Z(3)-symmetric effective theory for SU(3) Yang-Mills theory at high temperature

Abstract

A three-dimensional effective theory for high temperature SU(3) gauge theory, which maintains the Z(3) center symmetry of the full theory, is constructed. Such a Z(3) invariant effective theory should be applicable to a wider temperature range than the usual effective theory, known as EQCD, which fails to respect the center symmetry. This center-symmetric effective theory can reproduce domain wall and phase transition properties that are not accessible in EQCD. After identifying a convenient class of Z(3) invariant effective theories, we constrain the coefficients of the various terms in the Lagrangian using leading-order matching to EQCD at high temperature, plus matching of domain wall properties in the full theory. We sketch the expected structure of the phase diagram of the effective theory and briefly discuss the prospects of numerical simulations and the addition of quarks.