English

QCD at finite isospin density

High Energy Physics - Phenomenology 2007-05-23 v2 High Energy Physics - Lattice Nuclear Theory

Abstract

QCD at finite isospin chemical potential mu_I has no fermion sign problem and can be studied on the lattice. We solve this theory analytically in two limits: at low mu_I where chiral perturbation theory is applicable, and at asymptotically high mu_I where perturbative QCD works. At low isospin density the ground state is a pion condensate, whereas at high density it is a Fermi liquid with Cooper pairing. The pairs carry the same quantum numbers as the pion. This leads us to a conjecture that the transition from hadron to quark matter is smooth, which passes several tests. Our results imply a nontrivial phase diagram in the space of temperature and chemical potentials of isospin and baryon number.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.hep-ph/0005225,
  title  = {QCD at finite isospin density},
  author = {D. T. Son and M. A. Stephanov},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:hep-ph/0005225},
  year   = {2007}
}

Comments

4 pages, 1 figure, version to appear in PRL

R2 v1 2026-07-22T13:27:00.704Z