Dirac operator as a random matrix and the quenched limit of QCD with chemical potential

Abstract

The behavior of quenched QCD at nonzero chemical potential $μ$ has been a long-standing puzzle. An explicit solution is found using the random matrix approach to chiral symmetry breaking. At nonzero $μ$ the quenched QCD is not a simple $n\to0$ limit of a theory with $n$ quarks: a naive `replica trick' fails. A limit that leads to the quenched QCD is that of a theory with $2n$ quarks: $n$ quarks with original action and $n$ quarks with conjugate action.