Effective Lagrangian for the Polyakov line on a lattice

Abstract

We formulate a method for computing the effective Lagrangian of the Polyakov line on the lattice. Using mean field approximation we calculate the effective potential for high temperatures. The result agrees with recent lattice simulations. We reveal a new type of ultraviolet divergence (coming from longitudinal gluons) which dominates the effective potential and explains the discrepancy of the lattice simulations and standard perturbative calculations performed in covariant gauges.

Comments: Comments and references added. Version to appear in JHEP