Deconfinement and chiral symmetry restoration in an SU(3) gauge theory with adjoint fermions

analyze the finite temperature phase diagram of QCD with fermions in the ad joint representation. The simulations performed with four dynamical Majoran a fermions show that the deconfinement and chiral phase transitions occur a t two distinct temperatures. While the deconfinement transition is first-or der at T-d We find evidence for a continuous chiral transition at a higher temperature T-c similar or equal to 8 T-d. We observe a rapid change of bul k thermodynamic observables at T-d which reflects the increase in the numbe r of degrees of freedom. However, these show little variation at T-c, where the fermion condensate vanishes. We also analyze the potential between sta tic fundamental and adjoint charges in all three phases and extract the cor responding screening masses above T-d. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All r ights reserved.