Simplicial Chiral Models

Principal chiral models on a d-1 dimensional simplex are introduced and studied analytically in the large $N$ limit. The $d = 0, 2, 4$ and $\infty$ models are explicitly solved. Relationship with standard lattice models and with few-matrix systems in the double scaling limit are discussed.Comment: 6 pages, PHYZZ

Hybrid Monte Carlo Simulation of Graphene on the Hexagonal Lattice

We present a method for direct hybrid Monte Carlo simulation of graphene on the hexagonal lattice. We compare the results of the simulation with exact results for a unit hexagonal cell system, where the Hamiltonian can be solved analytically.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Spin-String Interaction in QCD Strings

I consider the question of the interaction between a QCD string and the spin of a quark or an antiquark on whose worldline the string terminates. The problem is analysed from the point of view of a string representation for the expectation value of a Wilson loop for a spin-half particle. A string representation of the super Wilson loop is obtained starting from an effective string representation of a Wilson Loop. The action obtained in this manner is invariant under a worldline supersymmetry and has a boundary term which contains the spin-string interaction. For rectangular loops the spin-string interaction vanishes and there is no spin-spin term in the resulting heavy quark potential. On the other hand if an allowance is made for the finite intrinsic thickness of the flux-tube, by assuming that the spin-string interaction takes place not just at the boundary of the string world-sheet but extends to a distance of the order of the intrinsic thickness of the flux tube, then we do obtain a spin-spin interaction which falls as the fifth power of the distance. Such a term was previously suggested by Kogut and Parisi in the context of a flux-tube model of confinement.Comment: 19 pages, 1 figure; Published version with added discussion and references in section

High-Precision Thermodynamics and Hagedorn Density of States

We compute the entropy density of the confined phase of QCD without quarks on the lattice to very high accuracy. The results are compared to the entropy density of free glueballs, where we include all the known glueball states below the two-particle threshold. We find that an excellent, parameter-free description of the entropy density between 0.7Tc and Tc is obtained by extending the spectrum with the exponential spectrum of the closed bosonic string.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure