The gauge group being centreless, G2​ gauge theory is a good laboratory for
studying the role of the centre of the group for colour confinement in
Yang-Mills gauge theories. In this paper, we investigate G2​ pure gauge
theory at finite temperature on the lattice. By studying the finite size
scaling of the plaquette, the Polyakov loop and their susceptibilities, we show
that a deconfinement phase transition takes place. The analysis of the
pseudocritical exponents give strong evidence of the deconfinement transition
being first order. Implications of our findings for scenarios of colour
confinement are discussed.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, Proceedings of the The XXV International
Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, Regensburg August 200