Phase diagram of two-flavor quark matter: Gluonic phase at nonzero temperature

TL;DR

This paper investigates the phase diagram of neutral two-flavor quark matter at nonzero temperature, focusing on the gluonic phase and phase transitions using a gauged NJL model.

Contribution

It provides a self-consistent computation of the gluonic phase free energy and explores phase transitions and the phase diagram in the coupling strength-temperature plane.

Findings

Identification of the gluonic phase as a stable state at certain conditions

Analysis of phase transition from gluonic phase to 2SC/g2SC/NQ phases

Discussion of mixed phases involving normal and 2SC quark matter

Abstract

The phase structure of neutral two-flavor quark matter at nonzero temperature is studied. Our analysis is performed within the framework of a gauged Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model and the mean-field approximation. We compute the free energy of the gluonic phase (gluonic cylindrical phase II) in a self-consistent manner and investigate the phase transition from the gluonic phase to the 2SC/g2SC/NQ phases. We briefly consider the phase diagram in the plane of coupling strength versus temperature and discuss the mixed phase consisting of the normal quark and 2SC phases.