Complex heavy-quark potential at finite temperature from lattice QCD

Area of Science:

• High Energy Physics
• Quantum Chromodynamics
• Statistical Mechanics

Background:

• Heavy quark systems are crucial for understanding the quark-gluon plasma.
• The behavior of heavy quarkonia across the deconfinement transition is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To calculate the complex potential between a heavy quark and antiquark at finite temperature.
• To investigate the properties of heavy quarkonia in the quark-gluon plasma.

Main Methods:

• Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics (LQCD) calculations.
• Utilizing the spectral function of the thermal Wilson loop.
• Analyzing the real and imaginary parts of the potential at various separations.

Main Results:

• First-ever calculation of the complex potential between heavy quarks at finite temperature.
• Confirmation of a non-zero imaginary potential above the critical temperature (Tc).
• The imaginary potential increases with separation distance (r).

Conclusions:

• The imaginary potential signifies interactions with the gluonic environment.
• These interactions are key to the melting of heavy quarkonia in the quark-gluon plasma.
• Provides new insights into the properties of deconfined matter.