The phase diagram of dense QCD

Abstract

The current status of theoretical studies on the quantum chromodynamics (QCD) phase diagram at finite temperature and baryon chemical potential is reviewed with special emphasis on the origin of various phases and their symmetry breaking patterns. Topics include quark deconfinement, chiral symmetry restoration, order of the phase transitions, QCD critical point(s), colour superconductivity, various inhomogeneous states and implications from QCD-like theories.