Absence of confinement in the absence of vortices

Abstract

We consider the Wilson loop expectation in SU(2) lattice gauge theory in the presence of constraints. The constraints eliminate from the functional measure gauge field configurations whose physical interpretation is that of thick center vortices linking with the loop. We give a simple proof that, for dimension $d\ge 3$, the so constrained Wilson loop follows perimeter law, i.e. non-confining behavior, at weak coupling (low temperature). Thus the presence of vortex configurations is a necessary condition for confinement.

14 pages, LaTeX file

References in corpus (5)

• Vortices and confinement at weak coupling
• Interaction of confining vortices in SU(2) lattice gauge theory
• Center Vortices and the Asymptotic String Tension
• Z(2) vortices and the string tension in SU(2) gauge theory
• Vortices and the SU(3) string tension

Cited by in corpus (7)

• The Confinement Problem in Lattice Gauge Theory
• Computation of the Vortex Free Energy in SU(2) Gauge Theory
• P-vortices and Drama of Gribov Copies
• P-vortices, nexuses and effects of gauge copies
• Vortices in SO(3)xZ(2) simulations
• Center vortex model for the infrared sector of SU(4) Yang-Mills theory: String tensions and deconfinement transition
• Vortex free energies in SO(3) and SU(2) lattice gauge theory