Strongly Coupled QCD at Finite Baryon Density

The analytical results obtained in the infinite mass and strong coupling limits of QCD are difficult to reconcile with the predictions of the Monomer Dimer Polymer algorithm. We have reconsidered in detail the results obtained with this simulation scheme and evidences of severe convergence problems are presented for the SU(3) and SU(2) gauge group.Comment: LATTICE99(Finite Temperature and Density), 3 pages, 3 postscript figure

Three and Two Colours Finite Density QCD at Strong Coupling: A New Look

Simulations in finite density, beta=0 lattice QCD by means of the Monomer-Dimer-Polymer algorithm show a signal of first order transition at finite temporal size. This behaviour agrees with predictions of the mean field approximation, but is difficult to reconcile with infinite mass analytical solution. The MDP simulations are considered in detail and severe convergence problems are found for the SU(3) gauge group, in a wide region of chemical potential. Simulations of SU(2) model show discrepancies with MDP results as well.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figures, to appear in Nucl. Phys.

Diquark Bose Condensates in High Density Matter and Instantons

Instantons lead to strong correlations between up and down quarks with spin zero and anti-symmetric color wave functions. In cold and dense matter, $n_b>n_c\simeq 1 fm^{-3}$ and $T<T_c\sim$ 50 MeV, these pairs Bose-condense, replacing the usual $$condensate and restoring chiral symmetry. At high density, the ground state is a color superconductor in which diquarks play the role of Cooper pairs. An interesting toy model is provided by QCD with two colors: it has a particle-anti-particle symmetry which relates$$ and $$ condensates.Comment: 4 pages ReVTeX, 2 eps-figures included using epsf.st

Phase transitions in quantum chromodynamics

The current understanding of finite temperature phase transitions in QCD is reviewed. A critical discussion of refined phase transition criteria in numerical lattice simulations and of analytical tools going beyond the mean-field level in effective continuum models for QCD is presented. Theoretical predictions about the order of the transitions are compared with possible experimental manifestations in heavy-ion collisions. Various places in phenomenological descriptions are pointed out, where more reliable data for QCD's equation of state would help in selecting the most realistic scenario among those proposed. Unanswered questions are raised about the relevance of calculations which assume thermodynamic equilibrium. Promising new approaches to implement nonequilibrium aspects in the thermodynamics of heavy-ion collisions are described.Comment: 156 pages, RevTex. Tables II,VIII,IX and Fig.s 1-38 are not included as postscript files. I would like to ask the requestors to copy the missing tables and figures from the corresponding journal-referenc