Chiral Symmetry transition in the Linear Sigma Model with quarks
Chiral Symmetry transition in the Linear Sigma Model with quarks
We use the linear sigma model coupled to quarks, together with a plausible location of
the critical end point (CEP), to study the chiral symmetry transition in the QCD phase
diagram. We compute the effective potential at finite temperature and density up to the
contribution of the ring diagrams, both in the low and high temperature limits, and use
it to compute the pressure and the position of the CEP. In the high temperature regime,
by comparing to results from extrapolated lattice data, we determine the model coupling
constants. Demanding that the CEP remains in the same location when described in
the high temperature limit, we determine again the couplings and the pressure for the
low temperature regime. We show that this procedure gives an average description of
the lattice QCD results for the pressure and that the change from the low to the high
temperature domains in this quantity can be attributed to the change in the coupling
constants which in turn we link to the change in the effective degrees of freedom.
Keywords: Linear sigma model; thermal field theory; QCD phase diagram; critical end
point.
1. Introduction
In the study of QCD thermodynamics one of the principal goals is to gather accu-
rate knowledge of the phase diagram in the quark chemical potential (μ) versus
1650199-1
A. Ayala et al.
somewhere in the middle of the phase diagram. This point is generally referred to
as the critical end point (CEP). Mathematical extensions of lattice calculations, for
instance, the Taylor expansion technique19 or the Fourier expansion of the grand
canonical partition function20 (which considers an imaginary chemical potential)
place the CEP in the region (μCEP /Tc, T CEP /Tc ) ∼ (1.0–1.4, 0.9–0.95).21 For recent
reviews see Refs. 22 and 23.
The extension of lattice QCD calculations to μ = 0 is hindered by the sign prob-
lem.24 Although some mathematical extensions of lattice calculations20,25,26 as well
as Schwinger–Dyson equation techniques27–30 can be employed in the finite μ region,
the use of effective QCD models continues to be a useful tool to explore a large
portion of the phase diagram.31–40 As emphasized in Refs. 39 and 40, for theories
where massless bosons appear, the proper treatment of the plasma screening effects
in the calculation of the effective finite temperature potential is paramount to deter-
mining the CEP location. The importance of accounting for screening in plasmas
was pointed out since the pioneering work in Ref. 41 and implemented also in the
context of the Standard Model to study the electroweak phase transition.42
In this work, we use the linear sigma model coupled to quarks (LSMq) as an
effective model for the strong interactions to determinate the transition lines and
the CEP location in the phase diagram. The same model has been previously used
to incorporate magnetic field effects on the couplings to explore the influence of
the latter on the inverse magnetic catalysis phenomenon.43 We compute the effec-
tive potential at finite temperature and density in the low and high temperature
limits. To account for the plasma screening effects, the computation of the effective
potential is carried out up to the contribution of ring diagrams. We use the low
temperature expansion to determine the model coupling constants requiring that
the CEP location agrees with the one provided by extrapolated lattice results and
then compute the pressure. Then, by requiring that the CEP remains in the same
location when described from the high temperature behavior of the effective poten-
tial, we determine the values of the couplings in that limit and also compute the
pressure. We show that the pressure thus computed provides an average description
of lattice results and that its change from the low to the high temperature regimes
1650199-2
Chiral symmetry transition in the linear sigma model with quarks
can be attributed to the change in the coupling constants, which in turn arises from
the change in the effective degrees of freedom from the low to the high temperature
regimes.
This paper is organized as follows. In Sec. 2, we outline the basics of the LSMq.
In Sec. 3, we compute the finite T and μ effective potential up to the ring dia-
grams order. The calculation requires knowledge of the self-energy which we also
find both in the low and high temperature approximations. In Sec. 4 we use the
effective potentials found in the high and low-temperature limits to explore the
phase diagram and in particular to locate the CEP in the region found by mathe-
matical extensions of lattice QCD.21 The guiding benchmark is to obtain the same
by UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA @ SAN DIEGO on 01/09/17. For personal use only.
