Phase Diagram of SO(3) Lattice Gauge Theory at Finite Temperature

Abstract

The phase diagram of SO(3) lattice gauge theory at finite temperature is investigated by Monte Carlo techniques with a view i) to understand the relationship between the deconfinement phase transitions in the SU(2) and SO(3) lattice gauge theories and ii) to resolve the current ambiguity of the nature of the high temperature phases of the latter. Phases with positive and negative adjoint Polyakov loop are shown to have the same physics. A first order deconfining phase transition is found for N_t=4.