The Phase Diagram of Four Flavor SU(2) Lattice Gauge Theory at Nonzero Chemical Potential and Temperature

Abstract

SU(2) lattice gauge theory with four flavors of quarks is simulated at nonzero chemical potential $μ$ and temperature $T$ and the results are compared to the predictions of Effective Lagrangians. Simulations on $16^4$ lattices indicate that at zero $T$ the theory experiences a second order phase transition to a diquark condensate state. Several methods of analysis, including equation of state fits suggested by Chiral Perturbation Theory, suggest that mean-field scaling describes this critical point. Nonzero $T$ and $μ$ are studied on $12^3 \times 6$ lattices. For low $T$, increasing $μ$ takes the system through a line of second order phase transitions to a diquark condensed phase. Increasing $T$ at high $μ$, the system passes through a line of first order transitions from the diquark phase to the quark-gluon plasma phase. Metastability is found in the vicinity of the first order line. There is a tricritical point along this line of transitions whose position is consistent with theoretical predictions.