The $\theta$-dependence of the $\mathrm{SU}(N)$ critical temperature at large $N$

Abstract

We investigate, by means of numerical lattice simulations, the $\theta$-dependence of the critical deconfinement temperature of $\mathrm{SU}(N)$ gauge theories at large $N$: $T_c(\theta) = T_c(0)[1-R\theta^2+O(\theta^4)]$, with $R\sim O(1/N^2)$. We follow two different strategies to determine $R$, one based on the calculation of the latent heat of the transition and on the jump of the topological susceptibility at the $\theta=0$ critical point, the other relying on a direct probe of $T_c(\theta)$ by means of imaginary-$\theta$ Monte Carlo simulations. Our results show that $R$ follows the expected large-$N$ scaling.