Chiral Transition and the Scalar and Vector Correlations

Abstract

The properties of the scalar and vector correlations in the hot and/or dense hadronic matter close to chiral transition are discussed. Presuming that the linear realization of chiral symmetry will become appropriate at least near the critical point, we argue that the strength function in the $I=J=0$ channel will soften near the critical point, and the sigma meson will accordingly become a clearer resonance in hot and/or dense medium than in the free space. It is shown that the steep rise of the baryon-number susceptibility ${\chi }_B$ around the critical point seen in the lattice simulations may suggest that the interactions between quarks in the vector channel become week near the critical point; this implies that the peculiar behavior of the ${\chi }_B$ does not necessarily imply a proliferation of baryons and antibaryons (Skyrmions) which is though a natural scenario of chiral transition in the non-linear realization of chiral symmetry.

Comments: Talk presented at International Symposium on Hadrons and Nuclei, Seoul, Feb. 20 - 22, 2001. No figures. 6 pages