Critical properties and monopoles in U(1) lattice gauge theory

We present a detailed study of the properties of the phase transition in the four-dimensional compact U(1) lattice gauge theory supplemented by a monopole term, for values of the monopole coupling $\lambda$ such that the transition is of second order. By a finite size analysis we show that at $\lambda= 0.9$ the critical exponent is already characteristic of a second-order transition. Moreover, we find that this exponent is definitely different from the one of the Gaussian case. We further observe that the monopole density becomes approximately constant in the second-order region. Finally we reveal the unexpected phenomenon that the phase transition persists up to very large values of $\lambda$, where the transition moves to (large) negative $\beta$.