New mixed inhomogeneous phase in vortical gluon plasma: first-principle results from rotating SU(3) lattice gauge theory

Abstract

Using first-principle numerical simulations, we find a new spatially inhomogeneous phase in rigidly rotating $N_c=3$ gluon plasma. This mixed phase simultaneously possesses both confining and deconfining phases in thermal equilibrium. Unexpectedly, the local critical temperature of the phase transition at the rotation axis does not depend on the angular frequency within a few percent accuracy. Even more surprisingly, an analytic continuation of our results to the domain of real angular frequencies indicates a profound breaking of the Tolman-Ehrenfest law in the vicinity of the phase transition, with the confining (deconfining) phase appearing far (near) the rotation axis.

Comments: 7 pages, 4 figures, movies on the phase evolution with increasing angular velocity are attached as ancillary files; acknowledgements and discussion added; figures updated; version accepted for publication in PLB