Lattice Yang-Mills theory at finite densities of heavy quarks

Abstract

SU(N_c) Yang-Mills theory is investigated at finite densities of N_f heavy quark flavors. The calculation of the (continuum) quark determinant in the large-mass limit is performed by analytic methods and results in an effective gluonic action. This action is then subject to a lattice representation of the gluon fields and computer simulations. The approach maintains the same number of quark degrees of freedom as in the continuum formulation and a physical heavy quark limit (to be contrasted with the quenched approximation N_f -> 0). The proper scaling towards the continuum limit is manifest. We study the partition function for given values of the chemical potential as well as the partition function which is projected onto a definite baryon number. First numerical results for an SU(2) gauge theory are presented. We briefly discuss the breaking of the color-electric string at finite densities and shed light onto the origin of the overlap problem inherent in the Glasgow approach.