QCD thermodynamics of effective models with an improved Polyakov-loop potential

Understand

We analyse the role of the quark backreaction on the gauge-field dynamics and its impact on the Polyakov-loop potential.

• Based on our analysis we construct an improved Polyakov-loop potential that can be used in future model studies.
• In the present work, we employe this improved potential in a study of a 2+1 flavour Polyakov-quark-meson model and show that the temperature dependence of the order parameters and thermodynamics is closer to full QCD.
• We discuss the results for QCD thermodynamics and outline briefly the dependence of our results on the critical temperature and the parametrisation of the Polyakov-loop potential as well as the mass of the sigma-meson.