Finite-temperature critical point of heavy-quark QCD on large lattices

TL;DR

This study investigates the finite-temperature critical point of heavy-quark QCD using large lattice simulations, employing advanced methods to improve accuracy and perform continuum extrapolation.

Contribution

The paper extends previous work by performing high-precision simulations on larger lattices at multiple temporal extents and introduces a method to incorporate high-order terms in the hopping parameter expansion.

Findings

Determined the critical point with high precision on large lattices.

Confirmed the reliability of the expansion method for large volumes.

Attempted a preliminary continuum extrapolation of the critical point.

Abstract

We study the finite-temperature critical point of QCD in the heavy-quark region by a scaling study of the Binder cumulant on large lattices. Extending our previous study at $N_t=4$, we perform simulations on $N_t=6$ and 8 lattices with spatial volumes up to the aspect ratio $LT=N_s/N_t=18$ and 15 ($N_s=108$ and 120), respectively, to determine the critical point in the thermodynamic limit with a high precision. To enable simulations with large spatial volumes, we adopt the hopping parameter expansion combined with a method to effectively incorporate high order terms of the expansion. The reliability of the method is confirmed by examining the effect of high order terms. Using the results of the critical point at $N_t=4$, 6, and 8, we also attempt a preliminary continuum extrapolation of the critical point in physical units.