Polyakov loop percolation and deconfinement in SU(2) gauge theory

The deconfinement transition in SU(2) gauge theory and the magnetization tr ansition in the Ising model belong to the same universality class. The crit ical behaviour of the Ising model can be characterized either as spontaneou s breaking of the Z(2)? symmetry of spin states or as percolation of approp riately defined spin clusters. We show that deconfinement in SU(2) gauge th eory can be specified as percolation of Polyakov loop clusters with Fortuin -Kasteleyn bond weights, leading to the same (Onsager) critical exponents a s the conventional order-disorder description based on the Polykov loop exp ectation value. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.