On the phase structure of QCD in a finite volume

The chiral phase transition in QCD at finite chemical potential and temperature can be characterized for small chemical potential by its curvature and the transition temperature. The curvature is accessible to QCD lattice simulations, which are always performed at finite pion masses and in finite simulation volumes. We investigate the effect of a finite volume on the curvature of the chiral phase transition line. We use functional renormalization group methods with a two flavor quark-meson model to obtain the effective action in a finite volume, including both quark and meson fluctuation effects. Depending on the chosen boundary conditions and the pion mass, we find pronounced finite-volume effects. For periodic quark boundary conditions in spatial directions, we observe a decrease in the curvature in intermediate volume sizes, which we interpret in terms of finite-volume quark effects. Our results have implications for the phase structure of QCD in a finite volume, where the location of a possible critical endpoint might be shifted compared to the infinite-volume case.     

Pion properties at finite isospin chemical potential with isospin symmetry breaking

Pion properties at finite temperature, finite isospin and baryon chemical potentials are investigated within the SU(2) NJL model. In the mean field approximation for quarks and random phase approximation fpr mesons, we calculate the pion mass, the decay constant and the phase diagram with different quark masses for the u quark and d quark, related to QCD corrections, for the first time. Our results show an asymmetry between μI 0 and μI 0 in the phase diagram, and different values for the charged pion mass(or decay constant) and neutral pion mass(or decay constant) at finite temperature and finite isospin chemical potential. This is caused by the effect of isospin symmetry breaking, which is from different quark masses.     

Pion and σ-meson Properties in a Strong Magnetic Field

With the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model we calculate the properties of pion and σ-meson at finite temperature and finite magnetic field. The obtained temperature and magnetic field strength dependence of the constituent quark mass M, the pion and σ-meson masses and the neutral pion decay constant indicates that, in the simple four fermion interaction model, there exists the magnetic catalysis effect. It also shows that the Gell-Mann-Oakes-Renner relation is violated obviously with the increasing of the temperature, and the effect of the magnetic field becomes pronounced only around the critical temperature. The deviation of the critical temperatures obtained with different criteria indicates that the chiral phase transition driven by the temperature in the magnetic field strength region we have considered is in fact a crossover.     

Phase transitions in dense quark matter in a gravitational field of constant curvature

Abstact The impact of the gravitational field on the formation of quark and diquark condensate in the framework of the extended Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model is studied. In the mean field approximation, an expression for the effective potential with regard to a finite temperature and density of quark matter in the static gravitational field of constant curvature is obtained. Original Russian Text ? V.Ch. Zhukovsky, A.V. Tyukov, D. Ebert, 2007, published in Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Fizika, 2007, No. 3, pp. 68–70.     

Quark and pion condensation in a chromomagnetic background field

The general features of quark and pion condensation in dense quark matter with flavor asymmetry have been considered at finite temperature in the presence of a chromomagnetic background field modeling the gluon condensate. In particular, pion condensation in the case of a constant abelian chromomagnetic field and zero temperature has been studied both analytically and numerically. Under the influence of the chromomagnetic background field the effective potential of the system is found to have a global minimum for a finite pion condensate even for small values of the effective quark coupling constant. In the strong field limit, an effective dimensional reduction has been found to take place.     

Low energy theorems in a nonlocal chiral quark model at finite temperature

We solve the Dyson equation and the Bethe-Salpeter equation for a nonlocal effective quark interaction kernel which is instantaneous and separable. The momentum-dependent dynamical quark mass, the scalar and pseudoscalar meson masses, the pion decay constant and the quark meson coupling constant are calculated at finite temperature in the Hartree approximation for the quark self energy. We obtain relations between these quantities, which coincide to leading order in the current quark mass (m ₀/Δm) with the basic low energy theorems: the Goldstone theorem, the Gell-Mann-Oakes-Renner relation and the Goldberger-Treimann relation at finite temperature. A formula for the σ?π mass gap is obtained which exhibits an additional contribution from the momentum dependence of the quark mass.     

