Symmetries of spatial meson correlators in high temperature QCD

Based on a complete set of J=0 and J=1 spatial isovector correlation functions calculated with N₅=2 domain wall fermions we identify an intermediate temperature regime of T220--500 MeV (1. 2T₂--2. 8T₂), where chiral symmetry is restored but the correlators are not yet compatible with a simple free quark behavior. More specifically, in the temperature range T220--500 MeV we identify a multiplet structure of spatial correlators that suggests emergent SU (2) ₂ₒ and SU (4) symmetries, which are not symmetries of the free Dirac action. The symmetry breaking effects in this temperature range are less than 5%. Our results indicate that at these temperatures the chromomagnetic interaction is suppressed and the elementary degrees of freedom are chirally symmetric quarks bound into color-singlet objects by the chromoelectric component of the gluon field. At temperatures between 500 and 660 MeV the emergent SU (2) ₂ₒ and SU (4) symmetries disappear and one observes a smooth transition to the regime above T1 GeV where only chiral symmetries survive, which are finally compatible with quasifree quarks.