arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J. Wambach.
The quantum-kinetic energy of a finite number of trapped fermionic atoms provides a restoring force for shear motion due to a distortion of the momentum distribution. In analogy to the twist mode of nuclear physics it is proposed that counter-rotating the upper and lower hemisphere of a spherical atomic cloud yields a finite-frequency mode closely related to transverse zero-sound waves in bulk Fermi liquids.
The medium modification of mesons in dense hadronic matter is discussed with a focus on the relationship to the chiral structure of the non-perturbative QCD vacuum.
Self-consistent new renormalization group flow equations for an O(N)-symmetric scalar theory are approximated in next-to-leading order of the derivative expansion. The Wilson-Fisher fixed point in three dimensions is analyzed in detail and various critical exponents are calculated.
We compare two different possibilities to include meson-loop corrections in the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model: a strict 1/N_c-expansion in next-to-leading order and a non-perturbative scheme corresponding to a one-meson-loop approximation to the effective action. Both schemes are consistent with chiral symmetry, in particular with the Goldstone theorem and the Gell-Mann-Oakes-Renner relation. The numerical part at zero temperature focuses on the pion and the rho-meson sector. For the latter the meson-loop-corrections are crucial in order to include the dominant rho -> pipi-decay channel, while the standard Hartree + RPA approximation only contains unphysical qqbar-decay channels. We find that m_π, f_π, and quantities related to the rho-meson self-energy can be described reasonably with one parameter set in the 1/N_c-expansion scheme, whereas we did not succeed to obtain such a fit in the non-perturbative scheme. We also investigate the temperature dependence of the quark condensate. Here we find consistency with chiral perturbation theory to lowest order. Similarities and differences of both schemes are discussed.
We derive and solve flow equations for a general O(N)-symmetric effective potential including wavefunction renormalization corrections combined with a heat-kernel regularization. We investigate the model at finite temperature and study the nature of the phase transition in detail. Beta functions, fixed points and critical exponents β, ν, δand ηfor various N are independently calculated which allow for a verification of universal scaling relations.
The fine structure of the isoscalar giant quadrupole resonance in ^{208}Pb, observed in high-resolution (p,p') and (e,e') experiments, is studied using the entropy index method. In a novel way, it enables to determine the number of scales present in the spectra and their magnitude. We find intermediate scales of fluctuations around 1.1 MeV, 460 keV and 125 keV for an excitation energy region 0 - 12 MeV. A comparison with scales extracted from second RPA calculations, which are in good agreement with experiment, shows that they arise from the internal mixing of collective motion with two particle-two hole components of the nuclear wavefunction.
The influence of a dropping sigma-meson mass on previously calculated in-medium pion-pion correlations in the J=I=0 (sigma-meson) channel is investigated. It is found that the invariant-mass distribution around the vacuum threshold experiences a further strong enhancement over and above the standard many-body effects. The relevance of this result for the theoretical interpretation of this result for the theoretical interpretation of recent A(pi-2 pi)X data is pointed out.
We discuss medium modifications of the unitarized pion-pion interaction in the nuclear medium. We incorporate both the effects of chiral symmetry restoration and the influence of collective nuclear pionic modes, originating from the p-wave coupling of the pion to delta-hole configurations. We show how the resulting strong enhancement of the sigma-meson spectral function is related to large fluctuations of the condensate associated with the partial restoration of chiral symmetry.
Properties of mesons are investigated within the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model. We include meson-loop corrections, which are generated via a systematic 1/N_c-expansion in next-to-leading order. We show that our scheme is consistent with chiral symmetry, in particular with the Goldstone theorem and the Gell-Mann Oakes Renner relation. The numerical part focuses on the pion and the rho-meson sector. For the latter the 1/N_c-corrections are crucial in order to include the dominant rho -> pi pi-decay channel, while the leading-order approximation only contains unphysical q\bar q-decay channels. We show that a satisfactory description of the pion electromagnetic form factor can be obtained. Similarities and differences to hadronic models are discussed.
