Chiral Symmetry Breaking and Color Superconductivity in the Instanton Picture

Gregory W. Carter, Dmitri Diakonov

Published 1999-05-24, updated 1999-06-08Version 2

The instanton approach to spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking is reviewed, with emphasis on the connection to chiral random matrix theory. We extend the approach to discuss the finite density, zero-temperature behaviour of quark matter. Since the instanton-induced interactions are attractive in both $\bar{q}q$ and $qq$ channels, a competition ensues between phases of matter with condensation in either or both. It results in chiral symmetry restoration due to the onset of diquark condensation, a `colour superconductor', at finite density.