Sandor D. Katz

The order of the quantum chromodynamics transition predicted by the standard model of particle physics

Quantum chromodynamics (QCD) is the theory of the strong interaction, explaining (for example) the binding of three almost massless quarks into a much heavier proton or neutron—and thus most of the mass of the visible Universe. The standard model of particle physics predicts a QCD-related transition that is relevant for the evolution of the early Universe. At low temperatures, the dominant degrees of freedom are colourless bound states of hadrons (such as protons and pions). However, QCD is asymptotically free, meaning that at high energies or temperatures the interaction gets weaker and weaker, causing hadrons to break up. This behaviour underlies the predicted cosmological transition between the low-temperature hadronic phase and a high-temperature quark–gluon plasma phase (for simplicity, we use the word ‘phase’ to characterize regions with different dominant degrees of freedom). Despite enormous theoretical effort, the nature of this finite-temperature QCD transition (that is, first-order, second-order or analytic crossover) remains ambiguous. Here we determine the nature of the QCD transition using computationally demanding lattice calculations for physical quark masses. Susceptibilities are extrapolated to vanishing lattice spacing for three physical volumes, the smallest and largest of which differ by a factor of five. This ensures that a true transition should result in a dramatic increase of the susceptibilities. No such behaviour is observed: our finite-size scaling analysis shows that the finite-temperature QCD transition in the hot early Universe was not a real phase transition, but an analytic crossover (involving a rapid change, as opposed to a jump, as the temperature varied). As such, it will be difficult to find experimental evidence of this transition from astronomical observations.

The QCD equation of state with dynamical quarks

The present paper concludes our investigation on the QCD equation of state with 2 + 1 staggered flavors and one-link stout improvement. We extend our previous study [JHEP01 (2006) 089] by choosing even finer lattices. Lattices with Nt=6, 8 and 10 are used, and the continuum limit is approached by checking the results at Nt= 12. A Symanzik improved gauge and a stout-link improved staggered fermion action is utilized. We use physical quark masses, that is, for the lightest staggered pions and kaons we fix the mπ/fK and mK/fK ratios to their experimental values. The pressure, the interaction measure, the energy and entropy density and the speed of sound are presented as functions of the temperature in the range 100 ... 1000MeV. We give estimates for the pion mass dependence and for the contribution of the charm quark. We compare our data to the equation of state obtained by the “hotQCD” collaboration.

Is there still any T c mystery in lattice QCD? Results with physical masses in the continuum limit III

The present paper concludes our investigations on the QCD cross-over transition temperatures with 2+1 staggered flavours and one-link stout improvement. We extend our previous two studies [Phys. Lett. B643 (2006) 46, JHEP 0906:088 (2009)] by choosing even finer lattices (Nt = 16) and we work again with physical quark masses. The new results on this broad cross-over are in complete agreement with our earlier ones. We compare our findings with the published results of the hotQCD collaboration. All these results are confronted with the predictions of the Hadron Resonance Gas model and Chiral Perturbation Theory for temperatures below the transition region. Our results can be reproduced by using the physical spectrum in these analytic calculations. The findings of the hotQCD collaboration can be recovered by using a distorted spectrum which takes into account lattice discretization artifacts and heavier than physical quark masses. This analysis provides a simple explanation for the observed discrepancy in the transition temperatures between our and the hotQCD collaborations.

Lattice determination of the critical point of QCD at finite T and μ

Based on universal arguments it is believed that there is a critical point (E) in QCD on the temperature (T) versus chemical potential (μ) plane, which is of extreme importance for heavy-ion experiments. Using finite size scaling and a recently proposed lattice method to study QCD at finite μ we determine the location of E in QCD with nf = 2+1 dynamical staggered quarks with semi-realistic masses on Lt = 4 lattices. Our result is TE = 160±3.5 MeV and μE = 725±35 MeV. For the critical temperature at μ = 0 we obtained Tc = 172±3 MeV.

