Mass shift of sigma-Meson in Nuclear Matter

Abstract

The propagation of sigma meson in nuclear matter is studied in the Walecka model, assuming that the sigma couples to a pair of nucleon-antinucleon states and to particle-hole states, including the in medium effect of sigma-omega mixing. We have also considered, by completeness, the coupling of sigma to two virtual pions. We have found that the sigma meson mass decreases respect to its value in vacuum and that the contribution of the sigma omega mixing effect on the mass shift is relatively small.