Analytic continuation of the critical line: suggestions for QCD

TL;DR

This paper investigates the systematic uncertainties in analytically continuing the critical line from imaginary to real chemical potential in QCD-like theories, providing insights potentially applicable to real QCD at finite density.

Contribution

It offers a numerical analysis of the effects and challenges in analytically continuing the critical line in theories without the sign problem, informing approaches for real QCD.

Findings

Systematic effects identified in analytic continuation process

Results obtained in two-color QCD and QCD with isospin chemical potential

Insights applicable to real QCD at finite baryonic density

Abstract

We perform a numerical study of the systematic effects involved in the determination of the critical line at real baryonic chemical potential by analytic continuation from results obtained at imaginary chemical potentials. We present results obtained in theories free of the sign problem, such as two-color QCD with finite baryonic density and three-color QCD with finite isospin chemical potential, and comment on general features which could be relevant also to the continuation of the critical line in real QCD at finite baryonic density.