Ab Initio Determination of Light Hadron Masses

More than 99% of the mass of the visible universe is made up of protons and neutrons. Both particles are much heavier than their quark and gluon constituents, and the Standard Model of particle physics should explain this difference. We present a full ab initio calculation of the masses of protons, neutrons, and other light hadrons, using lattice quantum chromodynamics. Pion masses down to 190 mega–electron volts are used to extrapolate to the physical point, with lattice sizes of approximately four times the inverse pion mass. Three lattice spacings are used for a continuum extrapolation. Our results completely agree with experimental observations and represent a quantitative confirmation of this aspect of the Standard Model with fully controlled uncertainties.

Full result for the QCD equation of state with 2+1 flavors

We present a full result for the 2+1 flavor QCD equation of state. All the systematics are controlled, the quark masses are set to their physical values, and the continuum extrapolation is carried out. This extends our previous studies [JHEP 0601:089 (2006); 1011:077 (2010)] to even finer lattices and now includes ensembles with Nt = 6,8,10,12 up to Nt = 16. We use a Symanzik improved gauge and a stout-link improved staggered fermion action. Our findings confirm our earlier results. In order to facilitate the direct use of our equation of state we make our tabulated results available for download.

A New method to study lattice QCD at finite temperature and chemical potential

Abstract Due to the sign problem, it is exponentially difficult to study QCD on the lattice at finite chemical potential. We propose a method—an overlap improving multi-parameter reweighting technique—to alleviate this problem. We apply this method and give the phase diagram of four-flavor QCD obtained on lattices 44 and 4×63. Our results are based on O (103–104) configurations.

The equation of state in lattice QCD: with physical quark masses towards the continuum limit

The equation of state of QCD at vanishing chemical potential as a function of temperature is determined for two sets of lattice spacings. Coarser lattices with temporal extension of Nt=4 and finer lattices of Nt=6 are used. Symanzik improved gauge and stout-link improved staggered fermionic actions are applied. The results are given for physical quark masses both for the light quarks and for the strange quark. Pressure, energy density, entropy density, quark number susceptibilities and the speed of sound are presented.

High-precision scale setting in lattice QCD

A bstractScale setting is of central importance in lattice QCD. It is required to predict dimensional quantities in physical units. Moreover, it determines the relative lattice spacings of computations performed at different values of the bare coupling, and this is needed for extrapolating results into the continuum. Thus, we calculate a new quantity, w0, for setting the scale in lattice QCD, which is based on the Wilson flow like the scale t0 (M. Luscher, JHEP 08 (2010) 071). It is cheap and straightforward to implement and compute. In particular, it does not involve the delicate fitting of correlation functions at asymptotic times. It typically can be determined on the few per-mil level. We compute its continuum extrapolated value in 2 + 1-flavor QCD for physical and non-physical pion and kaon masses, to allow for mass-independent scale setting even away from the physical mass point. We demonstrate its robustness by computing it with two very different actions (one of them with staggered, the other with Wilson fermions) and by showing that the results agree for physical quark masses in the continuum limit.

Ab initio calculation of the neutron-proton mass difference

Weighing the neutron against the proton Elementary science textbooks often state that protons have the same mass as neutrons. This is not far from the truth—the neutron is about 0.14% heavier (and less stable) than the proton. The precise value is important, because if the mass difference were bigger or smaller, the world as we know it would likely not exist. Borsanyi et al. calculated the mass difference to high precision using a sophisticated approach that took into account the various forces that exist within a nucleon. The calculations reveal how finely tuned our universe needs to be. Science, this issue p. 1452 Lattice quantum chromodynamics and quantum electrodynamics are used to calculate mass differences between pairs of hadrons. The existence and stability of atoms rely on the fact that neutrons are more massive than protons. The measured mass difference is only 0.14% of the average of the two masses. A slightly smaller or larger value would have led to a dramatically different universe. Here, we show that this difference results from the competition between electromagnetic and mass isospin breaking effects. We performed lattice quantum-chromodynamics and quantum-electrodynamics computations with four nondegenerate Wilson fermion flavors and computed the neutron-proton mass-splitting with an accuracy of 300 kilo–electron volts, which is greater than 0 by 5 standard deviations. We also determine the splittings in the Σ, Ξ, D, and Ξcc isospin multiplets, exceeding in some cases the precision of experimental measurements.