The Phase Transition in SU(2)-Higgs

Abstract

We investigate the properties of the Confinement-Higgs phase transition in the SU(2)-Higgs model. The system is shown to exhibit a transient behavior up to L=24 along which, the order of the phase transition cannot be discerned. In order to get a global vision on the problem, we have introduced a second (next-to-nearest neighbors) gauge-Higgs coupling (k2). On this extended parameter space we find a line of phase transitions becoming increasely weak as the standard case is approached (k2 = 0). From the global behavior on this parameter space we conclude that the transition is also first order in the standard case.

Comments: Contribution to Lattice 97, The XV International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, Edinburgh 22-26 July 1997