Employing Hamiltonian moments of SU(2) lattice gauge theory, with respect to the strong coupling vacuum, the matrix elements of the Lanczos tridiagonal form are written down from the plaquette expansion to order 1/${\mathit{N}}_{\mathit{p}}^2$ in the number of plaquettes, ${\mathit{N}}_{\mathit{p}}$. The consequences of this approximate tridiagonal form are studied by computing the vacuum energy density and the specific heat in the infinite lattice limit, for strong to weak coupling. The results at this order appear to reach beyond the strong to weak transition point at ${\mathit{g}}_{\mathit{c}}^2$≊2.0, as indicated by the peaking behavior of the specific heat, down to ${\mathit{g}}^2$≊ √2 .

• Received 28 December 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.50.2293