Three-dimensional QCD phase diagram with a pion condensate in the NJL model

Abstract

With the isovector coupling constants adjusted to reproduce the physical pion mass and lattice QCD results in baryon-free quark matter, we have carried out rigourous calculations for the pion condensate in the 3-flavor Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model, and studied the 3-dimensional QCD phase diagram. With the increasing isospin chemical potential $\mu_I$, we have observed two nonzero solutions of the pion condensate at finite baryon chemical potentials $\mu_B$, representing respectively the pion superfluid phase and the Sarma phase, and their appearance and disappearance correspond to a second-order (first-order) phase transition at higher (lower) temperatures $T$ and lower (higher) $\mu_B$. Calculations by assuming equal constituent mass of $u$ and $d$ quarks would lead to large errors of the QCD phase diagram within $\mu_B \in (500, 900)$ MeV, and affect the position of the critical end point.