The Lattice NJL Model at Non-zero Baryon and Isospin Densities

We present initial results of a numerical investigation of the chiral symmetry restoring transition in the (3+1)-dimensional Nambu -- Jona-Lasinio model with both non-zero baryon chemical potential (mu_B) and isospin chemical potential (mu_I). With non-zero isospin chemical potential, the model suffers from a sign problem. We proceed in two ways: (i) We perform ``partially quenched'' simulations in which mu_I is made non-zero only during the measurement of chiral observables; (ii) We perform full simulations with imaginary isospin chemical potential with the aim to analytically continue results to real mu_I.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, poster presented at LATTICE 2004, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, June 21-26, 200

Electromagnetic Self-Duality in a Lattice Model

We formulate a Euclidean lattice theory of interacting elementary spin-half electric and magnetic charges, which we refer to as electrons and magnetic monopoles respectively. The model uses the polymer representation of the fermion determinant, and exhibits a self-dual symmetry provided electric charge $e$ and magnetic charge $g$ obey the minimal Dirac quantisation condition $eg=2\pi$. In a hopping parameter expansion at lowest order, we show that virtual electron and monopole loops contribute radiative corrections of opposite sign to the photon propagator. We argue that in the limit $e\to0$, fermion mass $\mu\to0$, the model describes QED together with strongly interacting monopoles whose chiral symmetry is spontaneously broken. Prospects for the existence of an interacting continuum limit at the self-dual point $e=g$ are discussed.Comment: 29 pages plain TeX, 2 PostScript figures included using psfi

Mesonic Wavefunctions in the three-dimensional Gross-Neveu model

We present results from a numerical study of bound state wavefunctions in the (2+1)-dimensional Gross-Neveu model with staggered lattice fermions at both zero and nonzero temperature. Mesonic channels with varying quantum numbers are identified and analysed. In the strongly coupled chirally broken phase at T=0 the wavefunctions expose effects due to varying the interaction strength more effectively than straightforward spectroscopy. In the weakly coupled chirally restored phase information on fermion - antifermion scattering is recovered. In the hot chirally restored phase we find evidence for a screened interaction. The T=0 chirally symmetric phase is most readily distinguished from the symmetric phase at high T via the fermion dispersion relation.Comment: 18 page

Lattice QCD at finite T and \mu

Recent results of lattice QCD at finite temperature and density are reviewed. At vanishing density the transition temperature, the equation of state and hadron properties are discussed both for the pure gauge theory and for dynamical staggered, Wilson and overlap fermions. The second part deals with finite density. There are recent results for full QCD at finite temperature and moderate density, while at larger densities QCD-like models are studied.Comment: 14 pages, 19 figures, lattice2003(plenary). Minor correction

QCD at non-zero temperature and density from the lattice

The study of systems as diverse as the cores of neutron stars and heavy-ion collision experiments requires the understanding of the phase structure of QCD at non-zero temperature, T, and chemical potential, mu_q. We review some of the difficulties of performing lattice simulations of QCD with non-zero mu_q, and outline the re-weighting method used to overcome this problem. This method is used to determine the critical endpoint of QCD in the (mu_q,T) plane. We study the pressure and quark number susceptibility at small mu_q.Comment: 5 pages, talk presented by C.R. Allton at the QCD Downunder Conference, Barossa Valley and Adelaide, March 200

Compositeness, Triviality and Bounds on Critical Exponents for Fermions and Magnets

We argue that theories with fundamental fermions which undergo chiral symmetry breaking have several universal features which are qualitatively different than those of theories with fundamental scalars. Several bounds on the critical indices $\delta$ and $\eta$ follow. We observe that in four dimensions the logarithmic scaling violations enter into the Equation of State of scalar theories, such as $\lambda\phi^4$, and fermionic models, such as Nambu-Jona-Lasinio, in qualitatively different ways. These observations lead to useful approaches for analyzing lattice simulations of a wide class of model field theories. Our results imply that $\lambda\phi^4$ {\it cannot} be a good guide to understanding the possible triviality of spinor $QED$.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures (not included), ILL-(TH)-93-2

Behavior of Hadrons at Finite Density -- Lattice Study of Color SU(2) QCD

Using two-color lattice QCD with Wilson fermions, we report a study of the finite baryon number density system with two-flavors. First we investigate the Polyakov line and thermodynamical uantities in the $(\kappa,\mu)$ plane, where $\kappa$ and $\mu$ are the hopping parameter and chemical potential in the fermion action, respectively. Then we calculate propagators of meson ($\bar{q}\Gamma q$) and baryon ($q\Gamma q$) states. We find that the vector meson propagators are strongly modified in large $\mu$ regions, indicating the reduction of the mass. This anomalous behavior of the vector meson is observed for the first time in lattice QCD.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures. References updated. To appear in Phys. Lett.

High Density Effective Theory Confronts the Fermi Liquid

The high density effective theory recently introduced by Hong and Hsu to describe ultradense relativistic fermionic matter is used to calculate the tree-level forward scattering amplitude between two particles at the Fermi surface. While the direct term correctly reproduces that of the underlying gauge theory, the exchange term has the wrong sign. The physical consequences are discussed in the context of Landau's theoretical description of the Fermi liquid.Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures; conclusion expanded, reference adde

Fluctuations in the quark-meson model for QCD with isospin chemical potential

We study the two-flavor quark-meson (QM) model with the functional renormalization group (FRG) to describe the effects of collective mesonic fluctuations on the phase diagram of QCD at finite baryon and isospin chemical potentials, $\mu_B$ and $\mu_I$. With only isospin chemical potential there is a precise equivalence between the competing dynamics of chiral versus pion condensation and that of collective mesonic and baryonic fluctuations in the quark-meson-diquark model for two-color QCD at finite baryon chemical potential. Here, finite $\mu_B=3\mu$ introduces an additional dimension to the phase diagram as compared to two-color QCD, however. At zero temperature, the ($\mu_I,\mu$)-plane of this phase diagram is strongly constrained by the "Silver Blaze problem." In particular, the onset of pion condensation must occur at $\mu_I= m_{\pi}/2$, independent of $\mu$ as long as $\mu + \mu_I$ stays below the constituent quark mass of the QM model or the liquid-gas transition line of nuclear matter in QCD. In order to maintain this relation beyond mean field it is crucial to compute the pion mass from its timelike correlator with the FRG in a consistent way.Comment: 10 pages, 11 figures; matches published versio

Looking for the Logarithms in Four-Dimensional Nambu-Jona-Lasinio Models

We study the problem of triviality in the four dimensional Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model with discrete chiral symmetry using both large-N expansions and lattice simulations. We find that logarithmic corrections to scaling appear in the equation of state as predicted by the large-N expansion. The data from $16^4$ lattice simulations is sufficiently accurate to distinguish logarithmically trivial scaling from power law scaling. Simulations on different lattice sizes reveal an interesting interplay of finite size effects and triviality. We argue that such effects are qualitatively different for theories based on fundamental scalar rather than fermion fields. Several lessons learned here can be applied to simulations and analyses of more challenging field theories.Comment: 25 pages, 14 ps figure