Phase transitions in the Abelian Higgs model

Journal Article · Thu Feb 15 04:00:00 EST 1979 · Phys. Rev., D; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.19.1198· OSTI ID:6206393

Einhorn, M B; Savit, R

A lattice version of the Abelian Higgs model is studied in arbitrary Euclidean dimension. Two different representations of the theory, one in terms of the Higgs and gauge fields and the other in terms of the topological excitations, are used to understand what phases exist for the system. In addition to limiting cases there is, in two dimensions, a plasma phase of vortex excitations. The vortices (instantons) in this phase cause confinement (in the sense of Wilson) of fractional, but not integer, charges. In three and more dimensions, there is a plasma phase similar to the one in two dimensions as well as another phase which does not confine any charge. We argue that the confinement due to topological excitations in the plasma phase has the same physical basis as the usual large-coupling-constant (high temperature) confinement of the lattice gauge theory. Effects of a background field in two dimensions are also described.

• Research Organization: Physics Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
• OSTI ID: 6206393
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev., D; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev., D; (United States) Vol. 19:4; ISSN PRVDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

645201* -- High Energy Physics-- Particle Interactions & Properties-Theoretical-- General & Scattering Theory
645400 -- High Energy Physics-- Field Theory
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
CONFINEMENT
COUPLING CONSTANTS
DUALITY
EUCLIDEAN SPACE
FUNCTIONS
GAUGE INVARIANCE
HIGGS MODEL
INSTANTONS
INVARIANCE PRINCIPLES
LAGRANGIAN FUNCTION
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MATHEMATICAL SPACE
PARTICLE MODELS
PARTITION FUNCTIONS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
QUASI PARTICLES
RIEMANN SPACE
SPACE