First-Order Signals in Compact QED with Monopole Suppressed Boundaries

Pure gauge compact QED on hypercubic lattices is considered with periodically closed monopole currents suppressed. We compute observables on sublattices which are nested around the centre of the lattice in order to locate regions where translation symmetry is approximately recovered. Our Monte Carlo simulations on $24^4$-lattices give indications for a first-order nature of the U(1) phase transition.