arXiv subjects

Claudia Ratti

Publications and source records attributed to Claudia Ratti.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2026

Chemical potential differentials in the QCD phase diagram from heavy-ion isobar collisions

Temperature and baryon, charge, and strangeness chemical potentials characterize QCD matter under extreme conditions. Differences between these chemical potentials and their ratios probe conserved-charge correlations and the system's response in the multidimensional QCD phase diagram. We extract these quantities from STAR Ru+Ru and Zr+Zr isobar collisions using a Bayesian thermal analysis of hadron yields, which substantially reduces systematic uncertainties, and compare them with Taylor-expanded lattice-QCD and Chiral Mean Field model predictions. Isobar collisions thus emerge as a precision probe of four-dimensional QCD thermodynamics.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2026

Merging multidimensional equations of state of strongly interacting matter via a statistical mixture

We introduce a general method to merge multidimensional equations of state (EoSs) by combining them in a two-fluid equilibrium statistical mixture in the grand canonical ensemble. The merged grand potential density $ω$ is built directly from the input EoSs and the fluid fractions are fixed by minimizing $ω$ at fixed temperature $T$ and baryon chemical potential $μ_B$. Thermodynamic consistency and stability are guaranteed as all thermodynamic quantities are consistently derived from a single merged grand potential $ω(T,μ_B)$ with the correct convexity properties. Our method can accommodate a first-order phase transition and a critical endpoint with mean-field critical exponents. We use this method to merge a van der Waals Hadron-Resonance-Gas EoS with a holographic Einstein-Maxwell-Dilaton EoS that has a critical point and a first-order line. The result is a single EoS, spanning hadronic and deconfined matter over a broad range in $(T,μ_B)$, which can be readily used in heavy-ion hydrodynamic simulations. Our merging method can be generalized to consider a higher dimensional phase diagram (e.g., by considering more chemical potentials) and more than two input EoSs.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2025

Indications for freeze-out of charge fluctuations in the quark-gluon plasma at the LHC

The D-measure of net-charge fluctuations quantifies the variance of net charge in strongly interacting matter. It was introduced over 20 years ago as a potential signal of quark-gluon plasma (QGP) in heavy-ion collisions, where it is expected to be suppressed due to the fractional electric charges of quarks. Measurements have been performed at RHIC and LHC, but the conclusion has been elusive in the absence of quantitative calculations for both scenarios. We address this issue by employing a recently developed formalism of density correlations and incorporate resonance decays, local charge conservation, and experimental kinematic cuts. We find that the hadron gas scenario is in fair agreement with the ALICE data for $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 2.76$ TeV Pb-Pb collisions only when a very short rapidity range of local charge conservation is enforced, while the QGP scenario is in excellent agreement with experimental data and largely insensitive to the range of local charge conservation. A Bayesian analysis of the data utilizing different priors yields moderate evidence for the freeze-out of charge fluctuations in the QGP phase relative to hadron gas. The upcoming high-fidelity measurements from LHC Run 2 will serve as a precision test of the two scenarios.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Relativistic mean-field model with density- and isospin-density-dependent couplings

We present a new hadronic EoS with hyperons built within the relativistic mean-field (RMF) formalism with baryon-density- and isospin-density-dependent couplings. Motivated by microscopic calculations showing density- and isospin-asymmetry-dependence of self-energies, we implement a new form for the baryon-meson couplings. The parameters for the couplings are constrained by a Bayesian analysis, which anchors the model to nuclear saturation properties, chiral effective field theory ($χ$EFT) predictions for pure neutron matter, heavy-ion collision data, and HALQCD-based hyperon potential calculations at 3-momentum $|\mathbf{k}|=0$ in both isospin-symmetric and pure neutron matter. The resulting EoS satisfies neutron star mass-radius constraints from NICER and GW170817, providing another way to address the hyperon puzzle. The low-density part of the EoS is described via nuclear statistical equilibrium with modern mass tables (AME20/FRDM12, 8244 nuclei), providing a novel and complete general-purpose EoS for astrophysical simulations.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2025

First order transition region of an equation of state for QCD with a critical point

