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arXiv · 0808.0672

Status of Lattice Studies of the QCD Phase Diagram

Owe Philipsen
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Abstract

Determining the QCD phase diagram is a pressing task in view of its relevance for nuclear and astro-particle physics programmes. We review the current status of lattice calculations of the phase diagram in the (T,μ_B)-plane for baryon chemical potentials μ_B < 500 MeV. At μ_B=0, simulations of staggered fermion actions predict the quark hadron transition to be a crossover in the continuum limit. As a baryon chemical potential is turned on, there is mounting evidence on coarse lattices for the crossover to weaken, rather than turning into a true phase transition at a critical point, as predicted by earlier simulations.

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Owe Philipsen. 2008-08-05. Status of Lattice Studies of the QCD Phase Diagram. https://doi.org/10.1143/ptps.174.206

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