Properties of canonical fermion determinants with a fixed quark number

Understand

Using a dimensional reduction formula for the lattice fermion determinant we study canonical determinants on quenched SU(3) gauge configurations.

• The canonical determinants decribe a fixed quark number and we analyze their properties below and above the transition temperature.
• We find that above $T_c$ the signatures of center symmetry breaking are very strongly manifest in the distribution of the canonical determinants in the complex plane, and we discuss possible physical implications of this finding.
• We furthermore analyze the relative weight of the different quark sectors below and above the transition temperature.