Topological properties around the Roberge-Weiss transition in $N_f = 2 + 1 + 1$ QCD

Abstract

We investigate the topological properties of QCD across the finite temperature Roberge-Weiss transition, which is found for particular values of the imaginary baryon chemical potential. Our study is conducted for $N_f = 2+1+1$ QCD with physical quark masses, discretized via stout improved staggered fermions and considering mostly two different values of the compactifed dimension, $N_t = 8$ and $N_t = 10$. Results for $T_{RW}$ and for the associated universality class are consistent with those found in the $N_f = 2 + 1$ case with a slightly different discretization. The topological susceptibility appears to be practically constant for $T \lesssim T_{RW}$, then rapidly decaying for higher temperatures. The analysis of the fourth order cumulant of the topological charge distribution, $b_2$, reveals that it is compatible with the prediction of the Dilute Instanton Gas Approximation right after $T_{RW}$, showing thus a sharp transition, which is more similar to what observed in pure gauge theories rather than to full QCD along the standard thermal line, where instead a slower transition was observed in previous studies.