Exploring Partially Confined Phases

Understand

Phases of SU(N) gauge theories in which the global Z(N) symmetry breaks spontaneously to a subgroup Z(L) can be realized by adding appropriate Wilson line terms to the gauge action.

• These phases are partially confining, in the sense that quarks are confined but bound states of L quarks are not.
• At temperatures large compared to the normal deconfinement temperature, the phase diagram, pressure, string tensions, and 't Hooft loop surface tensions can be calculated analytically.
• Approximate scaling laws emerge naturally for both string tensions and surface tensions.