Localisation in 2+1 dimensional SU(3) pure gauge theory at finite temperature

Abstract

I study the localisation properties of low Dirac eigenmodes in 2+1 dimensional SU(3) pure gauge theory, both in the low-temperature, confined and chirally-broken phase and in the high-temperature, deconfined and chirally-restored phase, by means of numerical lattice simulations. While these modes are delocalised at low temperature, they become localised at high temperature, up to a critical point in the Dirac spectrum where a BKT-type Anderson transition takes place. All results point to localisation appearing at the deconfinement temperature, and support previous expectations about the close relation between deconfinement, chiral symmetry breaking, and localisation.

Comments: 1+33 pages, 16 figures; several minor changes (typos fixed, a few remarks and extra references added); matches published version