Why the a1 meson might be a difficult messenger for the restoration of chiral symmetry
Abstract
We perform a theoretical analysis of the a1 resonance mass spectrum in ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions within a hadron/string transport approach. Predictions for the a1 yield and its mass distribution are given for the GSI-FAIR and the critRHIC energy regime. The potential of the a1 meson as a signal for chiral symmetry restoration is explored. In view of the latest discussion, we investigate the decay channel a1 γπ in detail and find a strong bias towards low a1 masses. This apparent mass shift of the a1 if observed in the γπ channel might render a possible mass shift due to chiral symmetry restoration very difficult to disentangle from the decay kinematics.
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