# Universality regained: Kibble-Zurek dynamics, off-equilibrium scaling and the search for the QCD critical point

## TL;DR

This paper extends the Kibble-Zurek framework to analyze non-equilibrium critical cumulants near the QCD critical point, proposing universal scaling functions to aid in experimental searches for the critical point.

## Contribution

It introduces a generalized off-equilibrium scaling approach for QCD critical phenomena, providing model-independent tools for critical point detection.

## Key findings

- Off-equilibrium critical cumulants follow universal scaling functions.
- The framework offers guidance for experimental searches for the QCD critical point.
- Universal behavior can be used to distinguish critical signals in heavy-ion collisions.

## Abstract

We generalize and apply the key elements of the Kibble-Zurek framework of nonequilibrium phase transitions to study the non-equilibrium critical cumulants near the QCD critical point. We demonstrate the off-equilibrium critical cumulants are expressible as universal scaling functions. We discuss how to use off-equilibrium scaling to provide powerful model-independent guidance in searches for the QCD critical point.