QCD thermodynamics with Wilson fermions

TL;DR

This paper explores QCD thermodynamics at finite temperature using Wilson fermions with improved actions, comparing results with staggered fermions and controlling discretization errors across multiple lattice spacings.

Contribution

It provides the first comparison of Wilson fermion results with staggered results at multiple lattice spacings in finite-temperature QCD.

Findings

Wilson results agree with staggered results at finest lattice spacing

Control over discretization errors achieved with multiple lattice spacings

First study fixing light quark masses heavier than physical values

Abstract

QCD is investigated at finite temperature using Wilson fermions in the fixed scale approach. A 2+1 flavor stout and clover improved action is used at four lattice spacings allowing for control over discretization errors. The light quark masses in this first study are fixed to heavier than physical values. The renormalized chiral condensate, quark number susceptibility and the Polyakov loop is measured and the results are compared with the staggered formulation in the fixed N_t approach. The Wilson results at the finest lattice spacing agree with the staggered results at the highest N_t.