Is QGP really a liquid ?

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether quark-gluon plasma (QGP) behaves as a liquid or a strongly coupled plasma (SCP), concluding that QGP is largely SCP at high temperatures and may be a liquid near the critical temperature.

Contribution

It compares two phenomenological models, quasi-particle and strongly coupled QGP, to determine the nature of QGP based on lattice simulation results.

Findings

QGP is largely a strongly coupled plasma at temperatures above 1.5 T_c

Near the critical temperature, QGP may exhibit liquid-like behavior

Models successfully explain lattice QCD simulation results

Abstract

Here we address the question regarding the nature of quark gluon plasma (QGP), whether it is a liquid or strongly coupled plasma (SCP), using two different phenomenological models, namely quasi-particle model (qQGP) and strongly coupled quark gluon plasma (SCQGP). First we compare these two models, both of which explains the results of lattice simulation of quantum chromodynamics, as a function of plasma parameter and conclude that the QGP is largely ($T > 1.5 T_c$) SCQGP and only for $T < 1.5 T_c$ it may be a liquid.