Thermal QCD transition with two flavors of twisted mass fermions

Abstract

We investigate the thermal QCD transition with two flavors of maximally twisted mass fermions for a set of pion masses, $300\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}<{m}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}<500\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}$, and lattice spacings, $a<0.09\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{fm}$. We determine the pseudocritical temperatures and discuss their extrapolation to the chiral limit using scaling forms for different universality classes, as well as the scaling form for the magnetic equation of state. For all pion masses considered, we find reasonable consistency with $O(4)$ scaling plus leading corrections. However, a true distinction between the $O(4)$ scenario and a first-order scenario in the chiral limit requires lighter pions than are currently in use in simulations of Wilson fermions.