Applying the Wang-Landau algorithm to lattice gauge theory
- Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1560 (United States)
We implement the Wang-Landau algorithm in the context of SU(N) lattice gauge theories. We study the quenched, reduced version of the lattice theory and calculate its density of states for N=20, 30, 40, 50. We introduce a variant of the original algorithm in which the weight function used in the update does not asymptote to a fixed function, but rather continues to have small fluctuations that enhance tunneling. We formulate a method to evaluate the errors in the density of states, and use the result to calculate the dependence of the average action density and the specific heat on the 't Hooft coupling {lambda}. This allows us to locate the coupling {lambda}{sub t} at which a strongly first-order transition occurs in the system. For N=20 and 30 we compare our results with those obtained using Ferrenberg-Swendsen multihistogram reweighting and find agreement with errors of 0.2% or less. Extrapolating our results to N={infinity}, we find ({lambda}{sub t}){sup -1}=0.3148(2). We remark on the significance of this result for the validity of quenched large-N reduction of SU(N) lattice gauge theories.
- OSTI ID:
- 21254305
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Vol. 78, Issue 7; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.78.074503; (c) 2008 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0556-2821
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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