The curvature of the QCD phase transition line

TL;DR

This paper investigates the curvature of the QCD phase transition line in the mu-T plane by analyzing various observables and their derivatives, using lattice QCD simulations with improved actions and physical quark masses.

Contribution

It provides a detailed lattice QCD determination of the phase transition line curvature using multiple observables and improved computational techniques.

Findings

Determined the curvature of the QCD phase transition line.

Analyzed Polyakov loop, quark susceptibilities, and chiral condensate susceptibility.

Performed simulations on multiple lattice sizes with improved actions.

Abstract

We determine the curvature of the phase transition line in the mu-T plane through an analysis of various observables, including the Polyakov loop, the quark number susceptibilities and the susceptibility of the chiral condensate. The second derivative of these quantities with respect to mu was calculated. The measurements were carried out on N_T = 4,6,8 and 10 lattices generated with a Symanzik improved gauge and stout-link improved 2+1 flavour staggered fermion action using physical quark masses.