Multiple critical point structure for chiral phase transition induced by charge neutrality and vector interaction

TL;DR

This paper explores how charge neutrality and vector interactions create multiple critical points in the chiral phase transition within a three-flavor NJL model, revealing complex phase structures.

Contribution

It demonstrates the existence of multiple chiral critical points in the NJL model influenced by vector interaction and diquark coupling, a novel insight into phase transition complexity.

Findings

Multiple chiral critical points can exist, ranging from zero to four.

The number of critical points depends on vector interaction strength.

Charge neutrality constraints significantly affect phase structure.

Abstract

The combined effect of the repulsive vector interaction and the positive electric chemical potential on the chiral phase transition is investigated by considering neutral color superconductivity. Under the charge-neutrality constraint, the chiral condensate, diquark condensate and quark number densities are obtained in two-plus-one-flavor Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model with the so called Kobayashi-Maskawa-'t Hooft term. We demonstrate that multiple chiral critical-point structures always exist in the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model within the self-consistent mean-field approximation, and that the number of chiral critical points can vary from zero to four, which is dependent on the magnitudes of vector interaction and the diquark coupling.