# Landau-Ginsberg Theory of Quark Confinement

## 1 Theory

We take the free energy density $`f`$ of the gluon plasma to be a function of the temperature $`T`$and the fundamental representation Polyakov loop $`P`$. The theory also depends on a renormalization group invariant scale-setting parameter $`\mathrm{\Lambda }`$. Perturbation theory gives a free energy $`f`$ of the form $`T^4f_4(P,g(T/\mathrm{\Lambda }))`$. Perturbation theory does not describe $`f`$ near the deconfining transition, but is probably adequate for $`T`$ much greater than the deconfinement temperature $`T_d`$. Subleading terms, of the form $`T^{4r}\mathrm{\Lambda }^rf_r(P,g(T/\mathrm{\Lambda }))`$ , are likely needed to describe the deconfining transition. Such terms are inherently non-perturbative, due to the appearance of the factor $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^r`$. It is easy to show that $`\mathrm{\Delta }\epsilon 3p`$is given by

$$\mathrm{\Delta }=\left[4T_T\right]f$$

and therefore contains information about the subleading terms. Note that $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$ is also directly related to the finite temperature contribution to the stress-energy tensor anomaly, which depends in a non-trivial way on the Polyakov loop.

Given the close connection between $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$ and the subleading terms in $`f`$ which drive the deconfinement transition, it is natural to examine the behavior of $`\mathrm{\Delta }(T)`$ near $`T_d`$ as measured in simulations. Using the data of Boyd et al for $`SU(3)`$lattice gauge theory, we find that $`\mathrm{\Delta }(T)T^2`$ over a large range of temperatures above $`T_d`$. This suggests that a term in $`f`$ proportional to $`T^2`$ plays an important role in the deconfinement transition. It is also necessary to have a term proportional to $`T^0`$ (independent of $`T`$), so that there is a non-zero free energy density difference between confined and deconfined phases at very low temperatures. Thus we conjecture the simple form for the free energy

$$f(T,P)=T^4f_4(P)+T^2\mathrm{\Lambda }^2f_2(P)+\mathrm{\Lambda }^4f_0(P)$$

where $`f_0`$ must favor the confined phase to yield confinement at arbitrarily low temperatures.

We look at the one loop perturbative result for guidance on the possible forms for $`f_r`$. We define the eigenvalues $`q_j`$ by diagonalizing the fundamental representation Polyakov loop $`P`$: $`P_{jk}=exp\left[i\pi q_j\right]\delta _{jk}`$. The free energy for gluons in a constant $`A_0`$ background is :

$`f_g(q)`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \frac{2}{\beta }}Tr_A{\displaystyle \frac{d^3k}{(2\pi )^3}\mathrm{ln}\left[1e^{\beta \omega _k}P\right]}`$   
$`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \frac{2}{\beta }}Tr_A{\displaystyle \frac{d^3k}{(2\pi )^3}\underset{n=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{1}{n}e^{n\beta \omega _k}P^n}`$   
$`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \frac{2\pi ^2T^4}{3}}{\displaystyle \underset{j,k=1}{\overset{N}{}}}(1{\displaystyle \frac{1}{N}}\delta _{jk})B_4\left({\displaystyle \frac{\left|\mathrm{\Delta }q_{jk}\right|_2}{2}}\right)`$   
where $`\left|\mathrm{\Delta }q_{jk}\right|_2\left(q_jq_k\right)mod(2)`$ and $`B_4`$ is the fourth Bernoulli polynomial, given by $`B_4(x)=x^42x^3+x^2\frac{1}{30}`$. The free energy is a sum of terms, each of which represents field configurations in which a net number of $`n`$ gluons go around space-time in the Euclidean time direction.

