Finite-size scaling as a tool in the search for the QCD critical point in heavy ion data

Abstract

Given the short lifetime and the reduced volume of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) formed in high-energy heavy ion collisions, a possible critical endpoint (CEP) will be blurred in a region and the effects from criticality severely smoothened. Nevertheless, the non-monotonic behavior of correlation functions near criticality for systems of different sizes, given by different centralities in heavy ion collisions, must obey finite-size scaling. We apply the predicting power of scaling plots to the search for the CEP of strong interactions in heavy ion collisions using data from RHIC and SPS. The results of our data analysis exclude a critical point below chemical potentials $\mu \sim 450$MeV. Extrapolating the analysis, we speculate that criticality could appear slightly above $\mu \sim 500$MeV. Using available data we extrapolate our scaling curves to predict the behavior of new data at lower center-of-mass energy, currently being investigated in the Beam Energy Scan program at RHIC. If it turns out that the QGP phase is no longer achievable in heavy ion experiments before the CEP is reached, FSS might be the only way to experimentally estimate its position in the phase diagram.

5 pages, 3 figures

References in corpus (5)

• The chiral critical point of Nf=3 QCD at finite density to the order (mu/T)^4
• Finite-size effects on the phase structure of the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model
• Dense QCD in a Finite Volume
• On locations and properties of the multicritical point of Gaussian and +/-J Ising spin glasses
• Deconfining Phase Transition on Lattices with Boundaries at Low Temperature

Cited by in corpus (19)

• Critical point in the phase diagram of primordial quark-gluon matter from black hole physics
• Thermodynamic Properties of Strongly Interacting Matter in a Finite Volume using the Polyakov-Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model
• A Study of the Properties of the QCD Phase Diagram in High-Energy Nuclear Collisions
• Quark Number Fluctuations at Finite Temperature and Finite Chemical Potential via the Dyson-Schwinger Equation Approach
• Thermodynamics and fluctuations of conserved charges in Hadron Resonance Gas model in finite volume
• Fluctuation of strongly interacting matter in Polyakov Nambu Jona-Lasinio model in finite volume
• Modeling Finite-Volume Effects and Chiral Symmetry Breaking in Two-Flavor QCD Thermodynamics
• Volume dependence of baryon number cumulants and their ratios
• Dynamical exploring the QCD matter at finite temperatures and densities-a short review
• Effects of finite volume and magnetic fields on thermodynamic properties of quark matter and fluctuations of conserved charges
• Dynamics of critical fluctuations: Theory -- phenomenology -- heavy-ion collisions
• Influence of finite volume effect on the Polyakov Quark-Meson model
• Modern nuclear and astrophysical constraints of dense matter in a renormalized chiral approach
• Locating the QCD critical point through contours of constant entropy density
• Volume effects on the QCD critical end point from thermal fluctuations within the super statistics framework
• Effect of finite volume on thermodynamics of quark-hadron matter
• Search for the QCD Critical Point in High Energy Nuclear Collisions: A Status Report
• Unified Functional-Holographic Theory of the QCD Critical End Point
• The 3d O(4) model as an effective approach to the QCD phase diagram