QCD phase diagram from the lattice at strong coupling

TL;DR

This paper explores the QCD phase diagram at strong coupling using lattice methods, identifying a tricritical point and discussing its relation to continuum QCD, with gauge corrections considered.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the phase diagram in the strong coupling limit, including gauge corrections and the potential connection to continuum QCD tricritical points.

Findings

Identification of a tricritical point in the strong coupling phase diagram

Gauge corrections modify the phase boundary

Possible connection between strong coupling and continuum tricritical points

Abstract

The phase diagram of lattice QCD in the strong coupling limit can be measured in the full $\mu$-$T$ plane, also in the chiral limit. In particular, the phase diagram in the chiral limit features a tricritical point at some $(\mu_c,T_c)$. This point may be related to the critical end point expected in the QCD phase diagram. We discuss the gauge corrections to the phase diagram at strong coupling and compare our findings with various possible scenarios in continuum QCD. We comment on the possibility that the tricritical point at strong coupling is connected to the tricritical point in the continuum, massless QCD.