arXiv subjects

Zsolt Szép

Publications and source records attributed to Zsolt Szép.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Functional renormalization group study of the quark-meson model beyond the local potential approximation: Kurganov--Tadmor versus the grid method

We solve the functional renormalization group flow of the two-flavor quark-meson model at finite temperature and quark chemical potential with Litim's regulator, using the Kurganov--Tadmor central scheme and the standard grid method, both in the local potential approximation (LPA) and in an LPA$'$ truncation with running wave function renormalization factors for the pion, sigma, and quark fields. Using the Kurganov--Tadmor scheme as a high-resolution benchmark down to very low temperatures, where the Fermi surface produces the sharpest fronts in the field derivative of the potential, we find that, with sufficiently fine resolution, the grid method gives virtually identical results in both truncations. We discuss the difficulties that the wave function renormalization factors bring into the parametrization of the model and into the flow at finite density, related to the choice of the expansion point. Contrary to some expectations, the peculiar backbending of the first-order phase boundary at low temperature, known from LPA, persists in our implementation of the LPA$'$ truncation, both with a fixed and with a running expansion point.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2026

Scaling Behaviors in Active Model B+ via the Functional Renormalization Group

We study the scaling behaviors of the active model B+ using the functional renormalization group (FRG) approach, based on the nonequilibrium effective action formulated via the Martin-Siggia-Rose path-integral formalism. We derive the $β$ functions for all couplings of the system in generic $d$ dimensions, revealing regulator independence in various contributions to the renormalization group (RG) flow at specific values for $d$. After identifying specific regions of the parameter space that define submodels closed under RG transformations, we determine all fixed points of potential physical relevance. We confirm the existence of a bicritical fixed point, which was conjectured within the perturbative momentum-shell RG method for being responsible for the transition from bulk phase separation to microphase separation in active systems. We argue that, within the FRG approach, global flows significantly differ from those obtained in its perturbative counterpart.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2025

CP asymmetry factor in decays at finite temperature

We present in the conventional equilibrium approach to leptogenesis the complete leading order prediction for the CP asymmetry factor in finite-temperature decays involving Majorana neutrinos. As thermal effects are generally not negligible, the knowledge of the high temperature behavior of the underlying particle physics model, in particular that of mass generation, is required for reliable estimates of matter-antimatter asymmetry through the mechanism of leptogenesis. We present all necessary information needed to obtain the full one-loop evaluation for the thermal CP asymmetry factors for the processes $N_i\to ϕ+ L$ and $ϕ\to N_i+L$ at temperatures where they are kinematically allowed. We present a numerical comparison with previous formulae given in the literature.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

CP violation at finite temperature

We present a comprehensive study of the finite temperature CP-asymmetry factor needed in the semi-classical treatment of leptogenesis originating from Majorana fermion decays into a lepton and a scalar particle. The imaginary part of the relevant one-loop integrals are evaluated using both the real time and the imaginary time formalisms of thermal quantum field theory. In the former we consider the retarded-advanced approach as well as the original thermal cutting method developed by Kobes and Semenoff. Specific care is directed towards showing the consistency between the various approaches. We show that the final physical result of the calculation is linear in the statistical factors and is consistent with what is obtained in the Kadanoff-Baym approach. We also present analytic expressions for the full CP-asymmetry factor in the form of well-behaved triple-integrals, and provide numerical benchmark predictions in a specific particle physics model.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2025

Naive Gaussian approximation in a quark-meson model

A sequence of approximations is derived to go beyond the mean-field level in the case of a simple linear sigma model. A naive, local version of the Gaussian approximation is discussed for the $2+1$ flavor extended Polyakov quark-meson model at finite temperature and chemical potential. Although at small chemical potential the pion mass has an unphysical thermal behavior in the usual parameterizations, it is shown that the pseudocritical temperature decreases in the presence of the thermal pion fluctuations. Compared to the mean-field level, the location of the CEP is only slightly modified, while the critical scaling around the CEP is unaffected.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Scale dependence of the Kondo interaction in the functional renormalization group formalism

Scale evolution of interactions between a Weyl fermion and a heavy magnetic impurity is calculated non-perturbatively using the functional renormalization group technique. Using an expansion around the vanishing pairing gap, we derive the flow equations for all possible quartic couplings in the system. We find that contrary to conventional perturbation theory, the usual spin-spin isotropic interaction necessarily splits into two invariant parts during the scale evolution, which are fully allowed by the $SU(2)$ spin-rotation symmetry. We also find the existence of an infrared stable interacting fixed point, which can be responsible for intermediate-coupling screening effects. The calculation scheme presented here is rather general and expected to be easily applicable to various spin-spin-like interactions in fermionic systems.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

Real effective potentials for phase transitions in models with extended scalar sectors

The effective potential obtained by loop expansion is usually not real in the range of field values explored by its minima during a phase transition. We apply the optimized perturbation theory in a fixed gauge to singlet scalar extensions of the Standard Model in order to calculate a one-loop effective potential that is real by construction. We test this computational scheme by comparing such a potential obtained in Landau gauge to that derived based on the Higgs pole mass. We carry out the latter construction by imposing physical renormalization conditions, which yields a potential without residual regularization scale dependence. We use our effective potential to study the parameter dependence of the critical temperatures in a two-step phase transition of the form $(0,0)\to (0,w')\to (v,w)$ that occurs for decreasing temperature in scalar extensions of the SM with two vacuum expectation values $v$ and $w$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

