detailed analysis of the thermal deconfinement transition lines for various lattice sizes, including effects of fermionic determinants.

Findings

Bulk transition endpoint at (eta_f, eta_a)=(4.00(7), 2.06(8))

Deconfinement lines split from bulk transition for N_t > 4

Deconfinement transition shifts to weaker coupling with increasing N_t

Abstract

We study the thermal phase diagram of pure SU(3) lattice gauge theory with fundamental and adjoint couplings. We improve previous estimates of the position of the bulk transition line and determine the thermal deconfinement transition lines for $N_t=2,4,6,$ and 8. The endpoint of the bulk transition line $(\beta_f, \beta_a)=(4.00(7), 2.06(8))$ improves upon earlier estimates obtained using smaller lattice sizes. For $N_t > 4$ the deconfinement transition line splits cleanly away from the bulk transition line. With increasing $N_t$ the thermal deconfinement transition lines shift to increasingly weaker coupling, joining onto the bulk transition line at increasingly larger $\beta_a$ in a pattern consistent with the usual universality picture of lattice gauge theories. We also discuss the possible consequences of an induced adjoint term from the fermionic determinant and determine this induced term numerically with a microcanonical demon method for two flavors of dynamical Wilson fermions.