QCD sign problem as a total derivative

TY - JOUR

T1 - QCD sign problem as a total derivative

AU - Greensite, Jeffrey Paul

AU - Myers, Joyce C

AU - Splittorff, Kim

PY - 2013/8/9

Y1 - 2013/8/9

N2 - We consider the distribution of the complex phase of the fermion determinant in QCD at nonzero chemical potential and examine the physical conditions under which the distribution takes a Gaussian form. We then calculate the baryon number as a function of the complex phase of the fermion determinant and show 1) that the exponential cancellations produced by the sign problem take the form of total derivatives, and 2) that the full baryon number is orthogonal to this noise. These insights allow us to define a self-consistency requirement for measurements of the baryon number in lattice simulations.

AB - We consider the distribution of the complex phase of the fermion determinant in QCD at nonzero chemical potential and examine the physical conditions under which the distribution takes a Gaussian form. We then calculate the baryon number as a function of the complex phase of the fermion determinant and show 1) that the exponential cancellations produced by the sign problem take the form of total derivatives, and 2) that the full baryon number is orthogonal to this noise. These insights allow us to define a self-consistency requirement for measurements of the baryon number in lattice simulations.

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevD.88.031502

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevD.88.031502

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1550-7998

VL - 88

JO - Physical Review D (Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology)

JF - Physical Review D (Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology)

IS - 3

M1 - 031502

ER -