Related papers: The Polyakov loop models in the large N limit: Pha…
We discuss the non-zero baryon number formulation of QCD in the quenched limit at finite temperature. This describes the thermodynamics of gluons in the background of static quark sources. Although a sign problem remains in this theory, our…
We consider a dual representation of an effective three-dimensional Polyakov loop model for the SU(3) theory at nonzero real chemical potential. This representation is free of the sign problem and can be used for numeric Monte-Carlo…
The thermodynamics of QCD with sufficiently heavy dynamical quarks can be described by a three-dimensional Polyakov loop effective theory, obtained after a truncated character and hopping expansion. We investigate the resulting phase…
With combined hopping parameter and strong coupling expansions, we calculate a dimensionally reduced Polyakov-loop effective theory valid for heavy quarks at nonzero temperature and arbitrary chemical potential. We numerically compute the…
The effective action of the SU(N) Polyakov loop model in the strong coupling region and in the static limit for the quark determinant can be mapped onto the Ising model in any dimensions, with the Ising variables attached on the links of…
We compare the grand canonical partition function at fixed chemical potential mu with the canonical partition function at fixed baryon number B, formally and by numerical simulations at mu=0 and B=0 with four flavours of staggered quarks.…
We study the free energies of heavy quarks calculated from Polyakov loop correlation functions in full 2-flavour QCD using the p4-improved staggered fermion action. A small but finite Baryon number density is included via Taylor expansion…
We present a study of the free energy of parameterized Polyakov loops P in SU(2) and SU(3) lattice gauge theory as a function of the parameters that characterize P. We explore temperatures below and above the deconfinement transition, and…
At finite temperature, chiral quark models do not incorporate large gauge invariance which implies genuinely non-perturbative finite temperature gluonic degrees of freedom. Motivated by this observation, we describe how the coupling of the…
The free energy of effective spin or "Polyakov line" models with a chemical potential, based on the U(N) group, does not depend on the chemical potential. In a mean field-inspired expansion, we show how the condition of unit determinant,…
The Polyakov loop has been used repeatedly as an order parameter in the deconfinement phase transition in QCD. We argue that, in the confined phase, its expectation value can be represented in terms of hadronic states, similarly to the…
The addition of an adjoint Polyakov loop term to the action of a pure gauge theory at finite temperature leads to new phases of SU(N) gauge theories. For SU(3), a new phase is found which breaks Z(3) symmetry in a novel way; for SU(4), the…
We study genuine finite density effects in QCD-like theories with three-dimensional Polyakov-loop effective theories for heavy quarks. These are derived from the full QCD-like theories by combined strong-coupling and hopping expansions. In…
I review the deconfining phase transition in an SU(N) gauge theory without quarks. After computing the interface tension between Z(N) degenerate vacua deep in the deconfined phase, I follow Giovannangeli and Korthals Altes, and suggest a…
In an extension of the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model where the quarks interact with the temporal gluon field, represented by the Polyakov loop, we explore the relation between the deconfinement and chiral phase transitions. The effect of…
We show that the Polyakov loop approaches its asymptotic value at high temperatures {\it from below} in any strongly-coupled gauge theory at large $N_c$ with a dual supergravity description. In these theories the Polyakov loop can be used…
I discuss recent results obtained by our group within the Nambu-Jona Lasinio model with the Polyakov loop. I focus on the two flavor version of the model, discussing the phase diagram in the $\mu-T$ plane in the case in which electrical…
Constrained effective potentials in hot gauge theory give the probability that a configuration p of the order parameter (Polyakov loop) occurs. They are important in the analysis of surface effects and bubble formation in the plasma. The…
A PNJL model is built, in which the Polyakov-loop potential is explicitly Z$_{N_c}$-symmetric in order to mimic a Yang-Mills theory with gauge group SU($N_c$). The physically expected large-$N_c$ and large-$T$ behaviours of the…
The chiral condensate and dressed Polyakov loop at finite temperature and density have been investigated in the framework of Nf = 2+1 Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model with two degenerate u, d quarks and one strange quark. In the case of…