The QCD phase diagram according to the center group

Understand

We study an effective theory for QCD at finite temperature and density which contains the leading center symmetric and center symmetry breaking terms.

• The effective theory is studied in a flux representation where the complex phase problem is absent and the model becomes accessible to Monte Carlo techniques also at finite chemical potential.
• We simulate the system using a generalized Prokof'ev-Svistunov worm algorithm and compare the results to a low temperature expansion.
• The phase diagram is determined as a function of temperature, chemical potential and quark mass.