%0 Journal Article %T Improved Staggered Fermion Actions for QCD Thermodynamics %A U. M. Heller %A F. Karsch %A B. Sturm %J Physics %D 1999 %I arXiv %R 10.1103/PhysRevD.60.114502 %X We analyze the cut-off dependence of the fermion contribution to the finite temperature free energy density in ${\cal O}(g^2)$ lattice perturbation theory for several improved staggered fermion actions. Cut-off effects are drastically reduced for the Naik action and an action with improved rotational symmetry of the quark propagator. We show that improvement of rotational symmetry at ${\cal O}(g^2)$ further reduces cut-off effects in thermodynamic observables. We also show that the introduction of fat-links does not have a significant influence on cut-off distortions at ${\cal O}(g^2)$. %U http://arxiv.org/abs/hep-lat/9901010v1