Chiral phase transitions in QCD for finite temperature and density

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Abstract
We study the diagram for the chiral phases of QCD on the plane of temperature and chemical potential. The calculation is based on the extension of a composite-operator formalism already employed for zero temperature and density. We find that, moving along the critical line for increasing chemical potential, one encounters a point separating second-order and first-order chiral phase transitions. The overall phase diagram is found to qualitatively reproduce the pattern for the Gross-Neveu model. Our study suggests the occurrence of metastable phases.