Chiral density waves in quarkyonic matter

Abstract

We study the phase diagram of strongly interacting matter including the inhomogeneous phase of Chiral Density Waves (CDW) within the Polyakov loop extended Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (PNJL) model. We discuss the phase structure taking into account density and flavour dependence of the Polyakov loop potential parameter and temperature dependence of the four-point coupling constant of the NJL model. It is shown that the CDW phase exists and that can be interpreted as a special realisation of quarkyonic matter. This fact is of particular interest because the existence of homogeneous quarkyonic matter is strongly constrained. This also indicates that the study of inhomogeneous phases at finite temperatures and baryon densities are of special importance.