N-ality and topology at finite temperature

Abstract

We study [JHEP 0309 (2003) 034] the spectrum of confining strings in SU(3) pure gauge theory, in different representations of the gauge group. Our results provide direct evidence that the string spectrum agrees with predictions based on n-ality. We also investigate [L. Del Debbio, H. Panagopoulos, E. Vicari, hep-th/0407068, to appear in JHEP] the large-N behavior of the topological susceptibility χ in four-dimensional SU(N) gauge theories at finite temperature, and in particular across the finite-temperature transition at T c. The results indicate that χ has a nonvanishing large-N limit for T T c. © 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.