No Arabic abstract
The net-baryon number fluctuations for three-flavor quark matter are computed within the Polyakov extended Nambu$-$Jona-Lasinio model. Two models with vanishing and nonvanishing vector interactions are considered. While the former predicts a critical end point (CEP) in the phase diagram, the latter predicts no CEP. We show that the nonmonotonic behavior of the susceptibilities in the phase diagram is still present even in the absence of a CEP. Therefore, from the nonmonotonic behavior of the susceptibilities solely, one cannot assume the existence of a CEP. We analyze other possible properties that may distinguish the two scenarios, and determine the behavior of the net-baryon number fluctuations and the velocity of sound along several isentropes, with moderate and small values. It is shown that the value of the susceptibilities ratios and the velocity of sound at two or three isentropic lines could possibly allow to distinguish both scenarios, a phase diagram with or without CEP. Smoother behaviors of these quantities may indicate the nonexistence of a CEP. We also discuss the critical behavior of the strange sector.
Event-by-event fluctuations of the net-proton number studied in heavy-ion collisions provide an important means in the search for the conjectured critical end point (CP) in the QCD phase diagram. We propose a phenomenological model in which the fluctuations of the chiral critical mode couple to protons and anti-protons. This allows us to study the behavior of the net-proton number fluctuations in the presence of the CP. Calculating the net-proton number cumulants, $C_n$ with n=1,2,3,4, along the phenomenological freeze-out line we show that the ratio of variance and mean $C_2/C_1$, as well as kurtosis $C_4/C_2$ resemble qualitative properties observed in data in heavy-ion collisions as a function of beam energy obtained by the STAR Collaboration at RHIC. In particular, the non-monotonic structure of the kurtosis and smooth change of the $C_2/C_1$ ratio with beam energy could be due to the CP located near the freeze-out line. The skewness, however, exhibits properties that are in contrast to the criticality expected due to the CP. The dependence of our results on the model parameters and the proximity of the chemical freeze-out to the critical point are also discussed.
Employing the Polyakov extended Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model, we determine the net-baryon number fluctuations of magnetized three-flavor quark matter. We show that the magnetic field changes the nature of the strange quark transition from crossover to first-order at low temperatures. In fact, the strange quark undergoes multiple first-order phase transitions and several critical end points emerge in the phase diagram.
Net-proton number fluctuations can be measured experimentally and hence provide a source of important information about the matter created during relativistic heavy ion collisions. Particularly, they may give us clues about the conjectured QCD critical point. In this work the beam-energy dependence of ratios of the first four cumulants of the net-proton number is discussed. These quantities are calculated using a phenomenologically motivated model in which critical mode fluctuations couple to protons and anti-protons. Our model qualitatively captures both the monotonic behavior of the lowest-order ratio as well as the non-monotonic behavior of higher-order ratios, as seen in the experimental data from the STAR Collaboration. We also discuss the dependence of our results on the coupling strength and the location of the critical point.
We investigate the evolution of the net-proton kurtosis and the kurtosis of the chiral order parameter near the critical point in the model of nonequilibrium chiral fluid dynamics. The order parameter is propagated explicitly and coupled to an expanding fluid of quarks and gluons in order to describe the dynamical situation in a heavy-ion collision. We study the critical region near the critical point on the crossover side. There are two sources of fluctuations: non-critical initial event-by-event fluctuations and critical fluctuations. These fluctuations can be distinguished by comparing a mean-field evolution of averaged thermodynamic quantities with the inclusion of fluctuations at the phase transition. We find that while the initial state fluctuations give rise to flat deviations from statistical fluctuations, critical fluctuations reveal a clear structure of the phase transition. The signals of the critical point in the net-proton and sigma field kurtosis are affected by the nonequilibrium dynamics and the inhomogeneity of the space-time evolution but develop clearly.
We investigate the phase structure of strongly interacting matter and baryon number fluctuations in the Polyakov loop improved Nambu--Jona-Lasinio (PNJL) model. The calculation shows that both the chiral and deconfinement transitions, as well as their coincidence and separation determine the basic QCD phase structure. The contour maps and the three-dimensional diagrams of the net-baryon kurtosis and skewness present well the trace of QCD phase structure. Comparing with the experimental data, we find that the existence of a critical end point (CEP) of chiral transition is crucial to explain the non-monotonic energy dependence and the large deviation from Poisson baseline of net-proton kurtosis. In particular, the relation between the chiral and deconfinement transitions in the crossover region is also reflected by the baryon number fluctuations. This study shows that the measurements of higher moments of multiplicity distributions of conserved charges are powerful to investigate the criticality and even the chiral and deconfinement transitions in the crossover region.