The QCD phase transition at high temperature and low density

TL;DR

This paper investigates how small quark chemical potentials affect the QCD phase transition at high temperature and low density, providing derivatives at zero chemical potential and analyzing the impact on the equation of state.

Contribution

It computes derivatives of the QCD phase transition point with respect to chemical potential for 2 and 3 flavors using lattice simulations, contrasting isoscalar and isovector cases.

Findings

Quantified the effect of chemical potential on the transition point.

Analyzed the impact on the equation of state.

Commented on screening effects and the fermion determinant phase.

Abstract

We study the thermal properties of QCD in the presence of a small quark chemical potential $\mu$. Derivatives of the phase transition point with respect to $\mu$ are computed at $\mu=0$ for 2 and 3 flavors of p-4 improved staggered fermions on a $16^3\times4$ lattice. Moreover we contrast the case of isoscalar and isovector chemical potentials, quantify the effect of $\mu\not=0$ on the equation of state, and comment on the screening effect by dynamical quarks and the complex phase of the fermion determinant in QCD with $\mu\not=0$.