Coupling the Deconfining and Chiral Transitions

The Polyakov loop and the chiral condensate are used as order parameters to explore analytically the possible phase structure of finite temperature QCD. Nambu-Jona-Lasinio models in a background temporal gauge field are combined with a Polyakov loop potential in a form suitable for both the lattice and the continuum. Three possible behaviors are found: a first-order transition, a second-order transition, and a region with both transitions.