Phase diagram of strong interactions in an external magnetic field

TL;DR

This paper explores the phase diagram of strong interactions under an external magnetic field using a linear sigma model, revealing splitting of phase transition lines and linear behavior of the chiral condensate consistent with lattice data.

Contribution

It introduces a combined linear sigma model with quarks and Polyakov loop to analyze magnetic effects on the phase diagram of strong interactions.

Findings

Chiral and deconfinement lines can split in a magnetic field.

Chiral condensate shows approximately linear dependence on magnetic field.

Results align with lattice QCD data.

Abstract

We obtain the phase diagram of strong interactions in the presence of a magnetic field within the linear sigma model coupled to quarks and to the Polyakov loop, and show that the chiral and deconfinement lines can split. We also study the behavior of the chiral condensate in this magnetic environment and find an approximately linear dependence on the external field, in accordance with lattice data.