The quenched limit of lattice QCD at non-zero baryon number
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We discuss the thermodynamics of gluons in the background of static quark sources. In order to do so we formulate the quenched limit of QCD at non-zero baryon number. A first numerical analysis of this system shows that it undergoes a smooth deconfining transition. We find evidence for a region of coexisting phases that becomes broader with increasing baryon number density. Although the action is in our formulation explicitly Z(3) symmetric the Polyakov loop expectation value becomes non-zero already in the low temperature phase. It indicates that the heavy quark potential stays finite at large distances, ie. the string between static quarks breaks at non-zero baryon number density already in the hadronic phase.
revised version, 25 pages, LaTeX2e file, 7 postscript files
revised version, 25 pages, LaTeX2e file, 7 postscript files