Thermodynamics of strong interaction matter from lattice QCD and the hadron resonance gas model

Abstract

We compare recent lattice QCD calculations of higher order cumulants of net-strangeness fluctuations with hadron resonance gas (HRG) model calculations. Up to the QCD transition temperature Tc=( 154 +/- 9) MeV we find good agreement between QCD and HRG model calculations of second and fourth order cumulants, even when subtle aspects of net-baryon number, strangeness and electric charge fluctuations are probed. In particular, the fourth order cumulants indicate that also in the strangeness sector of QCD the failure of HRG model calculations sets in quite abruptly in the vicinity of the QCD transition temperature and is apparent in most observables for T > 160 MeV.