The phase diagram of dense QCD

Abstract

Current status of theoretical researches on the QCD phase diagram at finite temperature and baryon chemical potential is reviewed with special emphasis on the origin of various phases and their symmetry breaking patterns. Topics include; quark deconfinement, chiral symmetry restoration, order of the phase transitions, QCD critical point(s), colour superconductivity, various inhomogeneous states and implications from QCD-like theories.

Comments: 48 pages; 15 figures; 4 tables; review submitted to Reports on Progress in Physics; some discussions clarified and updated in the revision