THERMAL PHASE-TRANSITION IN WEAKLY INTERACTING, LARGE N-C QCD

We consider thermal QCD in the large N-c limit, mainly in 1 + 1 dimens ions. The gauge coupling is only taken into account to minimal order, by projection onto colour singlets. An expression for the free energy, exact as N-c --> infinity, is then obtained. A third order phase tran sition will occur. The critical temperature depends on the ratio N-c/L , where L is the (infinite) spatial length. In the high temperature li mit, the free energy will approach the same value as in the free theor y, whereas we have a mesonic like phase at low temperature. Expression s for the quark condensate, (<(Psi)over bar>Psi), are also obtained. ( C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.