Inverse magnetic catalysis in field theory and gauge-gravity duality

Aug, 2012
37 pages
Published in:
  • Lect.Notes Phys. 871 (2013) 51-86
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Abstract: (Springer)
We investigate the surface of the chiral phase transition in the three-dimensional parameter space of temperature, baryon chemical potential and magnetic field in two different approaches, the field-theoretical Nambu–Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model and the holographic Sakai–Sugimoto model. The latter is a top–down approach to a gravity dual of QCD with an asymptotically large number of colors and becomes, in a certain limit, dual to an NJL-like model. Our main observation is that, at nonzero chemical potential, a magnetic field can restore chiral symmetry, in apparent contrast to the phenomenon of magnetic catalysis. This “inverse magnetic catalysis” occurs in the Sakai–Sugimoto model and, for sufficiently large coupling, in the NJL model and is related to the physics of the lowest Landau level. While in most parts our discussion is a pedagogical review of previously published results, we include new analytical results for the NJL approach and a thorough comparison of inverse magnetic catalysis in the two approaches.
Note:
  • 37 pages, 11 figures, to appear in Lect. Notes Phys. "Strongly interacting matter in magnetic fields" (Springer), edited by D. Kharzeev, K. Landsteiner, A. Schmitt, H.-U. Yee
  • potential: chemical
  • gravitation: duality
  • critical phenomena: chiral
  • Jona-Lasinio-Nambu model
  • magnetic field
  • Sakai-Sugimoto model
  • temperature
  • holography
  • field equations
  • symmetry: chiral