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Published on: March 31, 2022
Holographic phase transitions with fundamental matter
David Mateos1, Robert C Myers, Rowan M Thomson
1Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-9530, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|October 10, 2006
Summary
A phase transition in holographic gauge theories causes a shift from discrete, gapped meson spectra to continuous, gapless ones. This transition is confirmed as first-order at high energies and large numbers of colors.
Area of Science:
- Theoretical Physics
- High Energy Physics
- String Theory
- Quantum Field Theory
Background:
- Holographic duality relates gauge theories to gravitational systems.
- Finite-temperature gauge theories exhibit phase transitions.
- D-brane probes in black hole backgrounds model these transitions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the nature of the phase transition in holographic gauge theories.
- To analyze the meson spectrum changes across the transition.
- To determine the order of the phase transition under specific conditions.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing D-brane probes within a black hole background.
- Analyzing the meson spectrum at different temperatures.
- Applying large N_c (number of colors) and large 't Hooft coupling limits.
Main Results:
- At low temperatures, a discrete, gapped meson spectrum is observed.
- As temperature increases, D-branes approach a critical solution, leading to a phase transition.
- The new phase exhibits a continuous, gapless meson spectrum.
- The phase transition is shown to be first-order at large N_c and large 't Hooft coupling.
- In confining theories with heavy quarks, this occurs above the deconfinement transition.
Conclusions:
- The study confirms a first-order phase transition in holographic gauge theories.
- This transition is characterized by a change in the meson spectrum from gapped to gapless.
- The findings provide insights into the behavior of strongly coupled gauge theories at finite temperatures.
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