In addition to signals for the critical point, evidence for a first order phase transition would indicate a nontrivial structure within the QCD phase diagram. Moreover, while not a direct measurement of the critical point, the presence of a first order transition would imply its existence. This motivates the need to understand signatures of this first order transition in addition to directly studying the effect of a critical point. To this effect, we map the mean-field Ising model equation of state onto the QCD phase diagram, and reconstruct the full coexistence region in the case of a first order phase transition. Beyond the coexistence line, we maintain access to the spinodal region in the phase diagram, thus providing a description of metastable and unstable phases of matter. Thus, we describe the super-heated hadronic phase and the super-cooled quark-gluon plasma, which is useful for hydrodynamic simulations of the fireball created in a heavy-ion collision at low collision energy, where a first order phase transition is expected. We discuss the features of the pressure and other thermodynamic observables as functions of temperature and baryonic chemical potential, in particular their behavior in the coexistence region. Finally, we compare our equation of state to 3D Ising model ones available in the literature.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2025

Upper Bound on the Cosmic Baryon Chemical Potential from Lepton-Flavor Asymmetry

We study the early Universe trajectory around the QCD transition in lepton-flavor-asymmetric cases with small total lepton asymmetry ($|\ell|\lesssim 10^{-2}$), while allowing large individual lepton asymmetries. For each temperature, we find an upper bound on the baryon chemical potential $μ_{\mathrm B}(T)$: $τ$--$μ$ asymmetric cases exhibit a local maximum, whereas $μ$--$e$ cases approach a limiting curve. Thus, even extreme lepton-flavor asymmetry alone cannot reach a first-order region, unless the critical point is moved to a substantially lower $μ_\mathrm{B}/T$ because of the nonzero $μ_\mathrm{Q}$. Therefore, we constrain the QCD-era relic to the standard scenario of a chiral crossover transition.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Searching for the QCD critical point through constant entropy density contours

We propose a novel method to locate the QCD critical point by constructing an expansion along contours of constant entropy density. Applying two independent analysis of lattice QCD data at zero baryon chemical potential, we find a critical point at $T_c = 114 \pm 7$ MeV and $μ_{B_c} = 602 \pm 62$ MeV for an expansion truncated at order $μ_B^2$. This approach is consistent with recent lattice QCD results up to $μ_B/T \leq 3$. A more precise determination of the required expansion coefficients from lattice simulations will be essential for reliably establishing the location of the QCD critical endpoint.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Probing QGP using local charge fluctuations in heavy-ion collisions

We revisit the D-measure of event-by-event net-electric charge fluctuations, an idea first introduced over 20 years ago as a potential signature for the presence of quark-gluon plasma (QGP) in heavy-ion collisions. We developed a quantitative framework that incorporates resonance-decay effects, global and local charge conservation, and experimental kinematic cuts. Folding these effects into a formalism of density correlations yields an improved expression for the $D$-measure inside acceptance. We make comparisons with ALICE data for Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=2.76$~TeV. We find that a hadron-gas scenario can describe the data only for a very short charge conservation range, while a QGP scenario is in good agreement with the measurement and is relatively insensitive to the charge conservation range. A Bayesian comparison of both scenarios shows moderate evidence for freeze-out of charge fluctuations in the QGP phase.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2025

Deep learning of phase transitions with minimal examples

Over the past several years, there have been many studies demonstrating the ability of deep neural networks to identify phase transitions in many physical systems, notably in classical statistical physics systems. One often finds that the prediction of deep learning methods trained on many ensembles below and above the critical temperature $T_{\rm c}$ behaves similarly to an order parameter, and this analogy has been successfully used to locate $T_{\rm c}$ and estimate universal critical exponents. In this work, we pay particular attention to the ability of a convolutional neural network to capture these critical parameters for the 2-$d$ Ising model when the network is trained on configurations at $T=0$ and $T=\infty$ only. We directly compare its output to the same network trained at multiple temperatures below and above $T_{\rm c}$ to gain understanding of how this extreme restriction of training data can impact a neural network's ability to classify phases. We find that the network trained on two temperatures is still able to identify $T_{\rm c}$ and $ν$, while the extraction of $γ$ becomes more challenging.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2025

Cosmic Trajectories calculation with state of the art lattice QCD equation of state