Meson screening mass in a strongly coupled pion superfluid

We calculate the meson screening mass in a pion superfluid in the framework of Nambu–Jona-Lasinio model. The minimum of the attractive quark potential is always located at the phase boundary of pion superfluid. Different from the temperature and baryon density effect, the potential at finite isospin density cannot be efficiently suppressed and the matter is always in a strongly coupled phase due to the Goldstone mode in the pion superfluid.     

On the scaling behavior of the chiral phase transition in QCD in finite and infinite volume

We study the scaling behavior of the two-flavor chiral phase transition using an effective quark–meson model. We investigate the transition between infinite-volume and finite-volume scaling behavior when the system is placed in a finite box. We can estimate effects that the finite volume and the explicit symmetry breaking by the current quark masses have on the scaling behavior which is observed in full QCD lattice simulations. The model allows us to explore large quark masses as well as the chiral limit in a wide range of volumes, and extract information about the scaling regimes. In particular, we find large scaling deviations for physical pion masses and significant finite-volume effects for pion masses that are used in current lattice simulations.     

Pion condensation in a medium with massive quarks in an external spherically symmetrical non-Abelian chromomagnetic field

We consider pion condensation in a flavor asymmetric quark medium with massive quarks in the external spherically symmetric non-Abelian chromomagnetic field. It is shown that the external field is a catalyzing factor for the occurrence of pion condensation, while the finite quark masses prevent the emergence of this phenomenon.     

Remarks on the Idea of Spontaneous Break-Down of Symmetry,Cosmic Variability of Eddington's Number,Mach's Idea Concering the Origin of Inertia,and Field Equations Describing Global and Local Gravitational Fields

Subject is considered on the level of classical field theory. We start from some aspects of the theory of ferromagnets. Their counterpart in classical field theory is pointed out using the over simplified model of a selfinteracting scalar field. The ground state (“vacuum expection value”) of the scalar field is interpreted as cosmic background field, which can be considered as constant for local physical phenomena. In practice, however, it is a function of the age of universe. Which kind of function it could be is suggested by a discussion of the cosmic variability of Eddington's number γ = 10⁴⁰, which refers to Dirac's consideration of this problem. But contrary to Dirac's assumption that atomic quantities are constant, we suppose that the inertial mass of elementary particles is a function of the age of universe. The cosmic gravitational field is described by other equations than the gravitational field created by local matter distributions. The field equations for the local gravitational field we start from reduce to Einstein's equations, if we neglect the possible influence of the universe on local phenomena. In case that the cosmic matter is homogeneously and isotropically distributed, the field equations for the cosmic gravitational field permit only such a time dependent solution the three-spaces of which are linearly expanding and spherically closed. The different field equations for cosmic and local gravitational fields are considered approximations of more fundamental field equations which approximately split into two sets of equations, if it is possible to contrast local physical systems with the universe. The described cosmological model taken as a basis, the inertial mass of elementary particles becomes a function of the matter density creating the cosmic gravitational field. This could be considered as, at least, partly realisation of Mach's idea concerning the origin of inertia. Starting from the interpretation of the ground state (vacuum expection value) as a function of a certain cosmic background field, more realistic gage field models could give the following picture of cosmic development: In the far past there was a state of the universe characterized by enormous contraction of matter. In this stage of development, it was impossible to contrast particles with the universe. Matter expands and it becomes possible to contrast certain physical systems with the universe. But the ground state is such a symmetric one that only fields with vanishing rest mass can be contrasted with the universe (ferromagnet above Curie temperature). With further expansion of the universe the ground state will lose certain symmetry properties. By this it becomes possible that you get the impression there are particles with nonvanishing rest mass (ferromagnet below Curie temperature). Finally, the influence of the universe on local physical systems goes to zero with further expansion. Especially, this means the inertial mass of elementary particles goes to zero, too (Curie temperature of ferromagnetic material goes to zero with cosmic expansion).     

