Dimensional Reduction and Hot QCD: Calculating the Debye Mass Non-Perturbatively

Abstract

We study the phase diagram of the 3-dimensional SU(2) + adjoint Higgs theory, and investigate to what extent it can be used as an effective theory of the 4-dimensional high-T SU(2) QCD. The relation between the parameters in 4 and 3 dimensions is obtained through dimensional reduction. The high-T (deconfined) QCD phase corresponds to the symmetric phase of the 3-D Higgs theory. In the relevant parameter region the symmetric phase is not stable, but the metastability is strong enough to make precise measurements possible. In particular, we measure the Debye mass using a gauge invariant operator.