Lattice QCD Thermodynamics with Physical Quark Masses

Abstract

Over the past few years, new physics methods and algorithms as well as the latest supercomputers have enabled the study of the QCD thermodynamic phase transition using lattice gauge theory numerical simulations and allowing unprecedented control over systematic errors. This progress is largely a consequence of the ability to perform continuum extrapolations with physical quark masses. We review recent progress in lattice QCD thermodynamics, focusing mainly on results that benefit from the use of physical quark masses: the crossover temperature, the equation of state, and fluctuations of the quark number susceptibilities. In addition, we emphasize calculations that are directly relevant to the study of relativistic heavy-ion collisions at RHIC and the LHC.