Instanton correlators and phase transitions in two- and three-dimensional logarithmic plasmas

K. Børkje, S. Kragset, and A. Sudbø
Phys. Rev. B 71, 085112 – Published 14 February 2005

Abstract

The existence of a discontinuity in the inverse dielectric constant of the two-dimensional (2D) Coulomb gas is demonstrated on purely numerical grounds. This is done by expanding the free energy in an applied twist and performing a finite-size scaling analysis of the coefficients of higher-order terms. The phase transition, driven by unbinding of dipoles, corresponds to the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition in the 2D XY model. The method developed is also used for investigating the possibility of a Kosterlitz-Thouless phase transition in a three-dimensional system of point charges interacting with a logarithmic pair-potential, a system related to effective theories of low-dimensional strongly correlated systems. We also contrast the finite-size scaling of the fluctuations of the dipole moments of the two-dimensional Coulomb gas and the three-dimensional logarithmic system to those of the three-dimensional Coulomb gas.

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  • Received 22 June 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.71.085112

©2005 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

K. Børkje*, S. Kragset, and A. Sudbø

  • Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway

  • *E-mail address: kjetil.borkje@phys.ntnu.no
  • E-mail address: steinar.kragset@phys.ntnu.no
  • E-mail address: asle.sudbo@phys.ntnu.no

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Issue

Vol. 71, Iss. 8 — 15 February 2005

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