Significance of finite-volume effects in the extracted critical behavior

Ascertain whether finite-volume effects significantly impact the extracted critical parameters and scaling behavior (including β_c, β_m, and δ) in simulations of the 2+1-dimensional N=1 Thirring model with Wilson-kernel domain wall fermions performed on a fixed 16^3 lattice, by conducting systematic finite-size studies to determine the magnitude of any volume-induced biases.

Background

All numerical results in the paper are obtained on a fixed spacetime volume of 16^3. While earlier investigations in related models suggest that finite-volume corrections can be small, the present work observes qualitative differences in critical behavior compared to previous lattice studies.

Because the system appears to behave differently, the authors caution that finite-volume effects might be more significant than anticipated. Establishing the extent of such effects is necessary to ensure that the reported critical exponents and phase structure are not artifacts of the chosen volume.