QCD at finite chemical potential in and out-of equilibrium

We review the transport properties of the strongly interacting quark-gluon plasma (QGP) created in heavy-ion collisions at ultrarelativistic energies, i.e. out-of equilibrium, and compare them to the equilibrium properties. The description of the strongly interacting (non-perturbative) QGP in equilibrium is based on the effective propagators and couplings from the Dynamical QuasiParticle Model (DQPM) that is matched to reproduce the equation-of-state of the partonic system above the deconfinement temperature T ( c ) from lattice QCD. We study the transport coefficients such as the ratio of shear viscosity and bulk viscosity over entropy density, diffusion coefficients, electric conductivity etc versus temperature T and baryon chemical potential mu ( B ). Based on a microscopic transport description of heavy-ion collisions we, furthermore, discuss which observables are sensitive to the QGP formation and its properties.

Automated summary

This review examines the transport properties of strongly interacting quark-gluon plasma in heavy-ion collisions, comparing out-of equilibrium and equilibrium states. By studying transport coefficients in relation to temperature and baryon chemical potential, the authors discuss observables sensitive to the formation and properties of the QGP.