We elucidate how the color neutrality is harmed in the Polyakov Nambu-Jona Lasinio (PNJL) model at finite density within the adopted mean field approximation. Also we point out how usual assumption about the diagonal form of the Wilson loop may fail in the presence of the diquark condensate on several grounds.
We study how the charge neutrality affects the phase structure of three-flavor PNJL model. We point out that, within the conventional PNJL model at finite density the color neutrality is missing because the Wilson line serves as an external ``colored
field coupled to dynamical quarks. In this paper we heuristically assume that the model may still be applicable. To get color neutrality one has then to allow non vanishing color chemical potentials. We study how the quark matter phase diagram in $(T,m_s^2/mu)$-plane is affected by imposing neutrality and by including the Polyakov loop dynamics. Although these two effects are correlated in a nonlinear way, the impact of the Polyakov loop turns out to be significant in the $T$ direction, while imposing neutrality brings a remarkable effect in the $m_s^2/mu$ direction. In particular, we find a novel unlocking transition, when the temperature is increased, even in the chiral SU(3) limit. We clarify how and why this is possible once the dynamics of the colored Polyakov loop is taken into account. Also we succeed in giving an analytic expression for $T_c$ for the transition from two-flavor pairing (2SC) to unpaired quark matter in the presence of the Polyakov loop.
The critical endpoint (CEP) and the phase structure are studied in the Polyakov-loop extended Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model in which the scalar type eight-quark (sigma^4) interaction and the vector type four-quark interaction are newly added. The sigma^4
interaction largely shifts the CEP toward higher temperature and lower chemical potential, while the vector type interaction does oppositely. At zero chemical potential, the sigma^4 interaction moves the pseudo-critical temperature of the chiral phase transition to the vicinity of that of the deconfinement phase transition.
The Polyakov loop extended Nambu--Jona-Lasinio (PNJL) model with imaginary chemical potential is studied. The model possesses the extended ${mathbb Z}_{3}$ symmetry that QCD does. Quantities invariant under the extended ${mathbb Z}_{3}$ symmetry, suc
h as the partition function, the chiral condensate and the modified Polyakov loop, have the Roberge-Weiss (RW) periodicity. The phase diagram of confinement/deconfinement transition derived with the PNJL model is consistent with the RW prediction on it and the results of lattice QCD. The phase diagram of chiral transition is also presented by the PNJL model.
The Nambu Jona-Lasinio model with a Polyakov loop is extended to finite isospin chemical potential case, which is characterized by simultaneous coupling of pion condensate, chiral condensate and Polyakov loop. The pion condensate, chiral condensate a
nd the Polyakov loop as functions of temperature and isospin chemical potential are investigated by minimizing the thermodynamic potential of the system. The resulting $(T,mu_I)$ phase diagram is studied with emphasis on the critical point and Polyakov loop dynamics. The tricritical point for the pion superfluidity phase transition is confirmed and the phase transition for isospin symmetry restoration in high isospin chemical potential region perfectly coincides with the crossover phase transition for Polyakov loop. These results are in agreement with the Lattice QCD data.
We present extensive studies on hot and dense quark matter with two light and one heavy flavors in the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model with the Polyakov loop (so-called PNJL model). First we discuss prescription dependence in choosing the Polyakov loop eff
ective potential and propose a simple and rather sensible ansatz. We look over quantitative comparison to the lattice measurement to confirm that the model captures thermodynamic properties correctly. We then analyze the phase structure with changing the temperature, quark chemical potential, quark masses, and coupling constants. We particularly investigate how the effective U_A(1) restoration and the induced vector-channel interaction at finite density would affect the QCD critical point.