Location of the QCD critical point predicted by holographic Bayesian analysis

• Main Authors: Hippert, Mauricio, Grefa, Joaquin, Manning, T. Andrew, Noronha, Jorge, Noronha-Hostler, Jacquelyn, Vazquez, Israel Portillo, Ratti, Claudia, Rougemont, Rômulo, Trujillo, Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 15.12.2023
• Subjects: Physics - High Energy Physics - Phenomenology; Physics - Nuclear Theory
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2312.09689

We present results for a Bayesian analysis of the location of the QCD critical point constrained by first-principles lattice QCD results at zero baryon density. We employ a holographic Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton model of the QCD equation of state, capable of reproducing the latest lattice QCD results at zero and finite baryon chemical potential. Our analysis is carried out for two different parametrizations of this model, resulting in confidence intervals for the critical point location that overlap at one sigma. While samples of the prior distribution may not even predict a critical point, or produce critical points spread around a large region of the phase diagram, posterior samples nearly always present a critical point at chemical potentials of $\mu_{Bc} \sim 550 - 630$ MeV.