Twisted mass QCD thermodynamics: first results on apeNEXT

The motivations for simulating QCD thermodynamics with Wilson fermions and a twisted mass term are introduced. The twisted mass approach provides a natural infrared cutoff and O(a) improvement at maximal twist, and can be extended to finite temperature. Our strategy for exploring the QCD phase diagram at finite temperature in this setup, while taking advantage of the results at T=0, is explained. The first results for the order parameters and susceptibilities on a 16^3 x 8 lattice are presented. All dynamical simulations are carried out on the apeNEXT facility in Rome.