Sigma mesonic mode near the QCD critical point

Properties of the QCD critical point, an endpoint of the first order boundary line in the temperature T–baryochemical potential μ _B plane, are discussed with the Nambu–Jona-Lasinio model. It is demonstrated that the softening of the sigma mesonic mode is inherent to the crossover transition of the chiral symmetry while the spectral enhancement of the particle–hole mode near zero frequency is associated with the QCD critical point. Phenomenological implications in heavy-ion experiments are mentioned briefly.     

Physical mechanism of the (tri)critical point generation

We discuss some ideas resulting from a phenomenological relation recently declared between the tension of string connecting the static quark-antiquark pair and surface tension of corresponding cylindrical bag. This relation analysis leads to the temperature of vanishing surface tension coefficient of the QGP bags at zero baryonic charge density as T _?? = 152.9 ± 4.5 MeV. We develop the view point that this temperature value is not a fortuitous coincidence with the temperature of (partial) chiral symmetry restoration as seen in the lattice QCD simulations. Besides, we argue that T _?? defines the QCD (tri)critical endpoint temperature and claim that a negative value of surface tension coefficient recently discovered is not a sole result but is quite familiar for ordinary liquids at the supercritical temperatures.     

Dyson-Schwinger approach to color superconductivity at finite temperature and density

We investigate the phases of dense QCD matter at finite temperature with Dyson-Schwinger equations for the quark propagator for N _f = 2 + 1 flavors. For the gluon propagator we take a fit to quenched lattice data and add quark-loop effects perturbatively in a hard-thermal-loop-hard-dense-loop approximation. We consider 2SC and CFL-like pairing with chiral up and down quarks and massive strange quarks and present results for the condensates and the phase diagram. We find a dominant CFL phase at chemical potentials larger than 500-600MeV. At lower values of the chemical potential we find a 2SC phase, which also exists in a small band at higher temperatures for larger chemical potentials. With values of 20–30 MeV, the critical temperatures to the normal phase turn out to be quite small.     

A Model Study of the Chiral Phase Diagram of QCD

In this paper we study the chiral phase transition of QCD at finite temperature and density by using the rank-2 confining separable gluon propagator model in the framework of Dyson–Schwinger Equations. The critical end point is located at (T _CEP , μ _CEP ) = (69, 270.3 MeV). It is also found that the first order phase transition might not end at one point, but experiences a two-phase coexisting meta-stable state. A comparison with the results in the previous literature is given.     

Holographic model at finite temperature with R-charge density

We consider a holographic model of QCD at finite temperature with nonzero chemical potentials conjugate to R-charge densities. A critical surface of the confinement–deconfinement phase transition is shown for five-dimensional charged black hole solution given by Behrndt, Cvetič and Sabra. On a special section of the parameter space, we find a critical curve being similar to the one expected in QCD. We calculate meson spectra and decay constants in the confinement phase of this section to see their temperature and chemical potential dependences. We could assure generalized Gell-Mann–Oakes–Renner relation and the reduction of pion velocity near the critical point.     

The spectrum of hot hadronic matter and finite-temperature QCD sum rules

The sum rules method, which is widely used for the investigation of the resonance physics within the QCD framework, is generalized to the case of finite temperatures and densities. Conditions are formulated under which this method is quite efficient for the determination of the spectrum of hadronic matter at T ≠ 0. The finite-temperature QCD sum rules are analysed in the vector channel J^PC = 1⁻⁻. Sharp and qualitative changes in the spectrum are found in the temperature interval T = 130–150 MeV. It is naturally explained as a consequence of the disappearance of confinement at the temperature T_c = 140±10 MeV. The finite-temperature QCD sum rules also show that the restoration of chiral symmetry at some temperature T_F cannot precede deconfinement. In the case T_F⪢T_c the sum rules indicate that the intermediate phase at T_c<T<T_F is dominated by quasi-free quarks with nonzero dynamical mass m_q^T ≈ 300 MeV.     

The quark-nucleon phase diagram and quantum chromodynamics

The temperature dependence of a conjectured first-order phase transition between nuclear matter and quark-gluon matter is calculated for temperatures below T = 200 MeV. On the nuclear side a rather successful meson-nucleon mean field theory is applied while quark-gluon matter at large densities and finite temperatures is described perturbatively by quantum chromodynamics. Outside the finite volume of hot and dense quark-gluon matter the physical vacuum is characterized, by the newly determined bag parameter Λ_B = 235 MeV. We observe a dramatic drop in the density of nuclear matter at the phase transition point as the temperature increases, if the scale parameter Λ of QCD is chosen as Λ = 100 MeV. For larger values of Λ the effect is less pronounced. Further work is required to settle this problem.     

