Deconfining phase transition in the 3D Georgi–Glashow model with finite Higgs-boson mass

Abstract

The (2+1)D Georgi–Glashow model is explored at finite temperature in the regime when the Higgs boson is not infinitely heavy. The resulting Higgs-mediated interaction of monopoles leads to the appearance of a certain upper bound for the parameter of the weak-coupling approximation. Namely, when this bound is exceeded, the cumulant expansion used for the average over the Higgs field breaks down. The finite-temperature deconfining phase transition with the account for the same Higgs-mediated interaction of monopoles is further analysed. It is demonstrated that in the general case, accounting for this interaction leads to the existence of two distinct phase transitions separated by the temperature region where W-bosons exist in both, molecular and plasma, phases. The dependence of possible ranges of the critical temperatures corresponding to these phase transitions on the parameters of the Georgi–Glashow model is discussed. The difference in the RG behaviour of the fugacity of W-bosons from the respective behaviour of this quantity in the compact-QED limit of the model is finally pointed out.