HTL quasiparticle models of deconfined QCD at finite chemical potential

Abstract

Using quasiparticle models and imposing thermodynamic consistency, lattice data for the equation of state of deconfined QCD can be mapped to finite chemical potential. We consider a refinement of existing simple massive quasiparticle models using the non-local hard-thermal-loop (HTL) propagators, and certain NLO corrections thereof, to obtain the thermodynamic potential as a function of temperature and chemical potential. At small chemical potential we find that the results for the slope of constant pressure from our main model for 2 massless quark flavors is in good agreement with recent lattice data for 2+1 flavors while it deviates somewhat from lattice data for 2 flavors from another group. For zero temperature, we obtain an estimate for the critical chemical potential which is close to that obtained from simpler quasiparticle models.

Comments: 11 pages, 9 figures, RevTeX4; v2: references and 3 plots updated