One-loop constituent quark contributions to the vector and axial-vector meson curvature mass

The renormalized contribution of fermions to the curvature masses of vector and axial-vector mesons is derived with two different methods at leading order in the loop expansion applied to the (2+1)-flavor constituent quark-meson model. The corresponding contribution to the curvature masses of the scalar and pseudoscalar mesons, already known in the literature, is rederived in a transparent way. The temperature dependence of the curvature mass of various (axial-)vector modes obtained by decomposing the curvature mass tensor is investigated along with the (axial-)vector--(pseudo)scalar mixing. All fermionic corrections are expressed as simple integrals that involve at finite temperature only the Fermi-Dirac distribution function modified by the Polyakov-loop degrees of freedom. The renormalization of the (axial-)vector curvature mass allows us to lift a redundancy in the original Lagrangian of the globally symmetric extended linear sigma model, in which terms already generated by the covariant derivative were reincluded with different coupling constants.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2021

Apparent convergence of Padé approximants for the crossover line in finite density QCD

We propose a novel Bayesian method to analytically continue observables to real baryochemical potential $μ_B$ in finite density QCD. Taylor coefficients at $μ_B=0$ and data at imaginary chemical potential $μ_B^I$ are treated on equal footing. We consider two different constructions for the Padé approximants, the classical multipoint Padé approximation and a mixed approximation that is a slight generalization of a recent idea in Padé approximation theory. Approximants with spurious poles are excluded from the analysis. As an application, we perform a joint analysis of the available continuum extrapolated lattice data for both pseudocritical temperature $T_c$ at $μ_B^I$ from the Wuppertal-Budapest Collaboration and Taylor coefficients $κ_2$ and $κ_4$ from the HotQCD Collaboration. An apparent convergence of $[p/p]$ and $[p/p+1]$ sequences of rational functions is observed with increasing $p.$ We present our extrapolation up to $μ_B\approx 600$ MeV.

hep-lat↗

arXiv2019

The $O(4)$ $ϕ^4$ model as an effective light meson theory: A lattice-continuum comparison

We investigate the possibility of using the 4 dimensional $O(4)$ symmetric $ϕ^4$ model as an effective theory for the sigma-pion system. We carry out lattice Monte Carlo simulations to establish the triviality bound in the case of explicitly broken symmetry and to compare it with results from continuum functional methods. In case of a physical parametrization we find that triviality restricts the possible lattice spacings to a narrow range, therefore cutoff independence in the effective theory sense is practically impossible for thermal quantities. We match the critical line in the space of bare couplings in the different approaches and compare vacuum physical quantities along the line of constant physics (LCP).

hep-ph↗

arXiv2019

Compact star properties from an extended linear sigma model

The equation of state provided by effective models of strongly interacting matter should comply with the restrictions imposed by current astrophysical observations of compact stars. Using the equation of state given by the (axial-)vector meson extended linear sigma model, we determine the mass-radius relation and study whether these restrictions are satisfied under the assumption that most of the star is filled with quark matter. We also compare the mass-radius sequence with those given by the equations of state of somewhat simpler models.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

Padé approximants and analytic continuation of Euclidean Phi-derivable approximations

We investigate the Padé approximation method for the analytic continuation of numerical data and its ability to access, from the Euclidean propagator, both the spectral function and part of the physical information hidden in the second Riemann sheet. We test this method using various benchmarks at zero temperature: a simple perturbative approximation as well as the two-loop Phi-derivable approximation. The analytic continuation method is then applied to Euclidean data previously obtained in the O(4) symmetric model (within a given renormalization scheme) to assess the difference between zero-momentum and pole masses, which is in general a difficult question to answer within nonperturbative approaches such as the Phi-derivable expansion scheme.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Loss of solution in the symmetry improved Phi-derivable expansion scheme

We consider the two-loop Phi-derivable approximation for the O(2)-symmetric scalar model, augmented by the symmetry improvement introduced in [A. Pilaftsis and D. Teresi, Nucl. Phys. B874, 594 (2013)], which enforces Goldstone's theorem in the broken phase. Although the corresponding equations admit a solution in the presence of a large enough infrared (IR) regulating scale, we argue that, for smooth ultraviolet (UV) regulators, the solution is lost when the IR scale becomes small enough. Infrared regular solutions exist for certain non-analytic UV regulators, but we argue that these solutions are artifacts which should disappear when the sensitivity to the UV regulator is removed by a renormalization procedure. The loss of solution is observed both at zero and at finite temperature, although it is simpler to identify in the latter case. We also comment on possible ways to cure this problem.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

Existence of the critical endpoint in the vector meson extended linear sigma model

