Pion condensation of quark matter in the static Einstein universe

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the static Einstein universe's gravitational field influences pion condensation in quark matter, revealing oscillatory thermodynamic behavior and the impact of curvature on phase transitions.

Contribution

It provides an exact analysis of gravitational effects on quark and pion condensates within an extended Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model, highlighting the role of curvature in phase structure.

Findings

Oscillations of thermodynamic quantities with curvature

Similarity between curvature and temperature effects

Quantum fluctuations affect symmetry breaking

Abstract

In the framework of an extended Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model we are studying pion condensation in quark matter with an asymmetric isospin composition in a gravitational field of the static Einstein universe at finite temperature and chemical potential. This particular choice of the gravitational field configuration enables us to investigate phase transitions of the system with exact consideration of the role of this field in the formation of quark and pion condensates and to point out its influence on the phase portraits. We demonstrate the effect of oscillations of the thermodynamic quantities as functions of the curvature and also refer to a certain similarity between the behavior of these quantities as functions of curvature and finite temperature. Finally, the role of quantum fluctuations for spontaneous symmetry breaking in the case of a finite volume of the universe is shortly discussed.