Status of the QCD phase diagram from lattice calculations

Abstract

The present knowledge of the QCD phase diagram based on simulations of lattice QCD is summarised. The main questions are whether there is a critical point in the QCD phase diagram and whether it is related to a chiral phase transition. It is shown that QCD at imaginary chemical potentials has a rich phase structure, which can be determined in a controlled way without sign problem and which severely constrains the phase structure at real chemical potentials.

Comments: 10 pages, 6 figures, Invited lecture at 'Three Days on Quarkyonic Island', HIC for FAIR workshop and XXVIII Max Born Symposium, 19-21 May 2011