σ → σ+v, (2)
1650199-3
A. Ayala et al.
m2σ = 3λv 2 − a2 ,
m2π = λv 2 − a2 , (5)
mf = gv .
We now proceed to use this theory to compute the effective potential at finite
temperature and density.
by UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA @ SAN DIEGO on 01/09/17. For personal use only.
diagrams order to account for the plasma screening effects. The quark chemical
potential is introduced assuming the conservation of the baryon number Q, so
that in equilibrium the system is described by a grand canonical partition function
Z = Tr[exp{−(H − μQ)β)}], with β = 1/T . Using the imaginary-time formalism
of finite temperature field theory, this amounts to replace the Matsubara fermion
frequencies iω̃n by iω̃n −μ when computing the fermion contribution to the effective
potential.44 We obtain the effective potential both in the high as well as in the low
temperature limits. Since the ring contribution requires calculation of the boson
self-energy, we also show the results for this quantity in these regimes.
(6)
and
λT 2 Nf Nc g 2 T 2 μ μ
Π= − 2
[Li2 (−e T ) + Li2 (−e− T )] , (7)
2 π
1650199-4
Chiral symmetry transition in the linear sigma model with quarks
resort to numerical integration, we start from the original expressions that provide
the boson and fermion contributions to the one-loop effective potential
Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 2016.31. Downloaded from www.worldscientific.com
∞
(1) d3 k 1
Vb =T 3
ln D− 2 ,
i=σ,π n=−∞
(2π)
(8)
∞
(1) d3 k
Vf =T ln S ,
(2π)3
i=u,d n=−∞
Using the expression for the boson propagator in Eq. (9), we obtain
∞ 2
(ring) T d3 k k + m2i + ωn2 + Π
Vb = ln
2 i=σ,π n=−∞ (2π)3 k 2 + m2i + ωn2
∞
T d3 k
= ln[k 2 + m2i + ωn2 + Π]
2 i=σ,π n=−∞
(2π)3
∞
T d3 k
− ln[k 2 + m2i + ωn2 ] . (12)
2 i=σ,π n=−∞
(2π)3
1650199-5
A. Ayala et al.
By adding the one-loop and the ring diagram boson contribution to the effective
potential, we obtain
(1) (ring)
Vb ≡ Vb + Vb
∞
T d3 k
= ln[k 2 + m2i + ωn2 + Π]
2 i=σ,π n=−∞ (2π)3
∞
d3 k 1
=T ln(D(ring) )− 2 . (13)
i=σ,π n=−∞
(2π)3
Therefore, the calculation, after considering the sum of the one-loop and ring
by UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA @ SAN DIEGO on 01/09/17. For personal use only.
diagram contributions, is carried out with a boson propagator where m2i → m2i + Π.
Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 2016.31. Downloaded from www.worldscientific.com
Let us first look at the boson contribution. In order to work with Eq. (13) for a
single boson species with mass mi , we can rewrite the expression as
∞
d3 k ∂ 1
Vbi = T dm2i ln(D(ring) )− 2
n=−∞
(2π)3 ∂m2i
∞
d3 k 2 1 (ring) −1 ∂(D(ring) )
=T d mi − (D )
n=−∞
(2π)3 2 ∂m2i
∞
1 d3 k 1
= dm2i T 2 + ω2
, (14)
2 (2π)3 ω
n=−∞ n i
where
Using the fact that the sum over Matsubara frequencies in Eq. (14) can be written as
∞
1 1 2
T = 1 + ω , (16)
ω2 + ω2
n=−∞ n
2ω eT − 1
we obtain
d3 k ωi ω
− Ti
Vb = + T ln(1 − e ) . (17)
i=σ,π
(2π)3 2
1650199-6
Chiral symmetry transition in the linear sigma model with quarks
Fig. 1. Feynman diagrams depicting the contributions to the one-loop boson self-energy. Dashed
lines represent bosons whereas solid lines represent fermions. The boson one-loop diagram receives
contributions from the pions and sigma.
