The finite temperature transition for 3-flavour lattice QCD at finite isospin density

Abstract

We simulate 3-flavour lattice QCD with a small chemical potential $μ_I$ for isospin, at temperatures close to the finite temperature transition. Using quark masses just above the critical mass for zero chemical potential, we determine the position of the transition from hadronic matter to a quark-gluon plasma as a function of $μ_I$. We see evidence for a critical endpoint where the transition changes from a crossover to a first-order transition as $μ_I$ is increased. We argue that QCD at finite $μ_I$ and QCD at finite quark-numberchemical potential $μ$ should behave similarly in this region.