1997/01/08 by M. Teper · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies #Quantum Chromodynamics and Particle Interactions #hep-lat #hep-ph #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/s0370-2693(97)00181-0
published as Phys.Lett. B397 (1997) 223-228 · LaTeX.
arxiv created 1997/01/08 · openalex publication_date 1997/04/01 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We compare the mass spectra and string tensions of SU(2), SU(3) and SU(4) gauge theories in 2+1 dimensions. We find that the ratios of masses are, to a first approximation, independent of N and that the remaining dependence can be accurately reproduced by a simple O(1/N2) correction. This provides us with a prediction of these mass ratios for all SU(N) theories in 2+1 dimensions and demonstrates that these theories are `close' to N=∞ for N≥ 2. We also find that, when expressed in units of the dynamical length scale of the theory, the dimensionful coupling g2 is proportional to 1/N at large N. We confirm that these theories are indeed confining in the limit N → ∞. We describe preliminary calculations in 3+1 dimensions which indicate that the same will be true there.