The low energy dynamics of a certain $D$-brane configuration in string theory is described at weak t’Hooft coupling by a nonlocal version of the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model. We study this system at finite temperature and strong t’Hooft coupling, using the string theory dual. We show that for sufficiently low temperatures chiral symmetry is broken, while for temperatures larger then the critical value, it gets restored. We compute the latent heat and observe that the phase transition is of the first order.

• Received 3 May 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.111601