## 2 Simple Model

In imitation of perturbation theory, we use the Bernoulli polynomial to construct $`f_0`$, $`f_2`$ and $`f_4`$ as polynomials in the $`q`$variables with the appropriate symmetries. There are two inequivalent directions in the Cartan subalgebra of $`SU(3)`$, $`\lambda _3`$ and $`\lambda _8`$. Confinement is achieved by motion in the $`\lambda _3`$ direction away from $`A_0=0`$. Defining $`P_F=Tr_F(P)`$, we parametrize motion along the line $`ImP_F=0`$ by

$$P_F(\psi )=1+2\mathrm{cos}\left[2\pi \left(1\psi \right)/3\right]$$

with $`\psi =0`$ giving $`P_F=0`$, and $`\psi =1`$ corresponding to $`A_0=0`$ and $`P_F=3`$. We take the free energy density to have the form

$$f(\psi ,T)=aT^4\left(\psi ^4\frac{2}{3}\psi ^3+\psi ^2\right)+\left(b+cT^2\right)\psi ^2$$

where $`a=4\pi ^2/15`$; $`b`$ and $`c`$ fix the critical properties. This potential can be extended to the entire Lie algebra, and contains all required symmetries. For low temperatures, the $`b\psi ^2`$ term dominates. If $`b>0`$, the system will be confined. The parameter $`b`$can be interpreted as the free energy difference at $`T=0`$ between the $`\psi =0`$ confined phase and the fully deconfined $`\psi =1`$ phase.

## 3 Results

The above potential has built in the correct low and high temperature behavior, and has two free parameters, $`b`$and $`c`$. We can use one of these to set the overall scale by fixing the deconfinement temperature. To determine the remaining parameter, we fit the lattice data for $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$ at $`N_t=8`$, which is well measured and a good approximation to the continuum limit. With $`T_d=0.272GeV`$, we obtain $`b^{1/4}=0.356GeV`$ and $`c^{1/2}=0.313GeV`$. The results of our fitting procedure are shown in figures 1, 2 and 3 for $`\mathrm{\Delta }`$, $`p`$ and $`\epsilon `$. The agreement is good throughout the range $`T_d4T_d`$. The discrepancy in the high-temperature behavior of $`p`$ and $`\epsilon `$ is probably accounted for by HTL-improved perturbation theory.

## 4 Extended Model

The physical origin of the parameters $`b`$and $`c`$ above is obscure. Since the trace of the stress-energy tensor $`\theta _\mu ^\mu `$couples to the scalar glueball, we introduce a scalar glueball field $`\varphi `$ as the source of scale symmetry breaking in an extended model. For $`SU(3)`$, our extended model is

$`f`$ $`=`$ $`aT^4\left(\psi ^4{\displaystyle \frac{2}{3}}+\psi ^2\right)+\left(\alpha \varphi ^4+\beta \varphi ^2T^2\right)\psi ^2`$   
$`+\lambda \varphi ^4\mathrm{log}\left({\displaystyle \frac{\varphi ^2}{e^{1/2}\mu ^2}}\right).`$   
Spontaneous symmetry breaking of $`\varphi `$ via a Coleman-Weinberg potential introduces the scale $`\mu `$. If we make the identification $`\varphi ^4Tr\left(F_{\mu \nu }^2\right)`$, the $`T=0`$ potential for $`\varphi `$ can be derived in a variety of ways: 1) renormalization group ; 2) explicit calculation for constant fields; 3) stress-energy tensor anomaly ; 4) stress-energy sum rules . The values of $`\lambda `$ and $`\mu `$ can be determined from the values of the gluon condensate and the glueball mass. The $`T=0`$ condensate from the Coleman-Weinberg potential is given by $`2\lambda \varphi ^42\lambda \mu ^4`$and the glueball mass is given by $`M_s^2=8\lambda \mu ^2`$. A similar glueball potential has been used to model the chiral transition . A coupling between $`\varphi `$ and $`P`$ can be inferred from perturbation theory  ; similar couplings to the chiral order parameter exist  .

We have found values for the parameters $`\alpha `$, $`\beta `$, $`\lambda `$and $`\mu `$which mimic the behavior of our simpler model near $`T_d`$. Our extended model has a potentially fatal problem associated with the restoration of scale symmetry. For plausible values of the gluon condensate and glueball mass, restoration of scale symmetry at $`T_d`$ leads to a single abrupt phase transition incompatible with lattice data. The alternative, with unrealistic values, is restoration above $`T_d`$ via a first order transition, which would be observable in lattice data. This argues against any simple role of the glueball in the thermodynamics of the gluon plasma.