Static quark free energies at finite temperature

TL;DR

This paper investigates the static quark free energies near the transition temperature in QCD with 2+1 flavors, using lattice simulations to extrapolate results to the continuum limit.

Contribution

It provides continuum-extrapolated static quark free energies at finite temperature with physical quark masses using multiple lattice spacings.

Findings

Free energies are determined around the transition temperature.

Results are extrapolated to the continuum limit.

Simulations use multiple lattice sizes with physical quark masses.

Abstract

We determine the static quark free energies around the transition temperature using 2+1 flavors of staggered fermions. Simulations are carried out on N_t=4,6,8 and 10 lattices using physical quark masses. The free energies extracted from Polyakov-loop correlators are extrapolated to the continuum limit.