Finite-Temperature Behavior of the (2+1)d Georgi-Glashow Model With and Without Quarks

Abstract

2+1)-dimensional Georgi-Glashow model and its SU (N )-generalization are explored at nonzero temperatures and in the regime when the Higgs boson is not infinitely heavy. The finiteness of the Higgs-boson mass leads to various novel effects. Those include the appearance of two separate phase transitions and of the upper bound on the parameter of the weak-coupling approximation, necessary to maintain the stochasticity of the Higgs vacuum. The modification of the finitetemperature behavior of the model emerging due to the introduction of massless quarks is also discussed.