We study the finite temperature properties of the gauge theory of nonrelativistic fermions by using RPA and ladder approximation. This gauge theory is relevant to two interesting systems: high-Tc superconductivity and electrons in the half-filled Landau level.
It is by now well established that Dirac fermions coupled to non-Abelian gauge theories can undergo an Anderson-type localization transition. This transition affects eigenmodes in the lowest part of the Dirac spectrum, the ones most relevant to the l
ow-energy physics of these models. Here we review several aspects of this phenomenon, mostly using the tools of lattice gauge theory. In particular, we discuss how the transition is related to the finite-temperature transitions leading to the deconfinement of fermions, as well as to the restoration of chiral symmetry that is spontaneously broken at low temperature. Other topics we touch upon are the universality of the transition, and its connection to topological excitations (instantons) of the gauge field and the associated fermionic zero modes. While the main focus is on Quantum Chromodynamics, we also discuss how the localization transition appears in other related models with different fermionic contents (including the quenched approximation), gauge groups, and in different space-time dimensions. Finally, we offer some speculations about the physical relevance of the localization transition in these models.
The finite-temperature behavior of gluon and of Faddeev-Popov-ghost propagators is investigated for pure SU(2) Yang-Mills theory in Landau gauge. We present nonperturbative results, obtained using lattice simulations and Dyson-Schwinger equations. Po
ssible limitations of these two approaches, such as finite-volume effects and truncation artifacts, are extensively discussed. Both methods suggest a very different temperature dependence for the magnetic sector when compared to the electric one. In particular, a clear thermodynamic transition seems to affect only the electric sector. These results imply in particular the confinement of transverse gluons at all temperatures and they can be understood inside the framework of the so-called Gribov-Zwanziger scenario of confinement.
In principle, observables as for example the sphaleron rate or the tunneling rate in a first-order phase transition are gauge-independent. However, in practice a gauge dependence is introduced in explicit perturbative calculations due to the breakdow
n of the gradient expansion of the effective action in the symmetric phase. We exemplify the situation using the effective potential of the Abelian Higgs model in the general renormalizable gauge. Still, we find that the quantitative dependence on the gauge choice is small for gauges that are consistent with the perturbative expansion.
We present new lattice investigations of finite-temperature transitions for SU(3) gauge theory with Nf=8 light flavors. Using nHYP-smeared staggered fermions we are able to explore renormalized couplings $g^2 lesssim 20$ on lattice volumes as large a
s $48^3 times 24$. Finite-temperature transitions at non-zero fermion mass do not persist in the chiral limit, instead running into a strongly coupled lattice phase as the mass decreases. That is, finite-temperature studies with this lattice action require even larger $N_T > 24$ to directly confirm spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking.
Meson properties at finite temperature and density are studied in lattice QCD simulations with two-flavor Wilson fermions. For this purpose, we investigate screening masses of mesons in pseudo-scalar (PS) and vector (V) channels. The simulations are
performed on $16^3times 4$ lattice along the lines of constant physics at $m_{rm PS}/m_{rm V}|_{T=0}=0.65$ and 0.80, where $m_{rm PS}/m_{rm V}|_{T=0}$ is a ratio of meson masses in PS and V channels at $T=0$. A temperature range is $T/T_{rm pc}=(0.8 - 4.0)$, where $T_{rm pc}$ is the pseudo-critical temperature. We find that the temperature dependence of the screening masses normalized by temperature, $M_0/T$, shows notable structure around $T_{rm pc}$, and approach $2pi$ at high temperature in both channels, which is consistent with twice the thermal mass of a free quark in high temperature limit. The screening masses at low density are also investigated by using the Taylor expansion method with respect to the quark chemical potential. We find that the expansion coefficients in the leading order become positive in the temperature range, and thermal and density effect on the meson screening-masses becomes apparent in the quark-gluon plasma phase. The meson screening-masses are also compared with the gluon (Debye) screening masses at finite temperature and density.