Theoretical approaches to assess modifications of vector mesons in the medium, as well as their experimental identification via electromagnetic probes, are discussed. Implications for the nature of chiral symmetry restoration in hot/dense matter are outlined and put into context with the axialvector channel.
We investigate the effect of mesonic fluctuations on the pion propagator in the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model by explicitly taking into account 1/N_c corrections. Because of the non-renormalizability of the model we have to regularize the meson loops with an independent cutoff parameter Lambda_M. Whereas for moderate values of Lambda_M the pion properties change only quantitatively we encounter strong instabilities for larger values of Lambda_M.
The modification of the rho-meson self-energy due to the coupling to in-medium pions is calculated consistently at finite baryon density and temperature, keeping the full 3-momentum dependence in a gauge invariant way. As a function of nucleon density, the rho-meson spectral function is strongly enhanced in the invariant mass region M < 650 MeV, while the maximum, i.e. the pole mass, is slightly shifted upwards. As a function of temperature, for fixed nucleon density, the imaginary part of the self-energy increases further due to Bose-enhancement. At the same time the mass shift from the real part becomes very large. As a consequence of these medium effects, the dilepton rate in the low-mass region M < 650 MeV increases strongly, while the peak at M = 770 MeV disappears.
We compare and discuss the dependence of a polynomial truncation of the effective potential used to solve exact renormalization group flow equation for a model with fermionic interaction (linear sigma model) with a grid solution. The sensitivity of the results on the underlying cutoff function is discussed. We explore the validity of the expansion method for second and first-order phase transitions.
Flow equations for an O(N)-symmetric effective potential are discussed and solved for the finite temperature case. The model is investigated at the critical point and critical exponents for various N are calculated.
The current theoretical status in the analysis and interpretation of low-mass dilepton measurements in (ultra-) relativistic heavy-ion experiments is reviewed. Special emphasis is put on potential signals of (partial) restoration of dynamically broken chiral symmetry in a hot and dense hadronic medium. It follows from chiral symmetry alone that parity partners of hadronic correlation functions must become identical when the symmetry is restored. The assessment of medium effects in the vector channel, which governs the dilepton production, thus necessitates a simultaneous treatment of the vector and axialvector degrees of freedom. While significant progress in this respect has been made some open questions remain in establishing a rigorous link in the mass region below 1 GeV. From the present calculations a suggestive 'quark-hadron duality' emerges near the phase boundary. It implies substantial medium effects in the dilepton signal from the hadronic phase which smoothly matches a perturbative description within the plasma phase.
The influence of a dropping sigma-meson mass on previously calculated in-medium pion-pion correlations in the J=I=0 (sigma-meson) channel is investigated. It is found that the invariant-mass distribution around the vacuum threshold experiences a further strong enhancement with respect to standard many-body effects. The relevance of this result for the explanation of recent $A(π,2π)X$ data is pointed out.
Using a rather complete description of the in-medium $ρ$ spectral function - being constrained by various independent experimental information - we calculate pertinent dilepton production rates from hot and dense hadronic matter. The strong broadening of the $ρ$ resonance entails a reminiscence to perturbative $q\bar q$ annihilation rates in the vicinity of the phase boundary. The application to dilepton observables in Pb(158AGeV)+Au collisions - incorporating recent information on the hadro-chemical composition at CERN-SpS energies - essentially supports the broadening scenario. Possible implications for the nature of chiral symmetry restoration are outlined.
We address the problem of pion production in low energy $π$-nucleus collisions. For the production mechanism we assume a simple model consisting of a coherent sum of single pion exchange and the excitation---followed by the decay into two pions and a nucleon---of the $N^*(1440)$ resonance. The production amplitude is modified by the final state interaction between the pions calculated using the chirally improved Jülich meson exchange model including the polarization of the nuclear medium by the pions. The model reproduces well the experimentally observed $πA \to ππA$ cross sections, especially the enhancement with increasing $A$ of the $π^+π^-$ mass distribution in the threshold region.