Heavy dense QCD and nuclear matter from an effective lattice theory

Abstract

A three-dimensional effective lattice theory of Polyakov loops is derived from QCD by expansions in the fundamental character of the gauge action, u, and the hopping parameter, κ, whose action is correct to κ^n u^m with n+m=4. At finite baryon density, the effective theory has a sign problem which meets all criteria to be simulated by complex Langevin as well as by Monte Carlo on small volumes. The theory is valid for the thermodynamics of heavy quarks, where its predictions agree with simulations of full QCD at zero and imaginary chemical potential. In its region of convergence, it is moreover amenable to perturbative calculations in the small effective couplings. In this work we study the challenging cold and dense regime. We find unambiguous evidence for the nuclear liquid gas transition once the baryon chemical potential approaches the baryon mass, and calculate the nuclear equation of state. In particular, we find a negative binding energy per nucleon causing the condensation, whose absolute value decreases exponentially as mesons get heavier. For decreasing meson mass, we observe a first order liquid gas transition with an endpoint at some finite temperature, as well as gap between the onset of isospin and baryon condensation.

arXiv comment34 pages, 13 figures

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• Review on novel methods for lattice gauge theories
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• Approaches to the sign problem in lattice field theory
• Polyakov loop modeling for hot QCD
• Some remarks on Lefschetz thimbles and complex Langevin dynamics
• Complex Langevin and other approaches to the sign problem in quantum many-body physics
• Complex Langevin dynamics and zeroes of the fermion determinant
• Simulating QCD at nonzero baryon density to all orders in the hopping parameter expansion
• Chiral Mirror-Baryon-Meson Model and Nuclear Matter beyond Mean-Field
• Comparison of complex Langevin and mean field methods applied to effective Polyakov line models
• Controlling Complex Langevin simulations of lattice models by boundary term analysis
• Applying Complex Langevin Simulations to Lattice QCD at Finite Density
• QCD in the heavy dense regime for general $N_c$: On the existence of quarkyonic matter
• Taylor expansions on Lefschetz thimbles (and not only that)
• Two-Flavor Lattice QCD with a Finite Density of Heavy Quarks: Heavy-Dense Limit and "Particle-Hole" Symmetry
• Complex spectrum of finite-density lattice QCD with static quarks at strong coupling
• Equation of state for cold and dense heavy QCD
• Relative weights approach to SU(3) gauge theories with dynamical fermions at finite density
• Baryonic Matter Onset in Two-Color QCD with Heavy Quarks
• Nuclear Liquid-Gas Transition in the Strong Coupling Regime of Lattice QCD
• Complex Langevin Simulations of QCD at Finite Density -- Progress Report
• QCD phase transition and equation of state of stellar strong interaction matter via Dyson-Schwinger equation approach
• Liquid-Gas Phase Transitions and $\mathcal{C}\mathcal{K}$ Symmetry in Quantum Field Theories
• Quarks and Triality in a Finite Volume
• The SU(3) spin model with chemical potential by series expansion techniques
• Towards a theoretical description of dense QCD
• Strong coupling methods in QCD thermodynamics
• Polyakov line actions from SU(3) lattice gauge theory with dynamical fermions via relative weights
• Screening without screening: baryon energy at high baryon density
• Lattice gauge theories in the strong coupling and static limits as a sign-problem-free Ising model