Phase structure of the QCD vacuum in a magnetic field at low temperature

We study the QCD phase structure in magnetic field $H$ at low temperature $T$. The hadronic phase free energy in a constant homogeneous magnetic field is calculated in one-loop approximation of the chiral perturbation theory. The dependence of the quark and gluon condensates upon the temperature and field strength is found. It is shown that the chiral phase transition order parameter $$ remains constant provided field strength and temperature are related via $H=const \cdot T^2$.Comment: LaTeX, 10 pages, 1 eps figure, replaced by version published in Phys.Lett.

Confining strings and RG flow in the (2+1)-dimensional Georgi-Glashow model and its SU(3)-generalization

Confining strings and RG flow at finite temperature are investigated in the (2+1)-dimensional Georgi-Glashow model. This is done in the limit when the electric coupling constant is much larger than the square root of mass of the Higgs field, but much smaller than the vacuum expectation value of this field. The modification of the Debye mass of the dual photon with respect to the case when it is considered to be negligibly small compared to the Higgs mass, is found. Analogous modifications of the potential of monopole densities and string coupling constants are found. At finite temperature, the mass of the Higgs field scales according to a novel RG equation. It is checked that in the limit when the original theory is reduced by the RG flow to the 2D XY model, the so-evolved Higgs mass is still much smaller than the squared electric coupling constant. The SU(3)-theory of confining strings is also discussed within the same approximations.Comment: 14 pages, LaTeX2e, no figures, to appear in JHE

Hadron resonance gas and nonperturbative QCD vacuum at finite temperature

We study the nonperturbative QCD vacuum with two light quarks at finite temperature in the framework of hadron resonance gas. Temperature dependence of the quark and gluon condensates in the confined phase are obtained. We demonstrate that the quark condensate and one half (chromo-electric component) of gluon condensate evaporate at the same temperature, which corresponds to the temperature of quark-hadron phase transition. Critical temperature is T_c~190 MeV when temperature shift of hadron masses is taken into account.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures; to appear in JETP Lett.; v2: references adde

Low temperature relations in QCD

In this talk I discuss the low temperature relations for the trace of the energy-momentum tensor in QCD with two and three quarks. It is shown that the temperature derivatives of the anomalous and normal (quark massive term) contributions to the trace of the energy-momentum tensor in QCD are equal to each other in the low temperature region. Leading corrections connected with $\pi\pi$-interactions and thermal excitations of $K$ and $\eta$ mesons are calculated.Comment: 10 pages, LaTeX2e. Talk given at 12th International Seminar on High-Energy Physics (QUARKS 2002), Novgorod, Russia, 1-7 Jun 200

Quark-hadron phase transition in a magnetic field

Quark-hadron phase transition in QCD in the presence of magnetic field is studied. It is shown that both the temperature of a phase transition and latent heat decrease compared to the case of zero magnetic field. The phase diagram in the plane temperature--magnetic field is presented. Critical point, T_\ast=104 MeV, \sqrt{eH_\ast}=600 MeV, for which the latent heat goes to zero, is found.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures. v2: new discussion and references added; version to appear in Phys.Lett.

Low temperature relation for the trace of the energy-momentum tensor in QCD with light quarks

It is shown that the temperature derivatives of the anomalous and normal (quark massive term) contributions to the trace of the energy-momentum tensor in QCD are equal to each other in the low temperature region. The physical consequences of this relation are discussed.Comment: RevTeX, 4 pages, no figure

Higgs- and quark-inspired modifications of the finite-temperature properties of the Polyakov model

(2+1)-dimensional Georgi-Glashow model, else called the Polyakov model, is explored at nonzero temperatures and in the regime when the Higgs boson is not infinitely heavy. The finiteness of the Higgs-boson mass leads to the appearance of the upper bound on the parameter of the weak-coupling approximation, necessary to maintain the stochasticity of the Higgs vacuum. The modification of the finite-temperature behavior of the model emerging due to the introduction of massless quarks is also discussed.Comment: 4 pages, LaTeX2e, no figures, uses espcrc2.sty, submitted to Nucl. Phys. B (Proc. Suppl.

Instanton IR stabilization in the nonperturbative confining vacuum

The influence of nonperturbative fields on instantons in quantum chromodynamics is studied. Nonperturbative vacuum is described in terms of nonlocal gauge invariant vacuum averages of gluon field strength. Effective action for instanton is derived in bilocal approximation and it is demonstrated that stochastic background gluon fields are responsible for infra-red (IR) stabilization of instantons. Dependence of characteristic instanton size on gluon condensate and correlation length in nonperturbative vacuum is found. It is shown that instanton size in QCD is of order of 0.25 fm. Comparison of obtained instanton size distribution with lattice data is made.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures; v2: minor corrections, to appear in JHE