Quark number susceptibilities: lattice QCD versus PNJL model

Abstract

Quark number susceptibilities at finite quark chemical potential are investigated in the framework of the Polyakov-loop-extended Nambu Jona-Lasinio (PNJL) model. A detailed comparison is performed between the available lattice data, extrapolated using a Taylor expansion around vanishing chemical potential, and PNJL results consistently obtained from a Taylor series truncated at the same order. The validity of the Taylor expansion is then examined through a comparison between the full and truncated PNJL model calculations.