Self-consistent quasiparticle model for quark-gluon plasma

Abstract

Here we present a self-consistent quasiparticle model for quark-gluon plasma (QGP) and apply it to explain the nonideal behavior seen in lattice simulations. The basic idea, borrowed from electrodynamic plasma, is that the gluons acquire mass as they propagate through plasma due to collective effects and are approximately equal to the plasma frequency. The statistical mechanics and thermodynamics of such a system is studied by treating it as an ideal gas of massive gluons. Since mass or plasma frequency depend on density, which itself is a thermodynamic quantity, the whole problem needs to be solved self-consistently. This new quasiparticle model of QGP explains remarkably well the lattice simulation results of gluon plasma by adjusting just a single phenomenological parameter. Further, we extend our model to study gluon plasma using the exact, ultrarelativistic dispersion relation and again obtain a good fit to lattice results.