Phase Diagram and Critical Properties within an Effective Model of QCD: The Nambu-Jona-Lasinio Model Coupled to the Polyakov Loop

We investigate the phase diagram of the so-called Polyakov-Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model at finite temperature and non-zero chemical potential with three quark flavors. Chiral and deconfinement phase transitions are discussed and the relevant order-like parameters are analyzed. The results are compared with simple thermodynamic expectations and lattice data. We present the phase diagram in the (T, mu(B)) plane, paying special attention to the critical end point: as the strength of the flavor-mixing interaction becomes weaker, the critical end point moves to low temperatures and can even disappear.