English

Comments on k-Strings at Large N

High Energy Physics - Lattice 2011-03-28 v2 High Energy Physics - Phenomenology High Energy Physics - Theory

Abstract

We present a computation of the k-string tension in the large N limit of the two dimensional lattice Yang-Mills theory. It is well known that the problems of computing the partition function and the Wilson loop can be both reduced to a unitary matrix integral which has a third order phase transition separating weak and strong coupling. We give an explicit computation of the interaction energy for k-strings in the large N limit when k/N is held constant and non-zero. In this limit, the interaction energy is finite and attractive. We show that, in the strong coupling phase, the k -> N - k duality is realized as a first order phase transition. We also show that the lattice k-string tension reduces to the expected Casimir scaling in the continuum limit.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1012.5875,
  title  = {Comments on k-Strings at Large N},
  author = {Joanna L. Karczmarek and Gordon W. Semenoff and Shuhang Yang},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1012.5875},
  year   = {2011}
}

Comments

13 pages, three figures, added references and a clarification

R2 v1 2026-06-21T17:05:05.152Z