Static quark anti-quark free and internal energy in 2-flavor QCD

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the free and internal energies of a heavy quark-antiquark pair are affected in a 2-flavor QCD thermal environment, examining string breaking and screening phenomena across the phase transition.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the behavior of quark-antiquark energies in 2-flavor QCD, including comparisons with the quenched approximation.

Findings

Observation of string breaking below the transition temperature

Analysis of screening effects above the transition

Comparison of 2-flavor and quenched QCD behaviors

Abstract

We study the change in free and internal energy due to the presence of a heavy quark anti-quark pair in a thermal heat bath in QCD with 2-flavors of staggered quarks at finite temperature. We discuss string breaking below as well as screening above the transition. Similarities and differences to the quenched case are discussed.