Topological Aspects of Dense Matter: Lattice Studies

Topological fluctuations change their nature in the different phases of strong interactions, and the interrelation of topology, chiral symmetry and confinement at high temperature has been investigated in many lattice studies. This review is devoted to the much less explored subject of topology in dense matter. After a short overview of the status at zero density, which will serve as a baseline for the discussion, we will present lattice results for baryon rich matter, which, due to technical difficulties, has been mostly studied in two-color QCD, and for matter with isospin and chiral imbalances. In some cases, a coherent pattern emerges, and in particular the topological susceptibility seems suppressed at high temperature for baryon and isospin rich matter. However, at low temperatures the topological aspects of dense matter remain not completely clear and call for further studies.

Automated summary

This review examines the changes in topological fluctuations in different phases of strong interactions, focusing on the interrelation of topology, chiral symmetry and confinement in dense matter. Results show that the topological susceptibility appears to be suppressed at high temperatures for baryon and isospin rich matter, but the topological aspects of dense matter at low temperatures remain unclear and require further study.