Polyakov loop, gluon mass, gluon condensate, and its asymmetry near deconfinement

We consider a BRST-invariant generalization of the massive background Landau gauge, resembling the original Curci-Ferrari model that saw a revived interest due to its phenomenological success in modeling infrared Yang-Mills dynamics, including that of the phase transition. Unlike the Curci-Ferrari model, however, the mass parameter is no longer a phenomenological input, but it enters as a result of dimensional transmutation via a BRST-invariant dimension-2 gluon condensate. The associated renorm-alization constant is dealt with using Zimmermann's reduction of constants program, which fixes the value of the mass parameter to values close to those obtained within the Curci-Ferrari approach. Using a self -consistent background field, we can include the Polyakov loop and probe the deconfinement transition, including its interplay with the condensate and its electric-magnetic asymmetry. We report a continuous phase transition at T-c asymptotic to 0.230 GeV in the SU(2) case and a first-order one at T-c asymptotic to 0.164 GeV in the SU(3) case, values which are again rather close to those obtained within the Curci-Ferrari model at one-loop order.

Automated summary

In this paper, we discuss a BRST-invariant generalization of the massive background Landau gauge, similar to the original Curci-Ferrari model. The mass parameter is obtained through dimensional transmutation via a BRST-invariant dimension-2 gluon condensate. By using Zimmermann's reduction of constants program, we fix the value of the mass parameter to values close to those obtained within the Curci-Ferrari approach. We also study the inclusion of the Polyakov loop in the self-consistent background field and investigate the deconfinement transition and its interplay with the condensate and its electric-magnetic asymmetry. We observe a continuous phase transition in the SU(2) case and a first-order one in the SU(3) case, with values close to those obtained within the Curci-Ferrari model.