Critical correlators of three-dimensional gauge theories at finite temperature: exact results from universality

Abstract

According to the Svetitsky-Yaffe conjecture, a three-dimensional gauge theory undergoing a continuous deconfinement transition is in the same universality class as a two-dimensional statistical model with order parameter taking values in the center of the gauge group. This allows us to use conformal field theory techniques to evaluate exactly various correlation functions at the critical point. In particular, we show that the plaquette operator of the gauge theory is mapped into the energy operator of the dimensionally reduced model. The plaquette expectation value in presence of static sources for three-dimensional SU(2) and SU(3) theories at the deconfinement temperature can be exactly evaluated, providing some new insight about the structure of the color flux tube in mesons and baryons.