We compute the full cosmic trajectories of the early Universe across the QCD phase diagram as the plasma cools from $T\simeq500\,$MeV to $30\,$MeV, assuming $β$-equilibrated matter. The trajectories are obtained by simultaneously solving baryon-number, electric-charge, and lepton-asymmetry conservation, closed by a state-of-the-art lattice-QCD equation of state: a fourth-order Taylor expansion in the chemical potentials that merges the latest $(2\!+\!1)$-flavor susceptibilities with charm-quark contributions, thus delivering a consistent $(2\!+\!1\!+\!1)$-flavor equation of state. Results are compared with an ideal quark-gluon plasma and with a hadron-resonance gas to highlight interaction effects. Two cases of primordial lepton asymmetries are analyzed: a symmetric configuration $(\ell_e=\ell_μ=\ell_τ=\ell/3)$ and an asymmetric one $(\ell_e=0,\;\ell_μ=-\ell_τ)$. Increasing $|\ell|$ systematically drives the trajectories toward larger values of $μ_B$ and more negative $μ_Q$. In the asymmetric case, a non-monotonic bounce develops when the $τ$ chemical potential reaches $m_τ$, generating a maximum in $μ_B(T)$, the position of which depends on $\ell_τ$. Assuming a modest $μ_{Q}$-dependence of the lattice-QCD critical end point estimates (obtained at $μ_{Q} = 0$), the trajectories for all lepton asymmetries explored ($|\ell|\lesssim 0.1$) lie to their left, implying that in a standard cosmological scenario the QCD transition is almost certainly a smooth crossover. Nevertheless, we estimate the magnitude of baryon and lepton asymmetries needed to obtain a cosmic trajectory closer to the QCD critical point, providing inputs for future studies of the strong-interaction epoch.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2025

Convergence properties of $T'$-Expansion Scheme: Hadron Resonance Gas and Cluster Expansion Model

In this study, we assess the effectiveness and robustness of the recently proposed $T'$-expansion scheme for expanding the equation of state of strongly interacting matter to finite density, by comparing its performance relative to the conventional Taylor expansion method in various effective QCD models. We use baryon number density and its susceptibilities to calculate the expansion coefficients in the $T'$-expansion scheme with and without the Stefan-Boltzmann limit correction. Our methodology involves comparing truncation orders to exact solutions to assess the scheme's accuracy. We utilize Ideal, Excluded Volume, and van der Waals formulations of the Hadron Resonance Gas (HRG) model at low temperatures, and the Cluster Expansion Model at higher temperatures. Our findings indicate that the $T'$-expansion scheme offers superior convergence properties near and above the chiral crossover temperature, where the chiral-criticality-inspired scaling $(\partial/ \partial T)_{μ_B} \sim (\partial^2/\partial μ_B^2)_T$ holds. However, it shows limited improvement in the HRG models, indicating that it may not be the most suitable choice for describing the hadronic phase.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2025

A new 4D lattice QCD equation of state: extended density coverage from a generalized $T^\prime$-expansion

We present a new equation of state for QCD in which the temperature $T$ and the three chemical potentials for baryon number $μ_B$, electric charge $μ_Q$ and strangeness $μ_S$ can be varied independently. This result is based on a generalization of the $T'$-expansion scheme, thanks to which the diagonal $μ_B$ extrapolation was pushed up to a baryo-chemical potential $μ_B/T \sim 3.5$ for the first time. This considerably extended the coverage of the Taylor expansion, limited to $μ_B/T < 2.5-3$. As a consequence, we are able to offer a substantially larger coverage of the four-dimensional QCD phase diagram as well, compared to previously available Taylor expansion results. Our results are based on new continuum estimated lattice results on the full set of second and fourth order fluctuations.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2025

Interacting mesons as degrees of freedom in a chiral model

We study the equation of state of hot and dense hadronic matter using an extended Chiral Mean Field (CMF) model framework where the addition is the inclusion of interactions of thermally excited mesons. This is implemented by calculating the in-medium masses of pseudoscalar and vector mesons, obtained through the explicit chiral symmetry-breaking and vector interaction terms in the Lagrangian, respectively, prior to applying the mean-field approximation. As a result, the in-medium meson contributions generate a feedback term to the CMF's equations of motion, which then modifies the equation of state. With this improvement, we quantify the effect on the equation of state of strongly interacting matter through comparisons with state-of-the-art lattice QCD results and other hadronic models like the Hadron Resonance Gas model. We find that the results of the updated hadronic CMF model with an improved meson description (mCMF) provide a better agreement with lattice-QCD data for thermodynamic state variables across a wide range of temperatures and baryon chemical potentials.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2025

Lattice QCD constraints on the critical point from an improved precision equation of state

