Domain Growth in Chiral Phase Transitions

TL;DR

This paper explores the dynamics of chiral phase transitions in quark matter, analyzing how the system evolves after a quench using microscopic and phenomenological models, revealing different coarsening mechanisms.

Contribution

It provides a comparative study of phase transition kinetics in quark matter using both NJL and Landau models, highlighting the mechanisms of spinodal decomposition and nucleation.

Findings

Identification of spinodal decomposition and nucleation as key mechanisms

Characterization of domain growth and morphology

Analysis of phase transition dynamics in quark matter

Abstract

We investigate the kinetics of chiral phase transitions in quark matter. We discuss the phase diagram of this system in both a microscopic framework (using the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model) and a phenomenological framework (using a Landau free energy). Then, we study the far-from-equilibrium coarsening dynamics subsequent to a quench from the chirally-symmetric phase to the massive quark phase. Depending on the nature of the quench, the system evolves via either {\it spinodal decomposition} or {\it nucleation and growth}. The morphology of the ordering system is characterized using the order-parameter correlation function, structure factor, domain growth laws, etc.