Vector and axial-vector correlators in a chirally symmetric model

Abstract

We present a chirally symmetric hadronic model for the vector and axial-vector correlators in vacuum. The dominant contributions to these correlators come from intermediate pions, rho and a_1 mesons which are calculated in one-loop approximation. The resulting spectral functions are compared with the data obtained by the ALEPH collaboration from tau decay. In the vector channel we find good agreement up to q^2 = 1 GeV^2, in the transverse axial-vector channel up to q^2 = 2 GeV^2, corresponding to the regimes dominated by two-pion or three-pion decay channels, respectively. The longitudinal axial correlator is in almost perfect agreement with the PCAC result.

Comments: 32 pages, 25 figures included; revised version with one additional figure and appendix, accepted for publication in Nucl. Phys. A