In this Letter we employ lattice simulations to search for the critical point of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). We search for the onset of a first order QCD transition on the phase diagram by following contours of constant entropy density from imaginary to real chemical potentials under conditions of strangeness neutrality. We scan the phase diagram and investigate whether these contours meet to determine the probability that the critical point is located in a certain region on the $T-μ_B$ plane. To achieve this we introduce a new, continuum extrapolated equation of state at zero density with improved precision using lattices with $N_τ=8,10,12,16$ timeslices, and supplement it with new data at imaginary chemical potential. The current precision allows us to exclude, at the $2σ$ level, the existence of a critical point at $μ_B < 450$~MeV.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2025

Building Neutron Stars with the MUSES Calculation Engine

Exploring the equation of state of dense matter is an essential part of interpreting the observable properties of neutron stars. We present here the first results for dense matter in the zero-temperature limit generated by the MUSES Calculation Engine, a composable workflow management system that orchestrates calculation and data processing stages comprising a collection of software modules designed within the MUSES framework. The modules presented in this work calculate equations of state using algorithms spanning three different theories/models: (1) Crust Density Functional Theory, valid starting at low densities, (2) Chiral Effective Field Theory, valid around saturation density, and (3) the Chiral Mean Field model, valid beyond saturation density. Lepton contributions are added through the Lepton module to each equation of state, ensuring charge neutrality and the possibility of $β$-equilibrium. Using the Synthesis module, we match the three equations of state using different thermodynamic variables and different methods. We then couple the complete equation of state to a novel full-general-relativity solver (QLIMR) module that calculates neutron star properties. We find that the matching performed using different thermodynamic variables affects differently the range obtained for neutron star masses and radii (although never beyond a few percent difference). We also investigate the universality of equation of state-independent relations for our matched stars. Finally, for the first time, we use the Flavor Equilibration module to estimate bulk viscosity and flavor relaxation charge fraction and rates (at low temperature) for Chiral Effective Field Theory and the Chiral Mean Field model.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2025

Strange quark matter as dark matter: 40 years later, a reappraisal

Forty years ago Witten suggested that dark matter could be composed of macroscopic clusters of strange quark matter. This idea was very popular for several years, but it dropped out of fashion once lattice QCD calculations indicated that the confinement/deconfinement transition, at small baryonic chemical potential, is not first order, which seemed to be a crucial requirement in order to produce large clusters of quarks. Here we revisit the conditions under which strangelets can be produced in the Early Universe. We discuss the impact of an instability in the hadronic phase separating a low density, positive-strange-charge phase from a high-density phase with a negative strange charge. This second phase can rapidly stabilize by forming color-superconducting gaps. The strangelets then undergo partial evaporation. In this way, we obtain distributions of their sizes in agreement with the observational constraints and we discuss the many astrophysical and cosmological implications of these objects. Finally, we examine the most promising techniques to detect this type of strangelets. We also show that strangelets can exist with masses $\lesssim10^{17} \mathrm g$, while primordial black holes are ruled out in that mass range, allowing us to distinguish between these two dark matter candidates.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2024

Bayesian location of the QCD critical point from a holographic perspective

A fundamental question in QCD is the existence of a phase transition at large doping of quarks over antiquarks. We present the first prediction of a QCD critical point (CP) from a Bayesian analysis constrained by first principle results at zero doping. We employ the gauge/gravity duality to map QCD onto a theory of dual black holes. Predictions for the CP location in different realizations of the model overlap at one sigma. Even if many prior samples do not include a CP, one is found in nearly 100\% of posterior samples, indicating a strong preference for a CP.

nucl-th↗

arXiv2024

Description of the first order phase transition region of an equation of state for QCD with a critical point

We map the mean-field Ising model equation of state onto the QCD phase diagram, and reconstruct the full coexistence region in the case of a first order phase transition. Beyond the coexistence line, we maintain access to the spinodal region in the phase diagram, thus providing a description of metastable and unstable phases of matter as well. In this way, our approach includes the super-heated hadronic phase and the super-cooled quark-gluon plasma, which are useful for hydrodynamic simulations of the fireball created in a heavy-ion collision at low collision energy, where a first order phase transition is expected. We discuss the features of the pressure and other thermodynamic observables as functions of temperature and baryonic chemical potential, in particular their behavior in the coexistence region. Finally, we compare our equation of state to other 3D-Ising model ones available in the literature.

nucl-th↗