The quark propagators of QCD and QCD-like theories

TL;DR

This paper compares the phase structures of QCD-like theories with different gauge groups, analyzing their chiral and confinement transitions at various chemical potentials to understand their similarities and differences.

Contribution

It provides the first lattice-based analysis of phase transitions in theories with gauge groups other than SU(3) at non-zero chemical potential.

Findings

All three theories show similar qualitative behavior.

The critical point where the chiral crossover turns into a phase transition is located.

The study extends understanding of QCD-like theories at finite density.

Abstract

We investigate the phase structures of theories which differ from QCD only in the gauge group and can be simulated on the lattice at non-vanishing chemical potential $\mu$. These theories can thus serve as testing ground for functional methods at non-vanishing density. We determine the chiral and confinement/deconfinement transitions at $\mu=0$ for the three gauge groups $SU(3)$, $SU(2)$ and $G_2$ for two quark flavors and extend the study of the chiral transition to non-zero $\mu$. We locate the critical point where the chiral crossover becomes a real phase transition. Within the employed truncation, we find that all three theories behave qualitatively very similarly.