σ π0 π±
by UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA @ SAN DIEGO on 01/09/17. For personal use only.
Πσ = 6 +2 +2 +
Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 2016.31. Downloaded from www.worldscientific.com
σ σ σ σ σ σ σ σ
σ π0 π±
f
Ππ0 = 2 +6 +2 +
π0 π0 π0 π0 π0 π0 π0 π0
f
σ π0 π±
f
Ππ± = 2 +2 +6 +
π± π± π± π± π± π± π± π±
f
Fig. 2. Self-energy Feynman diagrams for each boson species together with the corresponding
symmetry factors that multiply each boson loop diagram. Notice that since there is no interaction
that distinguishes between charged and neutral pions, the self-energy expressions for one and the
other species become equal.
and Πf represents the one-loop fermion contribution to the boson’s self-energy. Note
that for the temperatures of interest, namely, close to the phase transition, T can
still be considered large compared to the fermion mass. Therefore, even though the
temperature cannot be taken as small when compared to the mass parameter a in
the boson sector, it is still a good approximation to consider the large temperature
expansion with respect to the mass in the fermion sector. Thus, we take for Πf the
same expression as the one in the second term of Eq. (7), namely
Nf Nc g 2 T 2 μ μ
Πf = [Li2 (−e T ) + Li2 (−e− T )] . (20)
π2
1650199-7
A. Ayala et al.
I(x) = √ n k 2 + x2 dk . (22)
4π 2 k 2 + x2
Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 2016.31. Downloaded from www.worldscientific.com
Given that in our scheme charged and neutral pion masses are equal as a conse-
quence of isospin symmetry, we cannot distinguish between the π 0 and π ± self-
energies. Therefore, Eqs. (21) reduce to the simpler system
λ
Πσb = 3I m2σ + Πσb + 3I m2π + Ππb + Πf ,
2
(23)
λ
Ππb = I m2σ + Πσb + 5I m2π + Ππb + Πf .
2
Note that Eqs. (23) represent a system of coupled equations for the self-energies.
Since the boson masses depend on the order parameter v, the solutions will also
depend on v.
Finally, using Eqs. (17), (22) and (23), and after mass renormalization at the
scale μ̃ = e−1/2 a, the effective potential in the low temperature approximation is
a2 2 λ 4 (m2 + Πi )2 m2 + Πi 1
(eff)
V =− v + v + i
ln i
+ γE −
2 4 i=σ,π
64π 2 4πa2 2
T 2 k 2 + m2i + Πi
+ 2 dkk ln 1 − exp −
2π T
Nc 4 (4πT )2 0 1 iμ 0 1 iμ
− m ln +1+ψ + +ψ −
16π 2 f
2a2 2 2πT 2 2πT
f =u,d
μ μ μ μ
+ 8m2f T 2 [Li2 (−e T ) + Li2 (−e− T )] − 32T 4[Li4 (−e T ) + Li4 (−e− T )] .
(24)
We now proceed to use Eqs. (6) and (24) to study the phase diagram from the
low and the high temperature approaches and in particular to locate a CEP. In
order to determine the model parameters in the low temperature regime, we use as
input the CEP location found in the high temperature approximation in a previous
work,46 which lies within the region found by lattice inspired calculations.21 Our
guiding principle then is to find the same CEP location when computed in both
1650199-8
Chiral symmetry transition in the linear sigma model with quarks
the low and high temperature approaches. Subsequently, we compute the pressure
in both regimes and compare the results to those of lattice QCD.
order phase transitions in this approach with zero current mass. Increasing μ, one
reaches a pair of values μCEP and T CEP for which the change in v0 starts becoming
Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 2016.31. Downloaded from www.worldscientific.com
1650199-9
A. Ayala et al.
0.5
Secondorder
Firstorder
CEP
by UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA @ SAN DIEGO on 01/09/17. For personal use only.