ICPAQGP2001: Conference summary

I review recent progress in ultrarelativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions, and the connection of this field to modern QCD theory of deconfinement and/or chiral symmetry restoration. The talks at this Conference have shown a convergence of data and theory as far as the CERN SPS investigations at √s = 17 GeV are concerned; the parton-hadron phase boundary seems now located atT = 170 ± 10 MeV. New data from RHIC and direct photon production results from CERN have been shown that point out the field’s future direction: analysis of partonic matter atT > 200 MeV. Astrophysics analysis was shown to be linked crucially to further theoretical progress with non-perturbative QCD.     

Dynamical chiral-symmetry breaking at T = 0 and T ≠ 0 in the Schwinger-Dyson equation with lattice QCD data

Dynamical chiral-symmetry breaking (DCSB) in QCD is investigated in the Schwinger-Dyson (SD) formalism based on lattice QCD data. From the quenched lattice data for the quark propagator in the Landau gauge, we extract the SD integral kernel function, the product of the quark-gluon vertex and the polarization factor in the gluon propagator, in an Ansatz-independent manner. We find that the SD kernel function exhibits the characteristic behavior of nonperturbative physics, such as infrared vanishing and strong enhancement at the intermediate-energy region around p 0.6GeV. The infrared and intermediate energy region (0.4GeV < p < 1.5GeV) is found to be most relevant for DCSB from analysis on the relation between the SD kernel and the quark mass function. We apply the lattice-QCD-based SD equation to thermal QCD, and calculate the quark mass function at the finite temperature. Spontaneously broken chiral symmetry is found to be restored at high temperature above 110 MeV.     

Magnetic charge,black holes,and cosmic censorship

The possibility of converting a Reissner-Nordström black hole into a naked singularity by means of test particle accretion is considered. The dually charged Reissner-Nordström metric describes a black hole only when M² > Q³ + P². The test particle equations of motion are shown to allow test particles with arbitrarily large magnetic charge/mass ratios to fall radially into electrically charged black holes. To determine the nature of the final state (black hole or naked singularity) an exact solution of Einstein's equations representing a spherical shell of magnetically charged dust falling into an electrically charged black hole is studied. Naked singularities are never formed so long as the weak energy condition is obeyed by the infalling matter. The differences between the spherical shell model and an infalling point test particle are examined and discussed.     

A new class of exact hairy black hole solutions

We present a new class of black hole solutions with a minimally coupled scalar field in the presence of a negative cosmological constant. We consider an one-parameter family of self-interaction potentials parametrized by a dimensionless parameter g. When g = 0, we recover the conformally invariant solution of the Martinez–Troncoso–Zanelli (MTZ) black hole. A non-vanishing g signals the departure from conformal invariance. Thermodynamically, there is a critical temperature at vanishing black hole mass, where a higher-order phase transition occurs, as in the case of the MTZ black hole. Additionally, we obtain a branch of hairy solutions which undergo a first-order phase transition at a second critical temperature which depends on g and it is higher than the MTZ critical temperature. As g → 0, this second critical temperature diverges.     

Coexistence of color superconductivity and chiral symmetry breaking within the NJL model

The phase diagram for quark matter is investigated within a simple Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model without vector correlations. It is found that the phase structure in the temperature-density plane depends sensitively on the parametrization of the model. We present two schemes of parametrization of the model where, within the first one, a first-order phase transition from a phase with broken chiral symmetry to a color superconducting phase for temperatures below the triple point at T _t = 55 MeV occurs, whereas for the second one a second-order phase transition for temperatures below T _t = 7 MeV is found. In the latter case, there is also a coexistence phase of broken chiral symmetry with color superconductivity, which is a new finding within this class of models. Possible consequences for the phenomenology of the QCD phase transition at high baryon densities are discussed. Received: 3 January 2003 / Accepted: 21 February 2003 / Published online: 24 April 2003     

Phase diagrams in nonlocal Polyakov-Nambu-Jona-Lasinio models constrained by lattice QCD results

Based on lattice QCD-adjusted SU(2)f nonlocal Polyakov-Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (PNJL) models, we investigate how the location of the critical endpoint in the QCD phase diagram depends on the strenght of the vector meson coupling, as well as the Polyakov-loop (PL) potential and the form factors of the covariant model. The latter are constrained by lattice QCD data for the quark propagator. The strength of the vector coupling is adjusted such as to reproduce the slope of the pseudocritical temperature for the chiral phase transition at low chemical potential extracted recently from lattice QCD simulations. Our study supports the existence of a critical endpoint in the QCD phase diagram albeit the constraint for the vector coupling shifts its location to lower temperatures and higher baryochemical potentials than in the case without it.     

