SU(Nc) gauge theories at deconfinement

The deconfinement transition in SU(Nc) Yang-Mills is investigated by Monte Carlo simulations of the gauge theory discretized on a spacetime lattice. We present new results for 4⩽Nc⩽8 (in particular, for Nc=5 and Nc=7), which are analysed together with previously published results. The increased amount of data, the improved statistics and simulations closer to the continuum limit provide us with better control over systematic errors. After performing the thermodynamic limit, numerical results for the ratio of the critical temperature Tc over the square root of the string tension σ obtained on lattices with temporal extensions Nt=5,6,7,8 are extrapolated to the continuum limit. The continuum results at fixed Nc are then extrapolated to Nc=∞. We find that our data are accurately described by the formula Tc/σ=0.5949(17)+0.458(18)/Nc2. Possible systematic errors affecting our calculations are also discussed.