Abstract:
\mathbbZ_3
-QCD is a QCD-like theory with strict center symmetry. We use the Polyakov-loop extended quark meson model (PQM) as a low-energy effective theory of
\mathbbZ_3
-QCD to study the RW transitions in different center symmetry breaking patterns. The flavor-dependent imaginary chemical potentials, namely
(\mu_\rmu,\,\mu_\rmd,\,\mu_\rms)= \rmiT(\theta-2C\pi/3,\theta,\theta+2C\pi/3)
are adopted, which guarantees the RW periodicity. The traditional and quark improved Polyakov-loop potentials are used, respectively. For
N_\rmf\!=\!3
with
C\!\ne\!1
, the RW transition occurs at
\theta\!=\!\pi/3
(mod
2\pi/3
), which gets stronger when
C
declines from one to zero. When
C\!=\!1
, the RW transition happens at
\theta\!=\!2\pi/3
(mod
2\pi/3
) for
N_\rmf\!=\!2+1
, but
\theta\!=\!\pi/3
(mod
2\pi/3
) for
N_\rmf\!=\!1+2
. We find that all RW transition endpoints are triple points when
C\!=\!1
. We confirm that the RW transition becomes weaker and the deconfinement temperature gets lower when taking into account the quark back-reaction effect. However, the modification of the gluon sector due to the quark effect does not change the main conclusions mentioned above.