Probing meson spectral functions with double differential dilepton spectra in heavy-ion collisions

The double differential dilepton spectrum $dN/ (dM_\perp^2 dM^2)$ at fixed transverse mass $M_\perp$ allows a direct access to the vector meson spectral functions. Within a fireball model the sensitivity of $dN/ (dM_\perp^2 dM^2)$ against variations of both the in-medium properties of mesons and the dynamics of the fireball is investigated. In contrast to the integrated invariant-mass spectrum $dN/dM^2$, in the spectrum $dN/dM^2 dM_\perp^2$ with fixed $M_\perp$ the $\omega$ signal is clearly seen as bump riding on the $\rho$ background even in case of strong in-medium modifications.Comment: 11 pages with figs. (style changed to RevTeX

Probing in-medium vector meson decays by double-differential di-electron spectra in heavy-ion collisions at SIS energies

Within a transport code simulation for heavy-ion collisions at bombarding energies around 1 AGeV, we demonstrate that double-differential di-electron spectra with suitable kinematical cuts are useful to isolate (i) the $\rho$ meson peak even in case of strong broadening, and (ii) the in-medium $\omega$ decay contribution. The expected in-medium modifications of the vector meson spectral densities can thus be probed in this energy range via the di-electron channel

Strangeness Saturation: Dependence on System-Size, Centrality and Energy

The dependence of the strangeness saturation factor on the system size, centrality and energy is studied in relativistic heavy-ion collisions.Comment: contribution for Proc. 19th Winter Workshop on Nuclear Dynamics, Breckenridge, February 8-15, 200

Probing the strange quark condensate by di-electrons from phi meson decays in heavy-ion collisions at SIS energies

QCD sum rules predict that the change of the strange quark condensate $<\bar s s>$ in hadron matter at finite baryon density causes a shift of the peak position of the di-electron spectra from $\phi$ meson decays. Due to the expansion of hadron matter in heavy-ion collisions, the $\phi$ peak suffers a smearing governed by the interval of density in the expanding fireball, which appears as effective broadening of the di-electron spectrum in the $\phi$ region. The emerging broadening is sensitive to the in-medium change of $<\bar s s>$. This allows to probe directly in-medium modifications of $$ via di-electron spectra in heavy-ion collisions at SIS energies with HADES

Evaluation of QCD sum rules for light vector mesons at finite density and temperature

QCD sum rules are evaluated at finite nucleon densities and temperatures to determine the change of mass parameters for the lightest vector mesons $\rho$, $\omega$ and $\phi$ in a strongly interacting medium. For conditions relevant for the starting experiments at HADES we find that the in-medium mass shifts of the $\rho$ and $\omega$ mesons are governed, within the Borel QCD sum rule approach, by the density and temperature dependence of the four-quark condensate. In particular, the variation of the strength of the density dependence of the four-quark condensate reflects directly the decreasing mass of the $\rho$ meson and can lead to a change of the sign of the $\omega$ meson mass shift as a function of the density. In contrast, the in-medium mass of the $\phi$ meson is directly related to the chiral strange quark condensate which seems correspondingly accessible

Extending the truncated Dyson-Schwinger equation to finite temperatures

In view of the properties of mesons in hot strongly interacting matter the properties of the solutions of the truncated Dyson-Schwinger equation for the quark propagator at finite temperatures within the rainbow-ladder approximation are analysed in some detail. In Euclidean space within the Matsubara imaginary time formalism the quark propagator is not longer a O(4) symmetric function and possesses a discrete spectra of the fourth component of the momentum. This makes the treatment of the Dyson-Schwinger and Bethe-Salpeter equations conceptually different from the vacuum and technically much more involved. The question whether the interaction kernel known from vacuum calculations can be applied at finite temperatures remains still open. We find that, at low temperatures, the model interaction with vacuum parameters provides a reasonable description of the quark propagator, while at temperatures higher than a certain critical value $T_c$ the interaction requires stringent modifications. The general properties of the quark propagator at finite temperatures can be inferred from lattice QCD calculations. We argue that, to achieve a reasonable agreement of the model calculations with that from lattice QCD, the kernel is to be modified in such a way as to screen the infra-red part of the interaction at temperatures larger than $T_c$. For this, we analyse the solutions of the truncated Dyson-Schwinger equation with existing interaction kernels in a large temperature range with particular attention on high temperatures in order to find hints to an adequate temperature dependence of the interaction kernel to be further implemented in to the Bethe-Salpeter equation for mesons. This will allow to investigate the possible in medium modifications of the meson properties as well as the conditions of quark deconfinement in hot matter.Comment: 33 pages, 11 figures. New references, two new figures (Fig.4 and Fig.11) and Appendix have been included in the new version. A new T-dependence of the interaction kernel is considere