Nonperturbative SU(3) thermodynamics and the phase transition

Abstract

The $SU(3)$ equation of state ($P(T),\,s(T),\,I(T)$) are calculated within the Field Correlator Method both in the confined and the deconfined phases. The basic dynamics in our approach is contained in the vacuum correlators, both of the colorelectric (CE) and colormagnetic (CM) types, which ensure CE and CM confinement below $T_c$ and CM confinement and Polyakov loops above $T_c$. The resulting values of $T_c$ and $P(T),\,I(T)$, $s(T)$ are in good agreement with lattice measurements.