Chiral phase transition at high temperature and density in the QCD-like theory

The chiral phase transition at finite temperature T and/or chemical potential $\mu$ is studied using the QCD-like theory with a variational approach. The ``QCD-like theory'' means the improved ladder approximation with an infrared cutoff in terms of a modified running coupling. The form of Cornwall-Jackiw-Tomboulis effective potential is modified by the use of the Schwinger-Dyson equation for generally nonzero current quark mass. We then calculate the effective potential at finite T and/or $\mu$ and investigate the phase structure in the chiral limit. We have a second-order phase transition at $T_c=129$ MeV for $\mu=0$ and a first-order one at $\mu_c=422$ MeV for T=0. A tricritical point in the T-$\mu$ plane is found at T=107 MeV, $\mu=210$ MeV. The position is close to that of the random matrix model and some version of the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication in Physical Review

Stability of color-flavor locked strangelets

The stability of color-flavor locked (CFL) strangelets is studied in the three-flavor Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model. We consider all quark flavors to be massless, for simplicity. By making use of the multiple reflection expansion, we explicitly take into account finite size effects and formulate the thermodynamic potential for CFL strangelets. We find that the CFL gap could be large enough so that the energy per baryon number of CFL strangelets is greatly affected. In addition, if the quark-quark coupling constant is larger than a certain critical value, there is a possibility of finding absolutely stable CFL strangelets.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Int. J. Mod. Phys.

Latent heat in the chiral phase transition

The chiral phase transition at finite temperature and density is discussed in the framework of the QCD-like gauge field theory. The thermodynamical potential is investigated using a variational approach. Latent heat generated in the first-order phase transition is calculated. It is found that the latent heat is enhanced near the tricritical point and is more than several hundred MeV per quark.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Meissner screening mass in two-flavor quark matter at nonzero temperature

We calculate the Meissner screening mass of gluons 4--7 in two-flavor quark matter at nonzero temperature. To this end, we study the effective potential of the 2SC/g2SC phases including a vector condensate $$and calculate the Meissner mass from the potential curvature with respect to$$. We find that the Meissner mass becomes real at the critical temperature which is about the half of the chemical potential mismatch. The phase diagram of the neutral two-flavor color superconductor is presented in the plane of temperature and coupling strength. We indicate the unstable region for gluons 4--7 on the phase diagram.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, minor revisions to text, version to appear in PR

Chromomagnetic Instability and Gluonic Phase at Nonzero Temperature

We describe the results of recent studies of a chromomagnetic instability and a gluonic phase in neutral two-flavor quark matter at nonzero temperature.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, prepared for International Workshop on Quantum Chromodynamics: QCD@Work 2007, Martina Franca, Valle d'Itria, Italy, 16-20 Jun 200

Chromomagnetic instability in two-flavor quark matter at nonzero temperature

We calculate the effective potential of the 2SC/g2SC phases including vector condensates ($$and$$) and study the gluonic phase and the single plane-wave Larkin-Ovchinnikov-Fulde-Ferrell state at nonzero temperature. Our analysis is performed within the framework of the gauged Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model. We compute potential curvatures with respect to the vector condensates and investigate the temperature dependence of the Meissner masses squared of gluons of color 4--7 and 8 in the neutral 2SC/g2SC phases. The phase diagram is presented in the plane of temperature and coupling strength. The unstable regions for gluons 4--7 and 8 are mapped out on the phase diagram. We find that, apart from the case of strong coupling, the 2SC/g2SC phases at low temperatures are unstable against the vector condensation until the temperature reaches tens of MeV.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, revisions to text, published in Phys. Rev.

Universality, the QCD critical/tricritical point and the quark number susceptibility

The quark number susceptibility near the QCD critical end-point (CEP), the tricritical point (TCP) and the O(4) critical line at finite temperature and quark chemical potential is investigated. Based on the universality argument and numerical model calculations we propose a possibility that the hidden tricritical point strongly affects the critical phenomena around the critical end-point. We made a semi-quantitative study of the quark number susceptibility near CEP/TCP for several quark masses on the basis of the Cornwall-Jackiw-Tomboulis (CJT) potential for QCD in the improved-ladder approximation. The results show that the susceptibility is enhanced in a wide region around CEP inside which the critical exponent gradually changes from that of CEP to that of TCP, indicating a crossover of different universality classes.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figure

Current quark mass effects on chiral phase transition of QCD in the improved ladder approximation

Current quark mass effects on the chiral phase transition of QCD is studied in the improved ladder approximation. An infrared behavior of the gluon propagator is modified in terms of an effective running coupling. The analysis is based on a composite operator formalism and a variational approach. We use the Schwinger-Dyson equation to give a ``normalization condition'' for the Cornwall-Jackiw-Tomboulis effective potential and to isolate the ultraviolet divergence which appears in an expression for the quark-antiquark condensate. We study the current quark mass effects on the order parameter at zero temperature and density. We then calculate the effective potential at finite temperature and density and investigate the current quark mass effects on the chiral phase transition. We find a smooth crossover for $T>0$, $\mu=0$ and a first-order phase transition for $\mu>0$, T=0. Critical exponents are also studied and our model gives the classical mean-field values. We also study the temperature dependence of masses of scalar and pseudoscalar bosons. A critical end point in the $T$-$\mu$ plane is found at $T \sim 100$ MeV, $\mu \sim 300$ MeV.Comment: 19 pages, 13 figure