Quarks & Co: Dynamical mass generation and restoration in extreme environments

• Christian Fischer (Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen)

Room: Lecture Theatre The physics of the strong interaction (QCD) of quarks and gluons has profound implications for the world we live in. Almost all the mass of visible matter is generated dynamically by the strong interaction. The loss and/or modification of this mechanism in extreme environments such as large temperatures or densities is important for the physics of the early universe, heavy ion collisions and the interior of neutron stars. In this colloquium talk we discuss the interplay of dynamical mass generation from the strong and electroweak interactions and explore the consequences for phase transitions of the strong interaction at finite temperature and chemical potential. Using a functional approach to QCD we illustrate the search for a critical end point and outline possible strategies to explore the onset of new phases in the cold and dense region of the QCD phase diagram.