Speaker
Description
We study Z$_3$ topological string defects in the deconfined phase of pure SU(3) gauge theory via lattice Monte Carlo simulations. These defects occur at the junctions of center domains, where the Polyakov loop winds nontrivially around spatial loops. We determine the string free energy from the action difference between ensembles with and without the defect on $60 \times 60 \times 4$ lattices ($N_\tau = 2$). The results show that the string energy is dominated by attached center-domain walls. Near $T_c$ the string tension $\sigma/T^2$ rises sharply, while at larger $\beta$ it grows linearly. The extracted interface tensions agree with previous lattice determinations, validating the approach. Our results demonstrate that topological strings provide a useful probe of nonperturbative interface dynamics in hot SU(3) gauge theory.
| Parallel Session (for talks only) | QCD at nonzero temperature and density |
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