Revisiting the $\phi^6$ Theory in Three Dimensions at Large $N$

Abstract

We investigate the $O(N)$--symmetric $\phi^6$ theory in three spacetime dimensions using dimensional regularisation and minimal subtraction. The predictions of other methods are scrutinised in a large-$N$ expansion. We show how the tricritical line of fixed point emerges in a strict $N\to\infty$ limit but argue that it is not a physical manifestation. For the first time in this explicit manner, we compute the effective potential at next-to-leading order in the $1/N$-expansion and discuss its stability. The Bardeen-Moshe-Bander phenomenon is also analysed at next-to-leading order, and we demonstrate that it disappears without breaking the scale invariance spontaneously. Our findings indicate that the UV fixed point found by Pisarski persists at large $N$.