Center dominance and Z(2) vortices in SU(2) lattice gauge theory

Sep, 1996
21 pages
Published in:
  • Phys.Rev.D 55 (1997) 2298-2306
e-Print:
Report number:
  • LBL-39424,
  • LBNL-39424,
  • SWAT-96-119

Citations per year

199220002008201620240510152025
Abstract:
We find, in close analogy to abelian dominance in maximal abelian gauge, the phenomenon of center dominance in maximal center gauge for SU(2)SU(2) lattice gauge theory. Maximal center gauge is a gauge-fixing condition that preserves a residual Z2Z_2 gauge symmetry; ``center projection'' is the projection of SU(2)SU(2) link variables onto Z2Z_2 center elements, and ``center dominance'' is the fact that the center-projected link elements carry most of the information about the string tension of the full theory. We present numerical evidence that the thin Z2Z_2 vortices of the projected configurations are associated with ``thick'' Z2Z_2 vortices in the unprojected configurations. The evidence also suggests that the thick Z2Z_2 vortices may play a significant role in the confinement process.
  • 12.38.Gc
  • 12.38.Aw
  • 11.15.Ha
  • gauge field theory: SU(2)
  • lattice field theory
  • vortex: Z(2)
  • string tension
  • Wilson loop
  • gauge fixing
  • numerical calculations: Monte Carlo