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arXiv · 1909.06147

Gauge-invariant condensation in the nonequilibrium quark-gluon plasma

Abstract

The large density of gluons, which is present shortly after a nuclear collision at very high energies, can lead to the formation of a condensate. We identify a gauge-invariant order parameter for condensation based on elementary non-perturbative excitations of the plasma, which are described by spatial Wilson loops. Using real-time lattice simulations, we demonstrate that a self-similar transport process towards low momenta builds up a macroscopic zero mode. Our findings reveal intriguing similarities to recent discoveries of condensation phenomena out of equilibrium in table-top experiments with ultracold Bose gases.

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Jürgen Berges, Kirill Boguslavski, Mark Mace, Jan M. Pawlowski. 2019-09-13. Gauge-invariant condensation in the nonequilibrium quark-gluon plasma. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.102.034014

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