Magnetized QCD phase diagram: critical end points for the strange quark phase transition driven by external magnetic fields

Abstract

In this work we examine possible effects of an external magnetic field in the strongly interacting matter phase diagram. The study is performed using the Polyakov-Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model. Possible consequences of the inverse magnetic catalysis effect on the phase diagram at both finite chemical potential and temperature are analyzed. We devote special emphasis on how the location of the multiple critical end points (CEPs) change in a magnetized medium: the presence of an external magnetic field induces several CEPs in the strange sector, which arise due to the multiple phase transitions that the strange quark undergoes. We also study the deconfinement transition which turns out to be less sensitive to the external magnetic field when compared to the quark phase transitions. The crossover nature of the deconfinement is preserved over the whole phase diagram.