Center vortex geometry at finite temperature

The geometry of center vortices is studied in SU(3) gauge theory at finite temperature to capture the key structural changes that occur through the deconfinement phase transition. Visualizations of the vortex structure in temporal and spatial slices of the lattice reveal a preference for the vortex sheet to align with the temporal dimension above the critical temperature. This is quantified through a correlation measure. A collection of vortex statistics, including vortex and branching point densities, and vortex path lengths between branching points, are analyzed to highlight internal shifts in vortex behavior arising from the loss of confinement. We find the zero-temperature inclination of branching points to cluster at short distances vanishes at high temperatures, embodying a rearrangement of branching points within the vortex structure. These findings establish the many aspects of center vortex geometry that characterize the phase transition in pure gauge theory. Published by the American Physical Society 2024