Building upon our earlier work, we compute a Debye mass of finite-temperature Yang-Mills theory to three-loop order. As an application, we determine a $g^7$ contribution to the thermodynamic pressure of hot QCD.
Lattice measurements of spatial correlation functions of the operators FF and FF-dual in thermal SU(3) gauge theory have revealed a clear difference between the two channels at intermediate distances, x ~ 1/(pi T). This is at odds with the AdS/CFT limit which predicts the results to coincide. On the other hand, an OPE analysis at short distances (x << 1/(pi T)) as well as effective theory methods at long distances (x >> 1/(pi T)) suggest differences. Here we study the situation at intermediate distances by determining the time-averaged spatial correlators through a 2-loop computation. We do find unequal results, however the numerical disparity is small. Apart from theoretical issues, a future comparison of our results with time-averaged lattice measurements might also be of phenomenological interest in that understanding the convergence of the weak-coupling series at intermediate distances may bear on studies of the thermal broadening of heavy quarkonium resonances.
We show that, starting from known exact classical solutions of the Yang-Mills theory in three dimensions, the string tension is obtained and the potential is consistent with a marginally confining theory. The potential we obtain agrees fairly well with preceding findings in literature but here we derive it analytically from the theory without further assumptions. The string tension is in strict agreement with lattice results and the well-known theoretical result by Karabali-Kim-Nair analysis. Classical solutions depend on a dimensionless numerical factor arising from integration. This factor enters into the determination of the spectrum and has been arbitrarily introduced in some theoretical models. We derive it directly from the solutions of the theory and is now fully justified. The agreement obtained with the lattice results for the ground state of the theory is well below 1% at any value of the degree of the group.
We obtain the next-to-leading order correction to the spectrum of a SU(N) Yang-Mills theory in four dimensions and we show agreement well-below 1% with respect to the lattice computations for the ground state and one of the higher states.
Inspired by recent lattice measurements, we determine the short-distance (a << r << 1/pi T) as well as large-frequency (1/a >> omega >> pi T) asymptotics of scalar (trace anomaly) and pseudoscalar (topological charge density) correlators at 2-loop order in hot Yang-Mills theory. The results are expressed in the form of an Operator Product Expansion. We confirm and refine the determination of a number of Wilson coefficients; however some discrepancies with recent literature are detected as well, and employing the correct values might help, on the qualitative level, to understand some of the features observed in the lattice measurements. On the other hand, the Wilson coefficients show slow convergence and it appears uncertain whether this approach can lead to quantitative comparisons with lattice data. Nevertheless, as we outline, our general results might serve as theoretical starting points for a number of perhaps phenomenologically more successful lines of investigation.
We solve exactly the Dyson-Schwinger equations for Yang-Mills theory in 3 and 4 dimensions. This permits us to obtain the exact correlation functions till order 2. In this way, the spectrum of the theory is straightforwardly obtained and comparison with lattice data can be accomplished. The results are in exceedingly good agreement with an error well below 1%. This extends both to 3 and 4 dimensions and varying the degree of the gauge group. These results provide a strong support to the value of the lattice computations and show once again how precise can be theoretical computations in quantum field theory.