Finite-temperature study of eight-flavor SU(3) gauge theory

Abstract: We present new lattice investigations of finite-temperature transitions for SU(3) gauge theory with Nf=8 light flavors. Using nHYP-smeared staggered fermions we are able to explore renormalized couplings $g^2 \lesssim 20$ on lattice volumes as large as $48^3 \times 24$. Finite-temperature transitions at non-zero fermion mass do not persist in the chiral limit, instead running into a strongly coupled lattice phase as the mass decreases. That is, finite-temperature studies with this lattice action require even larger $N_T > 24$ to directly confirm spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking.