Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1854041 | Progress in Particle and Nuclear Physics | 2009 | 5 Pages |
Abstract
Some recent theoretical developments of the QCD phase diagram are summarized. Chiral symmetry restoration and the confinement/deconfinement transition at nonzero temperature and quark densities are analyzed in the framework of an effective linear sigma model with three light quark flavors. The sensitivity of the chiral transition as well as the existence of a critical end point in the phase diagram on the value of the sigma mass is explored. The influence of the axial anomaly on the chiral critical surface is addressed. Finally, the modifications by the inclusion of the Polyakov loop on the phase structure are investigated.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Physics and Astronomy
Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Authors
Bernd-Jochen Schaefer, Mathias Wagner,