A Quarkyonic Phase in Dense Two Color Matter?

TL;DR

This study investigates the phase structure of Two Color QCD with two flavors at finite chemical potential, providing evidence for a quarkyonic phase characterized by distinct transitions from hadronic to quark matter and from confined to deconfined states.

Contribution

First lattice simulation of Two Color QCD at finite chemical potential exploring the existence of a quarkyonic phase with multiple observables.

Findings

Transition from hadronic to quark matter occurs at a different chemical potential than the transition from confined to deconfined matter.

Evidence supports the presence of a quarkyonic phase in the model.

Results are consistent across two different lattice spacings.

Abstract

We present results from simulations of Two Color QCD with two Wilson quark flavors in the presence of a quark chemical potential mu at two different lattice spacings. The equation of state, conformal anomaly, superfluid order parameter and Polyakov line are all discussed. Our results suggest that the transition from hadronic to quark matter, and that from confined to deconfined matter occur at distinct values of mu, consistent with the existence of a quarkyonic phase in this model.