The nature of the phase transition for the XY stacked triangular antiferromagnet (STA) is a controversial subject at present. The field theoretical renormalization group (RG) in three dimensions predicts a first order transition. This prediction disagrees with Monte Carlo (MC) simulations which favor a new universality class or a tricritical transition. We simulate by the Monte Carlo method two models derived from the STA by imposing the constraint of local rigidity which should have the same critical behavior as the original model. A strong first order transition is found. Following Zumbach we analyze the second order transition observed in MC studies as due to a fixed point in the complex plane. We review the experimental results in order to clarify the different critical behavior observed. P.A.C.S. numbers:05.70. Fh, 64.60.Cn,

It is shown that Binder's cumulant U = 1- M4/ 3 M22 is very useful in the study of the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition of two-dimensional XY systems. It is possible to calculate the critical exponent without knowledge of the critical temperature, and to exclude the possibility of a power law behaviour.

Starting from the hypothesis of a second order transition we have studied modifications of the original Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a stacked triangular lattice (STA-model) by the Monte Carlo technique. The change is a local constraint restricting the spins at the corners of selected triangles to add up to zero without stopping them from moving freely (STAR-model). We have studied also the closely related dihedral and trihedral models which can be classified as Stiefel models. We have found indications of a first order transition for all three modified models instead of a universal critical behavior. This is in accordance with the renormalization group investigations but disagrees with the Monte Carlo simulations of the original STA-model favoring a new universality class. For the corresponding x-y antiferromagnet studied before, the second order nature of the transition could also not be confirmed.Comment: 31 pages, 13 figures, to be published in Euro. J. Phys.