Phase structure of SU(3) gauge theory with two flavors of symmetric-representation fermions

Abstract

We have performed numerical simulations of SU(3) gauge theory coupled to Nf=2 flavors of symmetric representation fermions. The fermions are discretized with the tadpole-improved clover action. Our simulations are done on lattices of length L=6, 8, and 12. In all simulation volumes we observe a crossover from a strongly coupled confined phase to a weak coupling deconfined phase. Degeneracies in screening masses, plus the behavior of the pseudoscalar decay constant, indicate that the deconfined phase is also a phase in which chiral symmetry is restored. The movement of the confinement transition as the volume is changed is consistent with avoidance of the basin of attraction of an infrared fixed point of the massless theory.

12 pages, 11 figures

References in corpus (3)

• Unparticle Physics
• Zero of the discrete beta function in SU(3) lattice gauge theory with color sextet fermions
• The physics of eight flavours

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