Mass Gap without Confinement

Abstract

We revisit a one-parameter family of three-dimensional gauge theories with known supergravity duals. We show that three infrared behaviors are possible. For generic values of the parameter, the theories exhibit a mass gap but no confinement, meaning no linear quark-antiquark potential; for one limiting value of the parameter the theory flows to an infrared fixed point; and for another limiting value it exhibits both a mass gap and confinement. Theories close to these limiting values exhibit quasi-conformal and quasi-confining dynamics, respectively. Eleven-dimensional supergravity provides a simple, geometric explanation of these features.

arXiv comment35 pages, 9 figures

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• Entanglement Entropy and Thermal Phase Transitions from Curvature Singularities
• Monopoles and confinement in three dimensions from holography
• Light dilaton near critical points in top-down holography
• Charge gap in SU(3) Yang-Mills-plus-nonlinear-spinor-field theory