Phase diagram and critical properties in the Polyakov--Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model

TL;DR

This paper explores the phase diagram of the Polyakov--Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model at finite temperature and chemical potential, analyzing chiral and deconfinement transitions, and examining the behavior of the critical end point under varying flavor-mixing interactions.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the phase diagram and critical properties of the PNJL model with three quark flavors, including the impact of flavor-mixing strength on the critical end point.

Findings

Critical end point shifts to lower temperatures with weaker flavor-mixing.

Chiral and deconfinement transitions are characterized and compared.

Results align with thermodynamic expectations and lattice data.

Abstract

We investigate the phase diagram of the so-called Polyakov--Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model at finite temperature and nonzero chemical potential with three quark flavours. Chiral and deconfinement phase transitions are discussed, and the relevant order-like parameters are analyzed. The results are compared with simple thermodynamic expectations and lattice data. A special attention is payed to the critical end point: as the strength of the flavour-mixing interaction becomes weaker, the critical end point moves to low temperatures and can even disappear.