Prediction for Maximum Supercooling in SU(N) Confinement Transition

Abstract

The thermal confinement phase transition (PT) in $SU(N)$ Yang-Mills theory is first-order for $N\ge 3$, with bounce action scaling as $N^2$. Remarkably, lattice data for the action include a small coefficient whose presence likely strongly alters the PT dynamics. We give evidence, utilizing insights from softly-broken SUSY YM models, that the small coefficient originates from a deconfined phase instability just below the critical temperature. We predict the maximum achievable supercooling in $SU(N)$ theories to be a few percent, which can be tested on the lattice. We briefly discuss the potentially significant suppression of the associated cosmological gravitational wave signals.

Supplemental material added along with some additional details in the text. Journal accepted version