On the Phase Diagram of QCD

M. A. Halasz, A. D. Jackson, R. E. Shrock, M. A. Stephanov, J. J. M. Verbaarschot

Published 1998-04-15, updated 1998-07-21Version 2

We analyze the phase diagram of QCD with two massless quark flavors in the space of temperature, T, and chemical potential of the baryon charge, mu, using available experimental knowledge of QCD, insights gained from various models, as well as general and model independent arguments including continuity, universality, and thermodynamic relations. A random matrix model is used to describe the chiral symmetry restoration phase transition at finite T and mu. In agreement with general arguments, this model predicts a tricritical point in the T mu plane. Certain critical properties at such a point are universal and can be relevant to heavy ion collision experiments.