Study of the Z[sub 3] symmetry in QCD at finite temperature and chemical potential using a worm algorithm

Abstract

Traditional Monte Carlo simulations of QCD in the presence of a baryon chemical potential are plagued by the complex phase problem and new numerical approaches are necessary for studying the phase diagram of the theory. In this work we consider a Z3 Polyakov loop model for the deconfining phase transition in QCD and discuss how a flux representation of the model in terms of dimer and monomer variable solves the complex action problem. We present results of numerical simulations using a worm algorithm for the specific heat and two-point correlation function of Polyakov loops. Evidences of a first order deconfinement phase transition are discussed.