The QCD critical end point in the SU(3) Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model

Abstract

We study the chiral phase transition at finite temperature $T$ and baryonic chemical potential $\mu_B$ within the framework of the SU(3) Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model. The QCD critical end point (CEP) and the critical line at finite $T$ and $\mu_B$ are investigated: the study of physical quantities, such as the baryon number susceptibility and the specific heat in the vicinity the CEP, will provide relevant information concerning the order of the phase transition. The class of the CEP is determined by calculating the critical exponents of those quantities.