M. Engelhardt

Deconfinement in SU(2) Yang-Mills theory as a center vortex percolation transition

By fixing lattice Yang-Mills configurations to the maximal center gauge and subsequently applying the technique of center projection, one can identify center vortices in these configurations. Recently, center vortices have been shown to determine the string tension between static quarks at finite temperatures (center dominance); also, they correctly reproduce the deconfining transition to a phase with vanishing string tension. After verifying center dominance also for the so-called spatial string tension, the present analysis focuses on the global topology of vortex networks. General arguments are given supporting the notion that the deconfinement transition in the center vortex picture takes the guise of a percolation transition. This transition is detected in Monte Carlo experiments by concentrating on various slices through the closed vortex surfaces; these slices, representing loops in lattice universes reduced by one dimension, clearly exhibit the expected transition from a percolating to a non-percolating, deconfined, phase. The latter phase contains a large proportion of vortex loops winding around the lattice in the Euclidean time direction. At the same time, an intuitive picture clarifying the persistence of the spatial string tension in the deconfined phase emerges.

Center projection vortices in continuum Yang–Mills theory

Abstract The maximal center gauge, combined with center projection, is a means to associate Yang–Mills lattice gauge configurations with closed center vortex world-surfaces. This technique allows to study center vortex physics in lattice gauge experiments. In the present work, the continuum analogue of the maximal center gauge is constructed. This sheds new light on the meaning of the procedure on the lattice and leads to a sketch of an effective vortex theory in the continuum. Furthermore, the manner in which center vortex configurations generate the Pontryagin index is investigated. The Pontryagin index is built up from self-intersections of the vortex world-surfaces, where it is crucial that the surfaces be globally non-oriented.

Center vortices of Yang-Mills theory at finite temperatures

Abstract Recent lattice calculations performed at zero temperature and in the maximal center gauge indicate that quark confinement can be understood in this gauge as due to fluctuations in the number of magnetic vortices piercing a given Wilson loop. This development has led to a revival of the vortex condensation theory of confinement. For a SU(2) gauge group, we show that also at finite temperatures, center vortices are the relevant collective infrared degrees of freedom determining the long-range static quark potential; in particular, their dynamics reflect the transition to the deconfining phase.Recent lattice calculations performed at zero temperature and in the maximal center gauge indicate that quark confinement can be understood in this gauge as due to fluctuations in the number of magnetic vortices piercing a given Wilson loop. This development has led to a revival of the vortex condensation theory of confinement. For a SU(2) gauge group, we show that also at finite temperatures, center vortices are the relevant collective infrared degrees of freedom determining the long-range static quark potential; in particular, their dynamics reflect the transition to the deconfining phase.

Center vortex model for the infrared sector of Yang–Mills theory — confinement and deconfinement

A model for the infrared sector of Yang-Mills theory based on magnetic vortices represented by (closed) random surfaces is investigated using lattice Monte Carlo methods. The random surfaces are governed by a surface area action and a curvature action. The model generates a finite-temperature deconfinement transition; the coupling constants of the model can be chosen such as to reproduce the SU(2) Yang-Mills ratio of the deconfinement temperature to the square root of the zero-temperature string tension, T_c / sqrt{sigma_0} =0.69. This yields a physical trajectory in the space of coupling constants on which the confinement properties are approximately invariant. An at first sight surprisingly accurate prediction of the spatial string tension in the deconfined phase results, which can be made plausible in view of the specific space-time structure of the vortex configurations in this phase. The confinement properties are shown to be intimately tied to the percolation properties of the vortex surfaces.

Center vortex model for the infrared sector of Yang-Mills theory: Topological susceptibility

Abstract A definition of the Pontryagin index for SU(2) center vortex world-surfaces composed of plaquettes on a hypercubic lattice is constructed. It is used to evaluate the topological susceptibility in a previously defined random surface model for vortices, the parameters of which have been fixed such as to reproduce the confinement properties of SU(2) Yang–Mills theory. A prediction for the topological susceptibility is obtained which is compatible with measurements of this quantity in lattice Yang–Mills theory.

Center vortex model for the infrared sector of Yang–Mills theory—quenched Dirac spectrum and chiral condensate

The Dirac operator describing the coupling of continuum quark fields to SU(2) center vortex world-surfaces composed of elementary squares on a hypercubic lattice is constructed. It is used to evaluate the quenched Dirac spectral density in the random vortex world-surface model, which previously has been shown to quantitatively reproduce both the confinement properties and the topological susceptibility of SU(2) Yang–Mills theory. Under certain conditions on the modeling of the vortex gauge field, a behavior of the quenched chiral condensate as a function of temperature is obtained which is consistent with measurements in SU(2) lattice Yang–Mills theory.

Interaction of confining vortices in SU(2) lattice gauge theory

Abstract Center projection of SU(2) lattice gauge theory allows to isolate magnetic vortices as confining configurations. The vortex density scales according to the renormalization group, implying that the vortices are physical objects rather than lattice artefacts. Here, the binary correlations between points at which vortices pierce a given plane are investigated. We find an attractive interaction between the vortices. The correlations show the correct scaling behavior and are therefore physical. The range of the interaction is found to be (0.4±0.2) fm, which should be compared with the average planar vortex density of approximately 2 vortices/fm2. We comment on the implications of these results for recent discussions of the Casimir scaling behavior of higher dimensional representation Wilson loops in the vortex confinement picture.

Topological susceptibility of Yang-Mills center projection vortices

The topological susceptibility induced by center projection vortices extracted from SU(2) lattice Yang-Mills configurations via the maximal center gauge is measured. Two different smoothing procedures, designed to eliminate spurious ultraviolet fluctuations of these vortices before evaluating the topological charge, are explored. They result in consistent estimates of the topological susceptibility carried by the physical thick vortices characterizing the Yang-Mills vacuum in the vortex picture. This susceptibility is comparable to the one obtained from the full lattice Yang-Mills configurations. The topological properties of the SU(2) Yang-Mills vacuum can thus be accounted for in terms of its vortex content.

Energy density of vortices in the Schrödinger picture

The one-loop energy density of an infinitely thin static magnetic vortex in SU(2) Yang-Mills theory is evaluated using the Schroedinger picture. Both the gluonic fluctuations as well as the quarks in the vortex background are included. The energy density of the magnetic vortex is discussed as a function of the magnetic flux. The center vortices correspond to local minima in the effective potential. These minima are degenerated with the perturbative vacuum if the fermions are ignored. Inclusion of fermions lifts this degeneracy, raising the vortex energy above the energy of the perturbative vacuum.

Writhe of center vortices and topological charge: An explicit example

The manner in which continuum center vortices generate topological charge density is elucidated using an explicit example. The example vortex world-surface contains one lone self-intersection point, which contributes a quantum 1/2 to the topological charge. On the other hand, the surface in question is orientable and thus must carry global topological charge zero due to general arguments. Therefore, there must be another contribution, coming from vortex writhe. The latter is known for the lattice analogue of the example vortex considered, where it is quite intuitive. For the vortex in the continuum, including the limit of an infinitely thin vortex, a careful analysis is performed and it is shown how the contribution to the topological charge induced by writhe is distributed over the vortex surface.