Non-analyticity in scale in the planar limit of QCD

Abstract

Using methods of numerical Lattice Gauge Theory we show that in the limit of a large number of colors, properly regularized Wilson loops have an eigenvalue distribution which changes non-analytically as the overall size of the loop is increased. This establishes a large-N phase transition in continuum planar gauge theory, a fact whose precise implications remain to be worked out.

4 pages, 3 figure, minor adjustments to match version accepted for publication