The conformal anomaly of k-strings

TL;DR

This paper derives a universal relation for the conformal anomaly of k-strings in confining gauge theories, linking it to string tensions, and verifies it through a 3D Z_4 gauge model simulation.

Contribution

It establishes a general formula for the conformal anomaly of k-strings in any gauge theory with stable k-strings, connecting infrared dynamics to conformal field theory.

Findings

Derived the relation c=(d-2)T_k/T_1 for k-string conformal anomaly

Validated the theoretical prediction in a 3D Z_4 gauge model

Identified string effects consistent with the conformal anomaly

Abstract

Simple scaling properties of correlation functions of a confining gauge theory in d-dimensions lead to the conclusion that k-string dynamics is described, in the infrared limit, by a two-dimensional conformal field theory with conformal anomaly c=(d-2)T_k/T_1, where T_k is the k-string tension. This result applies to any gauge theory with stable k-strings. We check it in a 3D Z_4 gauge model at finite temperature, where a string effect directly related to c can be clearly identified.