SU(4) pure-gauge phase structure and string tensions☆☆☆
Abstract We present numerical evidence that the SU(4) pure-gauge dynamics has a finite-temperature first-order phase transition. For a 6 × 20 3 lattice, this transition occurs at the inverse-square coupling of 8 g 2 /≈ 10.79 . Below this and above the known bulk phase transition at 8 g 2 ≈10.2 is a confined phase in which we find two different string tensions, one between the fundamental 4 and 4 ∗ representations and the other between the self-dual diquark 6 representations. The ratio of these two is about 1.5. The correlation in the adjoint representation suggests no string forms between adjoint charges.