Exploring the phase structure of 12-flavor $SU(3)$

TL;DR

This study investigates the phase structure of 12-flavor SU(3) gauge theory, focusing on locating the endpoint of first-order phase transitions to better understand its phase diagram, using both unimproved and improved staggered fermions.

Contribution

The paper identifies the phase transition endpoint with high statistics on small lattices and explores effects of action improvement on phase behavior.

Findings

Located the phase transition endpoint with high statistics.

Analyzed effects of action improvement on phase symmetry.

Extended study to larger lattices and different fermion actions.

Abstract

We are studying the $SU(3)$ gauge theory with 12 staggered fermions, searching for the endpoint of the line of first-order phase transitions in the mass--beta plane. This endpoint plays an important role in our understanding of the phase diagram of this model. Having found this endpoint with high statistics on a small lattice using unimproved staggered fermions, we are working to find it on larger lattices and with improved actions. For an action improved with nHYP-smeared staggered fermions, we discuss the effect of slowly turning off the improvement on the broken shift symmetry phase.