Properties of canonical fermion determinants with a fixed quark number

Using a dimensional reduction formula for the lattice fermion determinant we study canonical determinants on quenched SU(3) gauge configurations. The canonical determinants decribe a fixed quark number and we analyze their properties below and above the transition temperature. We find that above T_c the signatures of center symmetry breaking are very strongly manifest in the distribution of the canonical determinants in the complex plane. Also above T_c we observe a relative enhancement of canonical determinants with even quark numbers. This could indicate a pairing phenomenon of quarks in the deconfined phase