MS Seminar (Mathematics - String Theory)

Speaker: Giorgio Torrieri (Columbia U)
Title: Phase transitions in high density Yang-Mills matter
Date (JST): Mon, Dec 09, 2013, 15:30 - 16:45
Place: Seminar Room A
Related File: 1048.pdf
Abstract: I will discuss the phase structure of matter at moderate temperature and chemical potential in QCD at finite number of colors and flavors. Motivated by large Nc physics, I will argue that the non-perturbative structure of QCD can give rise to hitherto little explored phenomena, such as the coexistence of confinement with perturbative quark degrees of freedom. I will however show that this "quarkyonic phase" is defined by a percolation-type phase transition line parametrized by the number of colors as well as by density and temperature. Given theoretical uncertainities in dealing with matter at this regime, therefore, a phenomenological and experimental investigation of matter at high chemical potential might be decisive to determine if the quarkyonic phase does in fact exist. I will conclude discussing possible lattice and experimental signatures of this new state of matter.