Phase transitions in quantum chromodynamics

摘要: The current understanding of finite-temperature phase transitions in QCD is reviewed. A critical discussion refined phase-transition criteria numerical lattice simulations and analytical tools going beyond the mean-field level effective continuum models for presented. Theoretical predictions about order are compared with possible experimental manifestations heavy-ion collisions. Various places phenomenological descriptions pointed out where more reliable data QCD's equation state would help selecting most realistic scenario among those proposed. Unanswered questions raised relevance calculations that assume thermodynamic equilibrium. Promising new approaches implementing nonequilibrium aspects thermodynamics collisions described. [S0034-6861(96)00302-9]