We use the AdS/CFT correspondence to perform a numerical study of a phase transition in strongly-coupled large-$N_c$ $\mathcal{N}=4$ Super-Yang-Mills theory on a 3-sphere coupled to a finite number $N_f$ of massive $\mathcal{N}=2$ hypermultiplets in the fundamental representation of the gauge group. The gravity dual system is a number $N_f$ of probe D7-branes embedded in ${\mathrm{AdS}}_5\times S^5$. We draw the phase diagram for this theory in the plane of hypermultiplet mass versus temperature and identify for temperatures above the Hawking-Page deconfinement temperature a first-order phase transition line across which the chiral condensate jumps discontinuously.

• Received 29 May 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.74.085033