On the phase diagram of QCD at finite isospin density

TL;DR

This paper explores the phase diagram of eight-flavour QCD at finite isospin density, revealing the interplay between pion Bose condensation and deconfinement, and identifying a critical point at finite density.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed study of the QCD phase diagram at finite isospin density using a canonical formalism on a small lattice.

Findings

Bose condensation of pions occurs at high isospin density

Deconfinement transition appears to end at a critical point at finite density

The study discusses the impact of sign and overlap problems

Abstract

Using a canonical formalism, we determine the equation of state and the phase diagram of eight-flavour QCD, as a function of temperature and isospin density. Two mechanisms are at work: Bose condensation of pions at high density, and deconfinement at high temperature. We study their interplay and find that on our small and coarse lattice the first order deconfinement transition appears to end at a critical point at finite density. We investigate the strength of the overlap and of the sign problems and discuss implications for the baryonic density case.