QCD determination of the axial-vector coupling of the nucleon at finite temperature

Abstract

A thermal QCD Finite Energy Sum Rule (FESR) is used to obtain the temperature dependence of the axial-vector coupling of the nucleon, $g_{A}(T)$. We find that $g_{A}(T)$ is essentially independent of $T$, in the very wide range $0 \leq T \leq 0.9 T_{c}$, where $T_{c}$ is the critical temperature. While $g_{A}$ at T=0 is $q^{2}$-independent, it develops a $q^{2}$ dependence at finite temperature. We then obtain the mean square radius associated with $g_{A}$ and find that it diverges at $T=T_{c}$, thus signalling quark deconfinement. As a byproduct, we study the temperature dependence of the Goldberger-Treiman relation.