Chiral and deconfinement phase transitions of two-flavour QCD at finite temperature and chemical potential

We present results for the chiral and deconfinement transition of two flavor QCD at finite temperature and chemical potential. To this end we study the quark condensate and its dual, the dressed Polyakov loop, with functional methods using a set of Dyson-Schwinger equations. The quark propagator is determined self-consistently within a truncation scheme including temperature and in-medium effects of the gluon propagator. For the chiral transition we find a crossover turning into a first order transition at a critical endpoint at large quark chemical potential, μEP/TEP≈3. For the deconfinement transition we find a pseudo-critical temperature above the chiral transition in the crossover region but coinciding transition temperatures close to the critical endpoint.     

Quasi-normal Modes of AdS5 Black Hole at $\mathcal{N}=2$ Supergravity

In this paper we consider the AdS ₅ black hole at the \(\mathcal{N}=2\) supergravity background. By using the AdS/CFT correspondence we discuss about the quasi-normal modes of the scalar field in the black hole, which is dual of the scalar glueballs spectrum on the boundary. We obtain phase transition conditions from stable to unstable theory, which interpreted as confinement and deconfinement states in the QCD. We obtain the specific heat in terms of the temperature and charge of black hole, we find the temperature where the black hole is stable. Also we rewrite the equation of motion in the Schrödinger form and discuss the effective potential.     

THERMOSTATIC PROPERTIES OF NUCLEAR MATTER IN A SATURATING CHIRAL BREAKING FIELD THEORY

The saturating chiral breaking field theory are used to study thermostatic properties of nuclear matter for different regions of temperature in the framework of mean-field theory.The results given by Chowdhury et al.are improved and developed.By using the numerical integration for the Fermi integral,we find the low temperature approximation taken by Chowdhury et al.to be valid only when βμ_eff>2.4.The critical temperature T_c for the liquid-gas phase transition is obtained to be about 23MeV and the phase transition of the nucleon-antinucleon plasma is found in the range from T=150MeV to T=200MeV.     

Meson screening masses from lattice QCD with two light quarks and one strange quark

We present results for screening masses of mesons built from light and strange quarks in the temperature range of approximately between 140 MeV to 800 MeV. The lattice computations were performed with 2+1 dynamical light and strange flavors of improved (p4) staggered fermions along a line of constant physics defined by a pion mass of about 220 MeV and a kaon mass of 500 MeV. The lattices had temporal extents N _τ =4, 6 and 8 and aspect ratios of N _s /N _τ ≥4. At least up to a temperature of 140 MeV the pseudo-scalar screening mass remains almost equal to the corresponding zero temperature pseudo-scalar (pole) mass. At temperatures around 3T _c (T _c being the transition temperature) the continuum extrapolated pseudo-scalar screening mass approaches very close to the free continuum result of 2πT from below. On the other hand, at high temperatures the vector screening mass turns out to be larger than the free continuum value of 2πT. The pseudo-scalar and the vector screening masses do not become degenerate even for a temperature as high as 4T _c . Using these mesonic spatial correlation functions we have also investigated the restoration of chiral symmetry and the effective restoration of the axial symmetry. We have found that the vector and the axial-vector screening correlators become degenerate, indicating chiral symmetry restoration, at a temperature which is consistent with the QCD transition temperature obtained in previous studies. On the other hand, the pseudo-scalar and the scalar screening correlators become degenerate only at temperatures larger than 1.3T _c , indicating that the effective restoration of the axial symmetry takes place at a temperature larger than the QCD transition temperature.     

Spontaneous P-violation in QCD in extreme conditions

We investigate the possibility of parity being spontaneously violated in QCD at finite baryon density and temperature. QCD is approximated by a generalized σ model with two isomultiplets of scalars and pseudoscalars. The interaction with the chemical potential is introduced via the coupling to constituent quark fields as nucleons are not considered as point-like degrees of freedom in our approach. This mechanism of parity violation is based on interplay between lightest and heavier degrees of freedom and it cannot be understood in simple models retaining the pion and nucleon sectors solely. We argue that, in the appropriate environment (dense and hot nuclear matter of a few normal densities and moderate temperatures), parity violation may be the rule rather than the exception and its occurrence is well compatible with the existence of stable bound state of normal nuclear matter. We prove that the so-called ‘chiral collapse’ never takes place for the parameter region supporting spontaneous parity violation.