Heavy Quarkonia beyond Deconfinement and Real Time Lattice Simulations

TL;DR

This paper derives a finite-temperature potential for heavy quarkonia using perturbation theory and explores the effects of temperature on quarkonium spectral functions, including non-perturbative corrections via lattice simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a first-principles derivation of the static potential at finite temperature and analyzes the impact of an imaginary component on quarkonium spectral functions.

Findings

Finite-temperature potential derived to leading order using resummed perturbation theory.

Imaginary part of the potential modifies the quarkonium spectral function.

Non-perturbative corrections estimated with real-time lattice techniques.

Abstract

Since the initial investigation by Matsui and Satz heavy quark bound states at finite temperature have been subject to numerous studies. The derivation of a finite-temperature potential from first principles was attempted only recently however, by generalising the Schroedinger equation which is successfully employed for the description of quarkonia at zero temperature to a thermal setting. In this note the finite-temperature static potential is derived to leading order using resummed perturbation theory. The modification of the heavy quarkonium spectral function by an imaginary part of the potential appearing at finite temperature is discussed. Additionally, the extent of possible corrections due to non-perturbative processes is assessed by employing real-time lattice techniques based on kinetic theory.