The chiral phase transition of the strongly interacting matter is investigated at nonzero temperature and baryon chemical potential mu_B within an extended (2+1) flavor Polyakov constituent quark-meson model which incorporates the effect of the vector and axial vector mesons. The effect of the fermionic vacuum and thermal fluctuations computed from the grand potential of the model is taken into account in the curvature masses of the scalar and pseudoscalar mesons. The parameters of the model are determined by comparing masses and tree-level decay widths with experimental values in a chi^2-minimization procedure which selects between various possible assignments of scalar nonet states to physical particles. We examine the restoration of the chiral symmetry by monitoring the temperature evolution of condensates and the chiral partners' masses and of the mixing angles for the pseudoscalar eta-eta' and the corresponding scalar complex. We calculate the pressure and various thermodynamical observables derived from it and compare them to the continuum extrapolated lattice results of the Wuppertal-Budapest collaboration. We study the T-mu_B phase diagram of the model and find that a critical end point exists for parameters of the model, which give acceptable values of chi^2.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2016

The O(N)-model within the Phi-derivable expansion to order lambda^2: on the existence, UV and IR sensitivity of the solutions to self-consistent equations

We discuss various aspects of the O(N)-model in the vacuum and at finite temperature within the Phi-derivable expansion scheme to order lambda^2. In continuation to an earlier work, we look for a physical parametrization in the N=4 case that allows to accommodate the lightest mesons. Using zero-momentum curvature masses to approximate the physical masses, we find that, in the parameter range where a relatively large sigma mass is obtained, the scale of the Landau pole is lower compared to that obtained in the two-loop truncation. This jeopardizes the insensitivity of the observables to the ultraviolet regulator and could hinder the predictivity of the model. Both in the N=1 and N=4 cases, we also find that, when approaching the chiral limit, the (iterative) solution to the Phi-derivable equations is lost in an interval around the would-be transition temperature. In particular, it is not possible to conclude at this order of truncation on the order of the transition in the chiral limit. Because the same issue could be present in other approaches, we investigate it thoroughly by considering a localized version of the Phi-derivable equations, whose solution displays the same qualitative features, but allows for a more analytical understanding of the problem. In particular, our analysis reveals the existence of unphysical branches of solutions which can coalesce with the physical one at some temperatures, with the effect of opening up a gap in the admissible values for the condensate. Depending on its rate of growth with the temperature, this gap can eventually engulf the physical solution.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2015

Chiral phase transition in the vector meson extended linear sigma model

In the framework of an SU(3) (axial)vector meson extended linear sigma model with additional constituent quarks and Polyakov loops, we investigate the effects of (axial)vector mesons on the chiral phase transition. The parameters of the Lagrangian are set at zero temperature and we use a hybrid approach where in the effective potential the constituent quarks are treated at one-loop level and all the mesons at tree-level. We have four order parameters, two scalar condensates and two Polyakov loop variables and their temperature and baryochemical potential dependence are determined from the corresponding field equations. We also investigate the changes of the tree-level scalar meson masses in the hot and dense medium.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2014

Bose-Einstein condensation and Silver Blaze property from the two-loop $Φ$-derivable approximation

We extend our previous investigation of the two-loop $Φ$-derivable approximation to finite chemical potential $μ$ and discuss Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) in the case of a charged scalar field with $O(2)$ symmetry. We show that the approximation is renormalizable by means of counterterms which are independent of both the temperature and the chemical potential. We point out the presence of an additional skew contribution to the propagator as compared to the $μ=0$ case, which comes with its own gap equation (except at Hartree level). We solve this equation together with the field equation, and the usual longitudinal and transversal gap equations to find that the transition is second order, in agreement with recent lattice results to which we compare. We also discuss a general criterion an approximation should obey for the so-called Silver Blaze property to hold, and we show that any $Φ$-derivable approximation at finite temperature and density obeys this criterion if one chooses a UV regularization that does not cut off the Matsubara sums.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2013

Thermodynamics and phase transition of the O(N) model from the two-loop Phi-derivable approximation

We discuss the thermodynamics of the O(N) model across the corresponding phase transition using the two-loop Phi-derivable approximation of the effective potential and compare our results to those obtained in the literature within the Hartree-Fock approximation. In particular, we find that in the chiral limit the transition is of the second order, whereas it was found to be of the first order in the Hartree-Fock case. These features are manifest at the level of the thermodynamical observables. We also compute the thermal sigma and pion masses from the curvature of the effective potential. In the chiral limit, this guarantees that the Goldstone's theorem is obeyed in the broken phase. A realistic parametrization of the model in the N=4 case, based on the vacuum values of the curvature masses, shows that a sigma mass of around 450 MeV can be obtained. The equations are renormalized after extending our previous results for the N=1 case by means of the general procedure described in [J. Berges et al., Annals Phys. 320, 344-398 (2005)]. When restricted to the Hartree-Fock approximation, our approach reveals that certain problems raised in the literature concerning the renormalization are completely lifted. Finally, we introduce a new type of Phi-derivable approximation in which the gap equation is not solved at the same level of accuracy as the accuracy at which the potential is computed. We discuss the consistency and applicability of these types of "hybrid" approximations and illustrate them in the two-loop case by showing that the corresponding effective potential is renormalizable and that the transition remains of the second order.

hep-ph↗