The Effective String of 3D Z_2 Gauge Theory as a c=1 compactified CFT

Abstract

We report on a high precision Montecarlo test of the three dimensional Ising gauge model at finite temperature. The string tension $σ$ is extracted from the expectation values of correlations of Polyakov lines. Agreement with the string tension extracted from Wilson loops is found only if the quantum fluctuations of the flux tube are properly taken into account. The central charge of the underlying conformal field theory is c=1.