Phase diagram of $q$-deformed Yang-Mills theory on $S^2$ at non-zero $\theta$-angle

Abstract

We study the phase diagram of $q$-deformed Yang-Mills theory on $S^2$ at non-zero $\theta$-angle using the exact partition function at finite $N$. By evaluating the exact partition function numerically, we find evidence for the existence of a series of phase transitions at non-zero $\theta$-angle as conjectured in [hep-th/0509004].Comment: 24 pages; v2: version to appear in JHE