  We investigate three-colour QCD thermodynamics at finite quark chemical
potential. Lattice QCD results are compared with a generalized Nambu
Jona-Lasinio model in which quarks couple simultaneously to the chiral
condensate and to a background temporal gauge field representing Polyakov loop
dynamics. This so-called PNJL model thus includes features of both
deconfinement and chiral symmetry restoration. The parameters of the Polyakov
loop effective potential are fixed in the pure gauge sector. The chiral
condensate and the Polyakov loop as functions of temperature and quark chemical
potential are calculated by minimizing the thermodynamic potential of the
system. The resulting equation of state, (scaled) pressure difference and quark
number density at finite quark chemical potential are then confronted with
corresponding Lattice QCD data.
