Progress on a canonical finite density algorithm

Abstract

We test the finite density algorithm in the canonical ensemble which combines the HMC update with the accept/reject step according to the ratio of the fermion number projected determinant to the unprojected one as a way of avoiding the determinant fluctuation problem. We report our preliminary results on the Polyakov loop in different baryon number sectors which exhibit deconfinement transitions on small lattices. The largest density we obtain around $T_c$ is an order of magnitude larger than that of nuclear matter. From the conserved vector current, we calculate the quark number and verify that the mixing of different baryon sectors is small.