Phase diagram of QCD with four quark flavors at finite temperature and baryon density

TL;DR

This paper maps the phase diagram of four-flavor QCD at finite temperature and baryon density, revealing a first order transition line and extending previous results to lower temperatures and higher chemical potentials.

Contribution

We introduce a new method to analyze the QCD phase diagram, extending the accessible region to lower temperatures and higher chemical potentials.

Findings

Identified a first order transition line in the (mu, T) plane.

Results align with existing methods in overlapping regions.

Extended the phase diagram analysis to previously inaccessible regions.

Abstract

We analyze the phase diagram of QCD with four staggered flavors in the (mu, T) plane using a method recently proposed by us. We explore the region T > 0.7 Tc and mu <1.4 Tc, where Tc is the transition temperature at zero baryon density, and find a first order transition line. Our results are quantitatively compatible with those obtained with the imaginary chemical potential approach and the double reweighting method, in the region where these approaches are reliable, T > 0.9 Tc and mu < Tc. But, in addition, our method allows us to extend the transition line to lower temperatures and higher chemical potentials.