The equation of state of quarks and mesons in a renormalization group flow picture

Non-perturbative flow equations within an effective linear sigma model coupled to constituent quarks for two quark flavours are derived and solved. A heat kernel regularization is employed for a renormalization group improved effective potential. We determine the initial values of the coupling constants in the effective potential at zero temperature. Solving the evolution equations with the same initial values at finite temperature in the chiral limit, we find a second-order phase transition at T_c≈150 MeV. Due to the smooth decoupling of massive modes, we can directly link the low-temperature four-dimensional theory to the three-dimensional high-temperature theory. We calculate the equation of state in the chiral limit and for finite pion masses and determine universal critical exponents.     

Einstein gravity as spontaneously broken Weyl gravity

We study the locally conformal invariant Weyl theory of gravitation and introduce a conformally coupled scalar field. Einstein gravity is induced by spontaneous breaking of the local conformal symmetry in an effective long range approximation. The effective potential for the scalar field is calculated at the one-loop level up to curvature squared in order in an arbitrary curved background. The non-zero vacuum expectation value of the scalar field induces the dimensional Einstein's gravitational coupling constant stably in case ofR > 0. ForR < 0, the phase transition occurs from the symmetric phase to the broken phase as the curvature decreases. This theory may be an attractive candidate for the primordial inflationary universe scenario.     

Chiral symmetry breaking and pion properties at finite temperatures

Spontaneous and explicit chiral symmetry breaking is analyzed in Coulomb gauge QCD at finite temperatures, using an instantaneous approximation for the quark interaction and incorporating confinement through a running coupling constant. The thermodynamics of the quarks is treated approximatively by assuming that the momentum-dependent constituent quark mass sets the scale for thermodynamic fluctuations of colour singlet excitations. We investigate the class of a temperature independent and a temperature dependent interaction between quarks. In the chiral limit both temperature independent and a smooth temperature dependent interaction yields a second order chiral phase transition with critical exponents close to the values for a BCS super-conductor. For explicit chiral symmetry breaking we find a nearly constant pion mass below the transition temperature, but a strongly overdamped mode above. For a first order deconfining transition in the gluonic sector also the quark sector shows a first order chiral phase transition. The relevance of our results for relativistic heavy ion collisions is briefly discussed.     

Chiral symmtry of Wilson fermions at finite temperature

Chiral properties of Wilson fermions at finite temperature are investigated by numerical methods. We show that when the quark mass is properly defined, for a given β and K (hopping parameter), its value is independent of whether the system is in the high-temperature phase or in the low-temperature phase. The temperature dependence of the pion screening mass at the chiral limit where the quark mass vanishes is consistent with the physical picture that the spontaneously broken chiral symmetry is recovered at T = T_c.     

No-go theorem for critical phenomena in large-N(c) QCD

We derive some rigorous results on the chiral phase transition in QCD and QCD-like theories with a large number of colors, N(c), based on the QCD inequalities and the large-N(c) orbifold equivalence. We show that critical phenomena and associated soft modes are forbidden in flavor-symmetric QCD at finite temperature T and finite but not so large quark chemical potential μ for any nonzero quark mass. In particular, the critical point in QCD at a finite baryon chemical potential μ(B)=N(c)μ is ruled out, if the coordinate (T, μ) is outside the pion condensed phase in the corresponding phase diagram of QCD at a finite isospin chemical potential μ(I)=2μ.     

On the possibility of P-violation at finite baryon-number densities

We show how the introduction of a finite baryon density may trigger spontaneous parity violation in the hadronic phase of QCD. Since this involves strong interaction physics in an intermediate energy range we approximate QCD by a σ model that retains the two lowest scalar and pseudoscalar multiplets. We propose a novel mechanism based on interplay between lightest and heavy meson states which cannot be realized solely in the Goldstone boson (pion) sector and thereby is unrelated to the one advocated by Migdal some time ago. Our approach is relevant for dense matter in an intermediate regime of few nuclear densities where quark percolation does not yet play a significant role.