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2
Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 2016.31. Downloaded from www.worldscientific.com
Μ Tc
Fig. 3. Phase diagram computed from the high-temperature approximation. This procedure gives
as a possible solution λ = 0.86 and g = 1.11.
1
TTc
Secondorder
0.5
Firstorder
CEP
0 0.5 1 1.5 2
Μ Tc
Fig. 4. Phase diagram computed from the low-temperature approximation with Tc /a = 1/2,
which corresponds to mσ 540 MeV and λ = 2.4 and g = 1.65. To set the values of the
couplings, we have required that the location of the CEP is in the same region as that obtained
in the high-temperature approximation.
We now turn to study the phase diagram from the low-T approximation.
We consider Tc /a = 1/2, which corresponds to mσ 540 MeV. Therefore,
Eq. (26) provides a concrete new restriction for the possible values of the couplings.
Furthermore, we choose a set of values that place the CEP in the same region as
the one we obtained in the high temperature limit, consistent with mathematical
extensions of lattice QCD.21 This gives λ = 2.4 and g = 1.65 and Fig. 4 shows the
phase diagram and the CEP thus found. Note that Figs. 3 and 4 describe essentially
the same phase diagram.
1650199-10
Chiral symmetry transition in the linear sigma model with quarks
by UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA @ SAN DIEGO on 01/09/17. For personal use only.
Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 2016.31. Downloaded from www.worldscientific.com
Fig. 5. The pressure computed in the model divided by T 4 and compared to lattice data for two
light flavors. The values of the couplings used in the low and high-temperature approximations
are λLT = 2.4 and gLT = 1.65, λHT = 0.86 and gHT = 1.11, respectively. Note that the model
gives an average description of lattice data for each temperature range, reproducing the jump of
the pressure around Tc , which is due to the change of the couplings.
In order to test the consequences of describing the phase diagram with two sets
of coupling constants we proceed to compute the pressure P , also in the low and
high-temperature regimes. Recall that the thermodynamical relation between P
and V (eff) is given by
P = −V (eff) (v = 0) . (28)
1650199-11
A. Ayala et al.
on Tc .
The difference between the sets of couplings thus obtained is a measure of change
Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 2016.31. Downloaded from www.worldscientific.com
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge seminal conversations with R. L. S. Farias and G. Krein.
Support for this work has been received in part from Consejo Nacional de Ciencia
y Tecnologı́a grant number 256494 from UNAM-DGAPA-PAPIIT grant number
IN101515 and CIC-UMSNH grant number 4.22.
1650199-12
Chiral symmetry transition in the linear sigma model with quarks
References
1. BRAHMS Collab. (I. Arsene et al.), Nucl. Phys. A 757, 1 (2005).
2. B. B. Back et al., Nucl. Phys. A 757, 28 (2005).
3. STAR Collab. (J. Adams et al.), Nucl. Phys. A 757, 102 (2005).
4. PHENIX Collab. (K. Adcox et al.), Nucl. Phys. A 757, 184 (2005).
5. P. Jacobs and X. N. Wang, Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys. 54, 443 (2005).
6. T. Biró, P. Lévai and T. Csörgö, Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top. 155, 1 (2008),
doi:10.1140/epjst/e2008-00582-5.
7. F. Becattini, J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 527, 012012 (2014).
8. Y. Aoki, G. Endrödi, Z. Fodor, S. K. Katz and K. K. Szabó, Nature 443, 675 (2006).
9. T. Bhattacharya, M. I. Buchoff, N. H. Christ, H. T. Ding, R. Gupta, C. Jung,
by UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA @ SAN DIEGO on 01/09/17. For personal use only.
1650199-13
A. Ayala et al.
46. F. Karsch, E. Laermann and A. Peikert, Phys. Lett. B 478, 447 (2000).
Int. J. Mod. Phys. A 2016.31. Downloaded from www.worldscientific.com
1650199-14