Onset Transition to Cold Nuclear Matter from Lattice QCD with Heavy Quarks to $\kappa^4$

Abstract

We present results of our ongoing studies of an effective three-dimensional theory of thermal lattice QCD with heavy Wilson quarks. This is done by combined strong coupling and hopping parameter expansions. The full quark determinant of four dimensional lattice QCD is expanded in orders of the hopping parameter $\kappa$, the dimensional reduction is achieved by integrating over the spatial links. We present the calculation of the effective theory through order $\kappa^nu^m$ with $n+m=4$. This theory is then used to simulate heavy quarks near the cold and dense limit. For nonzero chemical potential the theory suffers from a sign problem, wich is avoided by employing stochastical quantisation. Continuum extrapolated results for the onset of nuclear matter are shown and the region of convergence of the effective theory is discussed.