Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: A $$Q{\bar{Q}}$$ bound state represents a balance between repulsive kinetic and attractive potential energy. In a hot quark–gluon plasma, the interaction potential experiences medium effects. Color screening modifies the attractive binding force between the quarks, while the increase of entropy with $$Q{\bar{Q}}$$ separation gives rise to a growing repulsion. We study the role of these phenomena for in-medium $$Q{\bar{Q}}$$ binding and dissociation. It is found that the relevant potential for $$Q{\bar{Q}}$$ binding is the free energy $$F$$ ; with increasing $$Q{\bar{Q}}$$ separation, further binding through the internal energy $$U$$ is compensated by repulsive entropic effects.
Source: The European Physical Journal C
Author: Helmut Satz
Institution: Bielefeld University
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2140045381