Responses of quark condensates to the chemical potential

The responses of quark condensates to the chemical potential, as a function of temperature T and chemical potential \mu, are calculated within the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model. We compare our results with those from the recent lattice QCD simulations [QCD-TARO Collaboration, Nucl. Phys. B (Proc. Suppl.) 106, 462 (2002)]. The NJL model and lattice calculations show qualitatively similar behavior, and they will be complimentary ways to study hadrons at finite density. The behavior above T_c requires more elaborated analyses.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figs, based on a contribution to the Prof. Osamu Miyamura memorial symposium, Hiroshima University, Nov. 16-17, 2001; slightly revised, accepted for publication in Physical Review

Maximum Entropy Analysis of the Spectral Functions in Lattice QCD

First principle calculation of the QCD spectral functions (SPFs) based on the lattice QCD simulations is reviewed. Special emphasis is placed on the Bayesian inference theory and the Maximum Entropy Method (MEM), which is a useful tool to extract SPFs from the imaginary-time correlation functions numerically obtained by the Monte Carlo method. Three important aspects of MEM are (i) it does not require a priori assumptions or parametrizations of SPFs, (ii) for given data, a unique solution is obtained if it exists, and (iii) the statistical significance of the solution can be quantitatively analyzed. The ability of MEM is explicitly demonstrated by using mock data as well as lattice QCD data. When applied to lattice data, MEM correctly reproduces the low-energy resonances and shows the existence of high-energy continuum in hadronic correlation functions. This opens up various possibilities for studying hadronic properties in QCD beyond the conventional way of analyzing the lattice data. Future problems to be studied by MEM in lattice QCD are also summarized.Comment: 51 pages, 17 figures, typos corrected, discussions on the boundary conditions and renormalization constants added. To appear in Progress in Particle and Nuclear Physics, Vol.4

Hadronic Spectral Functions above the QCD Phase Transition

We extract the spectral functions in the scalar, pseudo-scalar, vector, and axial vector channels above the deconfinement phase transition temperature (Tc) using the maximum entropy method (MEM). We use anisotropic lattices, 32^3 * 32, 40, 54, 72, 80, and 96 (corresponding to T = 2.3 Tc --> 0.8 Tc), with the renormalized anisotropy xi = 4.0 to have enough temporal data points to carry out the MEM analysis. Our result suggests that the spectral functions continue to possess non-trivial structures even above Tc and in addition that there is a qualitative change in the state of the deconfined matter between 1.5 Tc and 2 Tc.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures, Lattice2002(nonzerot

Can transport peak explain the low-mass enhancement of dileptons at RHIC?

We propose a novel relation between the low-mass enhancement of dielectrons observed at PHENIX and transport coefficients of QGP such as the charge diffusion constant $D$ and the relaxation time $\tau_{\rm J}$. We parameterize the transport peak in the spectral function using the second-order relativistic dissipative hydrodynamics by Israel and Stewart. Combining the spectral function and the full (3+1)-dimensional hydrodynamical evolution with the lattice EoS, theoretical dielectron spectra and the experimental data are compared. Detailed analysis suggests that the low-mass dilepton enhancement originates mainly from the high-temperature QGP phase where there is a large electric charge fluctuation as obtained from lattice QCD simulations.Comment: To appear in the conference proceedings for Quark Matter 2011, May 23 - May 28, Annecy, Franc

Universal threshold enhancement

By assuming certain analytic properties of the propagator, it is shown that universal features of the spectral function including threshold enhancement arise if a pole describing a particle at high temperature approaches in the complex energy plane the threshold position of its two-body decay with the variation of T. The case is considered, when one can disregard any other decay processes. The quality of the proposed description is demonstrated by comparing it with the detailed large N solution of the linear sigma model around the pole-threshold coincidence.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Static quark free energies at finite temperature with two flavors of improved Wilson quarks

Polyakov loop correlations at finite temperature in two-flavor QCD are studied in lattice simulations with the RG-improved gluon action and the clover-improved Wilson quark action. From the simulations on a $16^3 \times 4$ lattice, we extract the free energies, the effective running coupling $g_{\rm eff}(T)$ and the Debye screening mass $m_D(T)$ for various color channels of heavy quark--quark and quark--anti-quark pairs above the critical temperature. The free energies are well approximated by the screened Coulomb form with the appropriate Casimir factors. The magnitude and the temperature dependence of the Debye mass are compared to those of the next-to-leading order thermal perturbation theory and to a phenomenological formula given in terms of $g_{\rm eff}(T)$. Also we made a comparison between our results with the Wilson quark and those with the staggered quark previously reported.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figures, talk given at Lattice 2006 (high temperature and density

Finite temperature phase transition of two-flavor QCD with an improved Wilson quark action

We study the phase structure of QCD at finite temperatures with two flavors of dynamical quarks on a lattice with the size $N_s^3 \times N_t=16^3 \times 4$, using a renormalization group improved gauge action and a clover improved Wilson quark action. The simulations are made along the lines of constant physics determined in terms of $m_{\rm PS}/m_{\rm V}$ at zero-temperature. We show preliminary results for the spatial string tension in the high temperature phase.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, talk presented at Lattice 2006 (high temperature and density