Thermodynamics of Lattice QCD with 2 Light Dynamical (Staggered) Quark Flavours on a $16^3\times 8$ Lattice

Abstract

Lattice QCD with 2 light staggered quark flavours is being simulated on a $16^3\times8$ lattice to study the transition from hadronic matter to a quark gluon plasma. We have completed runs at $m_q=0.0125$ and are extending this to $m_q=0.00625$. We also examine the addition of a non-dynamical "strange" quark. Thermodynamic order parameters are being measured across the transition and further into the plasma phase, as are various screening lengths. No evidence for a first order transition is seen, and we estimate the transition temperature to be $TY_c=143(7) MeV$.