Non-Abelian Meissner Effect in Yang–Mills Theories at Weak Coupling

We present a weak-coupling Yang–Mills model supporting non-Abelian magnetic flux tubes and non-Abelian confined magnetic monopoles. In the dual description the magnetic flux tubes are prototypes of the QCD strings. Dualizing the confined magnetic monopoles we get gluelumps which convert a “QCD string” in the excited state to that in the ground state. Introducing a mass parameter m we discover a phase transition between the Abelian and non-Abelian confinement at a critical value m = m∗ ∼ Λ. Underlying dynamics are governed by a ZN symmetry inherent to the model under consideration. At m > m∗ the ZN symmetry is spontaneously broken, resulting in N degenerate ZN (Abelian) strings. At m < m∗ the ZN symmetry is restored, the degeneracy is lifted, and the strings become non-Abelian. We calculate tensions of the non-Abelian strings, as well as the decay rates of the metastable strings, at N ≫ 1.