Nuclear Physics from lattice QCD at strong coupling

TL;DR

This paper investigates the phase diagram and nuclear matter properties of lattice QCD at strong coupling, revealing a strongly bound dense phase and calculating nuclear masses up to carbon.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive phase diagram and nuclear mass calculations in the strong coupling limit of lattice QCD with massless quarks.

Findings

Identified a tricritical point in the phase diagram.

Measured the nuclear potential and confirmed strong binding.

Calculated nuclear masses up to atomic number 12.

Abstract

We study numerically the strong coupling limit of lattice QCD with one flavor of massless staggered quarks. We determine the complete phase diagram as a function of temperature and chemical potential, including a tricritical point. We clarify the nature of the low temperature dense phase, which is strongly bound nuclear matter. This strong binding is explained by the nuclear potential, which we measure. Finally, we determine, from this first-principle limiting case of QCD, the masses of atomic nuclei up to A=12 "carbon".