On the spectrum and string tension of U(1) lattice gauge theory in 2 + 1 dimensions

• Main Authors: Andreas Athenodorou, Michael Teper
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SpringerOpen 2019-01-01
• Series: Journal of High Energy Physics
• Subjects: Lattice Quantum Field Theory; Nonperturbative Effects; Confinement; Field Theories in Lower Dimensions
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/JHEP01(2019)063

Abstract We calculate the low-lying spectra of glueballs and confining flux tubes in the U(1) lattice gauge theory in 2 + 1 dimensions. We see that up to modest lattice spacing corrections, the glueball states are consistent with being multiparticle states composed of non-interacting massive J PC = 0− − particles. We observe that the ag 2 → 0 limit is, as expected, unconventional, and follows the well-known saddle-point analysis of Polyakov to a good approximation. The spectrum of closed (winding) flux tubes exhibits the presence of a massive world-sheet excitation whose mass is consistent with that of the bulk screening mass. These U(1) calculations are intended to complement existing lattice calculations of the properties of SU(N ≥ 2) and SO(N ≥ 3) gauge theories in D = 2 + 1.