Finite-temperature phase diagram of the Berenstein-Maldacena-Nastase matrix model on the lattice

We investigate the thermal phase structure of the Berenstein-Maldacena-Nastase matrix model using nonperturbative lattice Monte Carlo calculations. Our main analyses span 3 orders of magnitude in the coupling, involving systems with sizes up to 𝑁𝜏 =24 lattice sites and SU⁡(𝑁) gauge groups with 8 ≤𝑁 ≤16. In addition, we carry out extended checks of discretization artifacts for 𝑁𝜏 ≤128 and gauge group SU(4). We find results for the deconfinement temperature that interpolate between the perturbative prediction at weak coupling and the large-𝑁 dual supergravity calculation at strong coupling. While we confirm that the phase transition is first order for strong coupling, it appears to be continuous for weaker couplings.. Authors: Jha, Raghav G. [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), Newport News, VA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000329330102); Joseph, Anosh [Univ. of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (South Africa)] (ORCID:0000000342888207); Schaich, David [Univ. of Liverpool (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000298262951). DOE Contract: AC05-06OR23177. Subjects: 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS